American Burger Chains Ranked From Worst To Best

There are few things more American than a hamburger. For around a century now, Americans have been tucking into this meaty treat and its popularity seems in no danger of waning. According to IBIS World, there were over 83,700 burger restaurants operating in the United States during 2023, and astonishingly, around 25% of these restaurants were operated by one of the country's two dominant chains: McDonald's and Burger King. These chains, and others like it, are thriving thanks to the public's insatiable appetite for burgers. However, this incredible demand also means that some American burger chains continue to grow despite serving subpar food — so how do you know which burger joint to frequent? 

In this article, we aim to separate mediocre burger chains from the excellent, providing the knowledge you need to avoid eating subpar patties. To put this article together, we referred to both amateur and professional reviews from a variety of sources. A full methodology detailing how we ranked the chains is available at the bottom of the article. Until then, let's learn more about America's best and worst burger chains.

White Castle sells sliders which are essentially small burgers. The chain does offer heartier options including the 1921 slider, which critics have deemed dramatically underseasoned, however even this slider is considerably smaller than the burgers sold by other chains. Predictably, small burgers are not something a lot of customers appreciate. Some have even joked that items served by White Castle are barely food.

The diminutive size of White Castle's burgers is not the only reason why the chain languishes at the bottom of this ranking; many customers also dislike how the burgers are cooked. Instead of grilling them, White Castle places the patties on a bed of onions that are steaming on the grill. The steam travels through pre-made holes in the patty, cooking the burger via indirect heat. Not only does this cooking technique completely fail to develop any kind of sear on the meat, it also ensures that the finished burger ends up being incredibly soggy. As one customer noted on Reddit: "The burgers from the restaurant are barely any better than those [bought from the grocery store], they are both soggy."

While White Castle only uses domestic beef suppliers who follow the North American Meat Institute and Beef Quality Assurance animal welfare and handling guidelines, it is one of the many chains that use frozen patties. This is another factor that severely impacts the quality of the chain's burgers.

Sonic Drive-In is a chain known for its rollerskate-wearing carhops and retro branding. Unfortunately, the chain is also known for inconsistency, especially when it comes to burgers. Despite being made with frozen patties, which are used for their consistency, the quality of Sonic burgers varies from restaurant-to-restaurant with some producing exceptional burgers while others makes ones that are barely edible. In a post on Reddit, one customer wrote: "I'm originally from Shawnee OK, where Sonic started, and there are still like 3 or 4 of them in town. All of them are massively different in quality, so much so that everyone knows which one is the good Sonic."

Unfortunately for Sonic enthusiasts, locations that get the burgers wrong tend to get them really wrong. In the past, employees have described cooked burgers sitting on the warm side of the grill for 30 minutes before being served. Such practices all but guarantee that dry, overcooked burgers will be served to the public. 

Customers visit fast food chains because they are cheap and reliable. Sonic's inability to be the latter means that, no matter how good the burgers are at some locations, it has to be placed towards the bottom of our ranking.

McDonald's is the most successful fast food company in the world and burgers have played an integral role in the company's growth. Best known of all McDonald's burgers is the Big Mac which features a double beef patty, Big Mac sauce, pickles, lettuce, and a sesame seed bun. Around 550 million of these burgers are sold every year in the United States alone, while a staggering 75 McDonald's burgers are sold every second across the globe.

While immensely popular, the Big Mac is not exactly what you would call a good burger. It, like all other McDonald's burgers, is made using frozen patties that were formed between 14 and 21 days prior to being cooked. Burgers made this long ago will never be as intensely flavored as fresh burgers and McDonald's burgers proves this. While they do have a unique flavor of their own, these burgers lack any intense beefy notes.

Customers accept that McDonald's burgers are far from the best out there. However, their price and convenience does make them handy. As one customer noted on Reddit: "They have a great cheap burger for the price. It's not amazing but I wouldn't call it terrible."

As with all the other burgers mentioned thus far, Burger King's burgers are made with frozen beef patties that are delivered to the restaurants from a central location. Unlike other chains however, Burger King exposes its burgers to a live flame. This imparts an intense smoky smell that many Burger King customers love.

However, this smokiness does little to mask how rubbery and unpleasant Burger King's burgers get after sitting under heat lamps. Unfortunately for those frequenting the chain's restaurants, leaving burgers to sit prior to serving them is a common practice. Some Burger King employees have even stated that they've seen burgers sit in heated containers for up to two hours before being served to customers.

