Same here. For me, a burger really should just be ground beef, nothing on the inside. Technique and quality/cut of beef are mostly what matters. I’ve tried all types and, in the end, for my tastes, a burger made of 80-20 (or even fattier) ground beef (choice short ribs/chuck/brisket or a mix thereof) is the ultimate burger. That may be why I love In N Out so much. They use a nice, fatty ground beef, cook it to crispy edges, and don’t fuss about with non-traditional ingredients (which are fine, but not what I want from a fast food burger). Plus their prices are amazing for their quality (as opposed to Five Guys, which is in a similar league quality-wise, but much more expensive.)
I also suspect that In N Out is actually a real fast food joint, with a drive through. I’ve never been there. I picked Shake Shack, because it is easily the best burger of all the ones I’ve had on that list, but it really isn’t a fair comparison. SS, and numerous other options on that list, aren’t really fast food.
That’s what makes In N Out so impressive, from what I’ve heard. They do high quality quickly and cheaply. The burger version of Chick-fil-A.
The only really great fast food burger I’ve ever had is from a southern chain called Cookout.
It might be fun to treat this poll as a preliminary round. After responses have tapered off, pick just the options that got at least some minimal number of votes (I’d suggest 3) and drop the others. You could have a “None Of These” option for people who really do prefer the onesies and twosies so much that they won’t vote for any of the more popular (vote getting) choices.
But by reducing the number of options it would be fun to see which burger outlets really do have the best customer base. It would also serve as cheap advertisement for places that some of us have never tried. 
Just an idea…
I have to go with the one that has become a favorite for me now:
It could be that also the fries got me, with rosemary and olive oil… Yum.
5 Guys for me. Although their fries are a crime against nature. Fries should be crisp not soggy.
I like Shake Shack but only had it once a while ago. I would have to try again to make a more informed decision.
Smash burger is opening up near work. I’m looking forward to trying it.
For regular fast food drivethru I like Wendy’s over the other big chains.
Love Smashburger! In fact, I was there last night. The mushroom and swiss burger with the truffle mayo…mmmmm. Love the Smashfries, and they have several different kinds of iced tea, and beer, too, if you’re in the mood for that. It’s become kind of a quick date spot for my husband and me.
I like flame burnt bits so that narrows this down significantly.
Partial to mushroom Swiss.
1: Hardees - mushroom Swiss
2: Steak n Shake - portebella swiss
3: Wendys - Bacon portabella melt
all I have in my area
This is something I will never understand. Why do burgers (or any meats) have to be slathered with salt and pepper? It reminds me of the people who toss that stuff on everything without tasting it. If I’m having a good burger, I want to taste the meat, not have my taste buds overwhelmed by pointless spices.
The only thing worse than a burger with too much salt is one with too much pepper.
Then don’t put too much salt and pepper on it. Only put enough. It isn’t rocket surgery!
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Oh, I don’t put ANY on when I make burgers, just garlic powder. But when I go to fast food places, they often kill them with salt and pepper. I used to go to a McDonald’s that would make them without salt and pepper, as long as it wasn’t the middle of the lunch rush. But I’ve since moved - and at the local McD’s now, I’m lucky if they get the order right, let alone make unseasoned burgers.
That’s why umami burger was my fav from the selections above.
If two locations can be a chain, my favorite chain burger is The Habit. Nothing beats charbroiling.
And it’s not a chain, and it’s not the best burger evah, but I get regular cravings for the Apple Pan hickory burger. One recommendation – don’t get their apple pie (disappointingly uncinnamony); get one of their cream pies. Real whipped cream – such a concept!
A small amount of salt is a flavor enhancer. I also don’t want it to the point that it tastes salty, which I’ll admit some fast food places do.
Pepper… well, I like it. Simple as that. But I don’t think I’ve ever been to a fast food place that had a noticeable amount of pepper on their burger.
That’s what I like about Fatburger. They’re not afraid to put pepper on their burgers. When I was younger I liked to make giganto burgers at home with garlic salt and a ton of pepper. Not so much now. (Not for ‘health’ reasons or anything. My tastes have just changed.)
Speaking of pepper – and peppers – I tried a sriracha burger from JITB. It’s a good thing they put jalapeños on it. It tastes like they use sriracha sauce that’s had all of the heat taken out of it.
Mmm… Jalapeño burgers!
Red Robin is my favorite, but I don’t consider them fast. They’re a sit-down restaurant with kids in mind but a bar in the back and sports on the TVs. I think they’re trying to cater to all major crowds except the fast/drive-through diners. But it’s usually pretty noisy and I tend to order to-go or eat a late lunch before they get crowded.
Out here we have The Habit/Hamburger Habit rooted in Santa Barbara and spreading from there. I find their quality to be better than the main chains (including In-N-Out which just seems super-greasy to me) and I saw some drive-through versions up in Santa Barbara county, but down in Ventura county they seem to lack the drive-through windows.
They’ve got a spin-off called Hook Burger that’s claiming to do Habit quality with In-N-Out ingredient freshness. I was not impressed; it will not be hooked.
Rally’s/Checker is a good basic burger. Their fries and shakes are the main attractor for me and I’m actually lucky they don’t seem to have any in West L.A. or Ventura County. If they did, I’m sure I’d weigh a ton!
–G!
Uno’s.
The Habit has over a hundred locations now. I couldn’t figure out why they sounded so familiar but I saw on their website where their first location was: Goleta. Holy cow! I’ve eaten there! (UCSB alumnus.)
Compare these numbers with those in Post #37. I’ve stripped away the less-than-3 and the catchalls:
View Poll Results: Which fast food chain serves your favorite burger?
Five Guys Burgers and Fries 23 16.20%
In-N-Out Burger 17 11.97%
Carl's Jr./Hardee's 13 9.15%
Whataburger 8 5.63%
Burger King 7 4.93%
Wendy's 7 4.93%
Fuddruckers 6 4.23%
Red Robin 6 4.23%
Jack in the Box 5 3.52%
Smashburger 5 3.52%
White Castle 5 3.52%
Steak 'n Shake 4 2.82%
Sonic Drive In 3 2.11%
Culver's 3 2.11%
Fatburger 3 2.11%
Voters: 142
Kind of on-topic: Bet You Can't Eat Just One: the Biggest Burgers in America
A&W Teenburger if they still existed near me, but they don’t, so In-N-Out wins by a mile. Never saw the draw for 5 Guys. Mediocre burger at best, although their fries aren’t bad.
Fuddrucker’s almost made the list, but by the time I drive to the nearest one, I might as well drive the additional mile to The Hat.
In-N-Out Burger is my choice. Five Guys would be second.