# Best fast food hamburgers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 19, 2007, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382 "2007-07-19T14:05:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/121 "2019-12-06T00:26:26Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Maybe 12 years ago Wendy’ burgers actually had flavor but I had one recently and then remembered “Oh yeah, this is why I haven’t eaten them in years.” I remember loving them in the late 80s and early 90s. The Wendy’s Big Classic was my jam! But at least since the 00s., I’ve tried to give their hamburgers a shot at least once a year, and have been disappointed every time. They used to be my favorite of the Big 3 (McD, Wendy’s, BK). That said, I will patronize Wendy’s from time to time for their spicy chicken sandwich. Strange that Wendy’s is my go-to for chicken sandwiches in the neighborhood (Chick Fil A is a bit of a drive – and I prefer them – and I still haven’t gotten around to trying Popeye’s, which by all accounts by people who share the same tastes as me is awesome). ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/122 "2019-12-06T01:12:18Z")
> [@Frazzled](#): > > Ah for the days of 2007 when we went to fast food places for burgers instead of chicken sandwiches 🙂 > > I live in Dallas and we’ve been fortunate to get a good number of chain restaurants from other regions in the last few years, so burgers I never could have tried back in 2007 can make my list today. In the days since this thread started, I’ve gotten to travel to Whataburger land and Shake Shack land, and they were… not bad, but not enough to make me really pine for them; and the Shack seemed overpriced for what you get. There’s a Five Guys now not too far away; it’s pretty good, but it’s not fast food, not real cheap, and a bit out of the way for me. Culver’s and Freddy’s have gotten a lot more common in the area. I like Culver’s, but I’d go there more often if they had some cheaper options (like a value menu). I like Freddy’s okay, but it’s kind of a more expensive version of Steak ‘n’ Shake. Speaking of which, I really like Steak ‘n’ Shake, but I don’t really think of them as fast food: they do have a drive-through, but if you go inside, they’re more of a traditional diner-type restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/123 "2019-12-06T02:31:48Z")
How about a zombie burger? ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/124 "2019-12-06T02:39:47Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > In the days since this thread started, I’ve gotten to travel to Whataburger land and Shake Shack land, and they were… not bad, but not enough to make me really pine for them; and the Shack seemed overpriced for what you get. I’ve never been to Whataburger (I don’t think we have them here in NYC). I’ve been to Shake Shack a few times. I think it’s wildly overrated. It’s not that its burgers taste bad, it’s the consistency. They’re absolute mush. Near my home in Brooklyn, there are a Shake Shack and a Burger King right next door to each other. I’ll take the Burger King over Shake Shack any time, even though the last time I was in that Burger King the EMTs were adminstering Narcan to an unconscious junkie and the place was full of aggressive panhandlers. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/125 "2019-12-06T03:04:20Z")
Hawaii has [Teddy’s Bigger Burgers](https://www.teddysbb.com/), headquartered here in Honolulu. Pretty good if a little pricey. They are indeed big. I’m surprised to see from their website that they have two locations in Bangkok. I’ve never seen them. Maybe opened since I left, but I note the locations there are in out-of-the-way spots. ---
**Author:** ![Sterling\_Archer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Sterling\_Archer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sterling_Archer)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/126 "2019-12-06T04:19:42Z")
1. Five Guys 2. Culver’s 3. Checkers/Rally’s —— big gap —— 4. Wendy’s (buns are terrible though) 5. Burger King 6. McDonald’s I really need to try Hardee’s, there are a bunch of them around here but I always avoid them because their advertising really turns me off. But I should check it out sometime. ---
**Author:** ![GoodOldKJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bc79bd/32.png) [@GoodOldKJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOldKJ)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2019, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/127 "2019-12-06T07:14:50Z")
In October I had surgery and spent 19 days in the hospital most of it on a liquid diet. By the end of this ordeal I wanted nothing more (except going home) then a greasy, fast food burger with melty cheese oozing everywhere. I have had MyDs, Wendy’s, BK, Sheetz, and none satisfied this craving. It’s making me really think the best days of fast-food burgers are past. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/128 "2019-12-08T07:01:58Z")
Heh. Way back when in West Texas, Wendy’s had a big promotion featuring the slogan, “Hot and juicy.” My roommate and I went into a Wendy’s, and the staff all sported buttons bearing that slogan. My roommate said to the pretty girl taking our order, “Hot and juicy, eh?” She slammed down her pencil, said, “That’s enough!” and stalked off. She came back with the manger, who kicked us out. Guess she got a lot of that. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/129 "2019-12-08T08:15:12Z")
