Remember the before times?
When burgers were simply a salt-of-the-earth, cheap, and greasy answer for broke college kids and frazzled moms?
Those cheeseburgers are still out there!
Photos: Burger King, Fatburger, and Sonic. Design: Eat This, Not That!
So, what’s the best quick, easy cheeseburger out there?
Remove all the trappingsno Whoppers or Big Macsand strip it down to a plain old cheeseburger.
Who does it best?
Photo: Caitlin White, Eat This, Not That!
This bare-bones burger cost $2.95.
The meat flavoror lack thereoflanded this in last place.
It was bad, overcooked, and too chewy.
Photo: Caitlin White, Eat This, Not That!
With a burger, that’s a bad thing.
But there are plenty of other flame-grilled burgers on the menu as well.
It cost me$3.60.
Photo: Caitlin White, Eat This, Not That!
The look:This burger was so measly it was hard to photograph.
I included my hand in the photo for size.
No other toppings are visible.
Photo: Caitlin White, Eat This, Not That!
Like the Jack in the Box burger, this one also ranks among the smallest of the group.
The bun isn’t toasted much and doesn’t play into the flavor.
The whole sandwich would be better with less ketchup.
Photo: Caitlin White, Eat This, Not That!
This cheeseburger could’ve used some onion.
It now costs $2.59 where I live in Southern California.
Even so, that’s just a penny more than the cheapest burger I tried.
Photo: Caitlin White, Eat This, Not That!
The look:This might’ve been the smallest burger of all.
There’s melted American cheese, then a patty with mustardbut strangely, no ketchup.
Not bad, though.
Photo: Caitlin White, Eat This, Not That!
It’s got a nice toasting for a grilled flavor but no crispness.
The buns are almost like pancakes, chewy and fluffy but thick.
I love the chopped onion for the hints of umami it adds.
Photo: Caitlin White, Eat This, Not That!
10 Restaurant Chains That Serve the Best Classic Cheeseburgers
Carl’s Jr.
It also costs more.
This burger set me back $4.61.
Photo: Caitlin White, Eat This, Not That!
The look:Better than it tastes.
I love the sesame seeds and the onion and pickle peeking out.
The cheese slice is pleasing to the eye, but again, not very melty.
Photo: Caitlin White, Eat This, Not That!
The bun is thinner and less airy but adds a nice wheaty flavor.
This is the first one that’s not so bad.
Nevertheless, I regret eating it, and I also wouldn’t order it again.
Photo: Caitlin White, Eat This, Not That!
A standard Rally’s Burger with cheese cost $2.58, one of the cheapest in the entire group.
The look:The first thing I noticed was the red onion slice instead of a white one.
I love an outlier.
The taste:Really good for the price.
The cheese is thickly sliced, and the flavor comes through.
The bottom bun is grilled, but the top bun quickly gets too wet from a mess of condiments.
Overall, the beef isn’t too prominent in the mix, but the balance is nice.
This burger isn’t too salty, but it’s also not overly sweet.
This one cost me$6.99.
The look:Puzzling.
Why is the cheese on the bottom of a Sonic burger?
That’s the strangest thing I’ve ever seen.
It’s supposed to go on top and melt into the ridges of the meat, right?
The beef patty, meanwhile, looks thin but is a good width.
The taste:The beef is the dominant flavor, and the ketchup adds a nice balance.
The super-soft bun contrasts so well with the great flavor of the beef.
I can’t taste it at all!
When you’re eating it, the soft bun gets soggy too quickly.
It’s a less salty burger than some and has a little too much lettuce for my taste.
There’s lots of mayo, but it didn’t add much flavor.
Caveateveryone at Sonic was so nice; it made a huge difference in my experience.
The counter staff even put a little mint in the bag.
Can excellent service impact how you feel about flavor?
It made me want to go back.
This classic cheeseburger cost me$7.65.
The look:I was surprised by how nice thisWendy’sburger looked when I pulled it from the packaging.
I’ve been harping about unmelted cheese, and this is the first burger where it looks visually melted.
It’s not hard to melt cheese when you have a griddle at your disposal!
Love the nice thick swatch of lettuce and the contrast between that green and the red tomato.
To me, this looks like what a cheeseburger should look like.
The bun is toasted but still soft and offers a mix of sweet and bready flavors.
The lettuce is fresh and adds a nice crunch.
The meat is salty, fatty, and has way more flavor than many other fast-food options.
The meat tastes like real beef.
I wanted to keep eating it past the first few taste-test bites.
Then again, it’s almost triple the price.
Overall, it’s a delicious burger and worth the extra money if you have it.
All together, it cost $10.28the second most expensive burger in this survey.
The look:Surprisingly good, and yes, itisfat.
I didn’t love it and felt like it completely overwhelmed the other flavors.
Pro tip: get it without.
I highly recommend this burger, except for the relish, which throws it off balance.
The bun is excellent and holds up to the heartiness of the patty.
Five Guys
Five Guysdoes things a little differently than other quick-service burger chains.
Its original cheeseburger comes standard with two patties to make it a double.
This naturally inflates the price tag.
I actually gasped when I placed my order, which rang up at $14.21.
The look:Messy, but I kind of love it?
You’ve got super melty cheese and gobs of ketchup everywhere.
It simply cannot withstand the two patties it’s appointed to contain.
The heft of the whole sandwich is different because of the double-layered beef.
If Five Guys could get a more substantial bun, it would improve the whole experience.
The meat is cookedsmash burger-style.
The ShackSauce is strong, present, and good.
The meat is amazing and has a pleasing, flaky texture that no other burger had.
This is a pretty small burger but with super strong flavors.
Honestly, it could’ve benefited from a pickle or some onions.
And it’s Shake Shack, so expect a long wait at popular locations.
Despite all the perks, though, there’s still one cheeseburger that I liked even better.
This burger cost $3.95.
The look:It’s really pretty.
The only other burger that looked this good out of the gate was Wendy’s.
The cheese is nice and melted, and you’ve got a good standard, restaurant-quality beef taste.
It’s not too salty, and it’s got onion for crunch.
The tomato and lettuce are fresh and crisp, with four to five slices of lettuce.
My one quibble is that it gets drippy pretty quickly because of the sauce.
My other quibble is the thin patty, which is probably why the double-double is so popular.
The bun is soft and sweet but not too buttery.
