Who's Winning The Burger Wars? Ranked By Beef Eaters

Burger King's Tom Curtis filmed himself taking a huge, messy bite of a Whopper. This contrasts with Chris Kempczinski's video. Curtis's reaction hit Burger King's push for their upgraded Whopper—better bun, sturdier packaging, tastier mayo—but the timing and jab were clear.

Fans flooded comments comparing the two bites. Many praised Curtis for looking human and genuinely excited; some joked they would switch to Whoppers because of it. Burger King avoided a direct reaction, claiming the video was not a reaction, but nobody believed it.

Peter Suerken is the President of Wendy's US.Peter Suerken, President of Wendy's US, shared a video preparing and eating a Baconator. He emphasized the fresh beef and took several bites. He sat down with his loaded Baconator, paired it with fries and a Frosty, and ate several big, enthusiastic bites.Pete Suerken (Wendy's) shared a video preparing and eating a Baconator, showing fresh beef. He sat down with his loaded Baconator, paired it with fries and a Frosty, and took many hearty, enthusiastic bites.

Sauce and satisfaction covered his face. He declared, "This is exactly what a good hamburger should be," then dunked a fry in the Frosty for a finishing move. He also jabbed at McDonald's broken ice cream machines, quipping, "our machines are always working."

Allen Lulu (A&W - Canada) appeared wearing a blue dress shirt and pullover sweater, similar to Chris Kempczinski's original Big Arch promo video. He held up the Teen Burger and copied McDonald's corporate talk, saying lines like, "We love this burger product, which most people call a burger," and described parts simply: "unique bread that some would call a bun," "lettuce, which is green," and noted doubt about "how to attack it."

After the detailed breakdown, Lulu took a large, eager bite. He held the burger up, showing the big mark left behind.

Jack in the Box entered the 2026 Burger Wars with a funny, self-aware reply. He leaned hard into their mascot, the giant, spherical-headed "CEO," Jack Box.

Instead of an executive awkwardly nibbling, they posted a cheeky video on Instagram and TikTok. Jack Box held up their Double Jack burger, showing his permanent wide grin that cannot open for a bite.

White Castle's Lisa Ingram posted a video eating many sliders with Garage Beer CEO, Andy Sauer, joining the social media trend. White Castle captioned the post: "We love our products. We love our Queen. Our Queen loves our products," pointing out Ingram's nickname and the brand's pride in its small, steamed burgers.

The video followed the trend of fast-food leaders showing real enjoyment of their menu items. It caught attention because it paired the beer collaboration with a casual approach, not just a solo taste-test.

Catherine Tan-Gillespie from KFC began by addressing the camera. She said, “I’ve been seeing a lot of CEOs talking about burgers lately … good for them.” Then, she added, “At KFC, we’ll leave the beef to the boys. No products – just finger lickin’ good chicken.”

She took a big bite of a KFC Chicken Sandwich. She showed clear enjoyment while eating. This direct action showed KFC’s chicken focus. She playfully avoided the burger talk. This positioned the brand as different from the beef discussions.

Chris Kempczinski from McDonald's started the fast-food trend. He made a viral video taking a small bite of the Big Arch burger. He called it a "product."

The video aimed to build excitement for the Big Arch's U.S. launch. Instead, it went viral for another reason. Viewers found the small nibble and corporate words awkward and dull. Millions of views accumulated. This sparked memes. Rival chains jumped into the 2026 Burger Wars with their own energetic taste-test videos.