When it comes to fast food cheeseburgers, even top chefs have guilty pleasures. While they may be known for their refined tastes when it comes to food, these culinary experts aren’t immune from the pull of the classic cheeseburger. If you want to have a taste of the best cheeseburger in town, then you might want to check out these 10 viral cheeseburgers that even top chefs can’t stop raving about.
10. Whataburger
Celebrity Chef Aarón Sánchez from “Iron Chef America,” “MasterChef,” and “Chopped” shared his favorite fast food, which is Texas’ Whataburger. What he likes about Whataburger is their own special sauce that they add to their burgers and cheeseburgers. Instead of mayo that is mixed with ketchup and relish, the burger chain’s secret sauce is mustard-based which gives a tangy spice rather than sweet.
9. Wholly Cow Burgers
Shane McIntyre, chef de cuisine of a restaurant in San Diego, California, shares that he heads to Wholly Cow Burgers to get his burger fix. He orders the Heavenly Double with cheddar. It’s filled with lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles. The best part is the meat that is pasture-raise and grass-fed cattle that are stress-free.
8. White Castle
TV food personality Adam Richman chose White Castle’s Double Jalapeño Cheese Sliders as a must-try menu item from the chain. He said that the burger has “enough umami” for the heat and spice to compliment its richness. The Double Jalapeño Cheese Sliders consist of two beef patties with jalapeño cheese and onions.
7. Shake Shack
The James Beard Award winner Christopher Gross and chef of fine-dining restaurant Christopher’s said that Shake Shack is his favorite. His usual Shake Shack cheeseburger order is cheese, bacon, no sauce, tomato, or lettuce. He’d pair it with a pile of French Fries in between the bun with extra black pepper and a big chocolate shake.
6. JG Melon
Chef Bobby Flay has always been a “burger guy,” and one particular burger that he took inspiration for Bobby’s Burger Place is from JG Melon. Flay said that the technique that JG Melon inspired him to do is to cook the burger on a griddle and melt the American Cheese completely. It’s the same method that he tells his cooks to do.
5. Culver’s
Chef and restaurateur Andrew Zimmern is a fan of Culver’s, and he said that he actually prefers it over any other burger. It’s actually known for its frozen custards and ButterBurgers. According to Zimmern, it’s because of the fresh approach of the place as everything that arrives in the kitchen is fresh and no ingredient overstays.
4. Brasil Café
Houston chef Austin Waiter raves about the meatiness of Brasil’s cheeseburgers. It was actually dubbed as “Cheeseburger in Paradise” by the Houston institution. According to Waiter, it has everything that he wants in a burger, such as two thin and caramelized patties with spice from jalapeño sauce. The burger is topped with crispy bacon and toasted potato roll.
3. Five Guys
Executive Chef of New York’s LittleMad restaurant, Sol Han, said that there are many burger spots, but nothing compares to Five Guys. The consistency and reliability of the chain’s burgers are hard to beat, according to him. The grilled onions and mushrooms in Five Guys’ burgers feel like a complete meal already, compared to just bacon and cheese, which the chef admitted to be “fire.”
2. Dyer’s Burgers
Justin Warner, chef and co-owner of Do or Dine restaurant in New York City, said that the best burger in the world for him is the chain’s Dyer’s Double with cheese. Their secret? A smashed patty that’s fried in 100-year-old grease! Don’t worry; it’s safe since the oil is filtered nightly and replenished when it diminishes. Finally, the melted cheese wraps around the two patties for a cheesy bite.
1. In-N-Out
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has always been vocal about his love for In-N-Out cheeseburgers. Even the late chef Anthony Bourdain couldn’t resist In-N-Out. Their usual order is the Double-Double cheeseburger that’s served in animal style. It consists of two beef patties that are cooked in mustard, grilled onions, two slices of American cheese, onions, pickles, and extra spread.