Ask any burger fan which fast food chains make the best burgers, and you’re in for some serious discussion. Fans are loyal to their favorite burgers, and cannot understand how anyone would think differently. But which burgers do customers agree are the best in the United States? I analyzed two Reddit discussions from r/burgers and r/cheeseburgers, focusing on several key factors to decide how much diners love certain burgers. This includes the number of times each burger was mentioned, and how enthusiastically—we want to hear love, not like or tolerate. Flavor, quality, price, value, and consistent praise was taken into consideration when forming the following list. Here are the seven best fast food burgers ranked by just how passionately diners love them.
Whataburger
Whataburger has a loyal fan base who rave about the fresh ingredients and flavor combinations. Even people who work at rival chains love the Whataburger burgers. “I work at Five Guys so I get to make my burger exactly how I like it everytime for my break, and I must say it’s quite a treat to have a free Five Guys burger 5 days out of the week,” one Redditor said. “I’m torn between a Five Guys burger and Whataburger tho. Whataburger slaps hard too. Everything else just seems bland to me.”
Freddy’s Steakburger
Freddy’s is proud of the ingredients in its iconic Steakburgers—the burger patties are more likely to be made out of sirloin or ribeye “instead of or in addition to cuts like chuck or round”, with special attention given to marbling, something fans clearly appreciate. “Freddy’s Steakburger. No contest. Beats Culver’s, In n Out, any of ’em,” one fan said. “Had Freddy’s for the first time in Arkansas a while back and was shocked at how good it was,” another raved.
Shake Shack ShackBurger
Shake Shack’s Shackburger is a fan-favorite, made with a fresh, antibiotic-free quarter-pounder beef patty, lettuce, tomato, and sauce on a potato bun. “That’s my pick too. Not sure if it’s actually fast food but their burgers are legit,” one fan said.”There’s something about those burgers that can’t be beat,” another confirmed. “This, by far. Best burgers I’ve ever tasted,” a third agreed.
Wendy’s Dave’s Single
Burger fans give the Wendy’s Dave Single (and Double) the credit it deserves. “In terms of pure fast food, Wendys is at or near the top for sure – can be location specific, but the good ones give you large fresh green lettuce and red thick tomato slice. The Dave’s double is a perfect balance between two fresh meat patties, veggie and bun,” one Redditor said. “Any of the daves burgers from Wendys,” another agreed.
Five Guys Cheeseburger
Five Guys has a passionate following despite higher prices and lack of drive-thrus, with fans saying it is “hands down” the best burger (although some question whether it really counts as fast food). “If we’re not factoring in price. Five Guys & Shake Shack top the list,” one burger enthusiast said.
Culver’s ButterBurger
Culver’s has a solid reputation for offering fantastic food made of high-quality ingredients, and the ButterBurger is no exception. “Culver’s is the answer,” one Redditor said. “They’re not in every state but damn near close to it now days. However I will say, if you’re eating it in Arizona at a franchised one, you’re not getting the same quality as a family owned one in Wisconsin.”
In-N-Out Double-Double (Animal Style)
In-N-Out is a cult favorite for a reason, and a solid part of the Southern California culinary identity. Fans overwhelmingly love the Double-Double Animal Style (two fresh, never frozen beef patties, two slices of American cheese, onion, lettuce, tomato, and spread on toasted buns). Animal style means mustard-cooked beef patties with pickle, grilled onions, and extra spread. “If you aren’t getting your burger animal style, then you haven’t really tried In-N-Out,” one Redditor said. “And there’s a lot of mods you can do to the burger to really make it your speed. I personally add a whole slice grilled onion and chopped raw onions to bring it to another level.”
Ferozan Mast
Ferozan Mast is a science, health and wellness writer with a passion for making science and research-backed information accessible to a general audience. Read more about Ferozan
