Greatest Burgers in Fast Food History

Big Mac (McDonald's)

Jim Delligatti's 1967 Pittsburgh creation became the closest thing fast food has to a global currency, literally inspiring The Economist's Big Mac Index. Two patties, special sauce, and that sesame-seed bun turned into the most recognized burger on Earth, sold in over 100 countri

Approx. Price: $5.29Approx. Calories: 563 calYear Introduced: 1967Legacy Rating: 9.5/10

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Whopper (Burger King)

Launched in 1957 as Burger King's answer to bigger, flame-broiled burgers, the Whopper built an entire ad-war identity around 'have it your way' customization and fire over griddle. It's spawned the longest-running rivalry in fast food marketing history against the Big Mac. Decad

Approx. Price: $6.49Approx. Calories: 657 calYear Introduced: 1957Legacy Rating: 9/10

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Double-Double (In-N-Out)

Born from a single drive-thru speaker box in Baldwin Park in 1948 and formalized on the menu by the 1960s, the Double-Double became a cult obsession precisely because In-N-Out refused to franchise widely or change the recipe. Animal-style orders turned into an unofficial secret l

Approx. Price: $4.75Approx. Calories: 670 calYear Introduced: 1963Legacy Rating: 9.3/10

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Quarter Pounder with Cheese (McDonald's)

Introduced in 1971 to give adults a bigger, less kid-focused option than the standard hamburger, the Quarter Pounder proved McDonald's could scale a heartier burger without losing consistency. It became the backbone of countless value-meal combos and a Pulp Fiction-famous cultura

Approx. Price: $5.79Approx. Calories: 520 calYear Introduced: 1971Legacy Rating: 8.5/10

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Baconator (Wendy's)

Wendy's dropped the Baconator in 2007 as an unapologetic, six-strips-of-bacon-and-half-pound-of-beef statement against the era's health-food creep. It became Wendy's signature indulgence burger and a social-media meme staple for excess done right. It reframed Wendy's image from '

Approx. Price: $6.99Approx. Calories: 950 calYear Introduced: 2007Legacy Rating: 8.3/10

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Dave's Single (Wendy's)

Named for founder Dave Thomas and built on his insistence on fresh, never-frozen square patties, the Dave's Single (originally the 'Old Fashioned Hamburger') set Wendy's apart from Big Mac and Whopper at launch in 1969. The square shape wasn't just branding—it was a promise that

Approx. Price: $5.49Approx. Calories: 570 calYear Introduced: 1969Legacy Rating: 8/10

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ShackBurger (Shake Shack)

What started as a 2001 hot dog cart in Madison Square Park turned into a 2004 burger stand phenomenon, with lines wrapping city blocks for a smash-style patty, ShackSauce, and potato bun. The ShackBurger helped ignite the 'better burger' movement that forced legacy chains to reth

Approx. Price: $7.49Approx. Calories: 490 calYear Introduced: 2004Legacy Rating: 8.7/10

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Bacon Cheeseburger (Five Guys)

Five Guys built its entire identity in the 1980s around a no-freezer, hand-formed patty philosophy and a toppings bar with no upcharges, turning a Virginia family shop into a national obsession by the 2000s. Its bacon cheeseburger became shorthand for 'better fast food' before Sh

Approx. Price: $9.99Approx. Calories: 840 calYear Introduced: 1986Legacy Rating: 8.2/10

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Original Slider (White Castle)

The 1921 slider is where this whole story begins—Walter Anderson's tiny steam-grilled, onion-studded patty on a soft square bun essentially invented the fast food burger and helped convince skeptical Americans that ground beef from a stranger was safe to eat. White Castle's unifo

Approx. Price: $1.49Approx. Calories: 140 calYear Introduced: 1921Legacy Rating: 8.8/10

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McDouble (McDonald's)

Rolled out around 1990 as a cheaper cousin to the Double Cheeseburger, the McDouble became a dollar-menu legend and, for years, was cited by economists as the cheapest source of protein and calories in America. It's the burger of budget memes and late-night value runs rather than

Approx. Price: $3.19Approx. Calories: 400 calYear Introduced: 1990Legacy Rating: 7/10

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Famous Star (Carl's Jr.)

Debuting in the early 1960s as Carl Karcher's answer to bigger West Coast competitors, the Famous Star with its seeded bun, mustard-mayo sauce, and char-broiled patty carved out Carl's Jr.'s niche as the 'bigger, juicier burger' chain. It later anchored decades of provocative, ce

Approx. Price: $5.49Approx. Calories: 680 calYear Introduced: 1962Legacy Rating: 7.5/10

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Jumbo Jack (Jack in the Box)

Launched in 1968, the Jumbo Jack was one of the first fast food burgers explicitly marketed as 'bigger than a McDonald's burger,' undercutting the era's smaller standard patties. It became Jack in the Box's flagship and a West Coast late-night drive-thru staple. Its lettuce-tomat

Approx. Price: $4.99Approx. Calories: 570 calYear Introduced: 1968Legacy Rating: 7.3/10

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SuperSonic Double Cheeseburger (Sonic)

Sonic's carhop drive-in model dates to the 1950s, but the SuperSonic Double Cheeseburger became its modern flagship, built to compete directly with Wendy's and Whataburger's double-patty offerings. It leans on Sonic's identity of nostalgic roller-skate service paired with a strai

Approx. Price: $5.99Approx. Calories: 780 calYear Introduced: 1990Legacy Rating: 6.8/10

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ButterBurger (Culver's)

Culver's introduced the ButterBurger in Wisconsin in 1984, griddling a fresh beef patty and finishing the bun with a butter toast that became the chain's signature move as it expanded nationally. It's built a devoted Midwestern fanbase that treats road-trip Culver's stops as a ri

Approx. Price: $5.49Approx. Calories: 490 calYear Introduced: 1984Legacy Rating: 7.8/10

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Whataburger (Whataburger)

Founded in Corpus Christi in 1950 with a promise that the burger would be so big 'you'd need both hands,' the eponymous Whataburger became a Texas cultural institution, inspiring bumper stickers, wedding proposals, and near-religious devotion. Its orange-and-white striped roofs a

Approx. Price: $5.99Approx. Calories: 600 calYear Introduced: 1950Legacy Rating: 8/10

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Krystal Burger (Krystal)

Opening in Chattanooga in 1932 as a direct Southern answer to White Castle, the small square Krystal burger became the South's version of the slider, inspiring the same love-it-or-hate-it steam-grilled reputation. It's a late-night hangover-cure legend across the Southeast, with

Approx. Price: $1.29Approx. Calories: 190 calYear Introduced: 1932Legacy Rating: 6.5/10

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