The sad state of Burgers in the United States

I don't get the fuss with Five Brothers. I was in the one in Center City Philly and will not go back. %0D %0D I've had two courses at sit down restaurants delivered in the time it took to get a couple of hamburgers. And shortly after I got my delayed order, they ran out of buns and fries and everyone in line was asked to leave. The burger was just average, at best. %0D %0D At least White Castle is fast and cheap. Five Brothers is neither.

And White Castle tastes like onions 5 guys tastes of nothing much.

The best burger I have ever had I made myself.

Hardee's -- the big ones are excellent. Try the mushroom swiss.

Fast food hamburgers are convenient when you're in a hurry or in a place where you don't trust the restaurants. Other than that, there's probably at least one diner or bar in your town that can make a better hamburger and fries than any fast food outlet.

Fuddruckers!

THere are no burghers left in the US, they have been put out of business by the national chains employing an unskilled proletariat!

Do you mean "Five Guys"?

Seriously, r6? I always found Fuddruckers extremely bland. Could never understand why people loved going there.

Fuddruckers is awful...totally bland.

There are at least a dozen places in NYC with amazing hamburgers of well-aged, well-fed beef. Why are you all invoking fast food chain burgers?

Sounds like full employment has finally been achieved. Good to see people have carefree time on their hands to blitz on about the sad state of burgers in the US. I've never gotten a great hamburger twice from the same place. Grow up. In and out has outstanding quality and consistency of produce in their burgers. I don't know the rest, but making senseless comments of "no beefy flavor" and the like is silly, since just the variation in our own taste buds could account for 99% of the problem. Besides, nothing really tastes good after a rim-burger session and that's when most go out to eat.

The no beefy flavor comes from subpar meat for which chains are famous.

[quote]Why are you all invoking fast food chain burgers?%0D %0D %0D Because the thread is about the Consumer Reports [italic]fast food burger survey[/italic]. Try reading before posting sometime.

Whataburger makes a decent burger. It's the only fast food I bother with.

I love Hinny Burgers. The onion, lettuce and tomato usually fall out but the mayonnaise is great lube for the choke.

R11, have you ever looked at a map of the U.S.? NYC is so small, it's nearly invisible.

Not all of us live in NYC.

R17 we get it, you don't live in NY. I hope you live in a different fabulous place.

London, Paris, Rome?

It's not so great for us in Sombertown either!

Honeslty, I've had a very good Inn-n-Out burger before, and the first 5-Guys burger I ever had was awesome. Subsequent ones were meh, but that first one was WOW. So maybe they're just really variable, to those of you who were unimpressed.%0D %0D I think Red Robin gives the best burger around these parts, at least from a chain.%0D %0D (does it count as 'fast food'?)%0D %0D

Ever notice how the same Sysco truck delivers to all the fast food joints?

I think a lot of them use those pre made patties.

Culvers

No mention of Steak 'n Shake? Now I know the list is bogus.

Blanc Burgers and Bottles in Kansas City is great. Gourmet burgers. Everything from a blue cheese inside out burger to a Kobe burger.

I've only been to Steak n Shake while in Florida. I've never been please with anything I've ordered. I'm sure it's just a difference in over all experiences while growing up, because I know several people who absolutely delight in going to Steak n Shake, same with Sonic.

Steak 'n Shake in St. Louis and Springfield, Mo are great. The ones (franchises?) here in Kansas City are awful. Not nearly as good.

The least of our worries. Unless you happen to be Wimpy, a semi-retarded fat cartoon character.%0D %0D You can make your own burgers you know, Sad Sack.

Oops! Rule out Blanc Burgers and Bottles. Didn't realize we were only discussing chains/ fast food restaurants. Blanc's is not fast food or cheap.

For chain places I only like Hardee's or Steak and Shake.%0D %0D As mentioned above we have great hamburger places here in Kansas City: Swagger, BRGR, Blanc, Westport Flea Market, and Jack Gage to name a few.

What about Tommy's in LA? Doesn't that count as a chain? Love their chiliburgers, although I am sure there are fraus around here who can't deal with the dark messiness.

It's very regional but Cookout serves the best fast food burger I've ever had, no question.

Storheims or Culvers butter burgers!

Five Guys are spotty, but when good, they're great. But, I prefer a good pub burger over fast food any time.

JohnEric @ R30, have you been to Smashburger? I think it's in Prairie Village. Have heard good things about it.