While there are undoubtedly some problems with how Burger King sources and serves its burgers, customers often rank the chain's burgers as better than those served by its competitors. For example, critics have ranked Burger King's Whopper above McDonald's Big Mac. This would suggest that, while far from perfect, Burger King's burgers are not the worst around.

Whataburger made a name for itself by selling exceptionally large burgers. The chain continues this tradition to this day, serving patties that are an impressive five inches in diameter. Many customers are impressed by this size and the good value for money that it indicates.

The chain's burgers are made with fresh beef that's never been frozen and are only placed on the grill once a customer has ordered. This translates into a finished burger that tastes fresh, rich, and satisfying. Customers and critics also point out that Whataburger is very generous with its toppings. These add a nice pop of flavor and texture to the burger.

Unfortunately for the chain, Whataburger's burgers are not perfect. Some people have reported that the patties are often cooked unevenly, meaning some sections are drier than others. Other customers also suggest that several aspects of the chain have gotten worse since a controlling stake in the business was sold in 2019. These customers say the wait times are longer, the prices higher, and the food notably worse. If this trend continues, the chain may drop even lower in future rankings, a shame considering the company used to serve one of the best burgers in all of fast food.

The burgers served at Five Guys are made in-house everyday using fresh beef mince that includes meat from both chuck and sirloin cuts. These hand formed patties are never frozen and are only served on the day they are made.

Aside from learning to form the patties themself, Five Guys employees are also taught how to cook them properly, flipping and smashing the burger in a way that leaves them juicy and flavorful. The burgers are also never cooked in advance, only to order. Once cooked, the burgers are placed inside proprietary buns which many customers love thanks to their fluffy texture. The chain also offers a generous choice of 15 toppings, all of them free of charge.

Many customers love Five Guys burgers and just about everyone agrees that they stand head and shoulders above the burgers sold by the likes of McDonald's and Burger King. However, another thing all Five Guys customers agree is that the chain is incredibly expensive. As one frustrated person noted on Reddit: "Personally I think it's the best fast food burger you can get. It's not a gourmet burger, and because of the price people think it is gourmet [...] If you approach it realistically, as a fast food burger, it isn't over rated but it is exceptionally over priced."

In-N-Out Burger is an American burger chain that was adored by none other than Julia Child. Over the years, In-N-Out has maintained this exceptional reputation. A survey by Market Force Information named it America's favorite burger chain in 2022 and its Double Double burger was named the second best burger in the United States by USA Today during 2024. This reputation is built upon a practice of excellence and consistency that begins long before the burgers hit the grill.

All In-N-Out burgers are made with fresh sections of 100% whole chuck beef that is inspected, deboned, and ground by In-N-Out employees at the company's patty-making facilities. The burgers are then chilled and transported to In-N-Out restaurants on a daily basis where they are cooked to order.

While many American burger chains struggle to get the cheese to melt, In-N-Out is famed for the wonderful, gooey melted cheese that tops its burgers. Hand-leafed lettuce and other wonderfully fresh toppings also ensure that In-N-Out burgers are a standout in their field, especially when price is taken into account. As one person noted on Reddit: "There are better burgers, but they cost a lot more. I can get a burger, fries, and a drink for less than 6 bucks. Five Guys (the chain In N Out always seems to get compared to) would cost more than that just for the burger."

While many American burger chains claim to use high quality ingredients, Elevation Burger takes ingredient sourcing to a whole new level. The chain only uses patties that are made from fresh, 100% grass-fed, organic beef. It also cooks its french fries in olive oil in an attempt to make them healthier.

These steps are well-received by customers, one of whom wrote on Reddit: "My unpopular opinion is that Elevation Burger is the best of all. If you ever have the opportunity to try one, I highly recommend both their burgers (100% grass-fed organic beef) and their fries (fried in olive oil, which gives them an awesomely unique flavor)." Elevation Burger also makes a point of cooking all food, burgers included, to order.

Aside from being ethically-sourced and enjoyable to eat, the chain's burgers are also reasonably priced. A Single 100% Grass-Fed Organic Beef Burger costs just under $7.50, considerably cheaper than similar burgers sold by competitors such as Five Guys.

Culver's, an underrated burger chain that many people believe is better than highly-touted chains like In-N-Out, is known for its ButterBurgers, a range of hamburgers that are all served on a toasted, buttered bun or sourdough bread. The patties inside Culver's burgers are made with a proprietary blend of fresh sirloin, chuck, and plate beef. No fillers are added. The resulting patty is never frozen and is only ever cooked to order. Culver's grill masters are the ones responsible for cooking the patties and extensive training ensures they know how to press and sear the beef to give it a deep, steak-like flavor.

