Business Insider compares Whataburger, In-N-Out, & Shake Shack: Says Whataburger Wins
#32
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Before this goes to "Dining Buzz"...
Why include Five Guys when no location has a Drive-Thru?
They are really not a QSR (Quick Service Restaurant), they are more a Fast Casual, like their sandwich/burger/Ethnic competitors: The Counter, Burger Fi, SmashBurger, Burger21, Shake Shack, Firehouse Subs, Chipotle, Qdoba, Moe's, Panera*, Potbellys, Noodles&Co., Baja Fresh, Blaze Pizza, Boston Market, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Pei Wei Asian Diner, Pita Pit, Which Wich
*-Some Panera locations do have Drive Thru.
Why include Five Guys when no location has a Drive-Thru?
They are really not a QSR (Quick Service Restaurant), they are more a Fast Casual, like their sandwich/burger/Ethnic competitors: The Counter, Burger Fi, SmashBurger, Burger21, Shake Shack, Firehouse Subs, Chipotle, Qdoba, Moe's, Panera*, Potbellys, Noodles&Co., Baja Fresh, Blaze Pizza, Boston Market, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Pei Wei Asian Diner, Pita Pit, Which Wich
*-Some Panera locations do have Drive Thru.
In the "better than the megachains" burger category, Five Guys, Culver's, Smashburger, Shake Shack, Whataburger, In n Out, and Fatburger all could be reasonably compared to each other. I'm also partial to Burgerville but I've never seen it outside of the Portland area so not sure if it's big enough to count. (It is fast food and is a local/regional chain though.)
#33
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Before this goes to "Dining Buzz"...
Why include Five Guys when no location has a Drive-Thru?
They are really not a QSR (Quick Service Restaurant), they are more a Fast Casual, like their sandwich/burger/Ethnic competitors: The Counter, Burger Fi, SmashBurger, Burger21, Shake Shack, Firehouse Subs, Chipotle, Qdoba, Moe's, Panera*, Potbellys, Noodles&Co., Baja Fresh, Blaze Pizza, Boston Market, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Pei Wei Asian Diner, Pita Pit, Which Wich
*-Some Panera locations do have Drive Thru.
Why include Five Guys when no location has a Drive-Thru?
They are really not a QSR (Quick Service Restaurant), they are more a Fast Casual, like their sandwich/burger/Ethnic competitors: The Counter, Burger Fi, SmashBurger, Burger21, Shake Shack, Firehouse Subs, Chipotle, Qdoba, Moe's, Panera*, Potbellys, Noodles&Co., Baja Fresh, Blaze Pizza, Boston Market, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Pei Wei Asian Diner, Pita Pit, Which Wich
*-Some Panera locations do have Drive Thru.
#34
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#35
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Best green chili cheeseburger I ever had was at Bobcat Bite (now closed) outside of Santa Fe. When I want one in Albuquerque I usually just go to Fuddruckers.
#36
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I love Burgerville. It's mainly around Portland but there are some in southern Washington as well. They go north almost to Olympia.
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Man, if that thing ever decides to really expand, it would quickly develop an In-N-Out style fanbase. That is, one where people who live outside its footprint know about it and go out of their way to eat there when they are in proximity to one.
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#41
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The problem with Burgerville is the quality of their food has dropped in the last couple of years. 5-10 years ago they were head and shoulders above most burger chains with interesting seasonal items on a base of well produced everyday menu. Now it's potluck if you end up a lukewarm soggy burger or a crisp right off the grill one. The consistency from location to location has also gone out the door. It's clear they've been struggling (look at the cutbacks in seasonal items and their labor problems, which are only getting worse).
#42
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I've not had the chance to sample Shake Shack (line has been too long every time I've been in NYC), but neither In-n-Out nor Whataburger has really appealed to me, and Five Guys I refer to as Greaseburger. What a heart-attack-on-a-bun those people turn out. In-n-Out has to rank as one of the truly spectacular disappointments of my culinary life, given all the hype I heard before I actually experienced their product.
My personal favorite fast hamburgers are served up by Wendy's and Steak 'n Shake, but they're nowhere near as good as the burgers I can get at any number of local bars and pubs in and around Columbus.
As for fries, I've yet to find a burger place that does what I call a great job with them. My favorites by far are the ones City Barbecue turns out, with skin on and a nice brown color from being cooked in superhot grease. Yum. (I have to admit Five Guys fries are not bad.)
My personal favorite fast hamburgers are served up by Wendy's and Steak 'n Shake, but they're nowhere near as good as the burgers I can get at any number of local bars and pubs in and around Columbus.
As for fries, I've yet to find a burger place that does what I call a great job with them. My favorites by far are the ones City Barbecue turns out, with skin on and a nice brown color from being cooked in superhot grease. Yum. (I have to admit Five Guys fries are not bad.)
#43
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As for OP, I'd probably rank Shake Shack as first, then In-N-Out, then Whataburger (yes, I know, blasphemous since I grew up in CA ). While it would be nice if Shake Shack's burgers were larger, I already have a hard time justifying going to any burger place all that often thanks to the calories.
#44
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I've not had the chance to sample Shake Shack (line has been too long every time I've been in NYC), but neither In-n-Out nor Whataburger has really appealed to me, and Five Guys I refer to as Greaseburger. What a heart-attack-on-a-bun those people turn out. In-n-Out has to rank as one of the truly spectacular disappointments of my culinary life, given all the hype I heard before I actually experienced their product.
My personal favorite fast hamburgers are served up by Wendy's and Steak 'n Shake, but they're nowhere near as good as the burgers I can get at any number of local bars and pubs in and around Columbus.
As for fries, I've yet to find a burger place that does what I call a great job with them. My favorites by far are the ones City Barbecue turns out, with skin on and a nice brown color from being cooked in superhot grease. Yum. (I have to admit Five Guys fries are not bad.)
My personal favorite fast hamburgers are served up by Wendy's and Steak 'n Shake, but they're nowhere near as good as the burgers I can get at any number of local bars and pubs in and around Columbus.
As for fries, I've yet to find a burger place that does what I call a great job with them. My favorites by far are the ones City Barbecue turns out, with skin on and a nice brown color from being cooked in superhot grease. Yum. (I have to admit Five Guys fries are not bad.)
The original Wendy's on Broad St. would crank out some fantastic burgers on a level In-n-Out could only hope for. I suspect some things have changed since then
#45
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My problem is that my favorite style is a British-style pub chip, a little bit well done, and fast food joints in the U.S. all seem to go with a thinner fry. I lived next to a chippy in Wales for a year that *always* cooked 'em a little crispier than a typical British chip, and I loved that. To this day, I compare all fries/chips to that place, and it's kind of unfair.