Best Burger Joint

[Lutherf]

Fat Burger in LA, the only thing I miss about living there.

Last time I was in the Phoenix area I stopped by a Fat Burger just to get a little taste of nostalgia from my Vegas days and, well, it wasn't all I remembered it to be. It wasn't a bad burger at all but I just remembered it as being more "special".

 

[Lutherf]

The Carl's Jr. SuperStar may well be the best tasting fast food burger on the market.

Five Guys makes a good burger but they're a little proud of it and I hate their fries.
Culver's puts out a good product but, to my taste, their burgers aren't the best they have to offer.
In-n-Out is fine but not good enough to really stand out from the crowd.
The Fuddrucker's here in town closed a few years ago. They made a really good burger and their condiment bar allowed you to do it up the way you wanted. It wasn't exactly "fast food" but it was a good burger.

As far as most of these chain places go, the ones that aren't McDonald's, Burger King or Wendy's all put out a decent product but when you get right down to it you can almost always find a MUCH better burger at some private enterprise elsewhere in town for just a few bucks more.

 

[iliveonramen]

I’ll have to try Red Robin. Bottomless fries sounds dangerous

 

[Casper]

Last time I was in the Phoenix area I stopped by a Fat Burger just to get a little taste of nostalgia from my Vegas days and, well, it wasn't all I remembered it to be. It wasn't a bad burger at all but I just remembered it as being more "special".

In LA I believe the prerequisite to work there was lots of Tats and Body Piercing's, I wonder if that had anything to do with it.

But yes, sometimes going back does not work, when I was young I loved White Castle mini burgers, but had not had any for decades, then when living in KC I went to one and was extremely disappointed, sometimes you cannot go back.

 

[iliveonramen]

Also, second the DQ people. Their hot meals are pretty good in general.

 

[Gaius46]

Wendy’s is probably the best of the bunch for fast food burgers though I admit that White Castle is an “I drank waaay toooo much” guilty pleasure.

Locally the best burgers I’ve ever had are at Jackson Hole in Astoria. And Bayside NY. The burger were huge - 1/2 pound after cooking - and could behad with any of a couple dozen different toppings and cheese - my fav was onions and mushrooms with monteray Jack cheese.

Just checked seems they were a victims of Covid. As was my local White Castle.

 

[Crosscheck]

My guilty pleasure is McD's quarter pounder with cheese and extra onion...

Everyone makes fun of McDonalds it seems.
But recently I had a little bug (not COVID) one early morining.
When my stomach settled down my wife asked what I would like to try and eat. My answer was a Big Mac.

Somehow a Big Mac was a safe food to me. And yes, it was the food of the gods to me that morning.,

 

[ttwtt78640]

I agree on BK. The Whopper Jr is hard to beat. I only go to Mcd’s when I have forgotten what happened the last time I went there.

Wendy’s isn’t bad.

Don’t get me started on Chik-Fil-A, good thing we live rurally!

My choice at BK is the Texas Double Whopper, but I suspect that it is not available everywhere.

 

[Captain America]

I would slap my grandma right now for a Whataburger.

Haven't had one since I was last in Texas.

But Culver's is just down the road. MMmmmmm......

I eat more McD's than I would like to admit. Usually out of necessity because it's all that's around in some areas. Love me some Wendy's too.

 

[Lutherf]

I would slap my grandma right now for a Whataburger.

Haven't had one since I was last in Texas.

But Culver's is just down the road. MMmmmmm......

I eat more McD's than I would like to admit. Usually out of necessity because it's all that's around in some areas. Love me some Wendy's too.

Whataburger is kind of like the Taco Bell of the burger world. It's great when you're shitfaced or hung over but otherwise...well, it's kind of like that date you took home after the 2 for 1 Lone Star with a shot of Jager special closed out.

 

[Rexedgar]

Whataburger is kind of like the Taco Bell of the burger world. It's great when you're shitfaced or hung over but otherwise...well, it's kind of like that date you took home after the 2 for 1 Lone Star with a shot of Jager special closed out.

Taco Bell has never been on my fast food radar. That being said, a few years back, I tried one of their lunch boxes, it wasn’t that bad. I don’t know if TB qualifies as food.


There was a greasy pizza parlor on a corner in Fayetteville, when I was stationed at Ft Bragg, that had the best pizza @0200 when the beer joints closed up.

 

[Crosscheck]

Taco Bell has never been on my fast food radar. That being said, a few years back, I tried one of their lunch boxes, it wasn’t that bad. I don’t know if TB qualifies as food.


There was a greasy pizza parlor on a corner in Fayetteville, when I was stationed at Ft Bragg, that had the best pizza @0200 when the beer joints closed up.

