The 23 burger chains in N.J. ranked from worst to best
Updated May 15, 2019; Posted Apr 27, 2017
By Peter Genovese | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Amanda Marzullo I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
By Peter Genovese I NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Americans sure do love their burgers. Nearly 60 percent of us eat a burger at least once a week, and burgers are found on half of all restaurant menus in this country. Three of the top six restaurant chains by sales are burger joints - McDonald's (1), Burger King (5) and Wendy's (6). Sales numbers are great and all, but which burger chain is the best? I visited every major burger chain with at least two locations in N.J., 23 in all, sampling two burgers at each. These are all chains known primarily for their burgers, so Applebee's, TGI Fridays, Arby's, etc., were not considered. Several nationally known burger chains, Whataburger, In-N-Out, Jack in the Box and Krystal among them, do not appear here because they do not currently have locations in N.J. Predictably, the mass-market chains did not fare well against the gourmet burger chains in my ranking, but several of the former did well. Our number one chain? You may not have even heard of them.
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Peter Genovese | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
23. Checkers
Drive-through restaurant with familiar checkerboard design, Checkers (slogan: Crazy Good Food) and sister restaurant Rally's have 840 locations in 29 states. The first Checkers opened in 1986 in Mobile, Ala. Checkers and Rally's merged in 1999, making it the largest drive-through restaurant chain in the country.
You've got to love something called the Big Buford, right? Actually, not. The "Boss of Burgers'' is basically a double cheeseburger with tomato, red onion, dill pickles, ketchup, mustard and mayo. It sounds like a mess, and was; the roll was lackluster, the meat meh. The Baconzilla, shown above, is only slightly better.
22. Sonic
You seemingly can't drive five miles down South without running into a Sonic ("America's Drive-in''). There are 3509 locations in 45 states, with 951 in Texas, 271 in Oklahoma, 222 in Tennessee, 191 in Arkansas and 165 in Louisiana. There are 17 Sonics in New Jersey. The chain's prototype was Top Hat, which opened in 1953 in Shawnee, Ok. The name was changed to Sonic in 1959. Carhops - both on and off skates - are standard.
You can tell just by looking at some burgers that you're not going to have a primo patty experience; this was one of them. At Sonic, a lifeless, dried-out piece of meat characterized both the cheeseburger and SuperSonic bacon double cheeseburger; the world's best bacon wouldn't have saved the latter.
Forget about Burger King; McDonald's is now and forever Supreme Ruler of the burger chain universe. Make that the restaurant universe; of all U.S. restaurant chains, Mickey D's has nearly triple the sales of the nearest competitor, Starbucks. Let the record show my first job ever was at a McDonald's outside Trenton. My first day on the job, I sliced open my hand while cutting boxes out back. First words out of the manager's mouth as I bled profusely: "Get him a soda!"
Far be it from me to knock the galaxy's most popular burger, but there are better mass-market burgers than McDonald's. The Big Mac was a particular disappointment; the shiny, juicy one on the company web site didn't look anything like the one I received, shown above. I liked the double cheeseburger much better.
Undoubtedly the coolest-looking burger chain storefront, White Castle was the world's first fast food chain, opening in 1921 with five-cent burgers known as sliders. By 1961, one billion burgers had been sold. There was a White Castle cameo in "Saturday Night Fever,'' and who could forget "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle''? There are about 400 locations nationwide; most are stand-alone "Castle'' units, others are counters located inside Walmart, Walgreens, etc.
Countless people told me on Twitter that White Castle sliders taste best after a night of drinking. Well, you can say that about any food. There is a certain curb appeal to the sliders - they look so cute, and you can polish them off in a few bites. And that's about it. The basic slider was edible, but the "bacon jam'' on the Bacon Jam Slider didn't remind me of bacon, or jam.
19. Burger King
Whatever happened to the great goofy Burger King commercials where the cool/creepy King ended up in bed or other odd places? Maybe they're still being aired and I just haven't noticed. The second largest burger chain (7,000-plus locations, $9 billion in annual sales) and the fifth largest restaurant chain overall, Burger King started in 1954. Who hasn't heard of the Whopper? The chain is owned by 3G Capital, described as a "global multi-million dollar investment firm focused on long term value creation.'' The BK menu is much easier to decipher.
