Top 5 Hamburgers

Byegolly: I like the cheese and grilled onion residue off the wrapper of a double double. :)

Come on, I'd crush burgers at In N'Out before I'd destroy burgers at Carl's Jr any day, and I love Carl's Jr. Yes, there's a doctor's office clinicality to the interior; but I don't see a lot of bicycles out back, so I think we're safe from the Mormon thing.
I don't see a lot of Brothers working there though. Hmmm...
I had my first Double-Double back in '78, so I know it's not about the lawyers, because we just laughed at guys that said they were going to sue us back then and beat them up some more. I was a big Tommy's guy, and didn't think the In N'Out was a big deal either at the time. The only thing different from today was the fries. They were shoestring. Better for a rabid case of the munchies, IMHO. The shakes have never been spectacular, and I know this is heresy; but I never thought their lemonade was that good either.
...But saying In N'Out isn't good is like saying a great bagel shop that gets all the fundamentals just right is just OK because they don't do anything "different". What's different is the integrity of the essence.
(Hey, since this thread has been hijacked so many times---Lebanese food?---and speaking of bagels, what about Jewish delis? I always liked Mort's in Pacific Palisades; but Shep's on Pico was good, and Art's in 90210 was pretty good too. Weby's on Ventura is gone :( Brisket and pastrami, add swiss and cole slaw with Russian dressing on an onion roll...OK, enough of that)
Even my beloved Carl's Jr has gone to a freaking microwave, and that stuff that's supposed to pass for eggs (Ya, In N'Out, breakfast would be nice. Bacon seasons the grill very nicely), so keeping your integrity for more than thirty years speaks volumes to a company's sense of vision. Even the afore mentioned Mc D's was a lot better when they used to throw stuff away all the time, and everybody knows it. Make it fresh. Keep it for 10 minutes. Throw it away if no one shows up to buy it. God I love America!

03-15-10: Bongofury
Byegolly: I like the cheese and grilled onion residue off the wrapper of a double double. :)

Bongo, in college(USC), on our tri-weekly late night Tommy's-Rampart double chili cheese burger runs, we used to call that "wiping the baby's diaper".

At "Ptomaine Tommy's", if you order "extra chili", you end up with this mess that ten of those paper towels they call napkins won't make a dent in (BTW, they have those paper towel dispensers EVERYWHERE ...At least fifteen of them; but you go into the restroom to take the post-Tommy's chowfest face shower? Air dryer!!! Only in L.A...); but if you ask for "extra chili BOWL-STYLE", they turn the burger that already has enough chili in it to render a small nation defenseless on it's side, and ladle a HEAP of that greasy heaven into the "bowl", and plunge a spork into the mess. Much more doable.

Hey Azaud,

I'm down for Lebanese food. Love it. I had an Iranian brother-in-law who'd take us to all these delish places in Atlanta. I didn't say In & Out wasn't good, I'm just no fan. They are very consistent in the product they deliver and that's saying a lot. Watching them put the spuds in the cutter is cool, but I've had better fries at several Suisse places, and better fries at many mussel & frites joints in the big apple. Don't get me started on noshing, black & whites, Nova, Borscht-in-a -cup, and kugel. I'm a sick puppy for that stuff. Barney Greengrass on Amsterdam has taken (actually I gave happily) a lot of my money. Today I overheard a group of thirty-somethings at the mall oohing & awing over their visit to Picasso's in Vegas, and I thought about what a letdown my experience was there after places like the French Laundry in California. I mean if you're going to spend real money, why not take ethereal over hoo hum. Sad that most of my foodie memories are just that. Dude!