Recently, I ate an excellent bacon blue cheese burger at The Cheesecake Factory (go ahead and flame me). It was my first time eating a burger there, and I was pleasantly surprised.

R35 If you liked that may I suggest the spaghetti filled with fat at the Olive Garden.

In N Out is a triumph of hype over reality. Average burgers, average bun, entirely average. Same with 5 Guys...totally average. Give me Smash Burger anyday.

I have not been to Smashburger. I think it is a chain out of Denver. It's on 119th St. and Glenwood in Overland Park, way too far out of my bubble. I hear it is good though.

The burghers of the United States are a sorry lot.

No love for Fatburger?%0D %0D As for Tommy's some don't serve fries, only chips. As if.

Fatburger is awful.

would rather have chips with a burger. Not all that big a fry fan.

OP, your little burger rant put me in mind of Ignatius J. Reilly. Thanks for the giggles!

p.s. even a veggie like me knows that if you want a really good burger you make it from scratch, at home.

You're a veggie ayb? I'll make you a veggie burger.

OP is an idiot. Five Guys burgers are simply exquisite. They have ruined me for burgers prepared anywhere else. Closest thing to heaven in a meat patty I can think of.

You haven't lived till you've eaten a Slug Burger in Corinth.

[quote]At about twice the price of In-N-Out, SmashBurger has higher quality burgers, with more ingredients, and real ice cream shakes.In addition to their great quality in meat, they have an assortment of chicken salads, sweet potato fries, garlic fries, haystack onions, tempura style, vegetable fritters, and fried pickles. What a delicacy! %0D %0D They mix their own ground meat on site and "smash" it on the grill. They are very juicy and worth paying extra for. Best bacon cheeseburger ever! And the rosemary fries are fabulous. The menu changes to suit local tastes. There are no fried pickles in the Denver and La Jolla (CA) stores.

R45 We just have different tastes, you like a dry flavorless burger that has had all the juice squished out and has no seasoning.

I prefer something else.

Or more like, R48, you just had a different experience, and that the burgers are not identical between the place you ate, and the place R45 ate.%0D %0D Did that thought not occur to you?%0D %0D

R49 I wrote the 5 brothers chain after my experience. They told me that it was company policy to use the burger smasher to render the patty to 'bun size', and the 'cook' was also doing his job when he refused to salt my patty before cooking it. That sir will give you a dry tasteless burger every time. We have a man on DL who likes dry tastesless burgers made of poor quality beef. Leave him to his desire.

[quote] I wrote the 5 brothers chain after my experience. They told me that it was company policy to use the burger smasher to render the patty to 'bun size', and the 'cook' was also doing his job when he refused to salt my patty before cooking it.

Do people actually have sexual relations with you? Like not paid or roofied partners?

Ummm, i don't eat burgers because of the torture endured by the actual bovine, and the anti womb-in metaphor shaped by its horrific demise. Could we talk about compassionately raised lettuce instead.

R51 What's sex got to do with it?

because you clearly have no life...what so ever cunt.

R50, the first Five Guys burger I had was in Baltimore, and it was [italic]amazing[/italic].%0D %0D They opened up here in Austin, and I went there, and it was ... ok. I guess. I went again a few months later, and it was still meh.%0D %0D Went back to Baltimore, ate there again, and it was amazing.%0D %0D So yeah, even at a chain, the quality and taste can vary a lot.%0D %0D

...or maybe you just like Baltimore better.

R56, that makes absolutely no sense what-so-ever. Grow up and stop reaching.%0D %0D

I went to a Smashburger in NJ. Pretty tasty. I liked it a little better than Five Guys but Five Guys has great fries.

Used to live in Orange County, CA and never understood why people were gaga over In'n'Out. There was nothing special about the place and it is owned by fundies who put Biblical verses on the paper products. Always preferred Fatburger.

Grew up in St. Louis and have fond memories of Steak'n'Shake, but it is not as great as it was. If I'm in the Midwest, I go for nostalgia purposes.

Live in Denver now. Smashburger is the real deal.

No love for Cheeburger Cheeburger?

Has anybody tried the Red Robin Mount Olympus burger? It sure looks tasty in their commercials.

I've been to Smashburger. It didn't occur to me that they actually smashed their burgers. Having now eaten there I still don't know why anyone would want their burger smashed.

Not a chain, but AstroBurger on Santa Monica.

The fries are amazing...especially when dipped into their ranch dressing.

Ranch Dressing?

gross, just gross.

Smashing the burger, if done right, gives a nice, flavorful crust to the patty.

