I ranked Pepsi from 5 major fast-food chains and they definitely don't all taste the same​

#5. Subway

I hate giving out last place, but alas, when making a list, one needs to be at the bottom.

Subway comes in last, and I want to preface this by saying that I may have simply gotten an unlucky fountain pour. Still, this was the least satisfying Pepsi of the five.

Subway's Canadian menu actually gives Pepsi fans a surprising amount of choice. Depending on the location, you can find bottled Pepsi and Pepsi Zero Sugar alongside fountain Pepsi Real Sugar, and some locations also offer Diet Pepsi.

Naturally, I went fountain for this ranking.

My Subway Pepsi didn't have that immediate, sharp hit of carbonation most people look for on the first sip of a fountain drink. It tasted slightly flatter than the others, which I think could be attributed to the very minimal amount of ice in the drink.

For some people, that would probably be a selling point — technically, less ice means more Pepsi.

I am not one of those people. Despite my personal aversion to my stomach's reaction to carbonation, the joy of a fountain drink is that tingle on the tongue.

And as someone who doesn't have an ice machine in their fridge, I want an almost unreasonable amount of ice in my fountain pop. That's the luxury of having a drink outside my house. The colder the drink, the crisper it tastes, and the Subway Pepsi simply wasn't cold enough to give me that effect.

The flavour itself was fine, and the sweetness was there, but it lacked that fizzy bite that made my top choices stand out.

Maybe I got a bad batch. Maybe I'm an ice extremist. Either way, it landed at the bottom.

Price: $2.99

Score: 2.5/5

#4. Dairy Queen

Dairy Queen's Pepsi was perfectly respectable. It was cold, carbonated and exactly what I expect when I order a fountain Pepsi.

My bigger problem with Dairy Queen has almost nothing to do with the actual Pepsi.

I simply don't know if I want Pepsi with my Dairy Queen.

This experiment made me realize that part of what makes a fast-food soft drink great is how naturally it fits with the rest of the menu. A fountain pop beside fries, fried chicken or a taco? Absolutely.

A Pepsi while I'm eating a Blizzard?

My brain does not like it. Dirty sodas might be all the rage south of the border, but here in Toronto, it's not exactly my first instinct.

Of course, Dairy Queen serves burgers, chicken and fries too, so this is entirely a me problem. But when I think DQ, I think ice cream — and I'm probably choosing a Blizzard over a Pepsi every time.

As far as the drink itself goes, though, it was cold, fizzy and solidly middle-of-the-road. No standout features, whether good or bad.

Price: $2.27

Score: 3/5

#3. Harvey's

Good old-fashioned Harvey's.

I respect the beverage selection here because Harvey's isn't making Pepsi drinkers choose between regular and diet. Its current menu lists Pepsi, Pepsi Zero Sugar and Diet Pepsi.

But the regular Pepsi itself was pretty straightforward. If somebody asked me what a standard fountain Pepsi tastes like, I would probably give them this one.

It wasn't aggressively syrupy or overwhelmingly sweet. In fact, compared with Taco Bell and KFC, it tasted slightly lighter to me.

There was less ice in my cup than at my top two spots, which may have made it feel a little softer and less sharply carbonated, but at the end of the day, it worked with Harvey's food.

Maybe I'm getting too philosophical about fountain pop here, but the slightly less-sweet Pepsi somehow matched Harvey's old-school fast-food charm. It tasted unfussy. Classic burger, fries, fountain Pepsi.

Nothing about it screamed, "This is the greatest Pepsi you have ever consumed."

But nothing was wrong with it either.

It was just a really good, normal fountain Pepsi — and apparently that's enough for third place.

Price: $3.89

Score: 3.5/5

#2. KFC

Before this experiment, I'd heard people claim that KFC is to Pepsi what McDonald's is to Coca-Cola, and after trying it, I can see why.

This was excellent.

It was extremely cold, very carbonated, and tasted to me like the perfect balance of syrup and water. There was no watery aftertaste, but it also wasn't so sweet that it felt sticky.

Most importantly, KFC was generous with the ice.

Again, I realize some people view a mountain of ice as the restaurant robbing them of what they're owed; I, however, view it as a public service.

Ice is the key to a great fountain drink. I want my Pepsi cold enough to hurt my teeth (and trust me when I say that's not very hard; I have very sensitive teeth). That extra chill makes the carbonation feel sharper, which is exactly what happened here.

It also helps that Pepsi and fried chicken are an elite combination.

Interestingly, KFC and Taco Bell are sister brands, which brings me to something I noticed immediately: my KFC Pepsi tasted almost exactly like my Taco Bell Pepsi.

Same crispness. Same strong carbonation. Same satisfying coldness.

Taste-wise, these two were basically tied.

So why did KFC come in second? You'll have to keep reading to see...

Price: $3.49

Score: 4/5

#1. Taco Bell

There's an internet legend that McDonald's Coca-Cola somehow tastes better than Coca-Cola everywhere else. Taco Bell Pepsi made me wonder whether something similar was happening here.

Taco Bell is known for its beverages. It pays as much attention to the drink as they do the whole meal.

And I don't just mean that Taco Bell serves Pepsi. I mean PepsiCo drinks are fundamental to the whole Taco Bell experience.

Mountain Dew is a PepsiCo brand, and Taco Bell has made Baja Blast, its famous tropical lime Mountain Dew flavour — the heart and soul of their branding. Now, whether that was their choice or the general public's adoration for the drink is another question. But either way, they capitalize on it.

But when it comes to the taste here, all I can tell you is what was in my cup.

The water tasted filtered and cold. The syrup-to-water ratio felt perfect. The carbonation was sharp without being unpleasant, and plenty of ice kept the whole thing freezing cold.

It was crisp.

And after drinking five Pepsi fountain drinks close together, "crisp" became the defining characteristic separating the great ones from the fine ones.

Taco Bell and KFC were nearly indistinguishable on taste alone, but Taco Bell squeaked into first because of the true loyalty to Pepsi as a brand.

Price: $3.49

Score: 5/5