# Hamburgers Or Cheeseburger? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 2, 2010, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865 "2010-08-02T07:30:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/21 "2010-08-02T11:32:41Z")
I especially love the taste of the meat at Burger King. I often eat it without cheese to get that bbq flavor. Any other place though, I need cheese to kill the taste of the meat. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/22 "2010-08-02T12:34:00Z")
The cheese on most hamburgers is an insult to the taste buds. It’s just plain bad American cheese. I’m not opposed to good cheese on a hamburger, but no one really serves good cheese. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/23 "2010-08-02T12:41:05Z")
Never a cheeseburger unless the meat is particularly bad (think British frozen supermarket burgers). In the case of a decent hamburger, you have a chunk of delicious fat and protein that tastes like A. Why add some other delicious fat and protein that tastes like B? ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/24 "2010-08-02T12:48:54Z")
> [@NineToTheSky](#): > > You mean…you can get a burger \*without \*cheese?? Weird. Exactly. The burger is merely a means of conveying the cheese to the mouth. A tasty conveyance, but so. ---
**Author:** ![multimediac17](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/839c29/32.png) [@multimediac17](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/multimediac17)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/25 "2010-08-02T12:52:03Z")
Back when I ate meat it would be cheeseburgers all the time, and I’d always lift up the top bun, put fries on and put the bun back. Now I do the same except with veggie burgers. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/26 "2010-08-02T13:11:21Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > You kidding? Cheeseburgers. I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone say they prefer their hamburgers without cheese. Now, don’t get me wrong - I love cheeseburgers just as much as the next red blooded 'Murrican. But the cheese _can_, and often _does_, overpower the taste of the beef. And the taste of good beef is, you know, _why I eat burgers in the first place_. Look, all I’m saying is that hamburgers shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand. In fact, the recipe for the best burger I’ve ever eaten [is 100% cheese-free](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/burger-of-the-gods-recipe/index.html). ---
**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:** [August 2, 2010, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/27 "2010-08-02T13:18:48Z")
Cheeseburger, cheeseburger. But I prefer swiss cheese, not the usual American, which isn’t even cheddar, but a poor facsimile. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/28 "2010-08-02T13:20:28Z")
Missed the edit window, so I’ll add: What the printed recipe above leaves off (but what is shown during this TV episode) is the thin film of mayo that Alton schmears on the bottom bun, followed by a healthy grind of black pepper over the mayo. Place the burger on top (and, if you’re me, top that with a bracing slice of raw onion), and the juices from the perfectly cooked burger will combine with the pepper and mayo to produce a _heavenly_ sauce that complements the burger perfectly. Mmmmm! Also (and this is JMO, of course): Cheeseburgers are for kids, hamburgers are for adults. ---
**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:** [August 2, 2010, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/29 "2010-08-02T13:33:17Z")
> [@MTCicero](#): > > Also (and this is JMO, of course): Cheeseburgers are for kids, hamburgers are for adults. So cheese is for kids and you outgrow the passion for it? Tell that to Wisconsin. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/30 "2010-08-02T13:43:03Z")
> [@Hockey\_Monkey](#): > > Cheeseburgers! I hate it when I sometimes forget to specify “with cheese” on either a Whopper or a Big and Tasty, neither of which come with cheese. Can you imagine?!?! I know, I do that too and kick myself. Why on earth do they come standard with no cheese? It makes no sense at all - I’m an American, I like a little extra fat and dairy on everything I eat! Obviously! ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/31 "2010-08-02T14:00:00Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > > [@MTCicero](#): > > > > Also (and this is JMO, of course): Cheeseburgers are for kids, hamburgers are for adults. > > So cheese is for kids and you outgrow the passion for it? > > Tell that to Wisconsin. 🙂 No thanks. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/32 "2010-08-02T14:08:38Z")
I voted “depends on my mood” but in I generally prefer a hamburger. There are those days though, gotta eat a cheeseburger. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/33 "2010-08-02T14:35:21Z")
I don’t mind cheese on a burger, but not when eating out, normally. In restaurants, cheese adds a lot of fat and not much flavor, since they generally go for the blandness of American or mild cheddar. Why anybody would eat a fast food burger is a mystery to me. At home, I use sharp cheddar which gives some counterpoint. ---
**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:** [August 2, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/34 "2010-08-02T14:38:17Z")
Make mine CHEESEBURGER, please. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/35 "2010-08-02T16:11:16Z")
Fascinating, that the “no cheese” answers include both “American is too bland” and “cheese overwhelms the flavor of the meat”. Personally, I think that the flavor of the cheese (even American, though cheddar is better) complements the taste of the meat, improving both. The only time I’ll ever have a burger without cheese is when cheese isn’t available. And granted, I’ve had some pretty good burgers that way. But they would have been even better with cheese. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/36 "2010-08-02T16:25:37Z")
Sometimes I get overwhelming urges for a McDonald’s cheeseburger, and if it can’t be staved off, I’ll just have to have a few Doritos Cheeseburgers At Night chips. But if I get any burger, anywhere, with American cheese, I try to remove half of it, as I find it overwhelming. Just a little cheese for me. (Though my favorite ‘cheeseburger’ is a patty melt, with fried onions and swiss cheese, on grilled rye bread.) Dang. Now I’m getting hungry. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/37 "2010-08-02T16:31:14Z")
Depends on my mood: most of the time I’ll take a hamburger over a cheeseburger, but every now and then I really want cheese. I get dinner from McDonald’s way more often than I should (it’s on the way home from the dog park! I’m weak [and I don’t cook]!), and my typical order is two hamburgers and a 4-piece of mcnuggets. Their cheeseburgers are edible, but I much prefer their hamburgers. > [@NineToTheSky](#): > > Here in the UK we call it a chip buttie. I lived in Yorkshire for a couple of years as a kid, and always thought a chip buttie was just fries (i.e., chips) and bread. No burger. Does it vary? ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/38 "2010-08-02T16:37:58Z")
I _almost_ always prefer my hamburger without cheese. But there are rare times when I’ll order cheese: most commonly when I’m having mushrooms on the burger and need the cheese to hold them in place. Or if I can get blue cheese or pepper jack. But American or Cheddar cheese on a burger? blech, send it back. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/39 "2010-08-02T16:42:43Z")
[QUOTE=J. Wellington Wimpy] “I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.” [/QUOTE] I haven’t eaten ground beef since I saw _Food, Inc_a month ago, but before that I would have burgers at least three or four times a week if not more. Despite the above Wimpy quote, I almost always prefer a burger w/ cheese on it. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2010, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865/40 "2010-08-02T16:44:46Z")
Well, I will eat cheese on a hamburger, if Swiss is available, so “No Cheese Ever!” doesn’t apply to me. That said, I haven’t had an actual hamburger in months. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamburgers-or-cheeseburger/548865.md?page=3)