OP is a really terrible person. I trolldar-ed him after something cruel he said in another thread and this one lit up like a Christmas tree.%0D %0D He sounds like a truly miserable person who wants desperately to feel better than others in any possible way. I also think he has some serious issues with weight.

Kansas City burger lovers!!%0D %0D Sad news--- a friend who works in the restaurant biz told me Blanc Burgers on the Plaza is closing! Hate to lose that place.%0D And they just opened that location. I thought it was a big success? Always busy when we were there.

yum

I love fatburger... nice, thick patty, seasoned nicely.

I like in & out a lot too.... just don't care for their fries. They taste a little bland, and are nearly impossible to eat. Most of the basket is filled with little 1/2-inch crumbs of fried potato that you pretty much need a fork to eat. I appreciate that they slice real potatoes on the spot, but they cut them way too small (probably so they cook faster).

while I don't doubt the "state of burgers" among fast food restaurants isn't great, I wouldn't bases that on Consumer Reports.

I've heard a lot of varying reports about Five Guys. The two times I've eaten there, I thought the burgers were fantastic.

Of all the big, drive-thru chains, I can't think of one that I either (1) actually like, or (2) would eat in a pinch. I have no access to In N' Out.

My contribution to this thread: I'd like to direct an 'Oh dear' towards r18. That is all.

The average America eats about 150 hamburgers a year. How is that possible? No wonder so many Americans have heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and look like slobs. Americans are so unhealthy.

R72 - that's a bogus statistic. There are some people who eat way too many, inflating the numbers. I think I eat one once a month.

Maybe this should be called the sad state of DL.

Someone's bumping 3-year old threads about burgers and, for Christ's sake, Judy Garland's mother.

McDonald's is delicious once in awhile bitches. "The sad state of burgers in the United States" is ridiculous! What about the "sad state" of the homeless, or economy or shooting murders ... DL is embarrassing beyond belief sometimes!

Once a month is healthy/okay, once every three days is not.

I need to try Red Robin though.

That Hamilton Burger was SUCH a loser!

[quote]McDonald's is delicious once in awhile bitches.

No, it's not.

Anything ... and I mean ANYTHING is better than Bob's Burgers!

[quote]Once a month is healthy/okay, once every three days is not.

Says an orthorexic nobody on an anonymous website.

Your pic, r81?

The last good burger I had was at a Queens diner called the Seville. It was an old fashioned charbroiled 1970s type burger.

Beck's Prime. Mouth drooling.

I just can't eat fast food burgers.

I like Good Steer burgers on Long Island. A wall paneled interior from the 1950s; it used to be in the woods. The woods are gone and retail sprawl now surrounds the place, but the burgers are still good.

How about Roy Rogers?

Roy Rogers??? Are their burgers made out of Trigger?

[quote]The average America eats about 150 hamburgers a year. How is that possible? No wonder so many Americans have heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and look like slobs. Americans are so unhealthy.

Oh, god, that's a crock of shit. Fat doesn't make you fat and it doesn't give you heart disease. Carbs are the problem and where the fuck are you from? This should be good.

NYC has great burgers, usually at upscale steak houses (or off-shoot projects of same), like Daniel's. New Haven, too. Some good dive burgers in Jersey, but you need to explore or have a foodie friend to recommend. Agree totally with those who damn In/Out and that 5 dump. Crushing the juice out, they're not cooks, they're students with no feeling for cooking. My fries there were soggy, both times I visited in different locales.

Do what James Beard always did...he'd order of a beef cart, a great steak, then have the kitchen 'chop' it (no grindign!) into a larger 'burger' because he believed it was more flavorful than a steak. Make your own burgers at home and make sure 20 to 30 percent fat. Use a Julia Child trick and use chuck for the meat and sirloin fat trimmings blended into the patty. Great!

In N Out has good burgers and fries and is much less expensive than Five Guys, which are way overpriced.

As long as no fast-food chain (or even run-of-the-mill, non-steakhouse restaurant) will cook your burger anything less than well-done, there's no way you're going to get a tasty burger from any of them.

And have you thought about just why they have to cook everything to well-done? Yeah, you don't even want to think about the meat-packing and delivery chain.

Burgers are gross, they give you the fat ass.

I like the burgers at all of the places rated by Consumer Reports (including those on the lower end), and I think they've got the order about right. Before you call me fat, I'm 5'10" and 150 pounds. But I do love me some burgers.

Shake Shake had great little burgers when they first opened. Haven't had one in a few years - are they still good?

