After I got my first job, I would spend every Saturday for 3 years ordering the same exact thing at McDonald’s – a Quarter Pounder with Cheese (no pickle), medium fries, big mac and a chocolate milkshake. Those were the good ol’ days!
Anyway, today’s post is all about the Quarter Pounder menu – prices, what’s inside the burger, McDonald’s history and so on.
The Quarter Pounder was created in 1971 in Fremont, California by a franchise owner Al Bernardin in a bid to create a burger that could compete with the BK Whoppers. By 1973 the Quarter Pounder and the Quarter Pounder with Cheese were added to the McDonald’s menu.
Quarter Pounder Menu with Prices
There are several burger options in the Quarter Pounder lineup. This may vary by location as some franchise-owned McD’s may have their own versions. But here are the national sandwiches available at McDonald’s, with their respective price estimates:
- Quarter Pounder with Cheese $6.35
- Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe $7.27
- Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese $7.87
- Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese $8.26
- Double Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese $9.43
- Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe $9.10
- Quarter Pounder with Cheese Meal $10.81
- Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe Meal $11.85
- Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese Meal $12.33
- Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese Meal $12.42
- Double Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese Meal $13.76
- Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe Meal $13.47
Quarter Pounder Ingredients and Nutrition Facts
Each Quarter Pounder with Cheese burger features has ¼ pound of 100% fresh beef seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked to order – sizzled on a flat iron grill – then topped with pickles, onions and 2 slices of American cheese, served on a sesame bun with ketchup and mustard.
A Quarter Pounder burger contains 520 calories, 30g of protein, 26g total fat, 42g total carbs, 95mg cholesterol and 1,140mg sodium.
Why is it called a Quarter Pounder?
It’s called a Quarter Pounder because the weight of its patty is 4 ounces or ¼ of a pound (before cooking).
Does McDonald’s use fresh beef patties?
In 2018, McDonald’s made the decision to switch to fresh beef quarter pound burger patties. This move resulted in a 30% increase in sales of the QPB and also allowed the chain to gain market share for the first time in 5 years in what’s known as “informal eating out.”
What’s the difference between a McDonald’s Cheeseburger and a Quarter Pounder with Cheese?
According to this Quora thread, the Quarter Pounder has 4 ounces of fresh, never frozen ground beef, cooked to order, seasoned, and placed directly onto the sandwich without being held in a hot cabinet. The cheeseburger, on the other hand, is made with 1.6 ounces of frozen ground beef, cooked, seasoned, topped with rehydrated onions, and kept in a hot cabinet for up to 10 minutes before being placed on the bun.
QPCs come on a 3.5-inch sesame seed bun topped with 0.02 fluid ounces of mustard, 1/2 fluid ounce of ketchup, slivered onions, 2 pickles, and 2 slices of cheese, served in a box. Cheeseburgers are served on a 3-inch plain bun topped with 0.02 fluid ounces of mustard, 1/3 fluid ounce of ketchup, 1 pickle, and 1 slice of cheese, and are wrapped in paper.
What is the difference between the Quarter Pounder with Cheese and the Quarter Pounder with Cheese Deluxe?
The Quarter Pounder Deluxe has additional ingredients like mayo, tomato slice and iceberg lettuce.
Is the double cheeseburger the same as a Quarter Pounder?
The meat patties on a double cheeseburger weigh about one-tenth of a pound each, totaling 20% of a pound, whereas a quarter pounder is a solid 25% of a pound. Moreover, since the double cheeseburger patties are separate pieces, they tend to lose more fat during cooking, unlike the succulent quarter pounder patty. If you’ve tried both, I’m sure you can taste the difference.
The bun for a quarter pounder is also larger, of higher quality, and sprinkled with sesame seeds. All these things justify the higher price for a quarter pounder (my favorite McDonald’s sandwich) over a double cheeseburger.
Customer Reviews for the Quarter Pounder Menu
Sophia K.
Holy shit the good people of the Union Square McDonald’s know what they’re doing. Came here the other day and my fries were fresh, hot, and salted to perfection– I almost cried. My quarter pounder was unbelievable. Whoever on aux was sending me back to my childhood with the early 2000s music and the overall vibe of the location. God. Need to go here again. Wow.
Katie R.
The quarter pounder isn’t bad. At least the meat is eatable. The only other thing I will eat at mcdonald’s is their hotcakes. They are pretty good. Otherwise I don’t waste my money on their food.
HeathWagner
Decided to mix things up about today and dined in and ordered something different. Today I ordered a Double quarter pounder with cheese combo meal. The fries were perfect! Served hot and fresh, exactly how I like them. The burger itself was a decent size. My only complaint was the fact that is was a bit greasy and the bun got really mushy fast. Overall, this was an average visit to this particular McDonald’s.
Dee C
Deluxe Quarter Pounder Was Great! Loaded with lettuce, pickles, tomatoes to make you feel satisfied and getting a few veggies in! The design was not a typical Mickey D’s and was silvery and different.
Is the Quarter Pounder Worth the Price?
The price of the Quarter Pounder with Cheese ranges from $6 to $7, while the combo meal which comes with medium fries and drinks costs about $11 to $14. It may be a bit on the expensive side, compared to regular cheeseburgers at McDonald’s but if you want a satisfying juicy burger, this is perhaps the best choice in the McDo menu.