I Asked 4 Chefs for the Best Fast Food Burger and 2 Chains Dominated
Sorry, Ronald, you didn’t get a single vote.
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Everything from tacos to ice cream; chili to chicken sandwiches; subs to stir-fry can now be purchased via a drive-thru window. What a time to be alive.
But if we’re being honest, nothing hits quite like a fast food burger. One bite is all it takes to transport us—and the chefs we spoke with for this best burger guide—back to childhood.
On the heels of our guide to chefs’ favorite fast food cheeseburgers, we couldn’t resist reaching out to a new crew of culinary pros to find out if the same brand deserves the trophy. In case you missed it, In-N-Out's Double-Double Animal Style, one of their not-so-secret menu items, was the unanimous victor of that poll. But when it comes to a classic burger in which the beef is really allowed to shine, whose cuisine reigns supreme?
Our Panel of Fast Food Burger-Rating Chefs
Jamie Bissonnette, chef and founding partner, BCB3 Hospitality, which includes Temple Records, Sushi @ Temple Records, Somaek, and ZURiTO in Boston, Massachusetts
Meggan Hill, the Valencia, California-based executive chef and CEO of Culinary Hill
Peter Som, a New York City-based award-winning fashion designer, culinary creator, lifestyle expert, and the author of the upcoming cookbook "Family Style"
Jenner Tomaska, executive chef and co-owner of Esmé and Bar Esmé in Chicago, Illinois
Qualities of the Best Fast Food Burger
Regardless of which chains are available in your neck of the woods, all the chefs agree you should seek out one that offers burgers that have the following features.
1. Fresh Ingredients—Especially Toppings
According to Meggan Hill, the Valencia, California-based executive chef and CEO of Culinary Hill, “Freshness is paramount. I look for fresh ingredients whenever possible. This includes the toppings and fresh, never frozen beef if I can get it. Frozen beef loses moisture, and thus flavor, so fresh beef leads to a juicier, tastier patty.”
From top to bottom—bun, toppings, beef—”fresh ingredients have more flavor,” Hill adds.
Anything dry, bland, wilted, or past-its-prime can take a burger from wonderful to “why did I bother?!”, adds Peter Som, a New York City-based award-winning fashion designer, culinary creator, lifestyle expert, and the author of the upcoming cookbook "Family Style."
2. Proper Bun-to-Patty Ratio
A traditional 2-ounce patty looks comical on a massive, pillowy, 6-inch bun. Ideally, the bun will be 4 to 5 inches in diameter, and should be moderately thick.
“The bun to patty ratio is crucial,” Som says. “The bun must be in proportion to the patty so that you’re not getting a bready bite—but the bun can’t be too flimsy or the bottom bun will disintegrate (we’ve all been there haven't we?).”
3. Thoughtful Construction
If you’ve ever received a haphazardly tossed-together burger with the patties and pickles sliding out of the bun, you know what executive chef and co-owner of Esmé and Bar Esmé in Chicago, Illinois, Jenner Tomaska, is talking about when he says, “I want something easy to eat and consistent.”
Ideally, you shouldn’t have to rebuild your burger when you get it. The burger should be centered in the bun, and toppings and sauces should be evenly distributed.
“A properly constructed burger allows you to get a bit of each ingredient in each bite,” Som explains.
Bonus: Made by a Respected and Valued Team
This has less to do about the sandwich and more to do with the overall experience and the vibes you get when you’re interacting with the restaurant and enjoying the burger.
“Happy workers are very important to me,” Hill says.
The Best Fast Food Burger, According to Chefs
When you’re ordering in or driving-thru, you won’t be disappointed if you opt for any of the four chef-approved burgers below. Two restaurants that specialize in smash burgers tied at the top: Shake Shack and In-N-Out.
Earning rave reviews from both Som and Jamie Bissonnette, chef and founding partner, BCB3 Hospitality, which includes Temple Records, Sushi @ Temple Records, Somaek, and ZURiTO in Boston, Massachusetts, Shake Shack’s ShackBurger “always satisfies,” Bissonnette tells us. This is especially true if you order the Angus beef burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, and the brand’s signature creamy, tangy, pickle brine-spiked sauce, he adds.
