If burger king is your best burger, that's really sad. They make some of the worst here.
European BK is not USA BK
I’ve had European BK it’s still not good, passable maybe, but not good.
It’s no wonder that American’s are fat.
I haven't been to the states but I can compare Burger King UK to Burger King (Hungry Jacks) Australia and also Hungry Jacks to any other burger place that isn't Mc Donald's (because that's just a tie). BK UK was significantly worse than the Aussie version but I nevertheless indulged quite a few times whilst there, ironically probably even more than here in Australia. Despite managing to be worse, it still occupies that very wide band between just under the threshold of good all the way down to just above actually inedible and usually if going for BK it's definitely because "it'll have to do" and it always does.
Hungry Jacks (BK) compared to an actual good burger joint here in Australia stands no chance but it does fulfill its promise of a consistent standard, even if it's a low one and that's a good thing since you can find some awful shit here like a local cafe's burger or those Vietnamese lunch bars that have to offer a 'burger' on their otherwise nice menu. But of course the flipside is you can get good to great burgers easily as well as long as you go somewhere that's actually a burger place not somewhere that just has a burger option.
I tried them a few months ago to see what it was like since I hadn’t had it in many years, and I enjoy occasional fast food. All the food was almost flavorless. For something that rich and greasy to be tasteless is rather off-putting. It was a thoroughly unpleasant experience.
Here in Italy they do great burgers 🤷🏽 with pecorino and Italian beef
BK is not bad in Italy, but I would argue Five Guys is better. Although they don't do "Italian" burgers like the one you described, still I feel their burgers are much more tasty than BKs.
That sounds divine
US (as I think most answers in this thread are, people should really specify) I'm just gonna try to list every fast food burger joint I've been to into general categories
Top tier (in order)- shake shack, smashburger, five guys
Mid tier- checkers, cookout, Sonic, A&W, Freddy's, Hardee's/Carl Jr, White Castle (that ones gonna be contentious, I really like white Castle, but others intensely dislike them, so I'm hedging my bets putting them in the mid tier)
Bottom tier- Wendy's, Burger king, dairy queen
McDonald's is absolute bottom of the barrel, that said, they're probably the most consistent, and they check off pretty much all of the things your body craves-salt, sugar, fat, protein, etc. so I'm not at all above grabbing a McDonald's burger when it's convenient and I'm hungry.
Not rated because I haven't been to them: In-N-Out, Whataburger, Fuddruckers, Jack in the Box, and probably a few others
And of course pretty much any hole-in-the-wall burger joint or sit-down restaurant will make a better burger, but that's outside the scope of this.
Five Guys is ok but is also 25-30% more expensive than most of the other places listed here, at least where I live.
Yeah, I'm commenting mainly on quality, not value, they're probably about the worst bang for your buck in a burger
Also US, and largely agree, but I would move Hardee's/ Carl's Jr. Down to bottom tier. That's also where I'd put Jack in the Box. I'd put both In-n-Out and Whataburger as mid tier - I think both are VASTLY overrated.
Though In-n-Out is owned by a Christian Nationalist that's hell-bent on turning America into (more of) a fascist oligarchy and openly using their wealth to destroy democracy, so they're on my boycott list, along with Chick-fil-A.
Solid list and order.
To add: Fuddruckers is mid tier to top tier.
Whataburger is mid tier.
In-N-Out is bottom tier (it’s a doctored McDonalds).
Fuddruckers let's you customize so much of the burger, that if it's not top tier, it's kind of your fault haha
The entirety of the American South West will fight you on that In-N-Out opinion.
Oh I know it. I’m unbiased being from the east coast and now living in the west. I still stand by my assessment. It’s not great and way overhyped. Oh and absolutely not worth waiting in a long line for.
See that folks! He's one of them city boys! Get em!
More seriously, I agree the lines are ridiculous and mostly why I don't go there. But it is a good burger.
I'd say that both White Castle and McDonalds are a separate food entity. In form, they're both burgers. That much is true, but the overall thing that you eat is consistently something else.