In N Out just opened in Austin. The lines of traffic are insane, they have police directing traffic. I just don't see the big deal.

Simma down nah!

The burghers have been in a terrible state since 2009, and not enough has been done to improve their lot since then.

20% fat? Are you high? I only use Laura's 4%.

The best hamburger places are always locally owned. What fast food places are good for is grabbing a meal when you're on the road and want to take reasonable precautions against food poisoning.

Burger Fi

R7: the low-wage workers in the fast-food industry are NOT members of the proletariat. They are not industrial workers, and their labor has no value (according to the system, not their contributions).

Smell fuckin' Karl Marx ar R101!

I am going to limit myself to true fast food chain places, not sit down restaurants like Red Robin, Max & Ermas, etc. My criteria for fast food is can it be handed to you through a take out window, does it come wrapped in paper versus served on china, etc. Of those type of places, I actually think Dairy Queen has the best burgers. They are the closest to what I would prepare on the grill at home. Cooking them on the brazier makes the difference, and the fries are better too.... pretty much because unlike larger places, I am pretty sure they still use a mix of tallow and oil. At a minimum, because the chicken is fried in the same oil as the fries, the oil is picking up some fat from the chicken over the weeks of use that give a flavor dimension to the fries that used to be common years ago at places like McDonalds but no longer is since they changed to 100% vegetable oils.

You people going to fast food joints are kind of sad. Make your own burgers at home with friends and loved ones, good beer or liquor. Enjoy your fellow human being and the outdoors if weather permits. Always use grass fed beef, grain finished if you like. Add pastured bacon grease or grass fed butter to the meat before you make patties. Adding a good quality ground pork is nice too. Fat is not the enemy if the quality is good.

You can make all the different types too if you like, smash, juicy Lucy, etc.... I'm partial to potato rolls for the buns, or onion.

I only eat Umani Burgers.

I keep hearing about many kids today having Ass Burgers. What exactly is an ass burger?? Doesn't sound appetizing to me!

Umami burgers are so overrated.

Hamburgao is my place - two locations in Newark and one in Kearny (NJ)

R101 - Fast-food workers are the classic example of the proletariat.

The are low-wager earners. I don't think anyone will dispute that.

There only substantial possession of material wealth is their labor.

They don't own the means of production.

Classic proletariat.

As far as burgers are concerned - I've yet to have a burger that actually tastes like beef in any place I would consider fast food. Which would be why the only fast food places I go to are sub shops and pizza by the slice.

Jesus, I would kill for an animal style In-N-Out burger or even Five Guys right now.

R104 is a pretentious, presumptuous, clueless ass.

I love "Le Blu" burger at the Burger Brassserie in the Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Cooked to your desire, with bacon, blue cheese, avocado, and the rest of the trimmings. OMG!! Every time I go to Vegas I have to make a stop there and order a Le Blu. Its a meal into itself. If you are alone, no need for fries or anything else . If you can share, order the tower of onion rings. It is even better at happy hour time when you get 2 for 1 priced drinks. If you're lucky maybe even Damon will be tending bar, and do his beer bottle balancing act.

Burgers are something I like to go out for. Here in Pittsburgh, BRGR (East Liberty) is my favorite place to go. They get "rare" right more often than anywhere else, and the waiters are professional, cute, and friendly (the waitresses, too, but I figure this is a "waiter" crowd).

R111, would you care to elaborate why?!?! Thanks

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, they call them "hamburgs" or "burgs."

As far as chains go, the best is Culver's.

R114, I'm not R111, but I reacted in a similar manner to your post. It starts in the first sentence of R104. People don't need your fake pity.

I don't eat fast food burgers, either. But other people's doing so isn't "sad."

I looked at your post again. This portion

[quote]Enjoy your fellow human being and the outdoors if weather permits.

may have been what R111 was talking about when he called you "pretentious" and "clueless." There is nothing about eating fast food that precludes "enjoy(ing) your fellow human being."

All in all, a pretty strange post. I'll bet the fast food eaters would like to grind you up and serve you as a burger. I wonder how much fat you'd yield.

The last decent fast food burger I had was at UBurger in their Kenmore Square location. Good cheap eats!

Burgers and red meat are bad for your health, as studies continue to confirm. Stop eating that crap.

R113 Pittsburgh got an upscale burger place?

Something that isn't The Dirty O or Ritters (or that godforsaken Primanti's)?

Wow, I'm impressed.

Vegetarians are laughing at all of you burger-eating assholes.

