8 Fast Food Burger Chains That Use Grass-Fed Beef

Grass-fed beef, though it's yet to be proven healthier than the grain-fed kind, is often considered a higher-quality option. This may be because it tends to have fewer calories and less of the bad fat but more of the good, omega-3 kind. Cattle fed on grass may also consume fewer antibiotics, plus pasture-feeding is seen by some as being better for the environment. While other countries seem to be on board the grass-fed bandwagon, unfortunately (but unsurprisingly), the U.S. seems to be lagging behind.

In Canada, A&W touts its use of grass-fed beef. And in the U.K. even McDonald's claims to use the product (at least in part). While Carl's Junior introduced a grass-fed "All Natural" burger in the U.S. a decade ago, by 2018 it had joined the ranks of discontinued fast food burgers. A few non-burger-specific chains like Chipotle and Panera have offered grass-fed beef in the past, but Panera seems to have quietly dropped the product and Chipotle, too, no longer makes any promises. Even Smashburger, which once boasted of its 'grain-fed, grass-finished' beef, now stipulates nothing more than certified Angus beef with no guarantee as to its diet. (Less than 1% of the total supply of CAB may actually be grass-fed.)

At present, all of the American burger chains offering grass-fed beef are smaller ones. As opposed to Smashburger's 227 locations or the approximately 14,000 McDonald's in the U.S., the restaurants on this list range from a few dozen locations to one mini-chain with just two to its name. Still, if consumers decide to prioritize what they see as sustainable food sources, grass-fed burger chains may continue to gain traction.

BurgerFi, the biggest chain on our list, has a grand total of 66 locations, most of these situated in the southern and Mid-Atlantic states with a few in the Midwest. The chain, which was founded in Florida in 2011, promotes its grass-fed beef as part of an overall "gourmet" experience. The cattle it uses aren't exclusively fed on grass, however, as BurgerFi admits that hay, grains, and legumes also comprise part of the diet, while the cattle are finished on corn to improve the flavor. (Apparently there's some debate about whether grass- or grain-fed beef tastes better, but as a number of people prefer the latter, perhaps BurgerFi is wise to hedge its bets.)

BurgerFi's main grass-fed beef offerings include a line of burgers ranging from the basic BurgerFi topped with lettuce, tomato, and secret "Fi sauce" to the spicy BBQ Rodeo with charred jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, haystack onions, and barbecue sauce to the upscale CEO made with wagyu beef, candied bacon-tomato jam, aged Swiss cheese, and truffle and garlic aioli. Burger and cheeseburger bowls are also available for carb-shunners while two hot dogs (original and chili cheese-topped Texas-style) are made with the same wagyu beef advertised for the top-of-the-line burger. There's also a selection of chicken sandwiches made with birds that are touted as cage-free and raised without antibiotics.

Hopdoddy Burger Bar's 31 locations span several southwestern states (Arizona, California, Colorado, and Texas) and extend on into the South (Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Tennessee). The chain, which dates to 2010, is devoted to craft beers as well as burgers and gets its name from mashing up the words for hops (an important component of beer) and "doddy," which is a Scottish nickname for cattle (specifically Aberdeen Angus, which is the breed from which Black Angus were derived.)

While Hopdoddy boasts of its sustainably sourced meats, it turns out that not every burger it serves comes with grass-fed beef. In fact, there are just two patties on the menu that meet this specification, and one of these is actually made from ground bison: the Buffalo Bill Burger, which is topped with bacon, blue cheese, and buffalo sauce. 

The other, which goes by the eco-friendly moniker Mother Nature Burger, comes complete with an egg, cheese, onions, and pepper aioli. Hopdoddy says that either the grass-fed beef or bison burgers can be swapped into any of its other burger offerings like the goat cheese, mushroom, and pesto Magic Shroom or the Classic with lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayonnaise. Needless to say, though, this swap does incur an upcharge.

Bareburger's 30 locations (with one more on the way) are scattered throughout New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut with a lone outpost in Ohio. It dates back to 2009 (something's starting to tell us that the 20-tweens and teens were the high water mark of the grass-fed beef movement), and declares outright that its ingredients are meant to be ethically sourced and eco-friendly. The beef, it says, comes from a farm in Vermont and all of the meat is not only grass-fed but organic and free of antibiotics and hormones.

Burger options range from the Standard with cheddar, caramelized onions, and dill pickles to the more elaborate Buckaroo topped with pastrami, Swiss cheese, pickled green tomatoes, and something called "Wham Bam sauce." There's a gourmet Top Shelf Super Duper, too, made with wagyu beef as well as two bison burgers and one made with elk meat. (These animals are also grass-fed.) Beef options don't stop with burgers, however, as you can also get ribeye alongside elk tacos, pastrami sandwiches made with bison, and a BLT that also includes elk.

