In this article, we will take a look at the 15 highest quality fast food burgers in the US. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to the 5 Highest Quality Fast Food Burgers in the US.
Fast Food Market Outlook
According to a report by IMARC, the global fast food market was valued at $863.7 billion in 2023. The global fast food market is expected to grow to $1.28 trillion by 2032, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.45%. Consumers across the globe are rapidly opting for ready-to-eat options due to busy lifestyles, increasing purchasing power, and rapid urbanization. The burger and sandwich segment dominated the market in 2023. The primary reason for the popularity of the food item is the convenience and speed at which it is served. Burgers and sandwiches come in a range of unique flavors with different toppings, sauces, and sides. North America was the largest market for fast food in 2023. The rapid development of commercial spaces in the region pushes the demand for fast food. This is complemented by the expanding trend of franchise business models and home delivery options.
The Best Fast Food Brands in the US
McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD), Shake Shack Inc. (NYSE:SHAK), and The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) make some of the highest quality fast food burgers in the US. Let’s discuss some recent updates from these companies. You can also take a look at some of the most popular fast food franchises under $100,000.
McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) is a multinational fast food chain based in California, United States. On December 6, 2023, McDonald’s Corporation (NYSE:MCD) announced new targets for its “Accelerating the Arches” strategy. Some of the key goals include a target of launching 50,000 new restaurants by 2027, launching loyalty programs catering to 150 to 250 million active 90-day users by 2027, and connecting restaurants across the globe using advanced Google Cloud technology in 2024. A prominent feature to be launched by the company includes expanding McDonald’s Corporation’s (NYSE:MCD) pilot project, Ready on Arrival. Ready on Arrival is a mechanism that facilitates customer orders to be assembled before the customer arrives at the restaurant.
Shake Shack Inc. (NYSE:SHAK) is a leading fast food chain based in New York, United States. On January 8, Shake Shack Inc. (NYSE:SHAK) launched additional flavors to its limited-time menu. The new items encapsulate a perfect mix of spicy, savory, and salty flavors. Some of the new items include the Korean-style fried Chicken, the Korean BBQ Burger, the Spicy Korean BBQ Fries, and the Spicy Korean BBQ Cheese Fries.
Wall Street is positive on Shake Shack Inc. (NYSE:SHAK). On January 18, Truist Securities analyst Jake Bartlett reiterated a Buy rating on Shake Shack Inc. (NYSE:SHAK) and maintained his price target of $87. Over the past 3 months, 5 Wall Street analysts have given a buy rating on Shake Shack Inc. (NYSE:SHAK). Shake Shack Inc. (NYSE:SHAK) has an average price target of $73 and a high forecast of $90.
The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) is a prominent name in the fast food industry in the United States. On January 22, The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) launched a new Hearty Breakfast Burrito. The new burrito complements Wendy’s classic flavors and food items. The burrito comes with two cracked eggs, six applewood, overbaked, bacon strips, seasoned potatoes, American cheese slices, and cheese sauce. The ingredients are then wrapped in a tortilla and served with the Cholula for extra spice. The new breakfast tortilla is available in select regions.
You can also read our piece on the states with the highest fast food consumption in the US. Now let’s take a look at the 15 highest quality fast food burgers in the US.
15 Highest Quality Fast Food Burgers in the US
Our Methodology
We employed a consensus approach to come up with the 15 high quality fast food burgers in the US. We sifted through 5 online product review platforms to curate a list of high quality fast food burgers in the US. These included Yelp, OpenTable, GrubHub, TripAdvisor, and DoorDash. We sourced the rating and the number of reviews from the sources for each of the fast food brands in our list.
We then tabulated the average customer rating and total number of reviews across all five sources. The customer rating and number of reviews are a good representation of the quality and popularity of a certain fast food burger. The average rating was calculated by averaging the individual ratings across the sources. Total reviews were found by adding up the individual review count for each fast food brand across 5 sources. The list of the 15 high quality fast food burgers in the US is in ascending order of the average customer rating as a primary metric and the total number of reviews as a secondary metric.