Have fun with your heart disease and colon cancer!

Did you eat at any of those places, R119? I have eaten at the O and Ritter's exactly once each, and at Primanti's zero times.

Keep swallowing that tofu, R120. Looks like white shit.

I thought for a chain restaurant, Whataburger was pretty damn good.

Like plenty of others have stated, the best will always be the ones you cook yourself or at some random independent restaurant/bar/diner.

R120 - my vegan friend has breast cancer that's become metastatic. So, good luck avoiding cancer.

Ok national-ish chain ranking:

Shake shack

In n out (varies by location)

5guys ( varies by location )

Ruby Tuesdays prime burger (surprisingly tasty & juicy)

Red robin ( a piece of poo on a bun)

Guys, you gotta taste Elevation burgers-they use only grass fed, free range ground beef. They are out of this world! I have nver been much of a burger person but this place changed my mind. It is a small chain that is slowly growing; whenever I am in Morrestown,NJ I always stop by this place. Outstanding!

Red Robin is pretty average. I don't why it has such a burger paradise reputation.

No one said anything about avoiding cancer altogether, 124.

In fact, I mentioned color cancer specifically. And meat consumption is indeed as linked to that as smoking is to lung cancer.

Do non-smokers still get lung cancer? Occasionally. But would you still use that as an excuse to smoke?

R122? Wow. You're a clever one, dissing tofu. Because vegetarians only ever eat salad and tofu, right? Fucking ignorant moron. I don't even like tofu, btw.

Animal consumption reaps untold havoc on this planet. Accept it.

Fuck you even if you don't eat tofu, R128.

And not everyone who eats meat gets colon cancer, R128. But that's exactly what you implied.

Read what I wrote again, R130.

Slowly this time.

You'll comprehend it eventually.

Oh, I comprehend what you said, R128. You're like most sanctimonious vegetarians who think they're oh-so-healthy and have to look down on what others eat. And so you didn't say all people who eat 'meat' - you said 'burger eating assholes'. So not only are we inferior to you, we're also assholes. Oh, I think EVERYONE on here comprehended what you said, R128. And basically, EVERYONE thinks YOU'RE the asshole. Comprehend?

Every recent study has found red meat consumption to be very unhealthy. In fact, the studies are progressively finding the negative effects of red meat to be plentiful, and experts are pretty much saying red meat should be eaten very rarely if at all.

Is there a great place in DC to get a burger? Not a chain ... more a diner or dive?

F&F for R120/R128

This guy has been making the burger specials from "Bob's Burgers," including Louise's infamous "Molester Burger (Comes with candy)."

I think it should be pointed out that In N Out is truly unique for a high volume, large scale chain of their size. They have amazing quality control and no freezers - everything is cooked on the spot.

5 Guys is pretty solid too, but they are more expensive and have no drive through.

Here in SF there is a chain called SuperDuper that is pretty damn good.

Elevation burgers have a weird chemical taste.

I love Dairy Queen

Tasty Burger in Boston, Southie, and Cambridge. Grass fed beef, not over cooked,and with good toppings

r140 do they grind their own beef?

Industrial ground beef is scary. I learned more than I should have when Oprah got sued.

I worked in South America for awhile and the beef there was fantastic, even hamburgers in fast food places like McDonald's. Coming back to the U.S., it was several years before I ate any type of beef here.

5 guys uses the burger smasher and refuses to salt the meat, bland and dry shit.

Ray's Hell Burger is the best

You should try Bilder Burgers. I eat there all the time.

I just got back from Burger King, the Whopper was delicious!

White Castle smells like ass. I couldn't bring myself to eat one. Out here on the Left Coast a place called Umami Burger. Excellent burgers but you are going to pay $$. Otherwise I don't eat them.

Shake Shack is best

R18

New York is so NOT a fabulous place! Here's just a few reasons why it is mediocre: Bravo network Dirty Scummy Smelly Inferior subways also smelly Not much really going on except theatre NBC headquarters Eurotrash Russiatrash inferior hotels restaurants people rave over for no real reason other than it is NY crime dead gay scene a city living on its' past lots of screwed up people a city that has PR'd itself to the max--smart people aren't buying it

SO THERE NOT EVERYONE EVEN WANTS TO LIVE IN NY!

[quote]Keep swallowing that tofu, [R120]. Looks like white shit.

Vegetarians have pretty good synth-burgers these days. Morningstar's Grillers Prime is very close to a real meat experience. I haven't had a really bad brand lately except for Boca's Original Vegan style, which is dreadful. Boca's vegan and vegetarian 'chicken' products are quite good, though.