This is may be more obvious for WC because in spite of being the oldest fast food hamburger, they also depart more radically from the norms of cooking and presentation. Whatever McD's is doing is a little more arcane. It presents itself as a burger, but doesn't really taste like a burger.
And if you're adding regional chains, Culver's deserves a mention.
Culver's ftw. I know it's not everywhere though.
I know this is a bit of a hot take, but Culver’s are just average burgers. Where they excel is the freshness of the toppings and sides.
Warm take, but that's what makes a burger good
We went to Branson once and ate at Culver's. It was excellent.
Wendys has never disappointed
The did when they got rid of the cheddar melt burger they had.
Ok fair enough but whats your overall impression of their burgers in general? Hella delicious, yeah?
Edit: is that all was special? Cheddar in terms of what you're missing from their general offerings?
It was like a strong cheddar, but melted cheese sauce, not melted shredded cheese. Circa... 2004 or so.
Not to be confused with the Big Bacon Cheddar or the Mushroom Cheddar Melt.
Yes but would you say Wendys does burgers real nice like?
Edit: also, whats with the "shredded" cheese, just get the normal American processed cheese like a normal human lol
Us Canadians are starved for it
I'm not going to say that, Dave.
See my update haha
They disappointed me unforgiving when they dropped the size of their $4.00 Large Frosty down to 12 oz. I was like no, I ordered a large and she said, "Yeah, this is a large." It was the same size as the little white cup they give you when you ask for water.
They've just all gotten so ridiculously expensive for what they are, the only ones I get any more are the Wendy's Double Stack or the BK Bacon Double.
If I need anything beyond this, it's a sit down joint like Red Robin, a solid diner, or DIY.
I also get major cravings for a Beyond burger from time to time as well since they have a unique flavor profile I really love.
Ahh yes the country of Europe...
England is my city
Boy have I got news for you
I’m partial to Whataburger, but In-N-Out has a similarly loyal fanbase.
In N Out easily for me. They consistently toast the buns just crispy enough on the edges without being too cooked. Quality of ingredients is high. Their spread is fucking delicious, they just are unrivaled to me.
Haven't got a chance to try whataburger though since they're not around here
For me, it’s 1a & 1b between Whataburger & In-N-Out. I think if I’d grown up on the west coast instead of where I did, I’d probably prefer In-N-Out. Only other fast food burger that comes close (for me) is Sonic.
Can't do In-N-Out on principle. They have zero bacon on their menu!
They dont need bacon, it would just dilute the perfection.
None in the UK do a good burger. They're fine.
For an excellent burger at a good price you go to a Turkish kebab house.
For a good burger at a high price you go to a middle of the range, or above, pub.
In Canada we have Harvey's. It seems to be a love it or hate it kind of place, and I totally get that. After all, taste is subjective, and this is a fast food franchise we're talking about.
But I find it telling that the people who hate it prefer to instead go to McDonald's or Wendy's. Like, can you tell me what a McDouble actually tastes like? Me neither.
The format is kind of like a Subway too. You place your order, then when your food is ready you go up to the counter and get to pick out all your toppings. The menu itself doesn't have a whole lot of variety, but you really get to make your burger how you want it. It's also the only chain I know where you can get a real pickle.
I've lived in Canada, the US, Mexico and briefly wandered around Europe.
Canadian burgers are just weird, I don't know what y'all are doing up there, they're all just weird like someone had only ever seen a picture of a cheeseburger and tried to recreate it without ever tasting one. It's still a burger, and it's fine, but it's always just kind of odd. Strongly urge you to have a burger in any other country if you ever have a chance, the taste is vastly different. The US is obviously a top choice, but don't sleep on getting a burger in Germany or France if you ever go.
What's weird about them? If we're talking Harvey's it does have that sort of frozen-made-with-filler quality, and tastes kind of like a grocery store burger.
But to be honest, Canada's a pretty big place and the food varies by geography. We've got all the super processed chain food, but you can also get grass-fed local grown burgers if you visit PEI that will send you to heaven.
