The Absolute Best Fast Food Iced Tea And Exactly How To Order It

From McDonald's to Panera and Chick-fil-A to Burger King, iced tea is a staple beverage on every fast food menu — but only one is home to the absolute best. In our taste tester's ranking of 9 fast food iced teas from worst to best, they found that there was one iced tea that outshined all of the others, and without any sweetener necessary. As hard as that might be to believe, they found that Starbucks, a chain better known for its coffee and espresso drinks, had the best iced tea of them all.

Compared to other, pre-sweetened fast food iced teas in the rankings, the one from Starbucks stands on its own — without the need for any additional flavors, syrups, or extras. Whether you go with the green tea or the black, Starbucks iced tea is best ordered straight up, so that its natural flavors can shine. The green tea, which was the variety included in the ranking, tastes especially refreshing, with a balance of minty, earthy, and citrusy flavors all on its own. Starbucks' unsweetened, iced black tea also received special praise.

Made from the Starbucks owned Teavana tea bags and water, Starbucks' iced tea stands as one of the most simple, and affordable, items on the menu — and it only tastes better for it. Still, there are plenty of ways for you to jazz it up that go beyond adding plain sweetener.

Not everyone appreciates the earthy flavors of green tea — even if Starbucks' is the best. But, considering how minty the tea tastes on its own, it's not going to go with everything you add to it. For the most part, you're going to want to pair it with other citrusy, minty, fruity, or floral flavors, and not anything warm, as it would only clash with its naturally refreshing flavor. One idea is to mix it with apple juice or lemonade — something you could also do with the black tea, if you wanted — for an Arnold Palmer style drink. Or, you might consider adding a pump of flavored syrup, such as raspberry, peppermint, peach, or even strawberry purée, if they're available.

Another idea is to customize your Starbucks iced tea by mixing flavors. For example, you could order it as a half iced green tea and half any other popular iced tea drink on the Starbucks menu. Complementary options could range between anything from a half green tea, half peach tango or half green tea, half hibiscus. It's also worth considering some of the flavored Refreshers on Starbucks' menu, which come in flavors like pineapple passionfruit, strawberry açaí, and mango dragon fruit. While typically mixed with lemonade or coconut milk, you could ask to have it with iced green tea instead for a slightly earthier tasting option that's still sweet and refreshing.