Have you ever found yourself with five dollars and an empty stomach? Have you ever wondered where in Rome, Ga., you can get the most food for your five Washingtons (or one Lincoln)? If your answer to either of these questions is yes, then pay attention. This review might help you the next time you are looking for that five dollar fill up that will get you through the day. I will be giving my top three choices for the five dollar value, and interviewing workers and the restaurants to see what they have to say about the five dollar question.

In third place, we have the five dollar big box from Taco Bell. Taco Bell is seen as pretty gross to many people. The mystery meat, the sometimes stale tortillas, but look past all that and look and the beauty that is the five dollar big box. Now when I say big, it’s BIG. With three entree items, nachos, and a drink, this thing is definitely enough bang for your buck. However, this is Taco Bell, so not the best quality, which is why it is third on my list. If it had the quality of Moes and Chipotle burritos and tacos, it would be number one for sure.

“The five dollar big box? People go crazy about that. We run out of those boxes by five every night and people complain if they don’t get one. The best thing to do is to come during happy hour and get the freezes, they are so good. Get here fast though because they run out too,” said a Taco Bell worker who preferred to be unnamed in this article.

In second place, we have the five for five dollar meal from Wendy’s. Wendy’s definitely knows how to make their customer happy with five dollars. You can get a burger, nuggets, fries, and a drink for five dollars. Now that is something to get excited about. The only problem is that the portions are quite small, and there isn’t a lot of variation. Nonetheless, it’s a lot of good food for five dollars, and that is great.

“We have those 5 for $5 items always cooking, they are probably our most popular items, other than the bacon burger,” said Wendy’s employee Derick.

Now, for the long awaited first place. For the prize, I chose cookout’s five dollar tray. In comparison to all the other places I have tried in Rome, this one takes the cake. With one entree item and to sides that are basically two more entree items, there is enough food there to feed two normal people. It also comes with a large drink and for only a little extra money (but a lot of extra calories) you can substitute the drink for a milkshake.

“Cookout is really the best choice for eating out in my opinion. It is so much food and it is actually like eating at a backyard cookout, with fresh ingredients and good food,” said Bailey, a cashier at Cookout.

So there you have, my top three choices for the fast-food chain in Rome, GA, that gives you the most value for your five dollars. I hope this will be helpful to you all that want to feast on a budget, but please practice fast-food eating in moderation as it is very unhealthy.