When you are in the military you will eat crap and think it is the best crap you ever had.

I remember in tech school there were guys come walking through the barracks pulling insulated carts yelling "Hot pizza, Cold pop".

Good god, I didn't think life could get any better.

 

[Captain America]

Whataburger is kind of like the Taco Bell of the burger world. It's great when you're shitfaced or hung over but otherwise...well, it's kind of like that date you took home after the 2 for 1 Lone Star with a shot of Jager special closed out.

It's more of a traditional thing with me with a twist of nostalgia thrown in.

I remember when Whataburger first came around us back when I was a teenager. They were better than most around. The last I had was about 5 or so years ago. I can tell you that they did not even closely resemble the taste I remembered as a kid. I can say the same about Sonic. Burger King.

Burger King was da cat's ass when they first came out. Almost as big as a hubcap. LOL! Whopper indeed. They were cooked on a conveyor belt over an open flame. The store was always smoky. No one had even heard of a microwave oven and open grill flavorings yet. Not the same.

Around here, Culver's is as close to the real deal as it gets when it comes to franchise burger restaurants. Unlike, McD's, BK, or a host of other burger joints, you know in a Culver burger you are getting actually ground quality hamburger meat and not whatever flesh fell in the hopper or what soy product they added.

But I know at least 3-5 restaurant taverns, in my general proximity, that blows just about any franchise burger joint away.

 

[Lutherf]

It's more of a traditional thing with me with a twist of nostalgia thrown in.

I remember when Whataburger first came around us back when I was a teenager. They were better than most around. The last I had was about 5 or so years ago. I can tell you that they did not even closely resemble the taste I remembered as a kid. I can say the same about Sonic. Burger King.

Burger King was da cat's ass when they first came out. Almost as big as a hubcap. LOL! Whopper indeed. They were cooked on a conveyor belt over an open flame. The store was always smoky. No one had even heard of a microwave oven and open grill flavorings yet. Not the same.

Around here, Culver's is as close to the real deal as it gets when it comes to franchise burger restaurants. Unlike, McD's, BK, or a host of other burger joints, you know in a Culver burger you are getting actually ground quality hamburger meat and not whatever flesh fell in the hopper or what soy product they added.

But I know at least 3-5 restaurant taverns, in my general proximity, that blows just about any franchise burger joint away.

To be fair, I was introduced to a few of these chains when I was stationed in Texas in the early to mid 80s. Whataburger was pretty good back then. Chick Fil a is better now than they were then. I've got no comparison for Godfather's since I haven't run into one anywhere outside of Texas.

The Burger King flame broil has always been a better taste than McDonald's but Carl's Jr blows them away.

Culver's puts out a decent burger but their corned beef reuben is actually better than what I can get most other places in Tucson and their fish dinners are real meals.

 

[Rexedgar]

When you are in the military you will eat crap and think it is the best crap you ever had.

I remember in tech school there were guys come walking through the barracks pulling insulated carts yelling "Hot pizza, Cold pop".

Good god, I didn't think life could get any better.

When I reported back from a leave, the first breakfast was the best!

Half a dozen eggs, SOS, all the bacon and ham that I could put away and unlimited glasses of milk!

Milk was dispensed from a cooler that had a large chrome handle.

 

[Lutherf]

When I reported back from a leave, the first breakfast was the best!

Half a dozen eggs, SOS, all the bacon and ham that I could put away and unlimited glasses of milk!

Milk was dispensed from a cooler that had a large chrome handle.

Breakfast often was the best meal at the chow hall. We'd generally get made to order omelettes if we wanted. Graveyard shifts were usually pretty good too as they'd usually fix me up a grilled cheese sandwich with bacon, tomato, ham or whatever else I wanted.

 

[CimpleMan]

In and Out. Double Double both grilled and raw onions NO FN TOMATOES.

 

[TheDoctorWasIn]

There's a place in Oakland called True Burger which is pretty fantastic.

5 Guys is the best around where I live now.

 

[Mr Person]

Burger joint? I don't know about that.

There's a fancy place that has an attached bar and ran limited amounts of off-menu burgers each day. Cragie on Main. Some kind of combination of sirloin, bone marrow, and other things. Truly an outstanding burger.

For more normal ones, there was a place in Cambridge near Porter Square called "Christophers". I think they're still around. But it's not just burger joint. Pub, other pub food, etc.




But really, I prefer what I make at home.

 

[Jay59]

I like Freddy's, they aren't on the list. It's a very flat old fashioned diner-type burger with thin, crispy edges. We've lived all over the country, I've had everything on the list except Cheeseburger in Paradise. I checked the website for locations, it looks like they all closed this year.