Note: It was highly challenging to extract customer ratings and reviews for specific burgers. Therefore, we ranked some of the prominent fast food brand names in the US known to offer high quality burgers. The reviews and ratings of the brands are a reflection of the quality and popularity of the brand’s food items.
By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that tracks the movements of corporate insiders and hedge funds. By using different consensus approaches, we identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 Index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). Whether you are a beginner investor or a professional one looking for the best stocks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders.
15 Highest Quality Fast Food Burgers in the US
15. Five Guys
Average Customer Rating: 3.60
Cumulative Number of Reviews: 637
With an average rating of 3.6, Five Guys ranks 15th among the chains with the highest quality fast food burgers in the United States. The brand offers burgers, hotdogs, drinks, fries, shakes, sandwiches, and toppings.
14. The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN)
Average Customer Rating: 3.65
Cumulative Number of Reviews: 2,699
The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) has an average rating of 3.65, contributing to its ranking on our list. The company is known for its hamburgers, fries, sides, combos, and biggie deals. The total number of reviews of The Wendy’s Company (NASDAQ:WEN) is 2,699 across all our sources.
13. Burger King
Average Customer Rating: 3.80
Cumulative Number of Reviews: 2,972
With an average rating of 3.8, Burger King ranks 13th among the chains offering the highest quality fast food burgers in the United States. Food items on the menu include chicken sandwiches, beef burgers with cheese, chicken fries, toast sticks, fries, hash browns, Hershey pies, onion rings, and mozzarella sticks.
12. Sonic Drive-In
Average Customer Rating: 3.85
Cumulative Number of Reviews: 792
Sonic Drive-In ranks 12th among the chains with the highest quality fast food chains in the United States. The chain offers cheeseburgers, fried chicken, combos, hot dogs, drinks, sandwiches, snacks, and sides.
11. Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
Average Customer Rating: 3.97
Cumulative Number of Reviews: 573
With an average rating of 3.97, Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers ranks among the chains with the highest quality fast food burgers in the United States. Prominent menu items at Freddy’s include burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, frozen custards, and specialty sundaes.
10. Fatburger
Average Customer Rating: 4.00
Cumulative Number of Reviews: 1,334
Fatburger is one of the best fast food chains in the United States offering some of the highest quality burgers. The company offers classic sandwiches, beef burgers, express wings, sides, shakes, drinks, and kid’s meals. The total number of reviews for Fatburger is 1,334 across all our sources.
9. Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK)
Average Customer Rating: 4.00
Cumulative Number of Reviews: 1,446
Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK) ranks ninth on the list of restaurants with the highest quality fast food burgers in the US, with an average customer rating of 4. Jack in the Box Inc. (NASDAQ:JACK) offers a range of burger combos, breakfast combos, late-night snacks, chicken combos, fries, sides, tacos, shakes, and desserts.
8. Culver’s
Average Customer Rating: 4.03
Cumulative Number of Reviews: 530
With an average customer rating of 4.03, Culver’s ranks among the chains with some of the highest quality fast food burgers in the United States. Some of the food options at Culver’s include butter burgers, chicken and sandwiches, seafood and salads, slides, drinks, and fresh frozen custard.
7. The Burger Den
Average Customer Rating: 4.10
Cumulative Number of Reviews: 571
The Burger Den ranks seventh on the list of chains in the US offering some of the highest quality burgers in the United States. The chain offers a range of beef burgers, chicken burgers, fries, and drinks.
6. Whataburger
Average Customer Rating: 4.15
Cumulative Number of Reviews: 3,777
Whataburger is a fast food chain based in Texas, United States. The fast food chain has an average customer rating of 4.15. The company is known for its high quality hamburgers and its exquisite ketchup.
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Disclosure. None. 15 Highest Quality Fast Food Burgers in the US is officially published on Insider Monkey.