Deck Debate: The Best Burger?

[djrey]

I really enjoy watching this guy's stuff. Great recipes. This is a good watch. Won't say who wins so the watch is more enjoyable, but I agree with his conclusion. Great burgers. 

[anacostiakat]

Very regional thing here in the District.  We prefer Five Guys for cheese burgers and fries.  

[BrightonCorgi]

In the States for national hamburger chains, I concur with several with nominating Five Guys as the best.  New England does not get all the chains like the West Coast enjoys.

The is a small regional chain Wild Willy's Burgers that I adore.  Everything they do is just marvelous.  Best root beer, fries, burgers...  Jealous typing this that someone is eating there today that is not me.

[joeypots]

1 minute ago, BrightonCorgi said:

In the States for national hamburger chains, I concur with several with nominating Five Guys as the best.  New England does not get all the chains like the West Coast enjoys.

 

Agreed. I rarely eat at any burger chain but when I‘m driving I’ll go a little out of my way for a Five Guys.

[chvotic]

Southwest US - best burger for me is Shake Shack! 

[SCgarman]

How many of you have heard that in certain parts of the US a Big Mac meal at McDonald's is $18? That is insanity! I know prices have gone up but wow.

[jakebarnes]

6 minutes ago, SCgarman said:

How many of you have heard that in certain parts of the US a Big Mac meal at McDonald's is $18? That is insanity! I know prices have gone up but wow.

That was definitely a rest stop gouging people..I'm guessing McD's Corp is having a word with that franchisee.

[cnov]

UK here.

As far as chains go, Five Guys is probably my favourite, we don't have that much choice outside of London. I love those peanut oil chips too.

I'm making better at home though, pretty easy to achieve decent smash burgers, quality meat, hot BBQ with a plate or stone and you're away. Pretty unusual for someone not to say "that's the best burger I've ever had". Obviously I have a hand in it but I think it's mainly the beef doing the work.

[Bill Hayes]

Bubba's Burgers Kauai, Hawaii are great. Very simple properly flame grilled home made patties over coals with cheese, onion, pickles mustard. The Double Bubba is the bomb. There are two locations in the chain that I know of in Kauai.

In Australia, I like the Pickled and Mustard burger with bacon at Grill'd but I don't like their trademark herbed mayo that they put on a lot of their other burgers. Good chips too.

Internationally, I usually stick to the Double Whopper with bacon from Burger King, especially as an easy go-to at airports when you're too tired or rushed to decide.

Double Qtr Pounder from Maccas for drunk or hungover fill up.

TBH, there are so many better burger options locally that I would usually avoid the chain restaurants. And more likely to go for a Souvlaki or Charcoal Chicken. And with such an Asian influence, a Pork Bhan mi with crackling and coleslaw is a much more likely option.

[El Presidente]

5 hours ago, Bill Hayes said:

And with such an Asian influence, a Pork Bhan mi with crackling and coleslaw is a much more likely option.

Di and I went to the Inala market Sunday simply to pick up a couple of Pork Bhan Mi.  Inala Markets are like walking into Vietmam. 

Superb

[Greenhorn2]

Five Guys, In and Out, Shake Shack, are chains I've never heard of. In my neck of the woods, I have McD's, Hardees, and that's it unless you want to drive 1 1/2 to 2 hours round trip for a burger. A local beer joint about 5 minutes down the road makes the best, fresh pattied burgers. 

[BigGuns]

Born and raised and still living in LA, so let me just say this about In n Out - so incredibly overrated!!  Decent burgers, sure.  Worth a 1/4 mile or half hour car line or who-knows-how-long a wait inside?  Certainly not. And their fries are trash unless they’re eaten within 3 minutes of service. 

For all the big names, Five Guys for burgers, McDonalds (kill me) for fries, and I suppose In n Out for shakes (their only saving grace). 

That said, for a one-stop-shop, Tommy’s kills all these any day of the week. Double chili cheese, chili cheese fries, pick your flavor of shake. Knocks all the others out of the park. Load me up with some chile peppers, while you’re at it. Just not sure if it’s a big enough chain to qualify for this discussion. Definitely a SoCal staple, with one or two in Vegas

[loose_axle]

On 11/13/2023 at 2:01 PM, Fuzz said:

But I can never go past the quintessential Aussie burger with the lot from a corner milk bar: burger patty, lettuce, tomato, beetroot, onions (I prefer grilled onions instead of raw), pineapple, cheese, bacon, a fried egg and bbq sauce (the place I frequented in high school always used bbq sauce, not tomato sauce) on a sesame seed bun (a damper roll is also good). Mind you, you do have to unhinge your jaw if you want to take a bite.