I loved the sound of Burger King's Steakhouse King, with two 1/4 pound patties, three strips of smoked bacon, chopped-up onion rings, cheese and mayo on a sesame seed bun, but the execution left something to be desired. And I'm of the firm belief that mayo should never belong on anything with "steak'' in its name. Go with the Whopper, shown above. I'll take it over the Big Mac any day.
18. Hardees
"Pioneers of the Great American Burger'' is the slogan at Hardees, founded by Wilbur Hardee in 1960. His first store, in Greenville, N.C., offered "charco-broiled'' burgers and a drive-through window. In the 70s, the chain introduced Made from Scratch Biscuits, a hit to this day. The charco-broiled burgers are now known as charbroiled burgers. There are nearly 2,000 Hardees in 43 states and 13 countries, with 1,110 locations of sister restaurant Carl's Jr.
I loved the sound of the Monster Thickburger, Hardees' bacon double cheeseburger, but the reality was somewhat less compelling. Decent meat and roll in both the Monster and the Original Thickburger add up to a middle-of-the-road chain burger.
17. Wendy's
Dave Thomas opened the first Wendy's in 1969 in Columbus, Ohio. The 500th Wendy's opened in 1976, and in 1977 Wendy's became the first quick-serve chain with less than 1,000 locations to launch a national advertising campaign. Wendy's is also responsible for the best burger commercial ever, the initimable Clara Peller and her "Where's the Beef" pitch in 1984. The company is headquartered in Dublin,. Ohio.
Probably the guiltiest pleasure of all the 46 burgers I sampled on my burger chain road trip was the Baconator at Wendy's, shown above. Vegetarians, avert your eyes. Smoked applewood bacon, two 1/4 pound patties, mayo, ketchup and cheese add up to a cardiac-straining (950 calories) delight. I could have eaten the whole thing, but didn't. The double cheeseburger was better than its counterpart at McDonald's, but the tomatoes were past their prime.
16. Cheeburger Cheeburger
Cheeburger Cheeburger has the 50s atmosphere down pat, with abundant neon, glass block dividers and retro furniture. I was digging the soundtrack at the Holmdel location - Dave Clark Five's "Catch Us If You Can,'' The Temptations "I Can't Get Next to You,'' and so on. There are three locations in New Jersey, including one at Newark Liberty International Airport. The one overseas location is in Saudi Arabia.
Yes, the green olives atop the Pounder burger look kinda strange; it reminded me of some alien burger race. The plain roll is plainly insufficient, one of many so-so rolls I encountered on this journey. I had high hopes for my second burger here, the Big Greek, with feta, lettuce, black olives and roasted peppers, but nothing in it approached top-quality.
15. Wayback Burgers
Formerly known as Jake's Wayback Burgers, Wayback Burgers started in Newark, Del. in 1991. In 2001, they launched the most improbable chain burger ever - the Triple Triple, nine patties and nine slices of cheese with lettuce and tomato on a toasted bun. Wayback Burgers holds a Free Shake Day the first day of every summer. There are 120 locations in 27 states, and three overseas, in Brunei, Saudi Arabia and Argentina, with plans to open in Chile, Guatemala, Nigeria, Malaysia and India.
Call me kooky, but I don't want no mayo on my burger. Or Thousand Island dressing on Wayback's Patty Melt, at left. It was a perfectly fine burger on a tasty grilled bun until they added the dressing. The double cheeseburger, at right, was better, but about those greenish tomatoes. . .
14. Roy Rogers
"Roy Rogers is riding tonight, returning to our silver screen. . .'' One of my top ten Elton John songs ever. America's favorite cowboy was the inspiration for the Roy Rogers name; the first one opened in Falls Church, Va. in 1968. There are 11 locations in New Jersey, with five of those at service plazas on the Turnpike or Parkway.
The burger may not look very appetizing in the photo, but Roy Rogers was the surprise hit among the mass-market chains. The soft, pillowy sesame seed roll was better than its counterparts at some of the designer-burger chains. The bacon could have been crisper, though. Roy's double cheese vs. Mickey D's and Burger King? No contest.
13. Fuddruckers
"The World's Greatest Hamburgers'' is the slogan at Fuddruckers; the first one opened in 1979. What's with the name? It was founder Philip J. Romano's takeoff on Fudpucker Airlines, a made-up name airlines enthusiasts had been joking about for years. Romano would go to open Romano's Macaroni Grill. Fuddruckers was among the earliest restaurants to add exotic meats to its menu; you can order American Wagyu Kobe, elk or buffalo.
