Best Fast Food Burger...Ever

There aren't too many foods that I'll break all the low-fat, low-cal rules in order to enjoy. Hamburgers are often times the exception. I think that the sandwich is the ultimate meal (but that's a different post) and hamburgers are near the top of the sandwich food chain. I'm not one for fast food burgers, but I'm a major sucker for In-n-Out.

This chain is foreign to much of us out east, but to people in California and most of the Pacific coast states, these burgers represent fast food at its finest. They've avoided the kind of mass-produced, preservative-laden feel most fast food places have succumbed to. Their fries are made completely fresh from real potatoes and the burgers are still formed by hand to order.

A friend of mine once challenged my preference with a firm but authoritative,"In-n-out sucks. Fatburger is way better." I was aghast. Not being one to let such a serious comment fly, I took the opportunity during my recent trip to California to make my own decision. It was time for NTSC's first ever Caliburger Cage Match!

I know it's totally outside the purpose of this blog to do a comparison of fast food burgers, but part of life is knowing when to eat in moderation. One burger every couple of months won't kill me, and two burgers, some fries and a shake won't derail 4 years of weight loss. Lighten up. All low-fat and no burger makes Jack want to ditch his lifestyle change.

My first stop in my Caliburger challenge was Fatburger in Manhattan Beach (near Los Angeles). I ordered a regular Fatburger with bacon and cheese and a side of Fat Fries. The burger looked impressive - the veggies obviously fresh and the patty impressively bulky and seared brown.

Unfortunately, my hopes for a spiritual burger experience were dashed upon the first bite. The burger walked the walk, but didn't talk the talk. What looked fantastic was in fact pretty dry, with substantially less flavor than I had expected. Don't get me wrong, it was a lot better than the standard burger, just not as good as I'd expected given their commitment to freshness and flavor. The fries were hardy and tasty, but had a slightly mass-market taste, not like real steak fries from a table service joint.

Final score (out of 10): Taste:6 Appearance:8 Fries:7 Overall:6

I completed my comparison with a stop to the In-n-out burger in Mission Valley (near San Diego). I ordered my favorite - a Double Double, Animal Style. In-n-out has a pretty short menu, and in their lingo this is a double chesseburger. The animal style tag, which is not on the menu, calls for adding mustard to the burger patty for extra kick. I know this is a distinctly different burger, but it's my blog and I'll make the cage match rules as I see fit.

I took my order to my table and surveyed my loot. What a mess! This burger didn't look like anything I've ever seen in a burger ad. Surveying the melted cheese oozing out prompted an extended trip to the napkin dispenser. The lettuce was actually a whole piece of real lettuce and the tomato a real slice of tomato, which meant that neither really fit into the burger.

All that burger mojo was working during my first bite. Ahhh...just as I remembered. The burger wasn't greasy, but it had a satisfying moistness that bound all the flavors into one deep burger wave of flavor. This is why I'd eaten a light breakfast and lunch. The fries were very fresh, if a little on the bland side. Not bad.

Final score (out of 10): Taste:10 Appearance:6 Fries:7 Overall:8

And the winner is...In-n-Out Burger! Ok, so I know this isn't an impartial or scientific competition, but again, it's my blog and I'll do what I want to. I have my favorites.

In closing, both places are great. If I'm going to burn points and possibly gain weight for eating a heavy meal, I'm going to eat the best possible food. This means passing up the garden variety McMicrowaveburger in favor of something truly special.