OT: Best Gourmet Chain Burger

[8893]

I think I must have missed the "gourmet" aspect of these places. Never heard of Burger Fi or Bare Burger, but aside from Plan B and Bobby Flays, the rest of these places are simply greasy fast food joints. Especially Five Guys, which I swore off around two years ago because of the grease. I guess if you eat it often enough your body can handle it, but mine rejects it instantly and I have to have immediate access to a bathroom for a ride on the porcelain Honda--kind of like I remember from White Castle back in the day.

I do think Plan B is very good, and Prime 16 is probably my favorite overall in the state.

As for In-N-Out, I've only been a handful of times while on the West Coast and I was impressed at the freshness and lack of grease. In terms of the fast food joints, I think they are the best.

 

[Deepster]

I think I must have missed the "gourmet" aspect of these places. Never heard of Burger Fi or Bare Burger, but aside from Plan B and Bobby Flays, the rest of these places are simply greasy fast food joints. Especially Five Guys, which I swore off around two years ago because of the grease. I guess if you eat it often enough your body can handle it, but mine rejects it instantly and I have to have immediate access for a ride on the porcelain Honda--kind of like I remember from White Castle back in the day.

I do think Plan B is very good, and Prime 16 is probably my favorite overall in the state.

As for In-N-Out, I've only been a handful of times while on the West Coast and I was impressed at the freshness and lack of grease. In terms of the fast food joints, I think they are the best.

Looks like our lower intestinal tract is on the same channel, amigo.

 

[mauconnfan]

I think I must have missed the "gourmet" aspect of these places. Never heard of Burger Fi or Bare Burger, but aside from Plan B and Bobby Flays, the rest of these places are simply greasy fast food joints. Especially Five Guys, which I swore off around two years ago because of the grease. I guess if you eat it often enough your body can handle it, but mine rejects it instantly and I have to have immediate access to a bathroom for a ride on the porcelain Honda--kind of like I remember from White Castle back in the day.

I do think Plan B is very good, and Prime 16 is probably my favorite overall in the state.

As for In-N-Out, I've only been a handful of times while on the West Coast and I was impressed at the freshness and lack of grease. In terms of the fast food joints, I think they are the best.

Add Max's Burger - for those who need to watch it their Burger salads are really good too. Max, Bobby Flays and Plan B's are all a cut above the rest.

 

[8893]

Add Max's Burger - for those who need to watch it their Burger salads are really good too. Max, Bobby Flays and Plan B's are all a cut above the rest.

Never been to Max Burger but I did have a great burger at Max Downtown after the Georgetown game a few weeks ago. The only thing bad about it was that the driving conditions for my ride home turned from dangerous to barely passable while I was there...

 

[CallMeBruce]

It's a regional chain around Rochester, but Bill Gray's has always been my favorite place to get a cheeseburger.

 

[August_West]

I will never understand the love for 5 Guys. I don't think I've ever eaten there without a night of explosive diarrhea following it. And I don't want to hear about the fries. They're underseasoned and burned.

Why aren't you doing the Cajun fries then? I don't disagree overall about 5 guys ( although it is way better than wayback ) but whether you like the fries or not the one thing you can never say is they are under seasoned. They dump probably too much on them.

 

[Doginaus]

Dan's Hamburgers in Austin...the gold standard for burgers.

 

[UConn Dan]

Shake Shack
Five Guys
BurgerFi

Full disclosure: I have not tried in-and-out burger

 

[methodology]

Plan b and prime 16 are great but those are a different category than 5 guys, shake shack, in n out, steak n shake etc.

Give me shake shack all day over 5 guys even though I stop at 5 guys once a week since it's nearby. Only had steak n shake once but that milkshake was great.

Whoever said sonic I can't get behind that at all. Sonic food is all below average but their milkshakes and slushies are the bomb.

 

[Waquoit]

Also BurgerFi nickel and dimes you for everything.

But BurgerFi coupons are ubiquitous, helps to mitigate the price.

 

[Chuck]

In N Out was awesome when all we had on the east coast was McDonalds and Burger King. In my opinion, In N Out is still the king of the cheaper places, but the new upscale burger joints are better (but more expensive).

I think all of the new places are really good (and bad for you). Within a few miles of my suburban house we have (in the order of my p
reference):

1. 2 Shake Shacks,
2. 1 Five Guys (first of the upscalers in our area),
3. Tie between: 1 Habit Burger, 3 Smashburgers, 1 Bobby's Burger Palace
4. 1 Zinburger
5. There's also a couple local places that have opened with the same characteristics. I'm also near White Manna, which is a solid local legend.