I drove 250 miles just to eat burgers here after someone on Twitter pointed out at the last moment, "You forgot Fuddruckers!" Burgers come in 1/3, 1/2, 3/4 and 1-pound sizes, and there's an option not available at most chains - you can tell them how you want the meat cooked. The American Wagyu Kobe (shown above), cooked just right, was good and juicy, but I expected more from the Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger; the soft, mushy roll did it no favors.
12. Smashburger
They really do smash the burgers at Smashburger, which started in Denver in 2007. "Our mission is to put burgers back into peoples' lives,'' says the company. When did they ever leave? There are about 350 locations in 32 states, and 32 locations in New Jersey.
High marks for presentation at Smashburger, with the big leafy greens apparently trying to convince you you're eating healthy! Love the sturdy egg and chipotle buns here. The Spicy Jalapeno Baja, with guacamole, jalapenos, chipotle mayo and pepper jack cheese, didn't live up to its name, and the meat seemed weak. Better: the Classic Smash, cheeseburger with lettuce, pickles, onions, tomato and ketchup.
11. Steak 'n Shake
Quite a few people on Twitter expressed surprise Steak 'n Shake was still around. Gus Belt started the franchise in Normal, Ill. in 1934. He would roll in a barrel of steaks and grind them into burgers in front of customers, which led to the slogan, "In Sight It Must be Right.'' There are now 500-plus locations, with two in N.J.; a third, in Hamilton, is set to open in a month or so. The parent company is Biglari Holdings, owned by Sardar Biglari, who also owns Maxim magazine.
Steak 'n Shake was another sleeper hit, the meat in both burgers juicy and first-rate. I tried the Signature Steakburger 'n Fries, and the Original Double Cheese Steakburger 'n Fries. They won't ask you if you want fries with that; fries come with all burgers.
10. Red Robin
"We'll Get your Buns Out Here,'' reads the sign at the to-go parking spots outside Red Robin. The chain started as Sam's Tavern, near the University of Washington in Seattle. Sam the owner loved to sing "When the Red Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along)'' so much he changed the name to Sam's Red Robin.
Now that's a handful! The Burnin' Love Burger at Red Robin is packed with fried jalapenos, salsa, pepper jack, lettuce and chipotle aioli on a jalapeno-cornmeal kaiser roll. The Gourmet Cheeseburger is a winning combo of meat, cheese (cheddar here), pickle relish, tomatoes and onions. The next time I order it, I'll hold the mayo (my position on mayo in burgers has not wavered).
A fixture at malls from coast to coast, Johnny Rockets - "The Original Hamburger'' - started on Melrose Avenue in L.A. in 1986. The name combined the timeless Johnny Appleseed story with the classic Oldsmobile Rocket 88. There are four locations inside Yankees stadium; there's even a Johnny Rockets inside Camp Pendleton, the Marine Corps base, in southern California. In all, 340 locations in 26 countries.
I've walked past the neon-streaked Johnny Rockets hundreds of times over the years, but this was the first time I tried one of their burgers. And I was pleasantly surprised - nice firm roll, good meat. The Original combines lettuce, tomatoes, relish, pickle, mustard and mayo (we'll forgive them for the latter). I liked the Rocket Double cheeseburger even more.
8. The Habit Burger Grill
Many consider The Habit one of the newer kids on the burger block, but the first one opened in Santa Barbara in 1969. Habit ranked number one in Consumer Reports' list of best chain burgers in 2014, edging In-n-Out, Five Guys and Smashburger (McDonald's ended up last on the list of 21 chains). There are 150 Habit locations in 10 states. New Jersey stores include Eatontown, Lawrence, Parsippany, Teterboro, River Edge and Fair Lawn.
Char-grilled burgers, thus "Charbuger'' in every burger name. As usual, I sampled two burgers here. I wasn't a big fan of the sweetish BBQ sauce in the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger (left) but the bacon was nice and crispy. The double cheeseburger, right, was easily one of the best of its kind on this entire trip.
If there is a hipster burger chain, this is it. The first Shake Shack actually started as a kiosk in NYC's Madison Square Park in 2004. The proprietary meat blend is from Jersey's own Pat LaFrieda. There are 100-plus locations in 15 states, plus London, Istanbul, Seoul, Moscow, Dubai and Tokyo.