The attention to detail Culver's pays to all steps of its burger-making process is readily apparent to anyone who has eaten one. A person wrote on Reddit: "Culver's is probably the best all around fast food there is. High quality ingredients, consistent, always hot and the restaurants are always clean. Lots of good stuff there in addition to the burgers." With customer reviews like that, it's no wonder this American burger chain ranks the upper half of our list.

For many burger enthusiasts, it does not get any better than a Shake Shack burger. This is for good reason: Every step of the burger-making process has been designed to ensure customers enjoy the maximum amount of flavor. Take, for example, the patty itself. Shake Shack uses a blend of fresh, whole muscle sirloin, brisket, and short rib; all incredibly flavorful cuts. What's more, the chain works with the very best suppliers, including Pat LaFrieda, a celebrated company that supplies the chain's New York-based restaurants. Shake Shack also uses Martin's potato rolls, a highly-touted bun which the chain toasts with butter for extra flavor.

When it comes to cooking, Shake Shack continues to pull out all the stops. The patties are browned intensely thanks to the use of ultra high heat grills and specialist, patented equipment that helps the cooks crush the burgers into incredibly thin patties. What's more, the burgers are only cooked in the beef fat left behind by other burgers. All of this creates a burger that food writer J. Kenji López-Alt described as, "a marvel of beefy engineering." Naturally, many customers agree.

Schoop's Hamburgers is a regional burger chain based in Indiana. While small, Schoop's Hamburgers boasts an outsized reputation, built largely upon the quality of its burgers. These smashburgers, which are made daily with fresh beef, are celebrated by critics and customers alike for their crisp edges. They are cooked to order and have won The Times of Northwest Indiana's best burger of the region of the award every year since the award began.

There are several types of burger available at Schoop's. These range from a Mushroom Swiss Cheeseburger, which comes with a single beef patty, to a Triple Cheeseburger. It is important to bear in mind that the more decadent items can get very expensive; the Triple Cheeseburger clocks in at a hefty $19.99. However, many customers believe Schoop's burgers are worth the money with one customer posting on Reddit: "Schoop's ground beef is top notch. Burgers are great. Everything else is standard diner fare IMO but if you are all about the burger, this is it."

Fatburger is a chain that we think deserves a little bit more love, if only because it lives up its name. The chain's smallest burger, the Medium (Original), contains a beef patty that weighs one third of a pound. Other options such as the Large (Kingburger) contain a half pound patty while the XXL (Double Kingburger) and XXXL (Triple Kingburger) contain multiple half pound patties. All these hand-pressed beef patties are never frozen.

Thanks to the size and quality of its burgers, Fatburger has a loyal customer base. One person summarized how these people feel, writing on Reddit: "I've never been disappointed by Fatburger. Their fries are always too hot to eat immediately (which is awesome) and their burgers are big, messy, and taste so so good."

Customers definitely appreciate the care and attention that goes into the burgers but what draws even greater approval are the fun flavor combinations the chain comes up with. In the past, these limited-edition releases have included a well-reviewed burger that saw jalapeño poppers stuffed in alongside the patty. It's burgers like this that prove Fatburger is one of the best burger chains around.

BurgerFi takes the quality of its ingredients extremely importantly with free-range, hormone free, black Angus beef being used in all its burgers. Known for exceptional marbling, black Angus beef makes for a brilliant burger and BurgerFi puts the patties to good use, making showstoppers like the Yes, Chef Burger. This burger includes two black Angus patties paired with caramelized onions and American cheese and, like all BurgerFi burgers, has been celebrated for its intense beefy flavor. Customers who have tried other BurgerFi options, including The CEO, which contains two wagyu patties, have also reported an intense flavor. Even the vegetarian burgers pack a punch. It's for this reason that many customers hold BurgerFi in very high regard.

Unfortunately, BurgerFi's future is in jeopardy after the company filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in the fall of 2024. At the time of writing, operations continue as normal at the chain's restaurants, however there is no guarantee this will remain the case as the months roll by. Given this financial pressure, we wouldn't be surprised to see a drop in the chain's standards in the near future.

In order for chains to be considered for this article, they had to specialize in burgers and operate in multiple states. When deciding on where each chain would rank, we took into account how fresh the burger ingredients were, how the burger was cooked, and if it was frozen at any time during the production process. If it was, it ranked lower on our list. We also took into account reviews left by both customers and professional critics. The more positive reviews a chain had, the higher it ranked. Finally, those chains that were perceived as offering good value for money were generally favored above those that were not.