I Tried 6 Popular Burgers From the Fancy Chain BurgerFi & Only One Was Truly Excellent
BurgerFi originally set out to do everything better than the next guy. While the "better burger" market feels rather saturated at this point (even chains like Sonic are taking a crack at "gourmet" burgers), BurgerFi stands out in my mind. For one, the Florida-based chain had Martha Stewart on its board at one point (who allegedly collaborated on the chef-driven recipes), and it also saw big growth in a relatively short amount of time, starting in 2015 and culminating around 2019, when the chain was at its biggest and brightest. The company seems to have fallen on hard times since this heyday, though, and has gone from a success story to being labeled as "struggling" in just a few short years.
But I'm here to talk about the burgers, for which my hopes were still high, regardless of the health of the business itself. The chain really prides itself on its meat and uses that as the foundation of quality. To that end, BurgerFi serves only Angus and Wagyu beef burgers and has a reputation for excelling in the meat-quality department.
Having never tried but only read good things about BurgerFi, I've spent a stupid amount of time dreaming about these burgers. But, you see, I live in Brooklyn, N.Y., and the nearest locations were going to be a trek, no matter how you slice it. I could either venture south to the Bay Ridge location or go all the way north to their flagship store and innovation lab on the Upper East Side of Manhattan—nether ideal and nether an area where I would find myself spontaneously. I finally decided to order delivery from the Manhattan location. Sure, the food would take forever to get to me, but considering delivery orders are becoming increasingly commonplace in fast food, how well these items travel is all part of their appeal (remember when Wendy's tried to delivery-proof its fries?) So, it may not have been the most optimal way to try BurgerFi for the first time, but it was a realistic one.
Next, I ordered the most popular picks from the menu—some were designated fan favorites by the chain itself, others just seemed like common sense. The more interesting the burger, the more attention it was going to get, and the more I wanted to see what the fuss was about. I settled on six options and went all in—all double patties. I ordered everything as-is, meaning I didn't customize any of the toppings. I wanted the true experience of BurgerFi's delectable meat. All of the burgers I tried, with the exception of one, came with Angus beef patties by default. But you can level them up to the revered Wagyu beef for only $2.
To round out this culinary adventure, I had to order both fries and onion rings, which are the only two sides on the chain's menu. Smart, if you ask me—doing fewer things, but doing them well is what I've observed to be a recipe for menu success. I did stop short of a shake, even though the chain is famous for them and has some truly interesting ones on the menu—hello, Banana Churro Shake! I just couldn't picture myself sinking even further into gluttony. Another taste test, perhaps!
Overall, I did think BurgerFi's burgers were a good bang for my buck. The ingredients, while not always successfully balanced, did seem to be high-quality. The meat alone was worth the price point in my opinion—especially when you consider that even McDonald's now charges an average price of $9.29 for a Big Mac meal (and sometimes as ludicrously high as $21.59!). Regardless of some of their flaws, BurgerFi's burgers did taste fresh and felt substantial. The potato buns were soft and fresh on every single burger, too, which can be a major, unexpected deal breaker. However, I was disappointed to see the buns were missing the adorable "BurgerFi" branding that I've seen in the chain's pictures. All that being said, there were some burgers that were leaps and bounds more successful than others in terms of flavor and the overall satisfaction.
Lo and behold, here is my ranking, from my least favorite BurgerFi burger to the absolute best one I'd definitely order again.
Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger
Calories: 840
Fat: 48 g (Saturated Fat: 20 g)
Sodium: 1,850 mg
Carbs: 43 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 7 g)
Protein: 55 g
BurgerFi's tagline for this upgraded classic is that "more bacon is always better." However, I do believe there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. And, in fact, this was a definition of both too much and not enough in one burger. While going super hard on bacon and meat, this burger included little else—just some American cheese. All that meat and no sauce means you're relying solely on the meltiness of the cheese to provide moisture, a much-needed relief as you're chewing. This one set me back $12.29.
The look: Just look at this thing. It's almost equal parts thick-cut bacon and Angus beef. It's a hefty burger, too. Right out of the bag, it looks and feels bigger than a burger from fellow higher-end chain Shake Shack. The bacon was very obviously dry, but I was ready to find a redeeming quality.
The taste: Having traveled for some time to get to me, the bacon preserved most of its crispiness well. But it did harden, a lot, and the cheese either congealed or there simply wasn't enough of it. The resulting burger was bone dry. Getting no relief from any type of sauce or a crunchy, pickly veg, I couldn't get past that cardboard-like texture to even think about the flavors in a constructive way. This was the first burger I tried and I was at my hungriest. I kept going in for more, trying to find more redeeming qualities in this promising combo, but I kept coming up short.
BBQ Rodeo Burger
Nutrition information unavailable.
Lovers of BBQ sauce, this one's for you. While I am not one of you, I will certainly tolerate a well-put-together creation that features the sweet and zingy sauce. Launched just last year, this is one of the newer burgers on the menu and comes with two Angus beef patties, charred jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, crispy haystack onions, and Memphis-style sweet BBQ sauce, all on a potato bun. It cost $11.49.
The look: There was a lot of stuff poking out of this burger, and it looked fun! It was a texture palooza with crispy, charred, melty, and saucy, all melding together into a well-balanced whole.
The taste: The most prominent flavor right off the bat is the sauce, which is really sweet and only slightly smoky, so the first bite is a mouthful of meat that tastes quite sweet. Upon second bite, I noticed more of a nuance: the shy jalapeño slices, which just barely broke through for a tiny hint of heat, and the cheese, which did end up lending subtle flavor. Sadly, the onions mostly got lost in the sauce (quite literally). They were mild in flavor and there mostly for the texture, which likely disintegrated due to delivery. All in all, the longer I ate, the more overwhelmingly sweet the whole thing became. There could be an audience for that, but I am not it.
