Top 5 Hamburgers

Skyway on W.Market St. in Akron, Oh.

I defy anyone to eat a whole large order of Five Guys' fries. It is way too much even for two people.

Mark

several competitors in mpls/ st paul, but any burger anywhere (except hickies in ohio) might pale to a 'juicy lucy'

D Mob,I helped create the Pharmaka Gallery across the street from the Nickel in 2004. Along with Bert Green, we were the pioneers in starting Gallery Row. They have a wonderful art walk once a month. 20 galleries plus the Museum of Contemporary Art. 5,000 people attend. Usually the second Thursday of each month. Recommend it to all Angel residents.

Shooting Star burger, Huntsville UT

Take another blood pressure pill Fries (large)

1,464 calories
71 g fat (14 g saturated)
213 mg sodium

add a shake of salt when packaged = 600 mg sodium

add ketchup = 1200+ mg sodium

You only live (and die) once.

Gawdbless, I think that's just the fries they put in the cup, doesn't include the equal amount they then throw into the bag as a bonus!

................and what heart attack sandwich in a bun is complete without an order of fries?

Five Guys Fries (large)

1,464 calories
71 g fat (14 g saturated)
213 mg sodium

I'll acknowledge Unsound's complaints about 5 Guys, but I still think that they're among the better ones you can get around here in NJ. Another pretty good one down the Shore, as we say here, which has char broiled burgers, is the Windmill chain, not bad, but I prefer the 5 Guys fries (Windmill's hot dogs are excellent, though, especially when you have them put on the char broiler). I am not as big a fan of the In-N-Out burgers as my son, I guess it's an acquired taste on the West Coast.

I am very pleased to see that no one on this thread has mentioned White Castle burgers, which I find to be awful even if they are a cult fave!

Five Guys - DC and Maryland area and that is my top 5!

02-23-10: Tvad
I've never gotten aboard the In-N-Out craze. Their burgers just don't stand out to me.

Agreed. Thin, tasteless, patties. You have to go "off menu" to get anything remotely tasting like hamburger with meat. Four-by patties is the only way, and then it's not exactly a budget burger, is it?

And how they've gotten away with those lame fries all these years is beyond me. I applaud them for cutting the fries right out fresh potatoes in front of your face, but let's make them a little thicker and cook the damn things a little longer, please.

So, I'm still searching for the great LA burger. I'll have to try Father's Office when I get to the west side.

Father's Office has gone upscale, unless you go to the original hole in the wall in Brentwood. I was just at the new Culver City mega-digs and their beer selection is impressive, but they have to pay for the prime real estate...

Try Nickel Diner - 525 Main Street, downtown LA. Great burger and phenomenal deserts. Be sure to try their red velvet cake(w/ crushed malt balls), homemade Ding Dongs, and maple-glazed bacon donuts.

Tvad:

"I was a big fan of Fatburger when they had hand made patties. When they switched to pre-made patties that were pressed too densely, the magic went away."

Good point. Believe it or not crappy Wendy's used to have fresh formed patties that tasted like real backyard grilled burgers (still the same lousy buns though). I remember it well at one of their locations near the BIG CHICKEN in Marietta, GA back heyday of Bachman Turner Overdrive and Boston.

A hamburger thread has more responses than most audio threads. What does that tell us?

Bongo:

"I'll scatter your ashes but who keeps your rig?"

Me:

It isn't worth much. I've downsized or sold almost everything I have except my 100K crap stucco box, my old Subaru and my 7K stereo. Two serious cancers in my life. One took my wife/life partner, much of our savings, and now I'm dealing with another. Sis has a bad cancer battle now too. All of us had decent health plan (we had Blue Cross PPO), but I guess the Republican's have their solution, "let people die if they do but don't raise the taxes of us rugged individualists who take care of ourselves very well without stinking federal interference thank you very much, and we'll keep stalling and stalling ("F" the nation) until we get one of our own in the WHITE house."

In the Philadelphia area:
Barclay Prime
Black Sheep
The Bards
Copabanana
Good Dog Bar (try the one stuffed with blue cheese)
London Grill (on an English muffin, no less)
Rouge

Although it doesn't make this list, I like 5 Guys, but understand Unsound's criticism.

Of course, if you come here on a visit, skip the burgers, as you can get them in any city. Try the hoagies (subs to the rest of you), roast pork, roast beef, and cheesesteaks.

02-23-10: Gawdbless
Carl's Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger, anything with 1520 calories and can potentially give one a heart attack, all for just 6 bucks, just has to be good.

I agree. Of the large fast food chain burgers, Carl's is the best by a long shot. Although, you have to add chili to see the full potential.

Also, the Double Western Burger is still the value buy. That brick stays in your stomach for hours.

5-In n Out-Any location
4-Paradie Grill-Capitola, Ca
3-Fatburger-South Lake Tahoe, Nevada
2-Wooden Nickle-Watsonville, Ca
1-Betty Burgers-Santa Cruz, Ca

Surprised no one has mentioned the Big Kahuna burger (from Pulp Fiction). :^)

Carl's Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger,

anything with 1520 calories and can potentially give one a heart attack, all for just 6 bucks, just has to be good.

'Go to Redamak's in New Buffalo, MI'

thanks David I will have to remember them the next time I go that way. I am about 70 miles away and live in Kalamazoo.

Phil

I'll scatter your ashes but who keeps your rig?

Bongo,

Good call on Phillipes for the old. Bay area is food n drink nirvana. I can think of several mom & pop joints in North Beach alone that trip the salivate meter. btw, I'm a Palo Alto, Cali native. Can't afford living in the town or the state anymore. Just scatter my ashes off the coast of Big Sur and they'll say he came home.

