# Has Fuddrucker's gone down in quality? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 12, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277 "2010-03-12T18:34:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/1 "2010-03-12T18:34:22Z")
The last two times I went there the burgers were obviously pre-formed and lacked all the qualities I expect from a Fuddruckers burger. I remember when the beef was ground in the store. When did they change, or do some of the locations still make them like they used to? ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/2 "2010-03-12T18:58:00Z")
i don’t think its recent. I last ate there… 3 or 4 years ago and it was disappointing. I grew up with Fuddruckers as being the place to get a big honking delicious hamburger made exactly to order. This was just an expensive burger. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/3 "2010-03-12T19:51:58Z")
When I lived in Houston in the 80’s my friends and I used to go to Fuddruckers and I remember them being really superior. A couple of years ago they opened one near my house in L.A. and I was disappointed to discover how mediocre it was. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/4 "2010-03-12T20:17:08Z")
YES! I grew up in Texas, and Fuddrucker’s used to be my favorite hamburger joint. Then I moved away to the west coast, and really missed it. Then, this last year, I moved to the east coast. And hey, they’ve got the occasional Fuddruckers here! I’ve tried eating there twice now- and each time I’ve been massively unimpressed. I think the biggest change is the bun- it’s now just a stereotypical hamburger bun, like you can buy in the store. Nothing but white bread. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/5 "2010-03-12T20:31:18Z")
NO Everyone remembers their first gourmet burger through rose tinted glasses. That very first bite into a fresh juicy sirloin burger was such a leap from McBurger in the Box that it is a memory that will never be surpassed. The next twenty are all exactly the same, but you still remember that first one as if it was your deflowering in the back of a '67 Corsair. It’s an experience that can never be beat. The objective quality of now, will never to compare the hazy memories of then. IMO, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/6 "2010-03-12T20:33:38Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > NO > > Everyone remembers their first gourmet burger through rose tinted glasses. That very first bite into a fresh juicy sirloin burger was such a leap from McBurger in the Box that it is a memory that will never be surpassed. The next twenty are all exactly the same, but you still remember that first one as if it was your deflowering in the back of a '67 Corsair. It’s an experience that can never be beat. The objective quality of now, will never to compare the hazy memories of then. IMO, of course. I disagree completely. The bread, meat, toppings were all better. These days, I’d rather eat a Wendy’s burger. Well, that was until I quit ground beef as my new year’s res. ---
**Author:** ![MitzeKatze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@MitzeKatze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MitzeKatze)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/7 "2010-03-12T20:39:38Z")
I can’t say when they declined…but they sure did! Fuddruckers was _the_ place to get a good hamburger exactly like you wanted it before I moved to Guam. Guam did not have one (or a bunch of other chains which experienced a similar decline in quality during my absence…hey! wait! Maybe it’s my fault because I stopped going there!) and when I got back to the states they were high on my “must eat at” list. (We spent our first month stateside going to once familiar eateries that we had missed.) And it was one of the biggest disappointments. Why exactly did I miss this place? It does make me feel a bit better to know that it wasn’t just me. I thought maybe I had just built it up in my memory and had too high of expectations. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/8 "2010-03-12T20:43:57Z")
I think they took the first step down the road to mediocre when they stopped making that wonderful red pepper relish. Everything since then has been but a pale imitation of What Once Was. ---
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/9 "2010-03-12T21:46:31Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > NO > > Everyone remembers their first gourmet burger through rose tinted glasses. That very first bite into a fresh juicy sirloin burger was such a leap from McBurger in the Box that it is a memory that will never be surpassed. The next twenty are all exactly the same, but you still remember that first one as if it was your deflowering in the back of a '67 Corsair. It’s an experience that can never be beat. The objective quality of now, will never to compare the hazy memories of then. IMO, of course. I’m not remembering my first Fuddruckers burger. I’m remembering all the ones I’ve had that made me want to have another one. The last two make me want to go to Five Guys. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/10 "2010-03-12T21:49:25Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > NO > > Everyone remembers their first gourmet burger through rose tinted glasses. That very first bite into a fresh juicy sirloin burger was such a leap from McBurger in the Box that it is a memory that will never be surpassed. The next twenty are all exactly the same, but you still remember that first one as if it was your deflowering in the back of a '67 Corsair. It’s an experience that can never be beat. The objective quality of now, will never to compare the hazy memories of then. IMO, of course. > [@Marshall Ericson](#): > > Just a Burger? _Just_ a burger? It’s so much more than “just a burger.” I mean…that first bite—oh, what heaven that first bite is. The bun, like a sesame freckled breast of an angel, resting gently on the ketchup and mustard below, flavors mingling in a seductive _pas de deux_. And then…a pickle! The most playful little pickle! Then a slice of tomato, a leaf of lettuce and a…a patty of ground beef so exquisite, swirling in your mouth, breaking apart, and combining again in a fugue of sweets and savor so delightful. This is no mere sandwich of grilled meat and toasted bread. This is God, speaking to us in food. QFT. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/11 "2010-03-12T22:17:33Z")
It’s not just the hamburgers. As a chicken eater I can tell you that the salads and the grilled chicken have changed dramatically too. I’d say I had a good meal there about 4-5 years ago, but I wouldn’t go back now. Also, in a rare moment of beef craving about six months ago I ordered a french dip there - the “juice” tasted like Lipton’s powdered onion soup. ---
**Author:** ![Rafe\_Hollister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Rafe\_Hollister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rafe_Hollister)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/12 "2010-03-12T22:29:04Z")
The one we had closed down 2 months ago after about 3 years in business. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/13 "2010-03-12T23:11:26Z")
I’ve only been to Fuddruckers a few times, all within the last few years. I was unimpressed with the burgers but…their nachos are pretty damn good! ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/14 "2010-03-12T23:16:26Z")
I’ve never really liked Fudrucker’s food. I liked going there when I was a kid 'cause my dad’s friend Bob would always give them crazy names to call out, like Lou Skunt, but their food has always sucked IMO. Apparently a lot of people around here agree because all of ours are either closed or have cut their hours. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/15 "2010-03-12T23:31:51Z")
I think we have to ask Paul Rudd. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/16 "2010-03-13T00:44:40Z")
The Fuddrucker’s in Alexandria VA had steaks and great burgers about ten years ago. I went back about two years ago and they had no steaks, awful burgers. Definite cost-cutting measures had been implemented. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/17 "2010-03-13T03:12:54Z")
Take heart, it’ll be Buttfuckers in 500 years. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/18 "2010-03-13T03:31:45Z")
I don’t know. I had have had several great burgers at Fudruckers recently. They were all cooked perfectly to order, and if they had been “preformed”, I couldn’t tell. The toppings were toppings no worse than I would have at home. Of course, of season tomatoes are just plain bad anywhere. They are definitely the best burger in my town. The next best is Red Robin. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/19 "2010-03-13T15:23:36Z")
Oh, good! It’s not just me. There used to be one up by my great-gramma’s house, and I’d go there _every_ time we visited. And oh god it was good. Then about ten years ago, I was near one, and the burger was preformed, the bun was different, and the cheese was… less sharp, I guess. I tried a few more times, but it just wasn’t the same, and I was _pretty_ sure it wasn’t just me. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277/20 "2010-03-13T15:29:33Z")
I remember the really great Fudrucker’s burger as well. Used to go a lot when I wanted a great burger (and didn’t want to do my own on the grill) before my kid’s were born. Went back recently and it isn’t a great burger and now I do my own on the grill. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-fuddruckers-gone-down-in-quality/532277.md?page=2)