McDonald's, Burger King serve up premium gourmet burgers

[snopes]

The fast-food giants are pushing premium burgers with gusto. McDonald's Angus Third Pounder, rolled out nationally this summer, is the trend's 500-pound gorilla. Earlier this year, Burger King began to install new broilers in most stores to handle meatier offerings, such as its Steakhouse XT Burger. Wendy's won't talk about it yet but plans to launch the Bacon Deluxe, a premium bacon cheeseburger. Jack in the Box is in the mix with Mini Sirloin Burgers.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/indust...-burgers_N.htm

[Insensible Crier]

They are bigger but I wouldn't call them premium, unless they're just referring that they cost more. I've tried a couple of them and they all taste the same to me as their cheaper ones.

[Avril]

The original sirloin burgers at Jack in the Box are heaven on a bun. They really are different--and not just the meat. You get red onions and melted swiss cheese and such things with them.

I gained a significant amount of weight a few summers ago, when I was moving and ate a lot of my meals at Jack in the Box--sirloin burger and curly fries. Mmm. Good thing I have no idea where a Jack in the Box might be anywhere near me now.

[ARubberChickenWithAPulley]

I tried the McDonald's Mushroom Swiss Angus burger when they were first doing the promos, and I thought it was quite good. The meat was definitely better, and it did taste much better than their regular fare.

I tried it again a couple of weeks ago and it was terrible.

[Horse Chestnut]

Originally Posted by Insensible Crier

They are bigger but I wouldn't call them premium, unless they're just referring that they cost more. I've tried a couple of them and they all taste the same to me as their cheaper ones.

The Angus third pounders I've had taste nothing like a regular MickyD beef patty. Angus beef has a distinct, almost gamey flavor. I love it myself, but I have a few friends who find the taste too strong. I've eaten the new burgers 3 or 4 times this summer, and I thought they were pretty awesome.

[Radical Dory]

Geez, why go to those places to get a premium burger when most areas have a decent local place that will dish a better quality one up for a similar price?

For $4.25 (plus tax), I can go to the North Carolina wonder known as Cookout and get a 1/4 lb. hamburger with fixin's, and two side items, and a medium drink. And it's all prepared on a real grill with fresh food.

And my friend who has emegrated to L.A. won't shut up about the wonder that is In-and-Out Burger. They must be good, because he doesn't even eat beef! (Yes, yes, I know they have other non-beef offerings... ).

[snopes]

Originally Posted by Radical Dory

Geez, why go to those places to get a premium burger when most areas have a decent local place that will dish a better quality one up for a similar price?

For starters, because not everybody has the opportunity to eat every meal locally.

[Errata]

Originally Posted by Radical Dory

(Yes, yes, I know they have other non-beef offerings... ).

Not really. The menu is extremely simple. They basically have burgers, fries, and drinks. That's pretty much it. If you don't want a beef burger, you should probably go somewhere else. What they do they do very well, but variety isn't their thing. Southern Californians are known to rave about In-N-Out, but it's odd to hear it from someone who doesn't eat beef.

Now there are "secret" things you can order that aren't on the main menu, but they're mostly just different combinations of the ingredients in their burgers and fries. You can get a "veggie burger", but it's not a real veggie patty, just extra tomatoes and lettuce and no burger.

I can think of about a zillion places to get a great premium burger without going to a fast food place. The only time I'd be caught dead in a McDonald's or Burger King is in an airport. Of the national fast food burger chains, I probably like Wendy's best, although I don't make a habit of eating there either. I don't like those giant stacks of meat they've been advertising lately, but their regular cheeseburgers and chicken sandwiches are serviceable.

[snopes]

Originally Posted by Errata

Not really. The menu is extremely simple. They basically have burgers, fries, and drinks. That's pretty much it.

http://www.in-n-out.com/menu.asp

http://www.in-n-out.com/secretmenu.asp

[Mr. Furious]

Originally Posted by Radical Dory

For $4.25 (plus tax), I can go to the North Carolina wonder known as Cookout and get a 1/4 lb. hamburger with fixin's, and two side items, and a medium drink. And it's all prepared on a real grill with fresh food.

Yeah, Cook-Out does a great job, and my goodness is it affordable. While I don't like to get the kids fried fast food all that often, Cook-Out presents a pretty solid option in that category.

I would rate Five Guys as the best chain burger in the area (I'm in the Triangle and you're in the Triad, so I don't know if they've made it out your way yet). The first local location opened in the food court at The Streets at Southpoint in Durham, and, man, the place is always mobbed. Rightly so; really, really good burgers. The fries are a tad greasy for my taste (I know, blasphemy), but the burgers are top notch.