Fatburger and In N Out both have this dynamic where people who've heard about how great they are for years finally break down and go there for the first time, only to come back saying "I don't get the hype". You can't just go in and order a burger in joints like this. In the case of Fatburger, if you ask instead for a Double King with cheese, egg, bacon and chili with everything on it, you'll be impressed; and with In N Out, a Double Double with extra grilled onions is a tasty burger indeed. On your second visit, ask for it "Animal Style". BTW, the french fries served Animal Style are pretty fun also.

02-22-10: Byegolly

Fatburger was decent in late 80's/early 90's - they must be gone or crap now cause no one ever mentions them anymore.

02-22-10: Samhar
Hhh the R.B. Fat Burger on PCH was the best and later the ones Magic Johnson owned on the West Side were great. Once Magic sold out the quality dropped.

Certain ones still are. I just took the XXXXL(four 1/2 lb patties w/ cheese and full fixins) challenge at the Redondo Beach Fatburger a month ago, and besides being a serious undertaking, it was one of the best burgers I've had in a long time. It was juicy beyond all getout. What I like about FB is that they still seriously season their beef patties.

Hhh, thanks for the Buffalo Fire Dept tip in Old Torrance. I live about 15 minutes from there and will give it a try in the next week or so.

Philjolet,

Go to Redamak's in New Buffalo, MI. Pan fried with grilled onions; simple is still the best. You can thank me later.

:-)

David

If you are doing the food tour of LA, I think my fav old school restaurant is Phillipes The Original. Lamb and beef dips are delish. My car can go there on autopilot.

Up North, I love Joe's Cable Car in SF, The Squeeze in Sacramento, and Lunchbox Lab in Seattle. Back Yard Burger in Little Rock also rocks my world.

Hhh the R.B. Fat Burger on PCH was the best and later the ones Magic Johnson owned on the West Side were great. Once Magic sold out the quality dropped.

Unsound I kind of agree. I wouldn't say five guys outright sucks but it would becso much better if you could get a burger cooked medium rare.

Even the big chain places like chilis etc burgers have gotten to be at least tolerable since they started offering burgers cooked less than medium well.

Mark

THE SQUEEZE INN near Sacramento

BFD (Buffalo Fire Dept.) Torrance
Apple Pan West Los Angeles
Fat Burger Redondo Beach
I Second Jamala Beach Grill
Honorable Mention: Hennessey's Redondo Beach

Steak and Shake's in Atlanta area circa 1970's oh my gawd those vanilla shakes and burgers.

Bongo,

Fatburger was decent in late 80's/early 90's - they must be gone or crap now cause no one ever mentions them anymore.

..no more credit from the liquor store

Back in the day, here in Cleveland, Oh, I would have said Fantastic Steakburger on W 25,.. great burgers, long since gone. Swenson's a local Drive In chain are pretty good and supposedly the choice of Jimmy Buffet when he's in town for his annual Blossom concert. In today's world I get some 80/20 Angus & grill em at home.

Rcprince,

Next visit hit The Pantry for breakfast, a hot dog at Pinks, and dinner at Musso & Franks. Those wouldn't rate on the L.A. haute foodie scale, but you'd sure have done your part for old L.A.

If you can imagine it, L.A.'s probably got it.

Twisted Root in Deep Ellum just East of downtown Dallas

5 Guys sucks. Their burgers are only available medium or burnt even worse. What's with putting the peanuts on top of the garbage pails. Yuck!!!

American tavern...solon, ohio....great grilled onions

Byegolly, my son took my wife and I to the House of Pies when we visited him about a year and a half ago, about as close to a Jersey diner experience as you can get out there, I guess. Good pies too!

Canteen Hamburgers only in the alley in Ottumwa, Iowa. The best loose meat hamburgers ever.

L.A.'s still got plenty of the old school eateries and eateries. House of Pies comes to mind. Plenty of those crappy diners like you see in Pulp Fiction. Oh Los Feliz, how I miss thee - The Greek Theater, Griffith Park, the traffic, the air quality..

SoCal burgerholics should note PIE N' BURGER on East California, near Lake in Pasadena.Just a great,simple old fashioned burger with fab homemade Thousand Island dressing.The Place opened in 196,and is as close to a diner as you will find in the ever changing landscape of L.A.
R.I.P. Meatty Meat Burger,it was a killer hunk of cowflesh and a great scene. That was one big, butt ugly,tasty burger!

Top 4 Burgers of Cincinnati, OH

1. Terry's Turf Club
2. Zip's Pub
3. Oakley Pub
4. 5 Guys

Agree with 5 guys, great fires and hot dogs too! Come hungry you won't leave that way.

Has anyone tried the Heart Attack Grill in Chandler, Arizona? (be sure to stop the gawd-awful music on that website)

Sure, they make big burgers, but are they any good?

Bongofury

"Apple Pan is great."

Like Musso & Frank's it's a time capsule. When I lived in La La land we would go there for the atmosphere. I don't think the food is anything special, and I've had most everything on their menu. I read somewhere that a couple of Apple Pan employees had been working there since the Nixon administration. My all time best burger was at the 21 Club in NYC circa 1980's, but that's an unfair comparison against diner/fast food varieties.

fine everybody, just rub my nose in it!

:^D

all we have (SW Michigan) is BW3 and Culvers - ugh!

Armadillo Willy's in Cupertino has an incredible burger!
One of the best in Silicon Valley. Sam's Barbeque on Bascom Avenue San Jose is also very good. Both of my recommended burgers are of the charbroiled variety.