In the constantly evolving face of American fast food, where trends trend and disappear as quickly as they appeared, the cheeseburger is a constant anchor. Even with fried chicken sandwiches’ current popularity, the cheeseburger remains resolute as the drive-thru headliner, the staple of most fast-food giants, and the attraction for loyal aficionados.
We at Eater set out to discover which chains have orchestrated this American original. Our experts toured the length and width of America, targeting each restaurant’s favorite “premium burger” to try it out for ingredients, presentation, freshness, and taste. For a fair test, we had each burger “how it comes” without any of their secret menu tricks. The search came to the conclusion that an excellent cheeseburger depends on how well the beef is, how it is prepared whether straight from a hot grill or steamed in large batches and a bun strong enough to keep its contents together without disintegration. In this segment, we analyze the competition and how it enhances or detracts from its position in the ranking, beginning with the ones that fell short and culminating with the winners themselves.
1. Checkers/Rally’s: Cheese Champ
Removing the Cheese Champ adds a sparkle of hope with its substantial weight, the suggestion being that there was a fast-food imposter beneath. The hope is short-lived, though. The gray, thin burger patty is missing the char that completes a great burger in terms of texture and flavor, buried under a wave of shredded lettuce and onions more suitable for a salad than a sandwich. That unbalance, with vegatable overpowering the beef, prevents the Cheese Champ from being the hero its big name promises.
2. Dairy Queen Grill & Chill: Two Cheese Deluxe 1/3 lb. Signature Stackburger
Dairy Queen shines with its frozen treats Blizzards, dipped cones, and Peanut Buster Parfaits but its Grill & Chill burger menu struggles to match that excellence. The Two Cheese Deluxe, despite a zesty kick from crinkle-cut dill pickles, disappoints with patties charred to near-total dryness. The lifeless shredded lettuce adds little, dragging the burger down further. If you’re at Dairy Queen, a Choco Brownie Extreme Blizzard might be a better bet to lift your spirits.
3. A&W: Papa Burger
A&W root beer floats, made with pure cane sugar, transport us back in time since 1919, but the Papa Burger doesn’t. With two beef patties, American cheese, Papa Sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles on a plain bun, it too heavily depends on its toppings to make up for the saltiness and dryness of its patties. Although the pickles and sauce bring a little draw, the disappointing beef and poor-quality bun keep this burger from competing with the likes of McDonald’s Quarter Pounder.
4. Burger King: The Whopper
Once the colossus of flame-grilled superiority, the Whopper has lost its spark. Recent trips yielded limp lettuce, minuscule tomatoes, and an overwhelming char overtopping other tastes. The patty, frequently dry nowadays, and a stale bun fall apart under inspection. Burger King’s attention now appears to be focused elsewhere, such as the Impossible Whopper or Ch’King sandwich, reducing the Whopper to a distant memory of the glory days, a reminder of rewarmed gas-station food.
5. White Castle: Cheese Slider
White Castle’s Cheese Slider, a hundred-year-old legend, survives on its unapologetic basicness. Its square, hole-punched beef burger patty, steamed over chopped onions, is a distinctive, unavoidable taste. Its steamed buns, slapped onto the grill, melt with the beef and onions into a unified bite. Stored in freezers or sold in cases, this no-frills slider holds an eternal position in American popular culture, illustrating the prosperity in staying simple.
6. Del Taco: Double Del Cheeseburger
Del Taco does tacos exceptionally, but the Double Del Cheeseburger is an afterthought. With double-thick beef patties, double cheese, taco-cut lettuce, tomato, onions, and a Thousand Island-type spread on a hard sesame-seed bun, it’s juicy but tasteless. It’s a decent sidekick to Del Taco’s terrific tacos but can’t hold its own, reinforcing that tacos are what generates the pull here.
7. Jollibee: Big Yumburger
The U.S. expansion of Jollibee comes quickly, and with it, the nation is introduced to exciting tastes such as fried chicken and banana ketchup spaghetti, but its Big Yumburger is a flop. Its soft burger, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and dressing on a soft bun are sufficient but unimpresive, and without the bubbly personality of the rest of the chain’s foods. With an enthusiasm-filled menu, this burger is a dutiful checkbox, elbowed aside by Jollibee’s more famous fare.