 

[Deepster]

Why aren't you doing the Cajun fries then? I don't disagree overall about 5 guys ( although it is way better than wayback ) but whether you like the fries or not the one thing you can never say is they are under seasoned. They dump probably too much on them.

I don't know. Why don't you try KETCHUP on them?

 

[August_West]

I don't know. Why don't you try KETCHUP on them?

Because Im not 8?

 

[J-dog]

A tie…
Bobby Flay
Plan B (also try the Buffalo Shrimp Appetizer - really good)

Haven't tried ShakeShack

 

[pepband99]

Stretching it as a "chain" (though it is) and against the places here, but Capital Grille burger is tremendous. I would take it over any of the "chain" places mentioned.

 

[8893]

Plan b and prime 16 are great but those are a different category than 5 guys, shake shack, in n out, steak n shake etc.

Yes, that's my point. I don't get the "gourmet" in the thread title because the places identified are just greasy fast food joints. Plan B, Prime, Bobby Flay's etc. are the "gourmet" category imo.

I don't know. Why don't you try KETCHUP on them?

Because Im not 8?

I had lunch at Plan B in Glastonbury on Wednesday and I meant to snap a picture of their beautiful, 20-something foot wall mural of a ketchup bottle to send to you, @August_West . I usually go with the special burgers there, but the special that day was too weird (peanut butter and jelly on a burger?), so I went with my standby, their Baja Burger.

 

[August_West]

so I went with my standby, their Baja Burger.

That's a good Burger. Please tell me you didn't ruin it with ketchup.

 

[8893]

That's a good Burger. Please tell me you didn't ruin it with ketchup.

Yep. Had to ask for another side, in fact.

BTW, what's up with that? Serving ketchup in a plastic ramekin? Just give me the damn bottle, please...

 

[CTMike]

Plan B
Shake Shack
Edit: Bobby Flay's
BurgerFi

Everywhere else, get in line.

Don't really get the love for Mooyah, just seems like a more expensive Five Guys... They are both fine and better than a BK or McD's, but that's about it.

I do need to hit up the new Smashburger...

 

[RichZ]

Wayback Burger

Seriously? Wayback? Absolutely the worst fast food experience I've ever had. Ordered a patty melt. That's a pretty simple sandwich. Pretty much a burger and fried onions inside a grilled cheese on rye. To start with, they made it on an inside out burger roll instead of rye bread. OK, I can live with that. I could SEE the burger inside it, and even a couple pieces of onion. But I couldn't taste either the meat or the onions because they dumped what seemed like 3 gallons of ranch dressing into it. Took it back to the counter and said it was inedible, could they make one without the ranch. Guy said that's how they make a patty melt. Then he said he could make me one without ranch, but he would have to charge me for it because I already ate part of the first one.

You couldn't pay me to eat at a wayback burger again.

 

[methodology]

Yes, that's my point. I don't get the "gourmet" in the thread title because the places identified are just greasy fast food joints. Plan B, Prime, Bobby Flay's etc. are the "gourmet" category imo.

I think you live in the shoreline area whats your thoughts on Haywire, if you have tried it? I went there once when they first opened and wasn't all that impressed but everyone always is talking it up as the best burger joint on the shoreline

 

[8893]

I think all of the new places are really good (and bad for you).

Post/handle

 

[8893]

I think you live in the shoreline area whats your thoughts on Haywire, if you have tried it? I went there once when they first opened and wasn't all that impressed but everyone always is talking it up as the best burger joint on the shoreline

I think Haywire is definitely in the "gourmet" burger category, but not as good imo as Plan B and Prime. I've only been there twice, once shortly after they opened, and thought they were good but not all that special. Decent beers and good service though, so I'd definitely give them another shot. My wife and kids have been there a lot more than I have and they really like it, but they don't get to Prime or Plan B as often as I do.

 

[superjohn]

Do any of you guys actually like these chain places more than a good pub or restaurant burger? Maybe I'm just spoiled living in Chicago but I could name a bunch of places that are way better than any of these chains and the price is only a little bit more

 

[8893]

Do any of you guys actually like these chain places more than a good pub or restaurant burger?

The places I'm talking about are pub/restaurant places, but there are a few of them, so I guess they are technically a chain/franchise. I'm guessing they are more like what you're talking about though.