Our first stop driving north into the US, and our last stop now before a rushed drive to Sacramento, is Burger Thing, who haven’t poisoned us yet. Crap-in-the-Box aka scarf-n-barf was a gut-wrenching ordeal. The [del]aroma[/del] stench of McD’s drove us away, last times we dared. I tried Wendy’s, Sonic, and In-N-Out some time ago but was unimpressed. Most burrito wagons surpass most franchise burgers; local burgers beat ALL franchise burgers; but those take valuable time to consume. So we’ll rely on two Whoppers for six bucks, hold the cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/130 "2019-12-08T13:20:12Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Heh. Way back when in West Texas, Wendy’s had a big promotion featuring the slogan, “Hot and juicy.” My roommate and I went into a Wendy’s, and the staff all sported buttons bearing that slogan. My roommate said to the pretty girl taking our order, “Hot and juicy, eh?” She slammed down her pencil, said, “That’s enough!” and stalked off. She came back with the manger, who kicked us out. Guess she got a lot of that. Without serving your hamburger? Inconceivable! ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/131 "2019-12-08T14:11:26Z")
This may be an old thread, but I have some new stuff to add. Well, new stuff about old stuff. First, there used to be a small (local?) chain in LA that I really liked, All American burger. Everything a burger should be. I especially liked their hickory burger, a BBQ variation. There was a one-only location on Lankershim Blvd in North Hollywood, torn down a few years ago, that my friends & I called “Sleazeburger.” Definitely not built in the mold of any other restaurant, probably started 100 years ago. It was primarily an outdoor window-style takeout, much like many taco stands at the time, but they did have an enclosed patio for wimps. In some ways, it could be described as a Fuddruckers for the down-n-out crowd – the opposite end of the food and price spectrum. A few things were notable about Sleazeburger (it’s actual name was “Sirloin Burger”). First, the limited menu. Burgers, spaghetti, and fried chicken was pretty much it. Woe betide any diner who wanted tomato, lettuce, or sliced pickles on their burger – there weren’t any, and you got laughed at to ask. Their specialty was the Cheese Tremendous, two beef patties with a slice of cheese on top of each, stacked on a bun with grilled onions on top. Your only choices were with or without onions. They sold a lot of spaghetti in a pie plate type takeout dish. And for $1.29 (1970 dollars, up to $2.79 in 1990), you could get a half chicken on an enormous pile of french fries. Did I mention that everything was greasy? That’s what made it taste so good! You had to wring it out before eating. They pre-cooked the half chicken intact, left it under a heat lamp, and when you placed an order, one chicken chunk went back into the fry oil for a minute or two, then plopped onto the large pile of fries. The same fry basket was used for everything. Most of the employees spoke only Spanish, of course, not a problem. Most notable was the method of recording orders. Next to the window and the grill, was a [Mahjong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahjong) board. Mahjong tiles were used, and I never figured out the code exactly, but it went something like this. One row was for one customer, and the columns represented the order details. I think the color of the tiles was not important, but a tile placed flat meant a hamburger and a tile placed on edge meant chicken. Rotate the tile 90 degrees, that was spaghetti. Two tiles meant two spaghettis. Or something like that. When an order was filled, one row of tiles was swept off the board and returned to the tile box. It may seem arcane, but the employees learned the code quickly, and one advantage of this method was you could tell, at a glance, from across the room, what the order was that you were preparing, no matter what language you spoke. Condiments were on the counter, in bulk; three gallon jugs (ketchup, hot sauce, and mustard), each with a pump spigot. All fries were served with a large pickle wedge; other than the spaghetti, nothing was wrapped, just served in a paper tray. I never figured out why Mahjong was used by a Spanish outfit, serving highly American, not Mexican, cuisine. A strange brew, indeed. Sleazeburger will be missed, and there will never be another. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/132 "2019-12-08T14:28:47Z")
^ Sounds like my kinda joint! ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/133 "2019-12-08T15:47:07Z")
> [@Cowboy8467](#): > > Hands down it has to be either White Castle or Krystals. Those delicious tiny little sliders are like a little slice of heaven in your mouth 🙂 . Unfortunately I live too far south for White Castle and too far north for Krystals. The universe is conspiring against me ☹ I’m in the same unfortunate situation. But last week I had a severe craving and got some frozen White Castles from the grocery store. Are they as good as the fresh version? No. But they are pretty dang satisfying. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/134 "2019-12-08T17:52:03Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I’m in the same unfortunate situation. But last week I had a severe craving and got some frozen White Castles from the grocery store. Are they as good as the fresh version? No. But they are pretty dang satisfying. For a frozen burger, they come reasonably close to the real deal. Which makes sense, as WCs are “steam grilled” so microwaving them basically just steams them, as well. I find them a little less oniony than the fresh product, but they satisfy the itch if I don’t feel like driving the two and a halfish miles to the nearest one. ---