8. Jack in the Box: The Jumbo Jack
Jack in the Box is famous for such out-there eats as egg rolls and towering chicken sandwiches, yet the Jumbo Jack shines by returning to simplicity. Its split-top bun serves well to handle crunching lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions, and the salty, smoky patty, flanked by gooey American cheese, serves up good ol’ burger heaven. A dash of mayo and ketchup holds it all together, making it a go-to bet among the chain’s more whimsical options.
9. Carl’s Jr. & Hardee’s: Super Star with Cheese
The Super Star with Cheese is an excellent ’70s burger that has the flavor of something cobbled together by a backyard grill master. Two charbroiled burgers, topped with American cheese, sit with thick tomato, crisp lettuce, and onions on a seeded bun covered with special sauce and mayo. Greasy and wet, the patties’ charm lies in their flaws. The thick bun and wrapper hold every drip, but this makes it a great, full-flavored burger that lives up to its legend.
10. Wendy’s: Dave’s Double
Wendy’s Dave’s Double is testament to the fact that plain old simplicity beats gimmicks. Two new, never-frozen quarter-pound patties confront each other to herald quality explosion with meaty taste, which is joined by fresh onions, tomatoes, and lettuce. The toasted bun, sprayed with mild mayo and ketchup, keeps everything in line. The quality and harmony of this burger are astounding, with Single and Triple being no less remarkable versions.
11. McDonald’s: Quarter Pounder with Cheese
The Cheeseburger Quarter Pounder has staged a dazzling return based on the merits of its transition to fresh beef. The big, meaty patty, given a fleeting kiss of grill char, is topped by two slices of American cheese to keep the bun from becoming soggy. Raw onions, pickles, ketchup, and mustard on a sesame-seed bun are an expertly balanced bite. The uniform, savory excellence of this burger makes it world ambassador of fast-food excellence.
12. Whataburger: Double Meat Whataburger
A Lone Star classic, the Double Meat Whataburger does not fail with two large, expertly cooked patties weighing in at a third of a pound. Fresh lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, and secret mustard ride on toasted buns, topped off with cheese as an optional but highly recommended addition. Its customization options are endless, from bacon to jalapeños, and the beautifully balanced ratio makes every bite sing. Texas runs on Whataburger, and it’s no wonder why.
13. Sonic Drive-In: SuperSonic Double Cheeseburger
Sonic’s SuperSonic Double Cheeseburger has climbed from ninth to first place with meticulous re-creation. Two beefy patties, held together by American cheese, gleam with enhanced flavor, bolstered by crunchier lettuce, colorful tomatoes, and additional ketchup and mayo. The new bun also stands up, delivering a unified, satisfying experience that says a lot about Sonic’s dedication to quality.
14. In-N-Out Burger: Double-Double
In-N-Out’s Double-Double is a West Coast experience, as promised by its motto, “what a hamburger’s all about.” Never-frozen beef patties dissolve into American cheese, topped with fresh lettuce, plump tomatoes, onions, and creamy animal sauce on toasted buns. The Animal Style version of mustard-cooked beef and grilled onions adds drippy heaven. Such convenience and freshness make an industry benchmark.
15. Culver’s: Double ButterBurger with Cheese
Wisconsin’s Culver’s Double ButterBurger with Cheese is the perfect fast food burger. Prepared fresh to order with fresh juicy patties, Wisconsin American cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables, and butter-grilled buns, it’s home-cooked by mom and pop. The harmonious flavors, crispy toppings, and soft crunch place it in unbeatable ground. Served with cheese curds and custard, the burger is a hometown favorite that is nothing short of perfection.
This pilgrimage to America’s burger fast food reveals the artistry that goes into what is, ostensibly, a simple meal. From the lowly sliders to these state-of-the-art winners, the union of beef, bun, toppings, and technique makes for bites stamped on the brain. These burgers are attestation that fast food, made with love, achieves comfort and quality that speak profoundly to the soul, securing the cheeseburger as an American icon.