I didn't ask for my burgers to be cooked any particular way here, but they came out medium rare-ish, which is the way I like 'em. Burgers come on a Martin's Potato Roll - can't go wrong with that - and there are five basic kinds - Hamburger, ShackBurger (with cheese), 'Shroom Burger, Shack Stack (cheeseburger and 'Shroom Burger) and SmokeShack, with bacon and cherry pepper. Good shakes, but I found better ones at a higher-ranked chain, below.
6. Five Guys
The shortened version of the advice Five Guys founder Jerry Murrell's mother gave him back in the 80s: "If you can serve a good hamburger, you can make money in America.'' They're making money, all right, with 1,500 locations worldwide. No burger chain elicited such love/hate as Five Guys when I asked for recommendations on Twitter.
You can load as many free toppings in your burgers as you want here; grilled mushrooms lended some court and spark to my bacon burger. Wasn't crazy about the roll - wasn't crazy about a lot of the rolls on this mission - but quality meat and tasty tomatoes elevated Five Guys near the top of the burger charts.
5. 25/30 Burgers
Follow along closely here. Most of the 25 Burgers locations are transitioning to 30 Burgers; the 25 Burgers (formerly the Royal Diner) in Branchburg (shown here) is a 30 Burgers, even though the sign says 25 Burgers. Why 30 Burgers? The customers wanted more choices than the 25 on the original menu. If you're going to stop at one, stop at Branchburg, where the diner's stainless retro soul still shines.
You want some burger heat, stay in this kitchen; the Six Alarm burger at 25/30 Burgers is a nearly hair-raising mix of jalapenos, hot peppers, salsa, chipotle sauce, pepper jack cheese and chipotle mayo on an onion bun. I'd order it again in a heartbeat. Good double cheeseburger, too.
4. Mooyah
Plano, Texas, then the world. Ten years after opening in east Texas, Mooyah now boasts 100-plus locations, including one in Dubai, which has somehow become the chic overseas burger chain location of choice. There are five Jersey locations - Somerset, Skillman, Garwood, Lyndhurst, Old Tappan.
Sandwiches - and burgers - can rise and fall on the quality of the bread, and the rolls here were among my favorite of all the chains. The tomatoes could have been fresher, but that may be my only complaint here. Loved the Double Diablo, with jalapenos, applewood smoked bacon and Cholula hot sauce.
3. Zinburger
Characterized by spacious, high-ceilinged dining rooms, Zinburger has 15 locations, with the most, five, in New Jersey (an Edison Zinburger is set to open soon). I didn't have a shake at every chain - I gained enough weight on this mission, thank you - but I can't imagine a burger chain shake better than the one here.
Existential Burger Question Number One: Why aren't there more mushrooms on burger chain menus? The wild mushrooms on Zinburger's Kobe burger, also with cheddar, lettuce and mayo, made this one of my favorite burgers of the 46 sampled. Great buns, too, sturdy and ample.
2. Bobby's Burger Palace
Bobby is, of course, Bobby Flay, celebrity chef and Food Network personality, who says he craves one thing more than anything else after a long night in the kitchen: a burger. There are 17 Bobby's Burger Palace locations, including four in New Jersey (Monmouth Mall, Freehold Raceway Mall, Bergen Town Center, Marketfair Mall). One difference here: You can order your burgers rare, medium rare, medium, medium well, or well done.
I don't usually like my food to glow, but those electric reddish/purple onions on the New Mexico burger at Bobby's Burger Palace made for a great trio with the queso sauce and roasted green chiles. I thought the roll could have been better, but everything else clicked.
A well-under-the-radar burger chain, Bareburger started in 2009 in a rundown bakery in Astoria, Queens. "Who is going to pay $10 for a burger these days, are you crazy?'' founder Euripides Pelekanos' dad told him. There are now 44 locations, including four in New Jersey (Montclair, Closter, Edgewater, Hoboken), plus one in - where else? - Dubai.
It's not that the red meats come from Vermont Country Farms or Jersey's own Fossil Farms, or that the boar is wild caught in Texas, or that the chickens are cage-free, or even that the burgers are topped with near-perfect onion rings. Bareburger is the best burger chain because the presentation/execution is unsurpassed and the ingredients top-notch. The Blazin' Cattle burger, with pepper jack, fried pickles, spicy slaw, pickled jalapenos and sriracha mayo on a brioche is my idea of burger nirvana.
What's your favorite burger chain?
The ranking above is one person's opinion of the best - and worst - burger chains. Now we'd like to hear yours. What's your favorite burger chain, and why? What separates it from the others? Let us know in the comments section.
Amanda Marzullo
More about burgers!
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