Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Hello
Im from Rio Grande City, Texas, but now I live in San Diego, California. I have two suggestions for the burger taste test. The first one is WHATABURGER they are found in Texas maybe one in Oklahoma some in New Mexico and Arizona. Whataburger is 100% American ground beef with the bun lightly toasted or ordered to your preference. The lettuce is always fresh as the tomatoes and the fries are great crispy and golden. I have never eaten one that i had to complain or met any one that said differently about it. Other people that I have met that are not from Texas said when they drove through Texas they tried it and they loved it I think you would be pleased after havong one. They have regular, double, triple, or WB Jr. The other one is IN N OUT Burger which i think they are mainly in California. Their burger are not as big as TGIF´s or those kinds of resturants that have big burgers, but the taste is worth every bite. They have from a regular burger to a 4x4 four meat four chesseburger. The burgers same as Whataburger, In n out burgers are made when ordered. They also make their fries they are not frozen you can even see as one the cooks slices the potatoes with the slicer. I think you should really travel down to Texas and California and have one of these burgers. Every time I go home i dont eat any other burger than WB and on the way back i pick some up for the road, but they never make it to California.

Although I can't endorse Steak 'n Shake (I've tried them at two locations and they were average burgers to me), I do give a thumbs-up to Fuddrucker's. Several people mentioned that they used to be better (I agree) but they still can make a good burger.

One place I haven't seen mentioned is a chain that's mainly in the South (but expanding) called Backyard Burgers. I've been to two locations and one is better than the other but both offer a tasty burger. They use Angus beef and the toppings are always fresh. A regular cheeseburger is delicious but you can also get a 'Black and Blue' burger that has a blue cheese topping or a portobello and Swiss burger that is excellent. They have a website with pics of some of their offerings. Just search 'Backyard Burgers' and you'll find it. They have other menu offerings that aren't included on the website.

Another recommendation for "The Counter" (web: thecounterburger.com)... if you can make it to one of their few locations. I was a happy customer in Plano for a few months before I moved. Good meat, not overcooked, and with a wide choice of toppings. I think you'll find it good competition for Red Robin and Ruby Tuesday.

A burger joint that My wife and I like is down here in Altanta. But the chain started in Washington D.C. It's called 5 Guys Burgers. The burgers are hand made and the meat is a very good quality. The ingredients are also very nice. No soggy lettuce or mealy tomatoes.One thing I like is that the fries are made fresh every day. They are not flash frozen and trucked in. In fact in the front of the store you can actually see them cooking your burgers in a pretty clean atmosphere and making the fries.

When it comes to burgers I really believe that the K.I.S.S. principal rings true. The best burgers are simple no avocado or chipolte cheese or wasabi mayo just honest down to earth ingredients that are fresh. I think alot of restaurants want to out- fancy their competitors and offer ridiculous
sides or over the top ingredients. In many cases I feel they are masking
inferior product. Like the Jack Daniel's everything at TGI Fridays.You don't need organic beef or artisanal bread buns to make a good hamburger you just need flavor, freshness and simplicity!!