Every time I have surgery I wake up with a slightly different palette. Most things are the same, but there are usually one or two foods that I used to love that I’m not really into any more (currently: pasta), and likewise, there usually is something that I’ve previously disregarded that I begin to obsess over.
My current obsession is hamburgers.
I’ve had hamburgers off and on my whole life (usually preferring the cheesy variety), but have never been that “into” them. I’d almost always pick some other food over them, and when I did get them, I wanted them slathered in ketchup and mustard. I’ve never liked burgers dressed with mayo, lettuce, or tomato.
Until now.
To that end, I have tried to visit all the major “fast casual” and fast food places to sample their burgers and rank them from best to worst. This list is incredibly incomplete, but I’ll fill it in more as time goes on. For the sake of comparison and maintaining consistent ratings I try to order the same burger at every restaraunt: a “classic” burger with mayo, lettuce, tomato, and onion. If a burger comes with pickles I won’t remove them, but I don’t go out of my way to ask for them. Also, just to note, this doesn’t cover mom-and-pop restaurants or local burger joints, which are often where you will find your best burgers. But I digress.
My current list is:
- Red Robin (by a wide margin, too)
- Buffalo Wild Wings
- Outback
- Chili’s
- Burger King
- Hardee’s (Carl’s Jr on the West Coast)
- Cheddar’s
??
- McDonald’s
- Wendy’s
Honorable mentions to a few regional chains in my area:
- Blue Moose Burgers
- Pal’s (where I used to work as a teenager!)