Alright, we’ve already covered the best fast food sandwiches. Now we’re going to focus exclusively on burgers. This one’s for you, burger lovers (i.e., every human ever).
Shake Shack ShackBurger
It doesn’t get more classic than this. Lettuce, tomato, cheese, all-natural beef — it doesn’t get better than this, especially when they’re served with a shake.
Unfortunately, they only use American cheese. Well, it’s unfortunate for me, a bona fide American cheese hater. It may not be unfortunate for you.
If you’re cooking these yourself, you might want to add onions. They can make even the best fast food burgers taste better. This is a known fact.
In-N-Out Double-Double
They’re called “In-N-Out Burger.” Of course one of their burgers would make this list. So, what makes the Double Double one of the best fast food burgers?
It’s two cheeseburgers in one. Who doesn’t want that? More specifically, it contains two burger patties, glued together with two slices melted American cheese.
This one actually does have tomatoes, lettuce, and onions. Like other In-N-Out menu items, it also contains their special sauce, which is basically thousand island dressing.
Five Guys Bacon Cheeseburger
What’s the only thing better than a cheeseburger? A cheeseburger with bacon on it, of course. You could get a miniature version of this, too.
It’s not just cheese, beef, and bacon (though you can, if you want). You can feel free to mix and match a bunch of different toppings.
That’s where the real appeal of this burger lies. Everything tastes better with bacon. I would say cheese, but it’s American cheese, so I can’t.
Wendy’s Baconator
If you tried Five Guys’ bacon cheeseburger and found it lacking, try this one. The Baconator is twice the burger that Five Guys’ is — literally.
It contains two layers, each containing a beef patty, American cheese, and crispy bacon. Unlike another burger we know, it doesn’t have a bun in the middle.
If you hate it when vegetables get in the way of a good burger, this is for you. As for sauce, it has ketchup and mayo.
Whataburger Triple Meat Whataburger
Yes, Whataburger calls their burgers “whataburgers.” The Triple Meat has all the typical ingredients: cheese, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and pickles. The differences lies in the beef patties.
This burger has not one, not two, but three beef patties. They don’t call it the Triple for nothing. The rest of the ingredients aren’t tripled, unfortunately.
Like In-N-Out, Whataburger also has their own special sauce, dubbed “Whatasauce.” Ingredients include mustard, vinegar, salt, and both black and white pepper, among others.
Culver’s ButterBurger
Nothing sounds more delicious than a ButterBurger. It’s two of the best foods in one — of course it’d be one of the best fast food burgers.
Sadly, though, these aren’t beef patties deep-fried in butter. Okay, maybe it’s for the best that they’re not. The butter comes from the bun.
It adds a little extra something that the other burgers here just don’t have. As for the burger’s insides, it’s pretty standard: lettuce, cheese, the works.
Burger King Whopper
Not to be basic, but the Whopper is a top-tier fast food burger. It’s what put Burger King on the map, and it’s pretty obvious why.
It’s got all the makings of a good burger. You’ve got the juicy beef, lettuce, tomato slices, onions, pickles, ketchup, and a sesame seed bun.
Obviously, you’ll want to buy one from Burger King. However, it also lends itself well to homemade versions, if you want to be healthier.
McDonald’s Big Mac
Let’s be honest — nobody’s surprised to see the Big Mac. It’s just as iconic as the Whopper. It’s got two beef patties, cheese, chopped onions, and lettuce.
What makes this fast food burger really stand out is the third bun. It’s situated smack-dab in the middle, which is a kind of love-it or hate-it thing.
McDonald’s came out with this burger after the Whopper premiered. The inventions weren’t back-to-back, either — the Big Mac came out over a decade later (per Reader’s Digest).
Sonic Drive-In SuperSONIC Double Cheeseburger
The fast food joints are onto us. They’ve figured out just how much we love a double cheeseburger. Sonic’s has the beef patties on the bottom.
They stack the veggies — tomato slices, lettuce, chopped onions, and pickles — on top. They put the ketchup in between the lettuce and tomatoes.
The burger also has mayo, which is applied to the top bun. Seems like Sonic has their cheeseburger creation down to a science.
Jack in the Box Ultimate Cheeseburger
This one’s for the cheese lovers. Unlike other fast food burgers, Jack in the Box’s ultimate cheeseburger doubles up on the beef patties and on the cheese.
It contains three slices of cheese, two of which are American. The first American cheese slice sits on the first patty. The second layer has both American and Swiss.
