I tried the biggest burgers at 5 fast-food chains and my favorite tasted fresh off the grill

It cost me $12.49, not including tax, making it the most expensive burger I tried. I chose pickles, onions, and Shack sauce as my toppings.

The pickles were large and crunchy, and the amount of other toppings was generous. The chain's signature Shack sauce also added a ton of flavor, and the cheese was perfectly melted.

However, the burger was almost too heavy to pick up.

I know I purposefully ordered the largest burger on the menu, but this burger was massive. I saw it as a hindrance rather than an asset, and I struggled to get through more than a few bites.

Despite being the most expensive burger, I'm not sure it was worth it. The burger patties were much thicker than quite a few of the other burgers I tried, and the toppings definitely enhanced the flavor. However, it was simply too big, to the point where it tasted like a giant meat-and-cheese grease-bomb.

I was conflicted over whether the biggest burger at McDonald's was the Big Mac — which is physically the largest thanks to the extra bun — or the Double Quarter-Pounder, which is the burger with the most meat. I decided to try both to appease both sets of McDonald's fans who argue for one over the other.

A Big Mac cost me $7.29 at my local McDonald's, excluding tax.

The burger patties weren't overwhelming, nor was the sandwich as a whole. I also liked the tangy, creamy Big Mac sauce. However, I thought the added bun made the sandwich taste too much like bread and the other flavors were slightly lost, in my opinion.

I simply wanted more flavor happening. Between the extra bun and the generous serving of Big Mac sauce, that was all I could taste. Tomato, cheese, or simply other condiments might have taken the sandwich to the next level.

The burger, which is on In-N-Out's "not-so-secret" menu, is also referred to as the "Quad Quad," and comes with four beef patties, four cheese slices, lettuce, tomato, spread, and the option to add onions. It cost $9.49, excluding tax and fees.

The burger was far too large for me to eat in one sitting, though the flavor made me want to.

However, the additional burger patties ended up detracting from the burger's overall ranking instead of enhancing it. The burger was overwhelmingly heavy, with the tomato and lettuce failing to offset the excessive amount of meat and cheese.

The buns couldn't contain the juicy beef patties, and they started disintegrating as I ate the burger. Truthfully, I wouldn't order this again. Although it was tasty, the amount of meat was just too much for me.

Looking at the burger in the box, I immediately noticed that it had more meat than the Big Mac. The meat was clearly the star of the show, with the other toppings barely visible beneath the patties and bun.

The burger cost me $9.79, excluding tax. I thought this was a fair price for the meat-heavy burger.

I found this burger to be pretty flavorful, especially thanks to the condiments and large slices of crunchy pickles. However, I wasn't crazy about the bun — while I normally love a sesame-seed bun, I found this one to be pretty bland, airy, and artificial-tasting.

Despite having a ton of meat, the burger didn't feel too overwhelming to eat. I thought it was a realistic sandwich, especially compared to the gigantic burgers from Shake Shack and In-N-Out.

When I arrived at my local Wendy's drive-thru, this extra-large burger wasn't even on the menu. However, thanks to my online research, I knew it could be made and decided to order it anyway. I did wonder how popular this sandwich was, and if many people opt for the triple-patty burger.

The Dave's Triple burger cost $11.24, excluding tax.

The sandwich was difficult to pick up, but all of the ingredients appeared to be well-balanced. There was a large serving of tomatoes, pickles, and cheese, so it didn't look like the beef patties would be overpowered.

While I personally couldn't finish the entire thing, I definitely thought the flavors were there and it was a good value for the price.

If I were to change one thing, it would be to remove the mayonnaise. It ended up mixing with the juice from the tomatoes in an unappetizing way, creating a tomato-mayo sauce that I thought brought the other flavors down.

Similar to the Dave's Triple, the Triple Whopper also comes with three quarter-pound beef patties, although the ones at Burger King are flame-grilled. The burger cost me $11.29, excluding tax, making it the second-most expensive burger I tried.

However, I felt that this allowed the other flavors to really come through, and it led to a less gut-filling, more appetizing eating experience.

The lettuce, tomatoes, and onions all tasted fresh, and they added a delicious crunch to the burger.

The burger patties had a smoky, savory flavor that made the sandwich taste fresh off the grill. I also thought the patties' shape, which were larger in circumference but flatter than some of the other burgers, made the sandwich easier to eat.

Overall, I really enjoyed this burger and would definitely order it again — if I have the appetite.

While I'm not sure I'm happy to pay more than $10 for any fast-food burger, it was a very generous serving and the most flavorful out of the bunch, without being overwhelmingly huge.