Fast food joints make the best burgers

[redtail23]

I’d have to disagree, pretty much completely.

Fast-food burgers are nasty and disgusting. I quit eating them years ago. The best of the lot was Wendy’s, and that was as a “lesser of evils”.

I don’t eat on Corporate Row much, so I’m not familiar with the big chain sit-down restaurant burgers. If I eat a burger out, it’s at one of about three or four local restaurants. There’s only one of those that I’d actually go to intending to eat a burger.

Home-cooked burgers are the only way to go. Pan-fried or outdoor-grilled, either is so much better than restaurant food that there’s no comparison.

Maybe youse guys just don’t know how to cook a burger.

[Dosipede]

I was going to stay out of this thread because I know many people don’t even know the joint that makes the best fast-food burger ever. I’m happy keeping my secret.

But I went to my favorite little fast-food joint and ordered my favorite burger just now. When I went to pick up my order, what should come sliding out of the radio but the silky-smooth crooning of Marvin Gaye: “Wah-wah-wah-wahh I’ve been really tryiiiin’, baby, tryin’ to hold back this feelin’ for so long…”

It was a sign. I was not meant to guard my little gold mine. Number One on the list is the Big Boss from Foster’s Freeze. Far better than anything a gourmet chef can slap together. The only thing better is backyard bbq done right – and it has to be done right to defeat this beauty.

So there you have it. The expert has spoken. No burger without bacon and onion rings deserves to be spoken of in the same sentence.

[HoboStew]

I had a big mac last night. I had a doubledouble at In-N-Out last week. There is no contest, In-N-Out is 50x better. Unless you are counting speed of service or quality of fries in your eval.

[MissGypsy]

@Cisco

NUMBER 1 - The Big Mac

And the winna is . . . how could it be anything else? Rumor has it this thing is scientifically proportioned to put you into some kind of taste-induced ecstasy. I’m only a little ashamed to admit that I even like the taste of my burps after eating one. If I could only ever order one thing at any restaurant for the rest of my life, this would be it, without thought, hestitation, or question.

Oh, yes, my fast food of choice! I do pick the pickles off, but it’s my ideal fast food burger.

[NAF1138]

@Dosipede

It was a sign. I was not meant to guard my little gold mine. Number One on the list is the Big Boss from Foster’s Freeze.

Oh, I miss the Foster’s Freeze that used to be in my neighborhood. I thought they had all closed down. It’s good to know that somewhere they still exist.

[Left_Hand_of_Dorkness]

When I fell off the vegetarian wagon, I was really excited to try a burger. THe first one I tried was at a McDonalds, and I was all, “really? THIS is what I’ve been missing? Bleah!”

Then I went to a local pub and tried their burger, complete with spicy belgian-ale-infused mustard, and was like, “Oh, this is what I’ve REALLY been missing! Yeah!”

Daniel

[BrandonR]

@Left_Hand_of_Dorkness

When I fell off the vegetarian wagon, I was really excited to try a burger. THe first one I tried was at a McDonalds, and I was all, “really? THIS is what I’ve been missing? Bleah!”

This intrigues me. You were a vegetarian who had never eaten a burger but you switched? What’s the story behind that?

[Musicat]

IN-N-Out isn’t bad, but there have been better.

Ah, memories…

Anyone remember All-American Burger (small chain) in L.A.? On Sunset Blvd not far from La Brea? The hickory burger was my favorite.

Or Hamburger Hamlet, also in L.A.? A sit-down, classy restaurant with several locations, one of which was right across the street from the Chinese Theatre? You could have a gourmet burger in a ritzy setting; the best of both worlds.

How about Fuddrucker’s?

My personal fave, which may or may not be there anymore. We called it “Sleazeburger” but that wasn’t its official name. On Lankershim in North Hollywood, near Oxnard and Sherman Way, it served a large late-night crowd with half-chickens and double burgers. Want tomato? Forget it. Lettuce? Never heard of it. Just piles of onions and cheese. Pickles? only as a big wedge, not slices. And grease. The best grease this side of the auto lube.

For midwesterners or south-easteners (mostly Missouri & Florida, go figure), how about Steak N Shake? Their Steakburger? Maybe it is only hamburger in a fancier name, but it sure tastes better. Singe, double, triple.

[HoboStew]

@Musicat

How about Fuddrucker’s?

For my money, Fuddruckers is easily the most overpriced/overrated burger out there. It tastes bland, WAY too much bun, and the burger/fries/drink will run like $12-$15 depending on what you get, and to top it off I have to assemble it myself! Pass. If I want this kinda burger, I go to Barney’s.