Plus there's a million little pubs that have burgers ranging from terrible to exquisite, and from bizarre to unique, and every level of mediocrity between.
That's kinda brutal, but I'm going to back you up on the thing with hamburgers in Canada. Maybe it's just limited to Ontario, but when we moved there we were consistently shocked by the weirdness of the burgers. For the first year or so we shopped around trying to find a good burger and eventually just gave up. Our local pub served some that were OK.
And before anyone chimes in with the thing about all Ontario burgers being prepared well-done by law, it's not that. I'm pretty sure our time there pre-dated that law. I think they may have been "spicing" them with onion powder, but who knows.
The burgers at Burgermeister in Berlin were quite decent. Those were the only ones we tried, though.
I stopped eating fast food during COVID and never got back into it after that. One time in like 2021 I was on the road, starving, and decided to stop at McDonalds. OMG it was gross. Nothing really different about it since the last time I had a fast food burger, but after not being used to them, the whole experience was disgusting.
That said, I do agree Burger King are the least gross if I had to eat fast food. Otherwise, I'm either going to wait until I get home and cook something or find a local burger joint.
Wendys is wayy better
Out of the ones in my immediate area (McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Culver's, Five Guys, Arby's, Sonic, Portillos) Portillos is the best. They actually have one of the best burgers in the area, fast food or not which is pretty sad honestly.
I've had Whataburger which was fine.
Tangentially I've had a runza from Runza and it was fucking terrible.
At least in my South American city (but it's likely the same in the rest of the continent, regardless of country), this sort of junk food isn't as strongly associated with fast food chains. It's typically stuff that you buy from local establishments, that go from "nice and fancy" to "that corner bar stinking booze and rancid fat". Or that you, you know, make at home.
Culver's
Shake shack is pretty good
This is my current fav. They just make an extremely, tasty, solid burger every time. Good fries too even though crinkle cut isn’t my fav.
If you count sheetz as fast food they're my favorite overall but I haven't compared burgers specifically from that many places
Sheetz food has really gone downhill over the years. Still can't be beat at 2am when you're all fucked up, but it's been a while since I was (sober and) happy with a sandwich there.
Not my favorite burger, but I do like to get it with the Dr Pepper BBQ sauce that they have. That's something that only they have, to my knowledge.
I like Sheetz but the burgers are probably my least favorite part of their menu. I usually opt for a chicken sandwich or a sub because they do those better.
UK - for me, Five Guys
How many restaurants do they need to qualify as a chain?
There is this local burger place that makes fast food burgers but of slightly better quality than the usual suspects.
Otherwise they tend to be the same to me.
In Louisiana we have Atomic Burger. It's pretty good.
Not a chain, but Judice Inn in Lafayette is 🔥
We have a chain with a handful of restaurants called Burgermeister here in Berlin. Those are pretty good, and relatively cheap, but another small chain called bobsek burgers made the best burgers I've had in Germany. It's pretty hard to find burgers like in america though.
In n out, whataburger, and 5 guys are probably the top 3. And who takes first really depends on mood for me
Fucking BURGER KING? Fucking gross.
In N Out all the way
Five guys. Totally not for the massive amount of fries they give you...
But they asked about burgers not fries. I do like the bag of fires they throw at you every time though
What can I say? I am susceptible to potato bribes.
Being served bible quotes kills my appetite, so I've never had In N Out.
I’ve never once seen a bible quote from all the times I eat there but I can understand your perspective.
Okay it’s a tiny bit of text on the bottom of things in the most inconspicuous spots such that as a regular eating there I never noticed it. Doesn’t bother me.
I never yuck anyone else's yum. But I personally just want a burger with a side of fries, hold the religiosity.
Hardee's has pretty good burgers
Any non US answers in this thread?
In my country there are no chains that make good burgers.
No chain will make the best burger.
Look for small local burger shops.
I didn't asked for that. I asked for best fast food burgers
fair enough.
I would have to go with burger kind as well.