I used to ask for In and Out's secret menu 'grilled cheese' to take out, then I'd slip a Prime patty in the bun at home. Until I found out they're grilled in meat juices. So I'll just stick with their frys.

I didn't think In and Out was great. It was okay, but I can't believe how I always hear celebs go on and on about it. It's as if the only other burger they have ever had was from McDonalds

I don't understand the cult following regarding What-A-Burger or Fuddruckers either. They are just fried hamburgers. I don't like fried/griddled hamburgers. I only like flame grilled

The Burger Philosophy

I tried Five Guys and Shake Shack burgers - both which got major hype and word of mouth. Neither had seasoning or beef flavor. The fries were very good though.

Shake Shack has awful fries. Awesome burgers.

In ABQ, NM, we love Blakes Lota Burger.

They do smash the burger but the burgers are tasty. Even better w/homegrown green chile.

It is hard to beat Shake Shack

R156, Vegas finally got it's 1st Shack Shack, in the Southpoint Casino. Huge line for both take out and seating, in mid-afternoon.

I now think Shake Shack is best chain in nation.

I can't believe White Castle got a higher rating thank BK, Wendy's and McDonalds.

You gals need to learn the art of making your own good burgers.

R150 why would you want to eat something made to look and taste like a burger if you are a vegetarian?

Because like most every American, I grew up enjoying the taste of meat, R150. But thanks to modern science, regardless of my motivation in being vegetarian, no actual critters have to croak. Win!!

Make that 161, with extra onions and a pickle slice.

In N Out Burger was good, but Steak N Shake is just as good. The one on Commercial in Springfield MO is the best I've been to, but others around the Midwest are just as good.

There's a local chain called Vista in NE Kansas that's very good. Don't know if any of the old Kansas posters are still here but if so, if you are ever near a Vista, try it.

This thread is so stupid. I've eaten burgers all over the world, and the US definitely has THE best burgers in the world. If you're talking about shitty fast food restaurants, then of course their going to be shitty. But at a real restaurant or even just people who like to barbeque, I think we make the best burgers.

Five guys is great for being able to customize it with all the toppings you want for no additional cost. You can't discount the value of that.

I like Shake Shack burgers but their fries suck. Five Guys is good but the one by us closed down after only a year. Five Guys had good fries but way too many! I haven't had In N Out or Steak N Shake - I don't think we have those in NYC.

Shake Shack also has good hot dogs. I'm from Chicago originally and miss those Chicago hot dogs which have been dragged through the garden. Shake Shack's Shack-cago dog is a fair approximation.

Love Whataburger! Plus they have awesome ketchup packets.

I love how illiterate ranters like r149 can turn any thread into a "Bash NYC" thread!

I'm surprised he wasn't able to squeeze in the always popular "You all live in SHOE BOXES!" comment.

It must have been time to watch his Oprah Master Class in "Finding Your Bliss", or somesuch.

It's a source of eternal debate: Which fast food place has the best burgers and fries?

According to a new study, over one third of Americans think that McDonald’s has the best fries, but only 7 percent think that the Golden Arches' burger was the best.

A YouGov, which surveyed over 1,100 Americans to find out who had the best fast food in the country, also showed that the fast food joint with the best burger was Burger King and Five Guys, who tied with 15 percent of vote

Both chains are known for letting diners customize their toppings and condiments.And despite Taco Bell shaking up the breakfast wars, McDonald’s (17 percent) and Burger King (16 percent) both trumped the competition when it came to having the best breakfasts.

The survey also ranked “healthiest” and favorite overall fast food in America. New Yorkers opted for Chipotle as best overall, but the rest of America likes Chik-Fil-A. Not too surprising as the Big Apple only has one restaurant.

While fast casual restaurants are gaining popularity, traditional fast food eateries are still raking in major bucks, over $191 billion 2013, according to Forbes.

Describe Smashburgers

Habit burger in California was better than in n out OR 5 guys!

Habit?

Not really fair to compare The Habit, Smashburger and Five Guys to In-N-Out, which is much cheaper and has a very limited menu.

Sad state? I'm DEAD!

[quote]If those are the top two I can't imagine how disgusting McDonalds must be to rate at the bottom.

You mean to say you've never ever had a McDonalds? Are you 90 years old?

Forget the fast food burger.

Rachel Ray has so many great burger recipes that are easy to make and often with healthy options.