[silenus]

Fuddrucker’s hasn’t been the same since they got rid of the red pepper relish they used to have. Man, that stuff was awesome! Really turned their already great burger into something transcendent.

You have to travel out here to the Inland Empire, but Baker’s makes a mighty fine burger.

[NAF1138]

@Musicat

IN-N-Out isn’t bad, but there have been better.

Ah, memories…

Anyone remember All-American Burger (small chain) in L.A.? On Sunset Blvd not far from La Brea? The hickory burger was my favorite.

Been there, love it, but not as much as Astro Burger.

Or Hamburger Hamlet, also in L.A.? A sit-down, classy restaurant with several locations, one of which was right across the street from the Chinese Theatre? You could have a gourmet burger in a ritzy setting; the best of both worlds.

When I was a kid I thought this was the greatest restaurant ever, but now…I don’t know if I changed or if it did, but it doesn’t do it for me anymore. This restaurant did introduce me to the wonders of lobster bisque though, and the concept of a blue cheese burger. For that I will always think of it fondly.

How about Fuddrucker’s?

Not as good as Fatburger or Astro, or All American.

All of the above fall into the catagory of being a different food than fast food burgers though. To steal a line I read in the food epiphanies thread, it’s like compairing biscuts and dinner rolls. They are different, they just seem similar.

My personal fave, which may or may not be there anymore. We called it “Sleazeburger” but that wasn’t its official name. On Lankershim in North Hollywood, near Oxnard and Sherman Way, it served a large late-night crowd with half-chickens and double burgers. Want tomato? Forget it. Lettuce? Never heard of it. Just piles of onions and cheese. Pickles? only as a big wedge, not slices. And grease. The best grease this side of the auto lube.

Can you tell me what it looked like and what side of the stree it was on, maybe something it was near? I will go looking for it tonight, that’s right in my 'hood.

[Musicat]

@HoboStew

For my money, Fuddruckers is easily the most overpriced/overrated burger out there. It tastes bland, WAY too much bun, and the burger/fries/drink will run like $12-$15 depending on what you get, and to top it off I have to assemble it myself!

“Assemble it myself?”!?! That’s called The Power of Choice. Not a bug, but a feature. It’s all in the marketing.

But Barney’s…that’s good, too!

Uhnn…which Barney’s are we talking about? Not that it makes any difference.

[eleanorigby]

No Steak N’ Shake? They’re good.

My favorite burger is a pub burger from a local eatery–not a chain.

[want2know]

Great thread, Cisco! Burgers are the bestest fast food evah!

Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t imagine anyone getting excited over a Big Mac–or indeed, anything from McDonald’s. It all tastes the same to me–bland, bland, bland. If I’m with a group that absolutely has to go to Mac’s, I’ll get a Spicy McChicken. Fries are good, though.

Glad to see the Wendy’s Double in your OP. They’re not as good as they used to be, but still one of those things you just gotta have when you gotta have it. I get mine with no tomatoes or ketchup, but I always ask for a packet of that hot sauce you put on the chili (the little gold packet). Goes great on the burger.

When I took my first trip to CA (I’m from the East Coast originally), I discovered the Double Western at Carl’s Jr., an item that forever changed my perception of fast-food burgers. Still like one once in a while, but their quality has gone down a bit from then.

In-&-Out is tremendous–burgers like they used to be made, hot and sloppy!

Whataburger is also quite good, but I’ve never seen one west of New Mexico. Made sure I went to one the last time I was in Texas, though. Better than most big fast-food chains, IMO.

For sit-down places, Red Robin and Fuddrucker’s get my vote. Especially Fuddrucker’s–their toppings bar is unmatched by anyone. 2 types of lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, jalapenos (YEAH!), salsa, and, best of all–FREE CHEESE SAUCE! They only recently opened one here, and not before the storefront sat empty for SIX MONTHS with the “Coming Soon!” sign in the window! Talk about torture; waterboarding has nothing on that!

Question for anyone in the know: I work with a lot of Filipinos, and they swear by a place called Jollibees. They recently opened one here–is it worth it?

[Musicat]

NAF1138, we’ve obviously been hanging out on the same side of town. Astro, Fatburger, I remember them (Fatburger on Ventura?).

The “Sleazeburger” joint was on the west side of Lankershim, a pre-modern kind of place. It was ripe for teardown, so I imagine its day has/had come. It used to advertise “1/2 chicken, $1.69” which was a paper “dish/basket” with a deep-fried half chicken smothered in fries and a large 1/4 pickle wedge (the kind that was a meal in itself) on top, then wrapped in plastic wrap.