“Give me the ShackBurger and fries any day of the week. The quality of the beef, a potato bun that’s soft yet provides enough structure, and the size of them (they’re a touch smaller than normal, which I love),” make these stand out from the competition, Som says. “A slightly smaller burger that leaves me feeling not-too-stuffed is a good thing.” (That leaves enough space to enjoy a side of Shake Shack’s popular crinkle fries.)
Its reasonable size doesn’t mean that the ShackBurger doesn’t deliver on the flavor front. It also came out on top in our internal taste tests, which found that Shake Shack’s sandwich offers “big beef flavor … a soft bun, and all of the toppings.”
Still, for Som, “it’s an eternal ping pong between In-N-Out and Shake Shack,” so his other vote goes to one of Hill’s go-tos: the In-N-Out Animal-Style Burger.
“In California, my top burger choice is In-N-Out, and it isn't even close. I love to get a burger animal-style,” Hill explains.
For the uninitiated, that's one patty, lettuce, tomato, diced grilled onions, pickles, and extra spread (a thousand island-esque burger sauce). Ideally, she’ll get it with a side of fries and a chocolate milkshake.
In-N-Out offers a variety of ways to customize your order, and the move, according to Hill, is to ask for the patty to be "mustard-cooked." Do so, and the cooks will fry the beef patty on the flat-top in a layer of mustard to infuse it with even more flavor.
Hill appreciates that she can vote with her dollars to support a company that “prides itself on a positive employee culture coming from the top down. In-N-Out is known for its highly-competitive wages on the west coast and they always have lots of staff on hand to meet their high demand,” she says.
Hill couldn’t narrow down her best burger vote to just one, either. When she’s in the Midwest, Hill’s top burger choice can be found at Culver’s, another company with transparent values: “Culver's is selective in who they hire and they strive to make it a safe and happy work environment for all,” Hill says. “Both In-N-Out and Culver’s pay a lot of attention to what you order and any substitutions that you make, and they are happy to accommodate. While both chains are always growing, they are careful to keep it at a measured pace so quality never suffers.”
At Culver’s, the best order is the single Culver’s ButterBurger with lettuce, tomato, sliced red onion, pickles, and mayonnaise. To round out the meal, Hill often asks for this as a basket with a side of crinkle fries and Culver’s signature root beer.
“They also have a mushroom and Swiss burger, and I've occasionally added the sautéed mushrooms to my classic ButterBurger,” Hill says. “It's so great!”
In case you missed it, what makes Culver's ButterBurgers unique is the fact that they add a dash of butter—made with dairy from cows near their Wisconsin headquarters—on their hamburger buns. (You’ll see this listed as a “lightly toasted buttered bun” on the menu.) There’s no butter added to the actual beef. But the simplicity of the recipe allows the quality of the beef in the smash burgers and the freshness of the toppings to shine, Hill says: “Both of these premium burger chains deliver top-notch ingredients and always-fresh, never-frozen ground beef. The food is always made fresh, cooked to order, and prepared with love.”
An honorable mention goes to the iconic square-shaped Wendy’s Jr. Hamburger, which gets a big thumbs up from Tomaska: “Wendy’s burger is the best. The shape of the burger patty does it for me,” Tomaska says of this, the only non-smash burger selection.
It’s ever-so-slightly thicker than its crispy-edged, smashed peers, but Wendy’s Jr. burger is still on the fairly petite side, leaving enough room for a side of fries or chili, and a Frosty, of course.
If you peek at the ingredient list for Wendy’s burgers, the section that explains the patty is pleasantly short: “Ground beef. Prepare with salt.” That beef is “fresh, never frozen,” the brand confirms, and comes topped with pickles, onion, ketchup, and mustard on a toasted bun. To take it to the next level, follow Tomaska’s lead: “I always add bacon!” (This is the home of the Baconator, after all.)
How to Make Copycat Recipes Inspired By These Chef-Approved Burgers
Wendy’s is the only restaurant on our chefs’ best burger list that’s available in all 50 states. Since the rest are regional options (Culver’s is in 26 states, In-N-Out can be found in 8 states, and Shake Shack is available in 33 states), we couldn’t resist dishing up some copycat recipes so you could savor a similar experience—no matter how far the nearest drive-thru might be.
If you’re feeling ambitious, start by whipping up a batch of our Homemade Hamburger Buns that fans declare are “easy” and “come out perfect every time.” Then preheat a pan to try these copycat recipes for our chefs’ favorite fast food burgers:
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