In the world of late-night drive-through food, there is one name that rises above the rest: Jack in the Box.

Whether you're trying to eat something following an evening of overindulgence or getting off a shift serving those who have been doing the overindulging, Jack and his happy crew have all manner of calorie- and fat-laden goodies to sing you to sleep.

If that weren't enough to recommend the place, you have Jack to thank for the antenna-ball craze. The Jack Balls, which have been offered in all manner of guises, launched a million imitators, a few of which have even survived an accidental trip through a car wash.

But what about for lunch or dinner? Yes, those meals are actually served at Jack in the Box -- JIB, for short. Without the cover of darkness to hide your high-calorie indulgences, should you go with the big, beefy burger or be good and go for the chicken sandwich.

We'll attempt to help you with your confusion and provide you both the nutritional information and a bit of input on the taste and relative quality of the sandwiches.

Anyone familiar with the JIB menu, though, knows that there is a third viable choice for your lunch or dinner. For many years, now, JIB has sold its version of a taco, a crispy shell with a seasoned meat and bean filling and just enough lettuce to spread over the passenger-side floor mat in your car. We'll include the standard serving of two tacos -- 99 cents for two at most locations -- as a third option.

All the menu items are graded on a standard A-F school grade scale, evaluated on taste, appearance, freshness and overall quality.

Nutritional information is provided for each item, as well, taken from the company's Web site.

First up, the tacos!

Two Beef Tacos: 320 calories, 16 grams fat, 30 mg cholesterol, 540 mg sodium, 30 grams carbs

What you've thought for years is true: JIB tacos are, indeed, deep-fried. The meat is ground and cooked with a spice mixture, then put into the shells, then flash-frozen for shipment to the restaurants. Cheese, lettuce and sauce are added after frying.

The result is a highly addictive foodlet that's crispy on the edges, mushy in the middle and reputed to be a curative for everything from hangovers to bad dates. In the light of day, it loses none of its appeal, with nicely spiced meat and a tangy sauce that make your taste buds dance. Two tacos is not a lot of food, though, so those of you with larger appetites will likely double the order. Final grade: A

Sirloin Steak & Cheddar Ciabatta: 770 calories, 38 grams fat, 110 mg cholesterol, 1310 mg sodium, 65 grams carbs.

Please note: This is not the fattest burger on the JIB menu. For that, you'll want the 1,090 calories and 77 grams fat of the Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger. Numbers like that qualify it as a stunt burger, not something a sane person would eat with any regularity if they didn't do hard manual labor for a living.

The sirloin burger patty was largely indistinguishable from the regular burger patty, other than being a bit larger. Its mouthfeel was not significantly different, nor was there any distinction in flavor. The cheddar cheese was real cheddar, with a nice bite, and the ciabatta bun had a nice crust on the outside, protecting a butter-tender middle. Final grade: B-

Chipotle Chicken Ciabatta (with grilled chicken): 690 calories, 28 grams fat, 105 mg cholesterol, 1850 mg sodium, 65 grams carbs.

The first thing you should notice here is that, nutritionally, the comparison between the chicken and the burger is basically a wash. They are less than 100 calories apart, and while the burger has 10 grams more fat, the chicken has 540 mg more sodium. The carbs are a dead heat.

So we'll go to taste, and here's where we find a clear winner. If you're tired of "chipotle" being tagged onto every sandwich with the slightest hint of spice, you'll appreciate the sauce on this one, which captures the smoky, spicy/sweet character of smoked jalapeños (yes, that's what chipotle peppers are) beautifully. The chicken is an actual breast fillet, not a chopped, pressed wedge, and the ciabatta bread is just as tasty here as in the sirloin burger. Final grade: A

So we have a dead heat between the tacos and the chicken sandwich. In this case, the tie has to go to the chicken sandwich, which is more nutritionally complete and more likely to satisfy you as a meal rather than a snack.

Really, though, you should feel free to choose. If a burger's what you're looking for, go for it. If bird is your thing, enjoy!