They also sold spaghetti and subs, but their half-chicken was the biggest seller around 11PM every night, followed by the burgers. They would pre-cook the chicken, then put it back in the hot oil for just a few seconds when they got an order. Usually staffed by non-English speaking employees who had been there forever.

One of the unique things about the place was the order-taking process. They used a mah-jong tablet and had a code which I never did figure out, but it went something like this…a red tile, flat, meant a double burger. A red tile on edge meant a chicken. A white file, flat, was a spaghetti. On edge, a large spaghetti. One order was one Mah-Jong line, the next order, the next line. Order filled, wipe off the tiles to the basket on the side. Sounds complicated, but it beats MacDonald computerized order-taking all to Hell when you have a late-night rush.

Open-air, bugs around the lights, nothing better…

I have a friend who still lives not far from Sleazeburger (we used to go there once a week). I’ll email him and see if it’s still in business. If it is, get a “cheese tremendous” but don’t forget to wring it out first. I always got a large ketchup cup and filled it half with ketchup, half with hot sauce for dipping (chicken or burger); a good mix.

ETA: As I emailed my friend, I remembered the joint’s name: “Sirloin Burger”. Pretty pretentious for a real dive, eh?

[samclem]

Kids!

Big Macs, when they were introduced, were truly a wonderful thing. That is to say, a wonderful thing to get from a fast food drive thru like McDonalds. These days, not so much. Now, to be fair, I may have gotten so much older that my tastes have changed.

I disagree on all levels that fast food joints make the best burgers. They may make a product that hits your spot once in awhile as far as tasting good, but they don’t make the best burger.

[Jettboy]

No Texans chiming in about Whataburger?! The double Whataburger with cheese and jalapenos is paradise on a bun (until it’s doing the flaming tango in your colon the next day).

[Cisco]

They have Whataburger here. Slow service, over-priced, and really annoying commercials all for a mediocre burger. Objective fact ;).

[claregirl]

@Cisco

I’ve been wanting to get this off my chest for awhile. I see a lot of references - around here and elsewhere - to fast food burgers being imitators, substitutes for the “real things”, inferior creations, etc. I’m here to set the record straight. I’ve made and eaten hundreds of home-cooked burgers in my life, from backyard bbqs to experiments in my own kitchen to ones prepared by legitimately trained and experienced chefs. I’ve eaten burgers at sit-down restaurants famous for their burgers and at fancy steakhouses with valet parking and dress codes. Fast food retaurants make the best burgers.

It’s funny, coming from me, because I wish it weren’t true. I don’t particularly like the idea of fast food and it eat it less and less frequently every year. I’m merely reporting objective fact.

So, without further ado, I give you the 5 best burgers on Earth:

NUMBER 5 - The Fatburger

This one gets a nod not necessarily for being a particularly great burger, but for being able to order with damn near every reasonable topping in the free world, including one of my personal favorites - an egg.

NUMBER 4 - Wendy’s Double

Something about the produce on this one really gives it a zing and a crunch that you don’t often find - especially not with the leaf lettuce you normally get on “good” burgers. In all fairness, though, I can’t help but notice that it frequently leads to some pretty intense stomach problems. Occasionally, it’s worth it.

NUMBER 3 - The Whopper with cheese

Over the last few years they seem to have taken to putting way too much mayonaise on it, but it is a generally good, unique burger. The toppings almost taste like a little salad when you get to the middle.

NUMBER 2 - The Double-Double from In-N-Out

Now we’re getting into exceedingly blissful territory. I deliberately deprive myself of these so that on the occasions that I indulge myself, they’re that much better. It’s a greasy, texturey little bomb of flavor. I have In-N-Outs all around me now, but eating these still reminds me of when I was a kid and I only got them while visiting my grandparents in California.

NUMBER 1 - The Big Mac

And the winna is . . . how could it be anything else? Rumor has it this thing is scientifically proportioned to put you into some kind of taste-induced ecstasy. I’m only a little ashamed to admit that I even like the taste of my burps after eating one. If I could only ever order one thing at any restaurant for the rest of my life, this would be it, without thought, hestitation, or question.

You have got to be the cutest thing since sliced bread. What a great thing to discuss.

In my opinion, when you have the NEED, you go to the best fast food place you know and chow down. Especially when you have a hangover. However, every 3 months or so, I get the urge for a Whopper, Big Mac or (forgive me) a Fish Sandwich. And then nothing else will do. It’s not based in your childhood though. I was one of 9 kids and my Mom cooked every meal from scratch. I never even went to a fast food restaruant until I was in college. But they are just so good.

[Cisco]

@claregirl

You have got to be the cutest thing since sliced bread. What a great thing to discuss.

I didn’t know you were a member here, mom!