Popular Food Brands vs Their Knockoffs: 5 Head-to-Head Taste Tests

Introduction

Some of India’s most famous food chains have surprisingly convincing knockoffs, complete with similar menus, similar designs, and names that make you do a double take. We ordered one item from each original brand and its copycat to see whether the dupes are as good as, or even better than, the originals. Here is how each round played out.

Round 1: Burger King vs Burger Singh

The name alone is a laugh: Burger King, properly Indianised into Burger Singh. Both vegetarian burgers arrived looking quite similar in size, each with a portion of fries on the side.

The first differences show up before the first bite. Burger Singh’s fries are crinkle cut, which earns an easy plus one, while Burger King sticks to the standard cut. Burger Singh also sent personalised packaging with ketchup and a sanitiser included, and the whole order came in at ₹170 against Burger King’s ₹230.

Inside the bun, the original has a shiny, glossy top and a regular mayo, while Burger Singh’s bun looks a little drier and comes with what appears to be a tandoori mayo. In the taste test, the Burger King burger was genuinely yum with a nice crunch on the lettuce and a really decent patty. Burger Singh’s secret sauce, with its kick of spice, was also excellent, and the bite had a homely, home-made quality that was surprisingly likeable. Still, when it comes time to reorder a vegetarian burger, the original edges it. This round goes to Burger King.

Round 2: Subway vs Sub 91

Sub 91 may be the least-known name on this list, but the vibe is very, very similar to Subway. Paneer tikka subs were ordered from both, and the prices were honestly close, with the Subway sub coming in at ₹287.

The Subway sub looks genuinely good: perfectly loaded, perfectly saucy, with bread that looks very soft and fresh, so Sub 91 has big shoes to fill. The surprise is that the knockoff looks just as impressive, also loaded and saucy with amazing-looking bread.

Tasting Sub 91 first, it is honestly yum and very close to the Subway you would normally eat. Blindfolded, it would be easy to guess it was a regular Subway sub. The sauces, flavour, and toppings are bang on. The deciding factor turns out to be the bread: Subway’s is noticeably softer. There is also only a small price difference between the two. Both are delicious and Sub 91 has done a great job of competing, but that small bread advantage gives Subway the point, making this round effectively a tie.

Round 3: Starbucks vs Sardarji Baksh Coffee

This is possibly the most famous knockoff of the lot, and one with a real legal history: Sardarji Baksh Coffee was reportedly ordered to change its name, though the packaging still carries it today. Both places were ordered a mocha frappe.

The first surprise is the packaging. Sardarji Baksh looks very, very premium and actually feels nicer than the original, and it is slightly cheaper too. Colour-wise, the Sardarji Baksh frappe is noticeably richer and more chocolatey, while the Starbucks version came topped with whipped cream.

The Starbucks moca frappe is actually delicious, though it leans like a home-made Bonvita blended with ice. The Sardarji Baksh drink has a very deep, genuine moka taste with real chocolate flavour and a very smooth mouthfeel, which is impressive for anyone who does not usually enjoy chocolate drinks.

As a standalone drink, this is something worth picking up purely because it is delicious. Sardarji Baksh Coffee is the clear winner of this round: cheaper, more premium packaging, a tastier mouthfeel, and a real chocolatey taste.

Round 4: Haldiram’s vs Hari Ram

The logos of Haldiram’s and Hari Ram are remarkably similar, and both were ordered the same thing: raj kachori, three elements in each, exactly the same.

Haldiram’s packaging is genuinely beautiful, packed very elegantly, while Hari Ram leans much more towards a halwai-next-door vibe with a simple plastic bag. The shocker is the price: the Hari Ram raj kachori came to ₹180 while the original Haldiram’s one was far cheaper.

The Hari Ram version is quite yum, with a yogurt full of cardamom that balances well with everything else, though the kachori itself was not especially crunchy. Haldiram’s version is a different league in flavour: the spices and chutney taste many times better, even if its kachori was slightly thinner than Hari Ram’s, which some may prefer. One bite of the original and the difference in flavour is clear. This round goes firmly to Haldiram’s.

Round 5: KFC vs JVS

The final round needed outside help, since it involves chicken: KFC’s hugely popular chicken popcorn against JVS, a brand whose colours and logo style make the knockoff obvious. Another known KFC dupe, NFC, could not be ordered, so JVS took the slot.

In regular size, the portions differ a lot: KFC’s serving is noticeably smaller and cheaper, while JVS gives you a bigger portion at a higher price. On looks, they are almost identical, with the JVS pieces just slightly more masaledar and deeper in colour.

The verdict came quickly. The JVS pieces were declared very flavourful, and the decision was made within a single bite, which suggests a clear margin. KFC’s chicken popcorn still takes the round for the original brand, though the JVS portion size remains a fair argument for the dupe.

The Overall Verdict

Across five rounds, the originals won three, one round ended in a near tie between Subway and Sub 91, and only one round, the moka frappe, went to the knockoff. The pattern is consistent: the dupes often match on flavour, packaging effort, and price, but the originals keep a small but real edge in texture, whether that is bun quality, softer bread, or crunch.

How to Choose

If price matters most, Burger Singh, Sardarji Baksh Coffee, and JVS all offer genuinely strong value alongside credible taste. If you want the version most likely to match the classic experience, Burger King, Subway, Haldiram’s, and KFC earned their wins on texture and flavour depth. The one dupe that beat its original outright, Sardarji Baksh Coffee, is the easiest recommendation of the whole test.

Conclusion

Knockoff brands in India have come a long way, and this taste test shows they are rarely bad. But the originals still win more often than not, holding their ground on texture and consistency even when the copycats undercut them on price.