I Tried America's New Favorite Fast-Food Burger & It's a Smoky Classic
For over a century, America has cultivated a growing obsession with fast-food burgers. Ever since White Castle first started slinging five-cent sliders by the sack in 1921, the nation can't seem to get enough of hot beef on a bun served quickly and (preferably) cheaply. As more burger chains have proliferated, so have the various burger iterations. From the mid-century rise of McDonald's Big Mac through the modern era of Wendy's Baconator, the public's hunger for ever-better burgers is unrelenting.
Now, the country has crowned its newest favorite, and the burger du jour appears to be a meaty microcosm of contemporary America, offering a little something for both traditionalists and modernists alike. Call it "common ground beef."
I'm referring, of course, to Habit Burger Grill's Double Char. The California-based chain's #2 menu item recently earned the coveted title of #1 best fast-food burger in 2024 during USA Today's 10Best Readers' Choice Awards.
Despite its obvious popularity, I'd never actually eaten this burger before. Habit Burger Grill operates in over 380 locations in the U.S. and abroad, but not a single one in New York City, where I live, so I had to schlep to New Jersey to try it for myself.
If you're a newbie too, allow me to break it down for you. Unlike last year's Readers' Choice winner from BurgerFi, which came fully loaded with fancy ingredients like charred jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, crispy onions, and Memphis-style barbecue sauce, the Double Char is a fairly straightforward cheeseburger. While it doesn't follow the precise formula spelled out in Jimmy Buffett's 1978 hit song "Cheeseburger in Paradise," it comes pretty close.
We're talking about two patties dressed with American cheese, caramelized onions, tomato, lettuce, and pickles on a mayo-slathered seeded bun. The cheese is technically optional, though virtually every photo of the winning burger includes the vibrant yellow dairy in all its melty glory.
Purists will appreciate the simple design, but the Double Char also checks many boxes for modern tastes as well. According to the chain, it's made from "100% pure ground beef." The meat is "fresh, never frozen." It's also "grilled over an open flame," not fried on a flattop.
With such broadly appealing qualities, it's easy to understand how the Double Char could rise to the top in this year's public vote. But does the actual burger live up to its newfound hype? I had to find out.
Here's my take on the Double Char, based on that impressionable first bite.
My Review of Habit Burger Grill's Double Char Burger:
Double Charburger On a Seeded Bun (Per Order)
Calories: 730
Fat: 49 g (Saturated Fat: 16 g, Trans Fat: 2 g)
Sodium: 1,300 mg
Carbs: 32 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 4 g)
Protein: 37 g
There are several ways to experience the award-winning Double Char at my nearest Habit Burger Grill location in Union, N.J. You can order the burger by itself for $6.99, or as part of a combo with fries and a fountain drink for $12.99. If you want cheese, that's an extra 90 cents. I did not hesitate, taking the cheeseburger route with a side of fries and a soda for a total of $13.89.
The look: Highly crushable. By that, I mean both compact and captivating. I generally prefer a moderately sized burger that I can easily and eagerly consume without ever feeling the urge to put it down. Keeping it in your hands the whole time is the only way to ensure that it doesn't fall apart. If it's good enough, you never really have to worry about that because it's gone in a flash.
The Double Char appeared well-designed to accomplish this. Weighing in at 11.5 ounces, the dual-patty construction stood three inches high and about four inches in diameter, which is considerable but entirely manageable. Helpfully, it came partially wrapped in paper for easy holding and less mess. Most of the so-called "toppings" were actually piled onto the bottom bun, which shows this burger was thoughtfully assembled. Having that stuff down below helps to soak up the meaty juices so the bread doesn't quickly dissolve into mush.
I counted eight pickle slices amid a heavy schmear of mayo and a heap of chopped iceberg lettuce. A moderately thick slice of pinkish tomato held down the middle. The two beef patties were piled on top. The meat looked relatively thin, but oozing with cheese. Chunks of translucent brownish onion were slipping out from under the seedy top bun, which looked pillowy and lightly toasted along the edges.
The taste: It's a really good sign when the lettuce tastes like tallow. Before even picking up this burger, I noticed a stray leaf on my serving tray, popped into my mouth, and was struck by its savory flavor. That's when you know you're in for an incredibly juicy burger. And indeed it was.
The lusciousness was evident upon the first bite. The beef was soft, rich, and satisfying, with a noticeable touch of smokiness from the grill. The meat even showed a slight pinkness in the center, which is somewhat rare (in both senses of the word) for a fast-food burger. Its fatty flavor was nicely balanced out by the creamy mayo, tart pickles, and refreshingly crisp lettuce. Capping it all off, the caramelized onions added notes of tang and pepper.
All in all, it's a very well-balanced, well-built burger that didn't last very long in my enthusiastic hands. The Double Char won't blow you away with intense flavors like some over-the-top novelty burger, packed with trendy, newfangled ingredients. It's a very classic, comforting affair, made with good-quality ingredients and executed with precision. That makes it a winner in my book. America obviously agrees.
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