Stay at home and make burgers with someone you love!

Steak and Shake in Denver is nasty. Steak and Shakes are great in Missoui...Columbia, St. Louis, Springfield. Whataburger is good in Tulsa and Dallas. Good Times Burgers in Denver is good.

I challenge anyone to find a chain burger better than Shake Shack's

I love Lucky's Burgers in NYC.

It's technically "Lucky's Famous Burgers."

Shake Shack is great

I had Shake Shack in London. Yeah, I know, I know. And NO. Tasted like the meat was pan fried in extra lite olive oil on low-medium heat. Fries were nasty too.

My favourite LA burger is at tourist Mecca the Santa Monica Pier. It is creatively called Pier Burger. And there is usually a cart outside with a guy making that awesome Mexican fruit salad with lemon and chilli you can enjoy for dessert.

I also loathe Umami burger,

You have to be whack not to love Shake Shack fries. Freak

Making a good burger is NOT hard. Most of these restaurants should be ashamed. I totally agree with a poster above about going to virtually any pub or bar that serves burgers.

I'm not sure what your point is R17. There are good burger places all over the country. You don't have to resort to fast food chains or going to NYC to get a good burger.

This thread is like suggesting there are only two choices to get Italian food either Olive Garden or make it yourself.

You want a great burger? I'm talking hamburger meat on a bun. No extras beyond ketchup, mustard, onion and pickles. Got to the Cattlemen's tent at a state fair in flyover country. Delicious burger actually cooked and served by the cattlemen. (A definite plus.)

Plus as mentioned above local bars often have a great burger.

My favorite burger is Jackson Hole in the UES. Their Texas Burger is great. There's a restaurant in Philadelphia called Rouge and their burger is also pretty good.

Try Ray's Hell burgers in Arlington

A Whopper with bacon & cheese is THE best fast food burger out there

I keep seeing %OD in the posts. Is it my computer doing something wacky or is this some kind of DL thing?

P.S. All the fast food burgers I've had in recent years including 5 Guys stinks. Believe it or not back in the day the McDonald's Quarter Pounder was delicious. Now it smells like the old dog food Alpo beef used to smell. 5 Guys does have the best fries, I'll give them that. The portion used to be huge, even the kiddie or whatever they call the smallest size was more than I could eat. now they skimp on them. They do salt those but will leave the salt off if you want as will all fast food places. What I like about 5 Guys is they fry in peanut oil, which is healthy. They also leave the skin on and use fresh not frozen fries. What I do now is go there, order a small fries and fill up on peanuts for protein and to hell with the burger.

Theres a funky little place in Reno called Cross Eyed Katys that makes the best damn burger I've ever tasted - and I've eaten A LOT of burgers, all over the world. Go figure.

Americans really are suicidal and destructive with their diets.

Cookout has great burgers

I had a great hamburger at 5 Napkin Burger on the UWS. A few months later I went to 5 Napkin Burger on the UES and it was a disaster.

All american food is shit on a shingle but for the top tier restaurants. That’s why everyone is so fucking obese

How elitist of you dude

Make your own burgers. Seriously. Not that hard nor expensive. Maybe difficult to manage if you're single and can't share, but as a couple here, we can just make several burgers at once and have 1-2 for dinner, and leftovers for the next day or two.

Not fast food, but the Bacon Cheeseburger on Steroids at Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar is incredible. It’s super high in calories, so I only eat it like once a year.

My favorite Burger.

Can we get Lin-Manuel to write a musical about THIS Hamilton?

Don't like reading Bible passages with my burger.

[quote]Culvers

Be prepared to pay, really pay. $14 yesterday for a veggie burger 'basket' with burnt onion rings and a roor beer float, at the drive through. The burger was fine, the float was small and half melted.

Took a long time before the "Why don't you make your own" troll showed up.

Why don't you make your own? Some reasons

1) I'm meeting friends/coworkers at the burger place

2) I'm caught in traffic and won't get home for 2 hours and I skipped lunch

3) I don't want a reheated hamburger for lunch that I made last night

4) I deserve to get a decent burger when I go out for one

5) I don't fucking feel like cooking, bitch.

Another vote for Cookout....

Cookout is cheap Too

Fast food=shitty food.

I love Good fast food bro

Baagaa in Paris 16e

Rays Hell Burgers

The Habit is one of the best. In n Out is way overhyped - not that great and insane crowds who just want to Insta

The Juicy Lucy at The Nook in St. Paul, MN.