The CEO
Calories: 870
Fat: 53 g (Saturated Fat: 19 g)
Sodium: 1,240 mg
Carbs: 47 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 10 g)
Protein: 53 g
The CEO is the only burger on the menu that comes with the more expensive Wagyu beef by default. The patties are actually a blend of premium Wagyu cuts, so you know the chain is pegging this as one of its most elevated creations, and the price reflects this (it's the most expensive burger on the menu). Besides that, the CEO included aged Swiss cheese, homemade candied bacon-tomato jam, and a garlic truffle aioli sauce on a potato bun. It cost $12.99.
The look: The char on this bun was something I didn't love seeing right off the bat, and contributed to the whole thing appearing rather dry. The cheese that melted and dripped down the sides of it had congealed but still looked like it had a significant presence. I couldn't see any of the sauces at first glance but assumed they were suffocating under those two giant patties.
The taste: First things first: I don't think I noticed much of a difference between these fancy patties and the cheaper Angus ones, they were, all in all, pretty dry and lacked the tenderness and juiciness you'd expect from Wagyu. But the biggest disappointment was the candied bacon-tomato jam. It basically tasted like a milder version of the BBQ sauce in the Rodeo burger, just with less personality. I wanted more of the tomato and bacon flavors and less of the association to candy. It had no tang. Just a flat sugariness, like drinking weak sugared water. The one redeeming quality is that this jam plus the truffle sauce, which came through pretty nicely in some bites, lent the CEO burger more juiciness overall, which is why I ranked it above the Rodeo burger and the bone-dry Bacon Cheeseburger.
Mediterranean Burger
Nutrition info unavailable.
On trend with the Mediterranean way of eating, this burger is one of the lighter items on the burger menu. The heavy sauces are replaced with the yogurt-based tzatziki, while the toppings resemble a Greek salad: generous cucumber and tomato slices, feta cheese, and pickled onions. This burger seems to be in the testing phase because its availability varies by location, but I was drawn to trying it because it reminded me of a Middle Eastern lamb burger I used to get when I lived in Brooklyn's Greenpoint neighborhood (love you, Dar525.) This burger, on the other hand, had regular Angus beef patties, and set me back $11.49.
The look: Fresh! The white schmear on the bottom, the pickled onions, the veggies, they all protruded from the sides, promising a versatile bite, if nothing else. The tzatziki even had small but visible cucumber pieces in it, and I appreciated the effort there.
The taste: Equally fresh! This burger tasted less salty and just lighter overall. After I had a couple of bites, I didn't feel overwhelmed by its flavor, reaching for something to wash it down. The tzatziki was wonderfully creamy, and its flavor benefitted greatly from the feta. The veggies were sliced nice and thick, and the whole burger was layered well with them. My one gripe, which seems small, but it kind of ruined it for me, was the onions. I'm an onion lover and believe every salad could benefit from a little onion action. But instead of providing the zesty crunch I was looking for, they ended up being mostly sweet. Why, oh why, BurgerFi, must you make all your best ideas overly sweet in the execution phase? Because of that, this burger ended up ranking squarely in the middle.
Yes, Chef Burger
Nutrition info unavailable.
Ah, the cleverly named Yes, Chef burger. This puppy launched earlier this year and was inspired by a scene from the 2022 movie "The Menu." I took it to be an elevated take on the classic smash burger, whereby the Angus patties are hand-smashed with chargrilled onions and topped with a bunch of gooey American cheese. Now, take note, this is another burger that has no sauce to help make it a little bit juicier. After trying the Bacon Cheeseburger, I was concerned. This one was $10.69.
The look: This one came out of the bag looking pretty flat and shabby, but the very melty cheese drips on the side gave me hope. The chargrilled onions were pretty unevenly charred: on one side of the burger they looked raw, while on the other they looked perfectly caramelized. I decided to bite into the caramelized side first to set myself up for success.
The taste: A surprisingly pleasant first bite, with the American cheese and caramelized onions basically making up for the lack of sauce. It was nowhere near as dry as its bacon counterpart, and instead reminded me of a simple, classic smash burger you'd get in a top-notch neighborhood joint. It wasn't trying to be something that it wasn't, it had no dead weight, and all the ingredients were working hard. I'd give it a seven out of 10 and would order again!
BurgerFi Cheeseburger
Calories: 800
Fat: 46 g (Saturated Fat: 19 g)
Sodium: 1,620 mg
Carbs: 44 g (Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 10 g)
Protein: 49 g
Finally, the burger that started it all—probably. The classic cheeseburger, a customer favorite, and for BurgerFi, a lesson in "if it ain't broke." This thing packs a lot of punch for the price of $10.69. Two Angus beef patties, two slices of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and a thick schmear of the proprietary Fi Sauce (which looks and tastes like some type of mayo-ketchup combo, although likely a little fancier.) All in all, this is the burger I was dreaming about when I dreamt about BurgerFi.
The look: Comically lopsided due to the huge lettuce leaf sticking out on one side, but otherwise a pretty good-looking double cheeseburger specimen. The bun was still relatively lively and puffed up, and I truly couldn't wait to sink my teeth in.
The taste: Just as I hoped it would be, this burger was much better than the rest of the things I tried, definitely aided by the cheese-sauce combo that lubricated every bite nicely. It was simple in execution but moist, tender, and well-balanced. The meat that had been a little dry (at least partially due to delivery) really benefitted from the double portion of American cheese and the Fi sauce. This burger didn't torment me with tortured ingredients or try to do too much. It simply was. So BurgerFi, take note: don't try to reinvent the wheel—and always include the sauce.
Sign up for our newsletter!