Yup, that and that alone! 

[BrightonCorgi]

12 hours ago, Bill Hayes said:

TBH, there are so many better burger options locally that I would usually avoid the chain restaurants. And more likely to go for a Souvlaki or Charcoal Chicken. And with such an Asian influence, a Pork Bhan mi with crackling and coleslaw is a much more likely option.

Locally for me the option is Brazilian Churrascaria's.  They are all over town.  Pick what you want to eat and it's weighed at the register.  The Greek/Turk/Middle Eastern places are not as common around here. 

[99call]

I don't really consider them burgers, as burgers should really be a guilty pleasure. 

But Kua-aina burger in Japan was my favourite, not sure if they were using Japanese beef? but they were f-ing awesome. The buns, the fries, the freshness, the quality, just epic.       

 

[mbflash80]

14 hours ago, BigGuns said:

Born and raised and still living in LA, so let me just say this about In n Out - so incredibly overrated!!  Decent burgers, sure.  Worth a 1/4 mile or half hour car line or who-knows-how-long a wait inside?  Certainly not. And their fries are trash unless they’re eaten within 3 minutes of service. 

For all the big names, Five Guys for burgers, McDonalds (kill me) for fries, and I suppose In n Out for shakes (their only saving grace). 

That said, for a one-stop-shop, Tommy’s kills all these any day of the week. Double chili cheese, chili cheese fries, pick your flavor of shake. Knocks all the others out of the park. Load me up with some chile peppers, while you’re at it. Just not sure if it’s a big enough chain to qualify for this discussion. Definitely a SoCal staple, with one or two in Vegas

While I completely disagree with your In-N-Out take, as someone who grew up in SoCal I am completely on board with your Tommy's take.  I live in Northern CA now but every time we go down to visit family we always hit the Tommy's in Valencia on the way back up...chili burger, chili fries...so awesome...but the real trick is trying to get a car load of five all the way back home without a major bathroom blowout...cause that chili will DESTROY you... 

[Namisgr11]

Another vote for Shake Shack, both for the cheeseburgers and the decadent milkshakes.  But for fries I may have to go with those from a non-burger joint, the waffle fries from Chick-Fil-A.

[Grimlock]

It's definitely a 5 guys bacon cheeseburger with cajun fries for me.

[ha_banos]

2 minutes ago, Grimlock said:

It's definitely a 5 guys bacon cheeseburger with cajun fries for me.

What toppings on the burger?

[Grimlock]

1 minute ago, ha_banos said:

What toppings on the burger?

Grilled onions, jalapenos and mushrooms with lettuce and tomato. I get the same thing every time.

[Lamboinee]

I have strong feelings on the topic of burgers. 

For fast food chains, I'd put my money on a Culver's burger or a Wendy's doublestack with cheese.  

I generally prefer a smashburger style cheeseburger with two seared patties and classic American "all the way" topics (lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard, ketchup, mayo). If you sesame seed my bun, I'll ses sa ma see you later. 

In a pinch? I'll take a McD's QPC freshly cooked, add Mac sauce, and pretend there aren't any sesame seeds on the bun. 

[Cigarsmoker81]

Burger - five guys 

Fries - in and out 

[Chibearsv]

I used to love the Burger King Bacon Double Cheeseburger but I haven't had one in ages primarily because their fries are terrible.

Wendy's fries are the best for the big chains.  

[SCgarman]

15 minutes ago, Chibearsv said:

I used to love the Burger King Bacon Double Cheeseburger but I haven't had one in ages primarily because their fries are terrible.

Wendy's fries are the best for the big chains.  

Before I quit eating fast food, I would always get onion rings at BK. Agreed their fries were terrible. 

[Havanaaddict]

I do live in SoCal and out here in and out in five guys do rule, but you do have to consider habit. They have a very good fried burger. But for me, it’s hard to be some other mom and Pop places that serve large size charbroiled burgers. Maybe because that is what I grew up eating but it’s hard to beat that charbroiled flavor of the burger. Same for the fries. They always use big thick. Cut steak fries.