15 Fast-Food Burgers Ranked From Worst to Best

Fast-food burgers are deeply engrained in American culture. White Castle flipped the first one in 1921–in its iconic square slider form, of course–and our world has been changed ever since. It wasn't long after that chains like McDonald's, In-N-Out, and Burger King caught onto the trend and still today that unmistakable steam and sizzle can be seen and heard all across the country, under many different roofs.

But, that's not to say all these beef and bun combos are created equal. And as this sandwich icon has evolved, so to has the debate around what makes a good one. Some chains prioritize 100% fresh, never frozen beef patties with no additives or preservatives and hang their hat on fresh ingredients. On the flip side, others are more lackadaisical in their approach. They stack on patty after patty, not to mention creamy sauces and other toppings that significantly jack up calorie and fat count while providing little to no nutritional value.

It's clear that there is a supersized divide when it comes to fast food burgers and today we're separating some of the best from the absolute worst based on dietary measures. Make smarter decisions as you zip through the drive-thru and beware of those burger behemoths slathered with calories, carbs, sodium, and, the worst, trans fats.

Best

BurgerFi Single Burger

BurgerFi touts the fact that its burgers are gourmet, chef-crafted, and made from 100% natural American Angus beef that is never exposed to steroids, antibiotics, growth hormones, chemicals, or additives. And it certainly puts its money where its mouth is when it comes to its classic BurgerFi Burger. As a single patty burger with no cheese, the handheld actually contains fewer calories and fat (at 521 and 27 grams, respectively) than the chain's famous VegeFi Burger. Trans fat is also kept off the menu (with the exception of the sprinkles which top custard treats,) and even with just a single burger, you still get 24 grams of protein in addition to some flavor from lettuce, tomato, and a slather of signature Fi sauce.

Culver's Single Butterburger

With a name like "Butterburger", it's hard to believe this is actually one of the most nutrition-forward fast-food burgers in the game. Through its use of fresh, never-frozen beef made from a blend of sirloin, chuck, and plate, Culver's starts with a leg up. One of its quality ground beef patties carries just 170 calories and a single Butterburger sits at just 390 calories with 17 grams of fat, buttered bun and all. Plus, it still packs 20 grams of protein. Adding "The Works"–a combo of pickles, raw onion, ketchup, and mustard–to this simple sandwich adds about 20 calories (mostly from the ketchup). But, all in all, even 410 calories for this filling burger isn't too shabby.

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Shake Shack Lettuce Wrapped Veggie Shack

The healthiest burger on the Shake Shack menu is not your typical hamburger. First off, the patty itself is not made with beef. It's a vegetarian combination of mushrooms, sweet potatoes, carrots, farro, and quinoa. This Veggie Shack also comes topped with American cheese, crispy onions, pickles, and Shack Sauce. And when you swap out the bun for a lettuce wrap, the entire thing will only cost you 310 calories with 18 grams of fat, 900 mg of sodium, and 31 grams of carbs. If veggie burgers aren't your thing, the chain's single hamburger is also quite reasonable at 370 calories and the same amount of fat.

Wendy's Jr. Hamburger

It should come as no surprise that Wendy's smallest, simplest burger stands as the most diet-friendly. Donning just a fresh, never-frozen square patty (the small kind, not the chain's ¼ pound kind), pickles, onion, ketchup, and mustard on a toasted bun, the Jr. Hamburger delivers 250 calories and 11 grams of fat. Adding on a slice of American cheese, making a Jr. Cheeseburger adds 40 calories and 3 grams of fat. You can also grab a Double Stack at the chain for a boost of protein at 23 grams while still maintaining a reasonable 410-calorie amount.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

Burger King Hamburger

When it comes to nutrition, Burger King serves up quite a few heavy hitters on its robust burger list. But, it also dials things back with smaller picks like the Whopper Jr., Cheeseburger, and standard Hamburger. BK's hamburger rendition comes with pickles, mustard and ketchup. It offers the same amount of calories as the Wendy's Jr. Hamburger at 250 and the same amount of protein at 13 grams. You do get a bit more carbs and sodium at Burger King, but also a little less fat.

McDonald's Hamburger

Over at the Golden Arches, the Classic McDonald's burger matches both Wendy's and Burger King in terms of calorie count and contains even less fat overall at 9 grams. It starts with a 100% pure beef patty seasoned with just a smidge of salt and pepper and then topped with pickles, onion, ketchup, and mustard. For a little more sustenance and protein, you could also go with a McDouble. With an extra patty and just one slice of cheese, the burger contains 390 calories and 20 grams of fat, but 22 grams of protein.

In-N-Out Protein Style Hamburger

Not to be confused with "animal-style", which involves grilled onions and In-N-Out's famous spread, "protein-style" refers to a burger wrapped in hand-leafed lettuce rather than a bun. This simple swap saves you 160 calories and a couple of grams of fat when it comes to the chain's simple hamburger with onion, lettuce, and tomato, resulting in one of the healthiest burgers you can snag at the drive-thru. Changing out the Thousand Island-like spread with ketchup and mustard can also help you cut back significantly on fat.