[Errata]

Originally Posted by snopes

http://www.in-n-out.com/secretmenu.asp

Hmm, I thought animal style was just for fries. My friend orders the fries that way and they never looked too appealing to me. But the burger cooked in mustard with extra grilled onions and pickles sounds pretty tasty to me. I usually get a cheeseburger with the grilled onions.

[Wolf333]

Originally Posted by Radical Dory

Geez, why go to those places to get a premium burger when most areas have a decent local place that will dish a better quality one up for a similar price?

They key phrase in that sentence is "most areas." Most areas do have an McDonalds's but most areas do not have a decent local burger joint.

[Insensible Crier]

Originally Posted by Horse Chestnut

The Angus third pounders I've had taste nothing like a regular MickyD beef patty. Angus beef has a distinct, almost gamey flavor. I love it myself, but I have a few friends who find the taste too strong. I've eaten the new burgers 3 or 4 times this summer, and I thought they were pretty awesome.

I guess I should've thrown in a bit of useful information that basically negates my opinion. My taste buds have never been very discerning, especially when it comes to terms of quality. I've had homemade food made of fresh all-natural, homegrown, organic, free-range ingredients growing in the back yard and I can't tell any real difference between that and the generic supermarket brand out of a can.

The only thing I can tell between fast food burgers and a burger at a regular restaurant is the fast food ones aren't as juicy. I love my burgers juicy. I want them so juicy that I need a wet-nap or two after I'm finished.

[Radical Dory]

Originally Posted by Mr. Furious

I would rate Five Guys as the best chain burger in the area (I'm in the Triangle and you're in the Triad, so I don't know if they've made it out your way yet).

We have one on the north end of town already, and one opening up not to far from me, actually. I'll have to check it out, especially since you're not the first I've heard that from. I think we've got ours before Greensboro, which is pretty unusual. Then again, we were one of the test locations for the "McCafe", so go figure.

I have no idea how my poultry-loving friend managed to enjoy an In-and-Out burger, other than on very rare occasions he does manage a nibble of cow. In which case, they must be good for him to break his diet like that.

[Sister Ray]

Originally Posted by Wolf333

They key phrase in that sentence is "most areas." Most areas do have an McDonalds's but most areas do not have a decent local burger joint.

Or they do, but there is nothing comparable in price to McDonald's. The burger places I like best in Chicago cost five or six bucks with no drink included.

Sister "a burger needs to be served with a cold drink" Ray

[DoubleNaughtSaleen]

I think that Backyard Burger and Hardee's have the best chain hamburgers. Backyard is pricey, though, and the furthest east I've seen one is McDonough, GA. Hardee's Little Thickburger should not be eaten while driving down I-81, as it is really juicy and tends to drip on you just as you're going past the State Trooper on the side of the road.

[Errata]

Originally Posted by DoubleNaughtSaleen

I think that Backyard Burger and Hardee's have the best chain hamburgers. Backyard is pricey, though, and the furthest east I've seen one is McDonough, GA.

Backyard isn't a national chain, so hard to directly compare with a non-overlapping regional chain like In-N-Out, unless you mean the best chain available locally.

Hardee's is owned by the same company and is roughly equivalent to Carl's Jr on the West Coast. I don't know about Hardee's, but Carl's Jr has been playing at the gourmet burger game for a while now. They sell a "$6 burger" for ~$4 that they advertise as indistinguishable from a high end restaurant. Except it's really not indistinguishable at all. They're also infamous for gross commercials with loud chewing noises and dripping food.

[Insensible Crier]

Originally Posted by DoubleNaughtSaleen

I think that Backyard Burger and Hardee's have the best chain hamburgers. Backyard is pricey, though, and the furthest east I've seen one is McDonough, GA. Hardee's Little Thickburger should not be eaten while driving down I-81, as it is really juicy and tends to drip on you just as you're going past the State Trooper on the side of the road.

Backyard Burger was tasty but I haven't had one in about 10 years. The one I went to was in Greenville, SC.

[Radical Dory]

Originally Posted by DoubleNaughtSaleen

I think that Backyard Burger and Hardee's have the best chain hamburgers. Backyard is pricey, though, and the furthest east I've seen one is McDonough, GA.

I know Backyard used to have a location in Wilmington, NC, but I'm not sure if it's open anymore. I think it's pretty well all over the south, now.

And yeah, their hamburgers are a little on the pricey side. Still, there was no better treat when I was in college than to go to the BYB on Boone and get a combo with waffle fries and a milkshake. The one in Boone is also supposedly the first BYB to have indoor dining, since it tends to get a little snowy there in the winter.