For sauces, it has ketchup, mustard, and mayo. Like Culver’s creation, it’s all served on a buttery bun. And you can add bacon, making it virtually irresistible.
Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr. Western Bacon Cheeseburger
This burger separates itself from all the rest. Not only does it have the beef, cheese, and bacon, but it’s also got barbecue sauce and onion rings.
It has a rocky history, though. In 2023, it seemed that it had been discontinued (if this Change.org petition from the time is to be believed).
At the time of this writing, the burgers are still on the Hardee’s online menu. They’re also coming out with spin-offs of the burger.
Smashburger Classic Smash
It’s called the Classic for a reason. It has all the makings of a food cheeseburger, and then some. The toasted bun fits perfectly in your hands.
You can opt for two beef patties, if you want, or just stick with the one. What makes all of Smashburger’s offerings unique is their cooking method.
Instead of grilling the patties, like most burgers, the beef is smashed. This thins out the meat, making it perfect for those who like some crisp.
White Castle Original Slider
White Castle: the king of all sliders. All of these fast food burgers are iconic in their own ways, but none of them have had these sliders’ impact.
Their ingredients are the same as any other burger, really. It’s not so much about what’s on them as it is about their size.
White Castle was the first fast food restaurant (or restaurant, period) to have sliders. They were an instant hit. People would buy whole bags of the stuff.
Steak ‘n Shake Original Double ‘n Cheese
Steak ‘n Shake’s original double is pretty much what it sounds like — a double burger with cheese. You can choose your own toppings.
The toppings available are your standard burger toppings (lettuce, tomato, onions, etc). So far, this burger seems pretty basic. What makes it so good?
Well, Steak ‘n Shake has a trick up their sleeve: steakburgers. Unlike its competitors, they make their burgers with a cross of regular beef patties and steak.
Habit Burger Grill Charburger
Based in California, Habit Burger is a relatively small franchise. In such a competitive field, it can be hard to set your business apart from the rest.
Their claim to fame is their Charburgers, set apart by their unique cooking method. These burgers are all chargrilled over open flame. according to their website.
The classic Charburger is topped with caramelized onions. Underneath the patty is a tomato slice, shredded lettuce, and pickles. You can add cheese, as well.
Dairy Queen Flamethrower GrillBurger
No, it’s not cooked with a flamethrower. I don’t think Dairy Queen is willing to shell out the money for that (though it would be pretty epic).
It refers to Dairy Queen’s secret “flamethrower” sauce. Yes, it’s spicy. Nobody knows for sure what’s in it, though it probably contains hot sauce, mayo, and vinegar.
It’s not just the sauce. The burger is topped with pepper jack cheese and jalapeño bacon (along with the standard tomato slice and lettuce leaf).
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers Freddy’s Original Double
Ah, the double burger. If there’s one key fixture of a good fast food burger, it’s this. Even the most obscure of fast food chains have it.
If you couldn’t guess from the name, these patties are also made with steakburgers. They tend to be thinner and crispier than regular patties.
As for toppings, these burgers come with onions, American cheese, mustard, and pickles. You can get other sauces on the side if you want to mix it up.
Checkers/Rally’s Big Buford
I don’t know who Buford is, but he makes a good burger. It’s a double decker (of course), topped with ketchup, mayo, mustard, cheese, lettuce, onions, and pickles.
Just a fair warning: you might not be able to fit it into your mouth. The website advises that you bring extra napkins, and we agree.
You could also get Buford bites or the Triple Big Buford. This Buford is everywhere, isn’t he? I think it’s funnier not knowing, so I won’t question it.
Fatburger Original Fatburger
How fat is this burger, exactly? Well, it depends. You can order a medium, large, XXL, or XXXL fatburger. Naturally, there are no small fatburgers.
The medium and the large only have one beef patty, though of different sizes. The XXL has two patties, and the XXXL has three.
The beef isn’t the only ingredient bulking up this burger. Fatburger likes to pile on the shredded lettuce, too. If you love that crunch, you’ll love this.
A&W Papa Burger
Lettuce, tomato, American cheese, onions, two beef patties — delicious, but we’ve seen it all before. What makes the Papa Burger interesting? What makes it tick?
Like so many other fast food burgers, the secret’s in the sauce. A&W, specifically, has “Papa sauce.” Unlike its counterparts, the ingredient list is right on the label.
Papa sauce is made up of vinegar, tomato paste, egg yolk, salt, paprika, onions, and mustard seed, among others. It’s easy enough to recreate in your own kitchen.