This Is the Best Fast-Food Burger In America, According to a New Poll
There's no doubt that America can be credited with perfecting the art of the fast-food burger, and thanks to new insights collected from USA TODAY, we have a better idea of precisely which burger folks can't stop sinking their teeth into. A few classic fast-food restaurants made the cut in this year's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards of the 10 Best Fast-Food Burgers, but the number one contender might surprise you.
BurgerFi's BBQ Rodeo Burger landed the top spot as the most popular burger of 2023 based on a public vote. To get there, a panel of experts created an initial list of burger nominees, which was narrowed down by the 10Best editors. Readers then cast their votes from the shortlist, with a limit of one vote per user per day. The final ranking was posted four weeks later, revealing which burger fires up Americans the most.
The BBQ Rodeo Burger holds two natural Angus beef patties stacked with charred jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, crispy haystack onions, and Memphis sweet BBQ sauce between its logo-branded buns. It also comes with a cheeky warning: "You may not be able to help yourself from bellowing 'yeehaw'" after biting into it, according to the 10Best article.
The BBQ Rodeo Burger beat out stiff competition that included A&W's Papa Burger, Five Guys' Cheeseburger, and the Double Meat Whataburger. It must have really wowed readers, as it hasn't been around for very long. It made its debut in February 2023 as a limited-time offer, but its popularity with customers has kept it on the BurgerFi menu—at least for now.
The combination of flavors also made this burger the official winner of the Schweid & Sons The Very Best Burger Award, held at the South Beach Food & Wine festival earlier this year.
"It's a great burger, juicy and reflective of who the brand is," remarked burger judge Robert Irvine during the award presentation.
BurgerFi is a relatively new fast-food burger chain compared to some of the other restaurants on the list. Since opening in 2011, at least 120 locations have popped up across two countries, 22 states, and Puerto Rico, according to their official website.
It's swiftly become a favorite for several reasons. It's known by burger fans for its quality ingredients, and the company states its patties are made from "all-natural Angus Beef free of steroids, additives, and hormones."
BurgerFi doesn't compromise on standards, proudly claiming that 1% of all beef produced in the U.S. meets its strict quality requirements and that its American Angus beef comes from "some of the best ranches in the world."
"We work only with ranchers who share our belief that cattle should roam free and live a happy, relaxed life," their website states. "All cattle is raised on natural feed like pasture grass, hay, grains, and legumes before being finished on a corn-based diet for true corn-fed flavor and optimum marbling."
The chain has landed some additional accolades, too. It continues to rank on the 10Best Reader's Choice Awards as one of the Best Fast-Casual Restaurants, and BurgerFi's Angus beef has also been recognized by the Consumer Reports' annual Chain Reaction Report, according to QSR.
If you're hoping to try the BBQ Rodeo Burger for yourself, be aware that most franchises are located on the East Coast. But for America's favorite fast-food burger, it could be worth it.
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