Burger Lounge is a California-only chain, although it does have 25 locations spanning the state from San Diego to Sacramento. It boasts of being proudly in favor of grass feeding. True to its word, each burger on the menu comes from grass-fed cattle. There are no specific claims as to sourcing or the percentage of the diet except in a very few cases. Of the nine beef-based burgers on the menu, only two, the BL Western (cheddar, onion rings, bacon, and barbecue sauce) and the California Lounge (cheddar, bacon, avocado, and Thousand Island dressing) are advertised as being made with 100% grass-fed American beef. This is interesting in light of the fact that much of the grass-fed beef sold in the U.S. is actually imported from countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and Uruguay.

The other Burger Lounge offerings, the ones simply labeled as grass-fed, include options such as the Husky with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, and Thousand Island dressing; the Bacon Bleu (bet you can guess the main toppings for this one); and the truffle mushroom-Swiss (ditto). The chain also offers a bunless paleo burger with bacon, avocado, daikon sprouts, grilled zucchini, and tomato. From time to time, grass-fed bison burgers may be available as a limited-time special, but these are not part of the regular menu.

Elevation Burger currently has just nine restaurants, all in the Mid-Atlantic region. But at the time of its 2019 sale to FAT Brands (whose portfolio also includes Fatburger, Fazoli's, Johnny Rockets, and Marble Slab Creamery), it had a total of 44 locations. One or more of these were said to be outside the U.S., although these days its most exotic locations are those at the National Zoo and Reagan National Airport. Whatever its business setbacks may have been over the past few years, Elevation Burger remains among the more vocal of the grass-fed proponents, with a manifesto about commitment to all things healthy, organic, and sustainable. This includes a promise that all of the beef is 100% grass-fed, although no information is provided about sourcing.

While Elevation Burger's menu does include a build-a-burger option, the signature burgers are limited to just half a dozen offerings. These include burgers topped with mushrooms, Swiss cheese, and horseradish sauce; bacon, cheddar, and barbecue sauce; and cheddar, grilled onions, hot peppers, and a fried egg (organic, of course). There's also a paleo burger since grass-fed beef seems to be popular with those following this particular diet. Elevation Burger's take on this dish is a burger piled with bacon, guacamole, and tomatoes that has lettuce in place of a bun.

Farm Burger's nine locations are all in the South, primarily Georgia and North Carolina as well as one in Alabama. It's one of the older chains on the list, dating back to 2008, and was established as a partnership between an organic rancher and a hospitality professional. Perhaps due to its farming founder, it is among the most adamant proponents of grass-feeding, insisting that its beef cattle only ever eat grass and nothing but grass — no grain at any point of the feed cycle.

Farm Burger's signature Farm Burger is made with cheddar and caramelized onions, while the spicy Sunny-Side comes with a fried egg, pepper jack, bacon, and salsa verde. There's also a double bacon cheeseburger whose name works on two levels. Not only are there two patties, but in addition to being topped with bacon strips, the patties are made with a 50/50 mixture of beef and bacon. (No word on what the pigs eat, but they're said to be pasture-raised.) You can also build your own burger with a range of foodie-friendly toppings including sherry-date barbecue sauce, goat cheese, arugula, pork belly, and roasted bone marrow.

There are four B.Good locations in Massachusetts (two of them at Boston's Logan Airport), one in Maine, and one in New Hampshire. At one time, however, it seems this mini-empire extended to Connecticut and Rhode Island, as well. The mission statement is right there in the name, with the "good" the chain aspires to referring to supplying food that is both good for you and for the environment. Hence the commitment to serving up beef that's not only 100% grass-fed but also raised locally. Oddly enough, this specific information isn't disclosed until halfway down the menu page as the mission statement itself just offers up generalities about sustainability, animal welfare, etc. It does disclose the name of the farm that B.Good either owns or partners with, Hannah Farm, but does not specify what meats and vegetables are raised there or even where it's located.

The menu has just six "craft burgers," a number that coincidentally corresponds to its remaining locations. The offerings range from a slaw-topped Buffalo ranch burger to the cheese, egg, bacon, and avocado Power Play as well as the avocado, corn salsa, and chipotle Cali burger. There's also a kids' burger meal with a simple lettuce and tomato topping, side, and choice of organic milk or apple juice.

Burger Boss may only have two locations to its name, both in Orange County, California, but it's darn sure dedicated to the grass-fed cause. Unlike some of the aforementioned chains that like to play coy about how much of the beef is grass-fed, Burger Boss states that all of its beef is not only grass-fed but grass-finished, too. It also gives a number of reasons why prospective burger eaters should prefer this type of beef, starting with reiterating claims about it being lower in fat and higher in nutrients as well as being more sustainable (supposedly). It goes on to praise the more sophisticated flavor of grass-fed beef and adds that the meat it uses is Halal-certified.

Burger Boss' menu definitely leans more hipster café than fast food joint, with most burgers boasting a lengthy list of add-ons. The Bistro Boss, which comes on a garlic herb brioche bun, has "bleu" (not plain old blue) cheese, balsamic onion jam, dijon, arugula, and vine-ripened tomatoes, while the Smoked Brisket Boss is smothered not only with brisket but with barbecue sauce, chipotle mayonnaise, jalapeños, grilled onions, pepperoncini, and pickles.