# Which national fast-food chain has the best flagship burger? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 20, 2012, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118 "2012-01-20T11:40:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/1 "2012-01-20T11:40:47Z")
Spinning off from [my previous thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=638863)… As before, no special orders, just the sandwich as is. Which comes out on top? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/2 "2012-01-20T13:09:55Z")
Of the choices, I like the Whopper. I don’t have one more than once or twice a year, but they really are pretty good. ---
**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:** [January 20, 2012, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/3 "2012-01-20T13:55:28Z")
None are particularly good burgers. Ten years ago, I would have said the Whopper, but the last few I tried were horrible. Wendy’s is the best of a bad lot. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/4 "2012-01-20T14:15:00Z")
No Whattaburger? Or Fudruckers? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/5 "2012-01-20T14:24:25Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > No Whattaburger? Or Fudruckers? National. Fudruckers may be national on technical level, but there are extremely few in Michigan. Whattaburger? Never heard of them. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/6 "2012-01-20T14:25:33Z")
I do agree Whoppers have declined in quality, but they are still the best. I’m assuming they changed the recipe to be healthier at some point. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/7 "2012-01-20T14:30:18Z")
Of those listed I’ve actually only ever had the Wendy’s and a Big Mac. Been to BK plenty but never actually had a Whopper. I want to like the Big Mac, but I’m always disappointed whenever I get one. It’s just too much bread and other extraneous shit. So, Wendy’s it is. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/8 "2012-01-20T14:34:10Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > National. Fudruckers may be national on technical level, but there are extremely few in Michigan. > > Whattaburger? Never heard of them. Ah turns out that Whataburger is only southern, could’ve sworn they were national. Still, count my vote for the excluded El Fud burger (or whatever the fuck Fudruckers calls theirs). ---
**Author:** ![Terraplane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Terraplane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terraplane)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/9 "2012-01-20T14:42:31Z")
Voted Dairy Queen, but not for the Grillburger. In Texas the DQ flagship burger is called a Hunger Buster. We don’t have Grillburgers and looking at pictures I don’t think they’re quite the same. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/10 "2012-01-20T16:28:53Z")
Fudrucker’s is fast food? Everyone I’ve seen is a sit-down burger joint. There’s really nothing “fast” about it. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/11 "2012-01-20T17:53:28Z")
I don’t think the Big Mac is McDonald’s best burger. I prefer the Quarter Pounder. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/12 "2012-01-20T19:20:34Z")
To me the ‘flagship burger’ at Carl’s Jr. is still the Western Bacon Cheeseburger, which predates the Six-Dollar Burger by many years, and would be my vote if it were in the poll. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/13 "2012-01-20T19:22:03Z")
I don’t eat fast food as much as I used to, and when I do it’s usually Taco Bell or whatever is most convenient. But when I get a craving for a burger, it’s got to be one of Carls Jr $6 Dollar burgers. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/14 "2012-01-21T00:03:28Z")
The $6 Burgers at Carl’s are the only fast-food hamburgers that I am willing to eat, so I vote for those. ---
**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:** [January 21, 2012, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/15 "2012-01-21T00:06:37Z")
Fudrucker’s outshines all the choices offered by far. Are there any Hamburger Hamlets left in LA? They were on my “A” List years ago, along with All American Burger, also deceased. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f08c70/32.png) [@Uncle\_Brother\_Walker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Brother_Walker)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/16 "2012-01-21T03:42:41Z")
I voted for Dairy Queen as well, but I think \*\*Terraplane \*\*has corrected my poor memory. I remember these burgers to be honkin’ big and quite good. I think I was thinking of the Hunger Buster instead. Also, no Five Guys? ---
**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:** [January 21, 2012, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/17 "2012-01-21T03:55:30Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I don’t think the Big Mac is McDonald’s best burger. I prefer the Quarter Pounder. I agree. While I normally get a McDouble if I’m going to McD’s (dollar menu), the Quarter Pounder is the best burger. I actually did vote McDonald’s in this poll, but I didn’t notice that it was a vote for the Big Mac. Still, of a Whopper, Big Mac, and whatever Wendy’s has as their flagship these days, I’d go for the Big Mac, followed by the Wendy’s, and you’ll only find me eating a Whopper if it’s a gift from someone. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/18 "2012-01-21T08:20:40Z")
> [@Suburban\_Plankton](#): > > To me the ‘flagship burger’ at Carl’s Jr. is still the Western Bacon Cheeseburger, which predates the Six-Dollar Burger by many years, and would be my vote if it were in the poll. Even before the Western Bacon Cheese Burger, their flagship burger was the Famous Star (with or without cheese). The Happy Star was the smaller burger. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/19 "2012-01-23T04:59:58Z")
I’ve always considered the Teen Burger to be A&W’s flagship burger, and the Big Bacon Classic to be that of Wendy’s. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118/20 "2012-01-23T14:06:35Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > I’ve always considered the Teen Burger to be A&W’s flagship burger, and the Big Bacon Classic to be that of Wendy’s. Agreed. I still voted A&W though. Luckily there is one a few miles from my house where I can get my TeenBurger fix. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-national-fast-food-chain-has-the-best-flagship-burger/610118.md?page=2)