**Author:** ![txjim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f07891/32.png) [@txjim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txjim)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2019, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/135 "2019-12-08T17:53:02Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > … Speaking of which, I really like Steak ‘n’ Shake, but I don’t really think of them as fast food: they do have a drive-through, but if you go inside, they’re more of a traditional diner-type restaurant. The one near me (DFW area) recently remodeled and dumped all the waitstaff. You order at the counter from a greatly reduced menu. To be honest, I really don’t know how they were able to maintain the old approach, with waiters taking your order for $4 menu items. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2019, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/136 "2019-12-09T01:52:33Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > I… got some frozen White Castles from the grocery store. Are they as good as the fresh version? No. But they are pretty dang satisfying. I’ve not tried fresh WCs. When I lived in their territory, I couldn’t afford them. Last year I curiously tried the frozen variety and was not impressed. Maybe I need to acclimate. Or maybe I’m tasteless. Way back in the day (c.1970) in California’s LA and SF areas were ultra-cheap Munchies burger shops. They were literally ten burgers for a buck and allegedly contained more meat than soymeal. If you couldn’t afford to lunch at Munchies, you probably went dumpster-diving. Those were the days! I’ve an idea for a non-fast-food gourmet hamburger franchise. Call it Elbow Drip Burgers. Every seating position faces a sink. Every burger is so juicy it drools down your arms and drips from your elbows as you eat. Flavor trumps neatness. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2019, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/137 "2019-12-09T21:13:27Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > I tried Wendy’s, Sonic, and **In-N-Out** some time ago but was unimpressed. Most burrito wagons surpass most franchise burgers; local burgers beat ALL franchise burgers… I’m nitpicking here, but In-N-Out doesn’t franchise. The company is still a family owned business controlled by the descendants of the original founder, and every restaurant in the chain is owned by that family. The current In-N-Out heiress, Lynsi Snyder, has [stated she has no plans to franchise](https://www.ocregister.com/2013/02/27/drag-racing-heiress-keeps-in-n-out-on-course/). ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/138 "2019-12-10T15:13:08Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > But last week I had a severe craving and got some frozen White Castles from the grocery store. Hold off on getting more for a few weeks. They issued a voluntary recall for possible listeria in the frozen sliders yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/139 "2019-12-10T16:42:18Z")
Rally’s has by far the best burgers imho. btw Rally’s is called Checkers in some states. Same menu. Same drive up store > [@](#): > > The company operates Checkers and Rally’s restaurants in 28 states, and the District of Columbia. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2019, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382/140 "2019-12-10T17:28:10Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > I’ve not tried fresh WCs. When I lived in their territory, I couldn’t afford them. Were they expensive where you were? They are the absolutely cheapest burger you can get, but maybe not for their size. Still, today, a burger is something like 79 cents there. That said, I’d consider a reasonable serving to be 3-4 burgers, but I can be satisfied with just 2 as a snack (they’re about 140 calories each for the plain burger.) > [@](#): > > Last year I curiously tried the frozen variety and was not impressed. Maybe I need to acclimate. Maybe, maybe not. They are their own thing. It seems people either love or hate them. They’re not like a normal hamburger, and I hate it when restaurants offer their own mini-hamburgers and call them “sliders.” Sliders are not just mini-burgers. There’s a particular cooking method to them over onions that gives the bun steamed texture and oniony flavor, and the burger itself is not browned as much as a normal burger. They originated in New Jersey, and there are a number of non-White Castle places out there that serve burgers in the same style. See [White Manna](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC-6RSjPOBE) in Hackensack, for example. A somewhat similar style with full sized patties is the Oklahoma onion burger. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fast-food-hamburgers/412382.md?page=8)