The Juicy Lucy is a stuffed burger. The cheese is between two beef patties.

The Habit and Smashburger are both good and not overpriced. The Habit has great tempura green beans you can get in lieu of fries.

Has anyone tried Burgerim? I think it's Israeli. Tiny burgers (like sliders) made of your choice of numerous kinds of meats. You have to buy them in pairs or in threes. They've opened two near me in the past year.

I don't know how they can rate these places because each series of chains is different. It is always who cooks it. There is only ONE person I want making my pizza at Pizza Hut because it is the only pizza that tastes good. No one else in the entire restaurant makes a pizza that tastes like his and that is just one Pizza Hut.

I ate at a 5 Brothers once in D.C. It was the best hamburger I had ever had. It was thick, juicy, medium rare. Obviously they are not all the same at the different 5 Bothers. There is no way to rate these chain restaurants.

as far as McDonald's, I will go 5 or 6 years without eating there but then I will crave one, strictly for nostalgia of having eaten there when I was 10 in the 1950's. They eventually changed their food which is why I stopped eating there and most doesn't taste the same but there is that little bit that takes me back. I haven't tried their hamburgers since they switched the beef and will see if that is any better, eventually. The french fries will never be the same because they used to cook them in animal fat and they were the best french fires ever. Now they have no taste.

[quote]I ate at a 5 Brothers once in D.C. It was the best hamburger I had ever had. It was thick, juicy, medium rare. Obviously they are not all the same at the different 5 Bothers. There is no way to rate these chain restaurants.

Are you talking about Five Guys?

Smashburgers taste great, but what a mess. Even if you're eating in the restaurant, order it to go so you have the wrapper to hold some of the mess.

My brother and SIL like the Burger Palace (Houston). Very tasty. Beware: the prices are also fit for a king.

And I'd never turn down Beck's Prime burger.

r214 Oh yeah, you're right I think that is what it was.

Elevation Burger

Shake Shack is the only fast food I get excited for. I wouldn’t mind trying Sonic, although I’ve heard from others that it’s overrated.

[quote]Are you talking about Five Guys?

If I meant Five Guys, I would’ve said Five Guys, bitch.

r214 that was NOT me that responded to you in 219. you were right it was 5 guys and not 5 brothers. my response was r216. I have no idea why someone else tried to post as me.

This is is good:

Many of the young set have stopped eating burgers and chose healthy avocado toast instead.

So they don't get heart disease but they do get colon cancer...

At least they won't be a grossly obese as you are R222. That's got to count for something.

Some nasty pieces of work on this thread.

Colon cancer?

Yeah colon cancer????

I don't get the love for Shake Shack. Their burgers are ok, not great. They're a bit too greasy, er sorry, "juicy" for my likes.

5 Guys is ok, but their bun doesn't hold the burger if you get a double.

Still, both of these places are miles ahead of McDonalds.

[quote]M. Ghandi

Oh, dear.

Shake Shack is great

There are very good burger places all over the USA. I don't think the burgers at a franchise or big company are going to be that fantastic because of the way they supply the meat.

For instance, there's a place called Li'l Woody's in Seattle that serves fantastic burgers. Just get out there and go to stand alone joints, and avoid the big companies.

Five Guys rules

OP types extremely fat and poor.

The last time I ate in and out I threw up 12 times ,an hour later that was about 14 years ago.

Cookout

Shake Shack has phenomenal fries

I’m Hungry

CHAPEL HILL Of all the many burgers in this burger-loving nation, the best is in Chapel Hill.

That's according to travel review site TripAdvisor, which said Al's Burger Shack on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill serves the best burger in America. The list appears on Food and Wine's website.

TripAdvisor crunched the numbers on burger reviews across the country, and Al's Burger Shack topped this list, with 272 reviews averaging 4.5 stars.

Read more here:

[quote]Shake Shack has phenomenal fries

I would really like to see more places serving crinkle-cut fries like they do. Crinkle fries rule, and hardly anybody serves them.

Remember, for a while Shake Shack, switched to regular fries. An outcry led them to switch back to crinkles.

Shake Shack has great fries

There are a number of things that influence the taste of a burger:

Frozen patty-forget it.

Fat content-fat is flavor

Quality of beef, aged or not.

How it is cooked- searing on a flat top imparts flavor as does flame broiling. Steaming imparts nothing .

Seasonings. - Salt & Pepper only is best, but occasionally additional spices or light amounts of onion are good as well.

And finally veggie substitutes are not burgers and should be banned.