LA Times' ranking of the best burger brands

23) Burger King

Whopper Junior

I find it difficult to understand why people like Burger King. This chain, based in Florida, has thousands of locations, but there are many places with better fries and burgers. After trying Burger King's burgers (Whopper, Jr. Whopper, Impossible Whopper, Bacon King, Cheeseburger), I found the meat dry and tasteless, and the flavor of the fresh vegetables, ketchup, and mayonnaise overwhelming. It's hard to see the appeal of Burger King, and I don't think ranking it last is too harsh.

Recommended burger: Whopper Junior.
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 9

22) Zolbi

You are not going to Jolibee to eat hamburgers, but to eat spaghetti or fried chicken. Jolibee's hamburgers are not good. The meat is gray and tasteless, and the pineapple ring on the Aloha Yamburger also lacked flavor. It tasted as if there was an explosion of spirit or passion during the cooking process.

Recommended burger: Aloha Yam Burger
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 21

21) Wiener Schnitzel

Wiener Schnitzel is mainly known as a hot dog stand. Hamburgers are somewhat off the mark. The chili cheese burger with messy sauce wasn't too bad, but it's at the level you can expect from a typical hospital cafeteria.

Recommended burger: Chili Cheeseburger
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 5

20) Sonic

I like Sonic, a chain unrelated to the hedgehog Sonic established 60 years ago in Oklahoma. I enjoy parking and ordering at the kiosk. I also like the experiences with the carhop who brings food to the vehicle.

What I dislike is the food itself. A few years ago, the Sonic I visited just made me think that I wasn't feeling well. And when I visited again recently, my curiosity about Sonic's bad mood grew even more. The cheese burger, which should have had ketchup and mayonnaise, only had mayonnaise. The Chophouse cheeseburger, which should have had fried onions and pepper aioli, only had aioli. Overall, if you want to make witty remarks in the car, it's a decent choice, but if not, it's better to pass.

Recommended burger: Chop House Cheeseburger
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 12

19) Rallis

Smoky barbecue bacon viewport

Depending on the area you live in, the burger chain also known as Checker or Rally's (for example, Rally's is mainly found in California, but in Florida, it can only be found as Checker) offers decent value, though it may not be the best burger I've ever had. The Double Fry Lovers Burger features fries on top of the burger, attempting a Primo Brothers-style sandwich. Unfortunately, the amount of fries included is surprisingly small. The patty of the burger I tried was slightly greasy and had a slick texture.

Recommended Burger: Smoky BBQ Bacon Buford
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 4

18) Del Taco

Here is another example: "It's not the reason I came for the hamburger." The French fries are surprisingly delicious, but this is not a place to eat burgers. Del Taco's burgers can be improved by adding a little pickle, but you should also use some Del Inferno hot sauce.

Recommended burger: Double Deluxe Cheeseburger
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 8

17) White Castle

You cannot find the word "burger" anywhere on White Castle's menu because the sliders they serve do not resemble traditional burgers. They are small-sized sliders called square-shaped hamburgers. White Castle's original sliders are likely the only fast-food burgers in the United States priced under one dollar.

Recommended burger: Cheese Slider
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 1

Dairy Queen

One of the most interesting policies in the fast food industry was introduced by Dairy Queen, where they promised to give the next ice cream for free if their specially made zero-gravity ice cream, which they created, fell upside down. (This policy is currently implemented at each store.)

Dairy Queen is a store that sells hamburgers and ice cream, with the Loaded A.1. burger being particularly popular. The so-called Flame Thrower Stackburger is a decent bacon double cheeseburger topped with slightly spicy aioli, but you will want to try the Loaded A.1. This burger is characterized by its unique sweet sauce.

Recommended burger: Loaded A.1.
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 17

15) Jack in the Box

Jack in the Box appears to be a general franchise that covers everything, with no particular standout feature. This choice may be intentional, but it is ultimately believed to pose a crisis to the brand's identity. Jack in the Box, what are you excellent at? Are hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, teriyaki bowls, fajita pitas, mini pancakes, egg rolls, cheesecakes, and tacos really necessary on your menu? What is the goal of your life?

The top part of the stacked grilled cheese burger has melted cheese on it. However, sourdough jack is also fine. Bacon, beef, and cheese are placed between toasted bread spread with butter.

Recommended burger: Sourdough Jack
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 10

14) Steak and Shake

This historic chain, established in Illinois during the Great Depression, went through a tough time during the pandemic but still operates hundreds of stores nationwide. And it still makes quite good burgers. The garlic double steak burger, with its long, popover-shaped bread and literally dripping garlic butter, pushes beyond the line into the realm of limits. I want to draw the line and stick to a regular butter burger.

Recommended burger: Butter Double Steak Burger
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 11

13) Habit

Teriyaki Char

Habit, a burger chain headquartered in California, closely links fast food and fast casual, and deserves to occupy a slightly higher tier. More importantly, it offers good quality burgers at reasonable prices (around $4.99 for the basic Chaburger). However, the burgers contain a very high amount of lettuce, which seems inappropriate.

Recommended burger: Teriyaki Char
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 3

12) Wendys

Junior Bacon Cheeseburger

Wendy's, a brand loved by many, will probably be the most well-known.

However, you shouldn't focus solely on the brand. The brand should be evaluated based on burger quality. Most meet the standards, but not beyond that. Wendy's relies heavily on bacon in their menu. They currently sell a variety of burgers, most of which include bacon. I'm not sure. It feels a bit like cheating.

Recommended burger: Junior Bacon Cheeseburger
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 7

11) A&W

This company, founded in 1919 in Rody between Stockton and Sacramento, thrived entirely on root beer and became an international chain.

