This post is part of our Battle of the Brands feature. Let us know which brand you prefer, and watch out for more Battle of the Brands posts.

The Hamburglar vs. The Creepy King

Looking at the financial data for McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD) and Burger King Holdings Inc (NYSE: BKC) tells us that McD's cooks BK on market cap ($53.7B to $2.9B), and that both stocks are up big since BK started trading last May (McD's is up 29%, BK is up 24%). But these brands aren't really found in the numbers. Let's look at the factors that make these fast-food giants the top two burger chains in the land.

The Menu

What's the first thing you think of when someone says McDonald's or Burger King? Probably their signature sandwiches -- the Big Mac and the Whopper -- because they are what make the brands. There are two factors to look at here -- taste and health.

As far as taste goes, my nonscientific survey says that both sandwiches are flawed (yes, I used writing this blog as an excuse to eat fast food twice in the same week). With the Big Mac, most of my problem was finding the two all-beef patties in a sea of buns and lettuce it was surrounded by. With the Whopper, my criticism is that the burger should come with cheese on it without you having to ask (or pay extra). The burger is supposed to be their top-of-the-line; they could at least throw a slice of cheese on it for you, without you having to make it "your way."