If you take a road trip across the United States, you’ll come across a changing landscape of food and flavors. From legendary fast-food chains to sandwich chains, you can learn a lot about a region of the country by the restaurants its locals adore the most. And what better way to sample the local tastes than by trying a popular burger chain and all it has to offer? After all, burgers are a quintessential American food, a blank slate for restaurants to explore and make their own.
What makes a regional burger worth trying? It might be that the burger chain relies on local ingredients to give its customers a flavor they can’t replicate anywhere else. Or, perhaps the quality of ingredients and commitment to execution make the finished product so delicious it has to be tried to be believed. A regional burger might have simply amassed a large enough cult following over the decades to fall into the “when in Rome” category.
No matter the reason, the following hamburgers have risen in regional notoriety and are worth ordering the next time you find yourself traveling around the U.S. Who knows: perhaps some of these burgers are closer than you think, and you might be a next-door neighbor to a memorable regional burger.
In-N-Out’s Double Double
Nutrition (Double Double with Onion):
Calories: 610
Fat: 34 g (Saturated Fat: 15 g)
Sodium: 1,660 mg
Carbs: 41 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 8 g)
Protein: 34 g
When it comes to iconic regional burgers, few hold a candle to In-N-Out and its popular Double Double burger. The menu at In-N-Out is kept limited to streamline the ordering process, but fans have taken it upon themselves to invent and reinvent the “not-so-secret” menu items to expand their options over the years. The Double Double takes In-N-Out’s classic Cheeseburger and doubles the protein. If you want to be even more adventurous, order your burger Animal Style. Don’t expect In-N-Out or its Double Double to cross East of the Mississippi River anytime soon. To increase your chances of trying this burger for yourself, head to California.
Habit Burger’s Double Char
Nutrition (Double Charburger on a Seeded Bun):
Calories: 730
Fat: 49 g (Saturated Fat: 16 g)
Sodium: 1,300 mg
Carbs: 32 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 37 g
Habit Burger is a California institution, though you’ll find locations scattered around the East Coast, too. Do not be misled by the simplicity of Habit Burger and Grill’s Charburger. The signature menu item comes with caramelized onions, crisp lettuce, fresh tomato, pickles, mayo, and cheese on a toasted bun. Its claim to fame is found in the preparation. All of its burgers are made fresh and cooked to order, which is why so many California residents claim Habit Burger reigns supreme as the ultimate regional burger chain. The Double Char has recently been crowned the best fast-food burger in America, in case you need extra persuasion to give it a try.
Umami Burger’s OG Umami Burger
Nutrition information unavailable.
Ask anyone in Southern California to rank their favorite local burger chains and they’ll likely mention the Umami Burger by name. The burgers here explode with flavor thanks to its signature umami sauce found on the namesake burger. It’s made with a smashed patty, dashi onions, American cheese, pickle chips, and Umami Sauce on a squishy bun.
Burgerville’s Northwest Cheeseburger
Nutrition (Northwest Cheeseburger):
Calories: 550
Fat: 33 g (Saturated Fat: 11 g)
Sodium: 830 mg
Carbs: 32 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 8 g)
Protein: 31 g
A trip to the Northwest necessitates a stop at Burgerville. If you are familiar with food brands hailing from the Northwestern region of the United States, you may be familiar with a little dairy company called Tillamook. Known for its ice cream and cheese products in grocery stores nationwide, it’s also featured in the Northwest Cheeseburger on Burgerville’s menu. The burger comes with Tillamook cheddar cheese, mayo, ketchup, pickles, tomato, and lettuce. It’s a seemingly classic cheeseburger but with just the right touch of local business.
HiHo’s Cheeseburger
Nutrition information unavailable.
Competition is steep in California when it comes to cooking up a memorable cheeseburger. HiHo Cheeseburger, a small but mighty Los Angeles burger chain, has locations in Marina del Rey, Santa Monica, Studio City, and Mid-Wilshire. Its namesake sandwich, the HiHo Cheeseburger, has a beef patty, cheese, ketchup, onion jam, lettuce, house-made pickles, and mustard, all “grilled to perfection.” You can order the burger as a double or triple if you want to really load up on protein.
Cook Out’s Char-Grilled Burger, Cook Out Style
Nutrition (Char-Grilled Burger, Cook Out Style, Regular):
Calories: 451
Fat: 19 g (Saturated Fat: 6 g)
Sodium: 858 mg
Carbs: 34 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 8 g)
Protein: 23 g
Most Cook Out locations can be found in North Carolina, but you’ll also come across restaurants in neighboring states like Virginia and Tennessee. The menu at Cook Out is filled with popular hits, including its famous milkshakes. Its Char-Grilled Burger comes in multiple styles, including Cook Out Style, which includes homemade chili, slaw, mustard, and onions. You won’t find that ingredient combination in many other places, so go ahead and pair it with your milkshake of choice – you’ll have a meal that’s hard to match.