Five Guys, maybe. But their quality was all over the place the couple times I went
Ramly burger!
And I'm not even Malaysian.
I don't live in Singapore anymore but Ramly Burgers sold in night markets are the best burger I've ever had.
In Spain: Goiko.
It's decently good even in absolute terms, not just for a chain
Street vendors beat chains every time
Five Guys
In and out burger, we have one about 3 miles from our house.
In 'n Out and local favorite Dick's Drive-in.
2nd for Dick's, a deluxe and a chocolate shake.
Korea has the usual international suspects, but as far as local chains go, there is one: Lotteria. Their burgers are OK. Somewhere between Rotten Ronnie's and BK's. There are quite a few smaller, non-chain places that make decent burgers, though.
IMO it's KFC but that would be a controversial choice (UK)
Five Guys have a few restaurants in the UK, but I'd sooner buy my own patties and stuff as I don't like the buns.
I noticed that they had a presence in London. We didn't stop to compare them to the US version, though. I had weirder things to try.
Did you try the jellied eels?
I missed out on those! We were there for less than a week and never saw them on a menu.
They were on my list, though.
Grill London
P Terry's is a small chain in Austin area. Great food for cheap. They are very close to in an out style wise, but with a better cooked patty.
Yes! It's the burger where the patty (angus beef) itself actually tastes good.
I still can't believe how cheap they are too.
Only one place has given me a burger that wasn't bland and it was a local place next to the local ceop duster airport
In and out because they never try to fucking reinvent the burgers for people and charge 500% more because of it.
In and out same burger always will be and always will be relatively inexpensive.
Whataburger all the way
In Mexico it's Carl's Jr. McDonald's and BK just suck in comparison, also Popeyes makes good chicken burgers, KFC can't.
The best burgers don't come from chains.
Again, I didn't asked for that. Like... Yeah, that obscure small place in your city does good burgers... What's the point if that's at the other side of the world?
So find out what places near you make the best burgers.
Even most burger chains aren't national.
I recommend reading the question. It specifically says "fast food chain".
I read the question. OP seems to be asking where to get the best burger. Presumably, they are asking about chains because they want something available nationwide. But, as stated:
-
Most chains aren't nationwide.
-
Most chains aren't the best place to get burgers.
Now, I'm all for narrow-minded pedantry, and there's a time for answering a poorly-phrased question literally; but I was actually trying to be helpful, here, by reading critically and giving OP a useful answer to the question: "When visiting the US, where should I go for the best cheeseburger?"
You didn't even answer your own question, which also isn't what OP asked or meant.
No idea how you're being useful there.
Or of they do, they are hyper local.
IMO Jim Block. Its a Sister Company of a quite nice Steak House Chain. Mostly found in Northern Germany.
The Habit
The best burger I have had here in Stockholm, Sweden, was probably at Barrels Burgers & Beer.
They are a small chain of four restaurants, and have excellent burgers.
Germany - Either Hans im Glück or Five Guys. Both are rather expensive, though.
Does Bürgermeister count as a chain? There are a bunch in Berlin. They are awesome and relatively cheap.
Edit: I see someone's mentioned it below
Japan -- Probably Burger King for anything with more than like 10 locations (I'm specifically hedging here because I think we have like 3 Shake Shacks or something). MOS is OK as is Freshness, but they're not worth the money IMO. Edit: forgot Lotteria is here as well. I'd probably take Lotteria > MOS > Freshness.
For what we have with more than a few locations from memory
- MOS - Japanese chain
- Freshness - Japanese chain
- Lotteria - Korean chain
- First Kitchen/Wendy's -- we used to have full Wendy's but they combined with First Kitchen. They're OK.
- KFC if you count chicken burgers
- McDonald's
- Burger King
There are other more regional chains that I'm not remembering here. Shake Shack has a handful of locations. In-And-Out has apparently done a couple of pop-ups. If any other foreign chains made it over lately, I'm not aware.
Ummm..none of em. It's all high sugar Garbo.
The best burger from a chain and the best burger in a country are two , very different things.