Burgers are delicious. There is also a flawless bacon cheeseburger. However, I simply recommend a plain cheeseburger. This product, with thick and fluffy bread, cheese melted almost to a liquid state, and abundant pickles, is a solid example in its category.

Recommended burger: Cheeseburger
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 15

10) Shake Shack

Shake Shack never makes terrible hamburgers, but it is a franchise that loudly proclaims, "Choose me!" — perhaps a bit overly enthusiastic. The most delicious burger, the Roadside Double, contains Swiss cheese and caramelized onions, but ultimately it is too messy and difficult to handle, making it insufficient to be considered a top fast-food burger.

Recommended burger: Roadside Double
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 20

9) Smash Burger

Classic Smash

Smash Burger owned by Zolibi offers premium burgers. They are definitely better than those provided by Zolibi itself. They are quite tasty and not very expensive. The price of a single patty special burger is $10.99.

Recommended burger: Classic Smash
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 23

8) Five Guys

Founded in 1986 and based in Virginia, the Five Guys chain actually pioneered the transition from fast food to fast casual. It was a simple strategy of charging more for better products. It worked. Now, Five Guys is in every state except Alaska.

Five Guys offers hearty burgers that feel like eating at a backyard barbecue party. If I had to be picky, it would be the "All the Way" — ordering with all toppings added makes the burger difficult to handle due to the grilled onions and mushrooms. Also, these burgers are expensive. The Bacon Cheeseburger (double patty) was $12.99. Would it be better to eat five double cheeseburgers from McDonald's? I can understand either choice.

Recommended burger: Cheeseburger
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 22

7) Culvers

My father once told me that when he was young in rural Illinois, he and his family would order pizza and spread butter on the slices. So, it is no surprise that in the Midwest, buttered or butter-topped burgers like Culvers and butter burgers were born. (Culvers serves burgers on bread with butter applied.)

Recommended burger: Culver's Deluxe
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 16

Whataburger

Wataburger's hamburgers, popular in the southern United States, are really large. They are flat and wide, making them difficult to handle with one hand. The taste is good, but they are not particularly cheap, with the Special Bacon Blue Cheese Burger priced at $8.99. Non-customized Wataburgers are served only with vegetables and mustard as dressing, which is a refreshing change in American society accustomed to ketchup.

Recommended burger: Cheese Double Meat Whataburger

Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 18

5) In-N-Out

I have always argued that In-N-Out is overrated. However, that doesn't mean In-N-Out is not good. Especially when it comes to burgers, even more so. The Double-Double is an icon of California. It's a great burger. I really like the toasted bun, the embrace of raw onion, and the watery iceberg lettuce.

At In-N-Out Burger, meat was never a strong point, but the special sauce combo of tangy ketchup, mustard, mayo, and pickles always made that fact seem insignificant. The Double-Double, once the cheapest in the fast-food industry, isn't as cheap as it used to be, but it's still a bargain. Just skip the fries.

Recommended burger: Double Double
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 2

4) McDonald's

No matter what you think about this company or the impact they have on the world, did you really think McDonald's wouldn't be in the top 5? The Quarter Pounder with Cheese is their model. Competitors dislike this. Other burgers want to be like this. McDonald's could only offer the Quarter Pounder, Double Cheeseburger, and Fries, yet they still make billions of dollars annually. McDonald's has mastered the art of simplicity.

A creative specialty burger? Unnecessary. Piling bacon on everything? No thanks. The simple formula of onion, pickle, cheese, ketchup, and mustard is often repeated, but nothing is loved as much as McDonald's.

Recommended burger: Quarter Pounder with Cheese
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 6

3) Fredie's Frozen Custard & Steak Burger

Freddie's Original Double

This chain, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, is growing rapidly. Although it is not a well-known name in California, growth may be just a matter of time since some private equity investors acquired the company last year.

Here, we offer a smart and concise menu with crispy-edge patties. Freddy's burgers are very delicious. There is the Freddy's Original Double, the best burger with cheese, generous pickle slices, onions, and mustard.

Recommended Burger: Freddy's Original Double
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 19

2) Carls Junior

Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger

The Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger is one of the most delicious fast food burgers ever made.

In some areas, the Carl's Jr. called Hardees was almost ranked first due to the excellence of not only the burger mentioned earlier but also another burger comparable to it—the Jalapeño Angus Burger, which features crunchy and fresh vegetables along with jalapeños. There is also a more affordable option: in my local store, this burger is sold for about $8.

Recommended burger: Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 13

1) Fatburger

Fatburger

Some might say that selecting this chain, established 75 years ago in southern Los Angeles, as number one is biased towards the local area. However, I will not apologize for this choice. Simply put, I want to say that this is the best burger currently for states in the U.S. that do not have PatBurger. Now, there is another reason to visit Los Angeles.

The paper-wrapped burger is as thick as its name suggests. The freshly pressed patty on the grill forms a crispy, impressive meat, just like you would see in a better burger. The basic toppings are lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, seasoning, mustard, and mayonnaise. What makes the difference are the last four ingredients. Including both pickles and seasoning adds a tangy flavor and acidity to the burger. While I don't oppose adding ketchup to every burger, here it is considered proper to use only mustard, which also helps reduce the heaviness of the thicker burger.

While the classic patty burger is good, the Western Bacon BBQ made with real Swiss cheese and quite generous onion rings is also very delicious. The turkey burger is also tasty, so I want to give extra points. I would choose this place over any other chain anytime.

Recommended burger: Fat Burger
Value/Cost-effectiveness ranking: 14

It's hard to trust that McDonald's is ranked fourth lol

Issues/Trends/Info

LA Times' ranking of the best burger brands