Culver’s ButterBurger
Nutrition (ButterBurger with Cheese, Single):
Calories: 460
Fat: 23 g (Saturated Fat: 11 g)
Sodium: 610 mg
Carbs: 39 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 7 g)
Protein: 23 g
It’s hard to argue over which Midwestern burger chain reigns supreme when you’re dealing with a heavy-hitter like Culver’s. The region is filled with Culver’s locations, and loyal customers return time and time to get their hands on the famous ButterBurger. The featured menu item is made with never-frozen beef and Wisconsin cheese served on a lightly buttered bun. Each ButterBurger is made fresh, meaning the beef does not touch the griddle until ordered.
Hopdoddy’s El Diablo
Nutrition (El Diablo):
Calories: 780
Fat: 43 g (Saturated Fat: 15 g)
Sodium: 960 mg
Carbs: 48 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 13 g)
Protein: 48 g
The menu at California-based burger chain Hopdoddy is filled with fan-favorite burgers, but the El Diablo is a must-try if you’re looking to turn up the heat. It’s made with pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, habaneros, caramelized onions, spicy Verde sauce, lettuce, tomato, and chipotle aioli sauce. All of Hopdoddy’s burgers are made from responsibly sourced ingredients, including 100% grass-fed, regenerative beef and bison meat and hand-baked buns.
Blake’s Lotaburger’s LOTA Burger, New Mexico Style
Nutrition (LOTA Burger New Mexico Style):
Calories: 920
Fat: 57 g (Saturated Fat: 22 g)
Sodium: 1,290 mg
Carbs: 44 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 11 g)
Protein: 53 g
New Mexico-based burger chain Blake’s Lotaburger embraces its roots with its New Mexico-style LOTA Burger. It takes their classic burger off the menu and doubles the meat and cheese before adding a dose of Hatch Green Chile. It’s just the right amount of heat to remind you where you are in the U.S., and it makes for one tasty sandwich.
Tucker’s Onion Burgers’ The Mother Tucker
Nutrition information unavailable.
Onions can be a divisive hamburger ingredient, but Oklahoma-based chain Tucker’s Onion Burgers claims that it has converted non-believers into onion lovers thanks to its menu filled with its iconic onion burger. Onion fans will have no trouble falling in love with The Mother Trucker, which comes with “over one pound of beefy, onion deliciousness,” complete with triple the beef and triple the onions. For an additional $1.00, you can transform your meal into a cheese Mother Trucker.
Halo Burger’s Olive Burger
Nutrition information unavailable.
It’s not every day you come across a hamburger piled high with green olives, but that’s precisely what you’ll get when you try the Olive Burger at Halo’s Burger, found in Michigan. Like all of the burgers on the menu, the Olive Burger is made with fresh, never-frozen beef served on a lightly toasted bun. Add to it The Works (lettuce, tomato, mayo, ketchup, mustard, pickles, and onions) and, of course, those green olives, and you have a one-of-a-kind regional hamburger.
Burger Time’s Double Homestyle Burger
Nutrition information is unavailable.
The next time you find yourself in Minnesota, North Dakota, or South Dakota, pull out a map and locate your nearest Burger Time. The regional burger chain, which first opened in Fargo, North Dakota, in 1987, keeps things simple with its Homestyle Burger (order the double for extra protein), which comes with mayo, onion, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and ketchup. If you triple it, you’ll get a full pound of beef. It may not be the flashiest burger on the roundup, but it’s that true Midwestern commitment to quality ingredients that will keep you coming back.
Ward’s Big One
Nutrition (Big One Single):
Calories: 573
Fat: 29 g (Saturated Fat: 11 g)
Sodium: 1,030 mg
Carbs: 41 g (Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 34 g
Found throughout Mississippi, Ward’s has a relatively simple menu of burgers, hot dogs, and catfish – just to remind you that you’re in for some quality Southern cooking. Its Big One burger is known throughout the states as a must-try as it comes topped with homemade chili and Ward’s signature sauce. Paired with Ward’s homemade root beer, you certainly won’t leave feeling hungry.
Wayback’s Cheeeesy Burger
Nutrition (Cheeeesy Burger):
Calories: 830
Fat: 55 g (Saturated Fat: 21 g)
Sodium: 1,010 mg
Carbs: 34 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 52 g
You’ll spot Wayback Burgers across the United States, but to find yourself among the most highly concentrated regions of the country, you’ll need to head to the Northeast corner. Wayback’s menu is filled with great burger options, but it’s the Cheeeesy Burger that brings home the bacon. Think of it as Wayback’s take on a patty melt: four slices of melted American cheese and two beef patties sandwiched between an inverted, grilled, buttered bun. Throw on your favorite toppings to customize your perfect Cheeeesy experience.
Swensons’s Galley Boy
Nutrition (Galley Boy):
Calories: 540
Fat: 27 g (Saturated Fat: 7 g)
Sodium: 813 mg
Carbs: 43 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 17 g)
Protein: 33 g
It might be hard to pinpoint precisely what America’s best cheeseburger is, but ask anyone dining at one of the many Swensons Drive-In locations in Ohio, and they’ll point to the award-winning Galley Boy. Ask to have your Galley Boy burger made “with everything,” and you’ll find that yours comes with mustard, dill pickles, and onions. Or, you can get it how you prefer and choose from classic and unique toppings, ranging from ketchup to cajun spices and mayo to tartar sauce.
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