Worst

Five Guys Bacon Cheeseburger

Despite its use of 100% real fresh, never frozen beef, Five Guys is home to the unhealthiest basic fast-food cheeseburger, according to data collected by the telehealth company Plushcare. This is already a shaky start. Then, throw bacon into the mix, and the handheld really goes off the rails. With two patties smothered in American cheese and Applewood-smoked bacon on a sesame-seed bun, this creation stacks up to 1,060 calories with 62 grams of fat and 29.5 grams of saturated fat. And that's before you tack on additional toppings for flavor. A dollop of mayonnaise will cost you another 111 calories, and an extra slice of cheese will add 70 plus 310 milligrams of sodium.

Triple Meat Whataburger

What a burger it is, laden with over 1,000 calories and 63 grams of fat, 21 of which are saturated and 2.5 trans–that's already over your daily recommended amount of trans fat based on a 2,000-calorie diet. The Whataburger Triple Meat Burger comes on a large bun, the first indication of its vast size. Three large beef patties are then piled on top as well as tomato, lettuce, diced onions, pickles, and mustard. Unsurprisingly, these veggies don't tip the scale far in terms of nutrition, and you may have noticed that cheese doesn't make the cut. That means the combination of bread and meat makes up all that fat and calories, in addition to 1,720 milligrams of sodium and 62 carbs.

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Wendy's Big Bacon Classic Triple

If this burger looks intimidating, it's because it is. The Big Bacon Classic Triple from Wendy's comes on strong with 1,220 calories and 86 grams of fat. Compare that to a much more reasonable Dave's Single with 590 calories and 37 grams of fat. The extra half a pound of beef from two more patties clearly makes a big difference, as well as the slices of Applewood-smoked bacon, which pack a salty punch, contributing to the 1,850 milligrams of sodium. Tomato, lettuce, onion, and pickles don't have a strong influence but three slices of American cheese and mayonnaise undoubtedly exacerbate the issue.

Carl's Jr. Double Guacamole Bacon Angus Burger

With just two patties, this Carl's Jr. creation manages to outdo the previous two triples in terms of overall calorie count. At 1,340, it's also the most calorie-dense item on the chain's menu, with the exception of a 20-count box of chicken tenders. 93 grams of fat (31 grams saturated, 4 grams trans) and 2,300 milligrams are also squished between the sandwich's top and bottom buns in the form of three beef patties, two bacon strips, PepperJack cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, Santa Fe sauce, and a generous glob of guacamole.

Checkers and Rally's Smokey BBQ Bacon Buford Triple

The award for the highest level of sodium goes to the Smokey BBQ Bacon Buford Triple found at both Checkers and Rally's. This burger stacks on just about everything but the kitchen sink. It features three beef patties with Swiss cheese, two smoked bacon slices, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, sweet & smoky BBQ sauce, mayonnaise, and even more chopped-up bacon. It's a salty special with 2,740 milligrams of sodium–or 114% of your daily value. Let's also not forget about the 1,360 calories and 107 grams of fat.

Burger King Texas Double Whopper

The Texas Double Whopper is a specialty burger at BK and one that packs a Texas-sized punch in the flavor department and the nutrition department. It consists of two flame-grilled patties, two slices of American cheese, bacon, jalapenos, pickles, white onions, tomatoes, BBQ sauce, and mayonnaise–that's a mouthful in more ways than one. The colossal sandwich tops our list of unhealthy burgers with plenty of fat, sodium, carbs, and the like. In total, it sits at 1,600 calories, also surpassing other Burger King favorites like the Triple Whopper.

Fatburger XXXL Triple Kingburger

Fatburger is an appropriate name for this monstrosity. With three total patties, the Triple Kingburger (or XXXL burger) weighs in at 1.5 pounds of pure beef. Sure, it meets–if not exceeds–your protein goals for the day at 129.5 grams. But, if you order it with "The Works" (lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, mustard, pickles, relish) for the full fat experience, then you're also looking at nearly all your calories for the next 24 hours. Inevitably, fat levels are also elevated in the Triple Kingburger, and with the highest amount of trans fat at 6.5 grams, it could be argued that it is the worst selection on our list.

Burger King Bacon King

By now, we know that multiple burger patties and bacon is a risky combo, and it culminates in Burger King's Bacon King. The burger is notorious for its six pieces of bacon hiding under the bun. They sizzle next to two ¼ pound burger patties, each with its own slice of American cheese plus ketchup and mayonnaise. It all adds up to a whopping 1,710 calories, 2,405 milligrams of sodium, 59 carbs, and 119 grams of fat, including high levels of both trans and saturated. For these reasons, it has been crowned as the unhealthiest burger in the fast-food kingdom.