Freddy's is one of my home town favorites. The other one stayed local. White Castle is also hometown, but not a favorite. The thing that sets Freddy's apart is the frozen Custard. If not for that it would just be another chain.

In-N-Out for consistent quality and I love their fries.

You have to love the keep it simple and exercise quality control business model.

The Carl's Jr. SuperStar may well be the best tasting fast food burger on the market.
Five Guys makes a good burger but they're a little proud of it and I hate their fries.
Culver's puts out a good product but, to my taste, their burgers aren't the best they have to offer.
In-n-Out is fine but not good enough to really stand out from the crowd.
The Fuddrucker's here in town closed a few years ago. They made a really good burger and their condiment bar allowed you to do it up the way you wanted. It wasn't exactly "fast food" but it was a good burger.
As far as most of these chain places go, the ones that aren't McDonald's, Burger King or Wendy's all put out a decent product but when you get right down to it you can almost always find a MUCH better burger at some private enterprise elsewhere in town for just a few bucks more.

Don't like Carl's Jr at all
As you say, Five Guys is a decent burger that costs a couple bucks more than it deserves.
Culvers I don't know
Fuddruckers is what Five guys ought to be for their prices.

Whataburger is kind of like the Taco Bell of the burger world. It's great when you're shitfaced or hung over but otherwise...well, it's kind of like that date you took home after the 2 for 1 Lone Star with a shot of Jager special closed out.

I would say Wendy's fits that description. Whataburger is at least a cut better than Taco Bell, maybe more. you have to like that they don't start cooking until you order. I wish their seating area was more comfortable, less McDs and more Red Robin.

 

[PirateMk1]

For a canned product, Libby’s sausage gravy is fairly decent.

https://www.amazon.com/Libbys-Country-Sausage-Gravy-Ounce/dp/B07L4K78X4

Ah no, absolutely not. If you dont make it from scratch, you may as well not even bother. Most peoples difficulty with the recipe boil down to not really crisping their bacon, ham and or sausage enough to maximize the mallard reaction so they have enough little crispy bits and pan fond and not enough seasoning. Those are the two keys to the recipe. Its all about patience and basic technique.

 

[PirateMk1]

Freddy's Patty Melt is a damned good burger for a fast food joint and those skinny little fries with the spicy sauce....Oh yeah!

Little greasy for my tastes, but excellent shoe string potatoes. Their burgers really do depend on the chef cooking them properly.

Same with McDonalds, believe it or not. McDonalds restaurants are supposed to season their burgers with a special blend seasoning. Most dont. I have been to one that does and they have a line out the door. They make serious bank at the place and their burgers when cooked how they are supposed to be, surprisingly are really good. Surprised the hell out of me. My brother was bragging about them forever, till I tried them. He was right. They are the one in Deer Lodge Montana off I-90.

 

[Lutherf]

Little greasy for my tastes, but excellent shoe string potatoes. Their burgers really do depend on the chef cooking them properly.

Same with McDonalds, believe it or not. McDonalds restaurants are supposed to season their burgers with a special blend seasoning. Most dont. I have been to one that does and they have a line out the door. They make serious bank at the place and their burgers when cooked how they are supposed to be, surprisingly are really good. Surprised the hell out of me. My brother was bragging about them forever, till I tried them. He was right. They are the one in Deer Lodge Montana off I-90.

I come from the old school McDonald's tradition. I went there because I could get a reasonably cooked burger and some pretty good fries handed to me about 6 seconds after I paid. I knew that the burger had been uner a heat lamp. I knew it wasn't going to be juicy and cheesy like in the picture. I got it because it was decent and fast. These days, even after all the "improvements" it's still nothing more than a decent burger but it isn't fast at all....and it isn't cheap. McDonald's probably has the worst tasting burger of any of the chains and I generally avoid it outside of the "necessity stop" at the Toltec Rd exit on the way up to Phoenix.

 

[PirateMk1]

I come from the old school McDonald's tradition. I went there because I could get a reasonably cooked burger and some pretty good fries handed to me about 6 seconds after I paid. I knew that the burger had been uner a heat lamp. I knew it wasn't going to be juicy and cheesy like in the picture. I got it because it was decent and fast. These days, even after all the "improvements" it's still nothing more than a decent burger but it isn't fast at all....and it isn't cheap. McDonald's probably has the worst tasting burger of any of the chains and I generally avoid it outside of the "necessity stop" at the Toltec Rd exit on the way up to Phoenix.

I thought the same as you. Believe me, the Deer Lodge McDonalds is an exception to the rule. I was pleasantly surprised. I haven't found another like it.