I have yet to try Whataburger as well. Apparently the closest one to me is in Phoenix, which would be a close to six hour drive from where I live. I'll have to keep them in mind next time I'm in a state with one, along with Waffle House--though a road trip to AZ just to try those two is tempting.

One must be truly American to drive 6 hours one-way for a hamburger and a waffle :D

I wouldn't drive 6 hours for even a 3 star michelin restaurant.

I've never seen the attraction to Waffle House. Eaten at them a few times, but just seems like a low rent version of Cracker Barrel type foods

Yeah...Waffle House, Denny's, Shoney's, etc. They're all kind of the same. Diner food at low prices. I have no problem with any of them, but for the poster above, I certainly wouldn't go out of my way on a trip to eat at one. Or Cracker Barrel for that matter. If I'm going to eat a low-quality breakfast, might as well just get a McMuffin and hash browns for a few dollars than pay triple just to have someone serve it to me on a plate. Now, a good quality diner is a different story...

I can remember as a child having Whataburgers when visiting my grandparents. I do think they may be better than In&Out, but that was almost 30 years ago since I had a Whataburger. I have several In Outs near me, but don't feel the craving for them. I don't like their fries!

Whataburger is a wonderful thing and a great treat. I always get it when I am in a city that has them. Great fries too and the fancy ketchup is amazing!

Bacon cheese whataburger combo!!!

Whataburger is pretty good. I've only been in Texas for 5 years now and probably have eaten there a dozen times, but I do enjoy it quite a bit.

I really dislike Five Guys.

I would say (and I prepare to be mocked for this) White Castle is my favorite burger chain (though none around here) followed by Jack in the Box (perhaps it was growing up without it that endears me to it...)

As far as non-major chains, there are two places close to my house -- K-Pop and Liberty Burger that make some truly excellent burgers.

BurgerFi is pretty good, and one of their menu items (I forget what it's called, but it involves grilled onions) comes pretty close to an In-n-Out for this transplant. Also, they have beer.

Well Denny's does have some decent promotions, and while certainly not upmarket, I'd put them a notch or two above Waffle House.

I've never stepped foot inside a Cracker Barrel, but I have no problems going to Waffle House anytime, anywhere. Sometimes I need a pecan waffle with chunked & country hashbrowns on the side. That said, even though there is one just 2.5 miles from my house, I only go to WH once or twice a year.

I gotta taste this whataburger. New to my world of burgers. I haven't been that many times to U.S. to try many different ones. So far I have been able to try Shake Shack in NY which was great, and Five Guys burgers was great too (their fries were not that great IMO).
I am gonna live next to a Black Iron Burger next time, so will try out that one too.

I'm meeting a friend for lunch next week, and I think I'll suggest Steak n' Shake. Thanks.

Ah the great CA vs TX debate.

I've lived in equal years in both - almost a decade each.

* In N Out burger and fries are superior in every way.
* Whataburger has paper-tasting buns. Burger overall is okay. What I actually like most about W.A.B. is their breakfast.
* Five Guys lacks identity, I think they try to be an imitation of In N Out, but lacks any standout quality except for its (high) pricing.

That's the 1,2,3 for me. The rest of the other chains simply aren't even worth mentioning.

My confidence in your non-chain selections plummeted after White Castle :).

I love a late night slider run as much as anyone (do they still have the jalapeno cheeseburger???), but nothing about it is quality food...

haha I figured I'd lose all credibility with that one, but my non-chain choices are solid, tasty hamburgers.

This is Liberty Burger's menu (I guess it is a chain, just not a large one...)

Liberty Burger

In fact, here was today's lunch from K-POP: Egg bun, 1/2lb burger, lettuce, pickles, grilled jalapeños, onions, pepper jack cheese, and jalapeño ranch sauce. I ate half.