Are You Whoring Yourself Out for Cheeseburgers Again
The Best Fast Food Salary Cheeseburgers, Ranked
The winner—much to our surprise—was clear.
Illustration by Maggie Rossetti for Thrillist
Welcome to The Fasties , Thrillist's second-annual fast food awards! The awards feature more than a dozen categories celebrating all the best foods that came out of drive-thru windows over the past year—from Best Chicken Nuggets to Best Bacon Cheeseburgers, and many more. Sentry the full awards show and check out the full list of categories and winners .
Unless you're still living int he bacon mania that gripped the country years agone, yous probably don't order a bacon cheeseburger every time you're in a fast food drive-thru. When you order a salary cheeseburger, chances are you lot're specifically opting for an upgrade over the bacon-free default burger on the carte. Why? Sometimes you lot just want some bacon stacked on your cheeseburger. You don't need to have a proficient reason for it, thank you very much.
What you do demand is a great bacon cheeseburger to order. For one, it needs to be a groovy burger—a solid foundation on which bacon tin be piled. Most importantly, the salary needs to be crispy, flavorful, high quality, and, well, numerous. And finally, the whole stack of meats and toppings must strike a succulent rest and create a symphony salty, fatty, creamy, and fresh flavors. Those are the rules.
Okay, okay. They may not be the rules, merely those are the criteria nosotros considered in our quest to detect the all-time bacon cheeseburger served by a fast food concatenation. It's as well worth noting that we ordered what we viewed equally the marquee bacon burger on the menu whenever possible and avoided limited-time-only offerings because nosotros want permanent salary, not fleeting salary. But enough with rules and criteria. Hither's what we found.
13. Krystal: Bacon Cheese Krystal
The build:Ii little strips of bacon, slider burger patty, pickles, American cheese, and mustard on a steamed bun
On its online menu, Krystal describes this snack-size burger every bit "a must-have masterpiece," but we beg to differ. The meat is nearly nonexistent and is overwhelmed by the toppings. That said, the toppings—a snappy pickle, gooey cheese, and tangy mustard—are delicious. The bacon (you go two small-scale strips) is crispy plenty and the steamed bun is fine, only they're not enough to salve the overall package. Y'all can become a better salary cheeseburger at practically any other fast nutrient chain.
12. White Castle: Salary Cheese Slider
The build:A folded strip of bacon, onion-flavored slider patty, and delicious cheese on a steamed bun
Out of the two slider/snack-sized bacon cheeseburgers on this listing, White Castle's is superior. But let's face it: the Bacon Cheese Slider's tiny size leaves it sick-equipped to compete with the other burgers on this ranking, unless you society three or four of 'em and don't mind the lopsided staff of life-to-meat ration you'd go as a issue. Speaking of meat, the pocket-sized square patty sports that super-savory White Castle flavour from the chain's signature grilled onion training method. That beefy, onion-y combo unsurprisingly pairs well with salty, compact bacon—of which yous get just one equally small strip that'southward folded in half and tucked within the other layers. The melty cheese is perhaps the tastiest office (especially if you opt for the Smoked Cheddar over the standard American), and it holds this picayune burger together both in terms of construction and overall flavor.
xi. Dairy Queen: Bacon Cheese Grillburger
The build:A quarter-pound beefiness patty topped with cheese, lame salary, tomato, lettuce, pickles, onions, ketchup, and mayo served on a toasted bun
Imagine going into a McDonald's. Yous guild a Big Mac. Then the person behind the counter says, "Aye, we don't have that." Well, that's weirdly how Dairy Queen works. Note that some DQs are "Food and Treat" and some "Treat Only." If in that location'south a Treat location nigh you, you're able to order all the delicious desserts that DQ is known for (and a couple of food items, like hot dogs). If you observe a Food and Treat location, in that location's a much more robust eats menu, which includes this Bacon Cheese Grillburger.
The three-ish skimpy salary strips on this burger brand information technology appear as if the inclusion of bacon was an afterthought, fifty-fifty though salary is right there in the proper name. Yous physically get bacon in every bite, merely if you tin can't taste information technology one bit, what's the point? Instead, the gustatory modality is overwhelmingly mayo, ketchup, limp lettuce, and a tomato that may have left the vine in the 2010s. Some fast food spots brand the bacon a centerpiece of the burger. This is not that burger.
x. Jack in the Box: Salary Ultimate Cheeseburger
The build: 2 beef patties, 3 strips of bacon, American and Swiss cheese, mayo, mustard, and ketchup on a bakery bun
You can society the Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger whether it'south 10am or 10pm at Jack in the Box, which is cool. Just just because you can doesn't hateful you should. That'due south considering the bacon is depression-quality, flimsy, and lacks any existent smoke season. Even worse, the burger itself makes no sense—with two beef patties, two types of cheese (American, Swiss), mayo, mustard, and ketchup, it feels like the burger is missing a couple elements. Where art one thousand, tomato? Maybe they could throw in a pickle or two? And if the bacon were better, it might be able to overcome the burger'south shortcomings. But it tin't.
Before you lot order this, you should know yous can besides club breakfast all 24-hour interval at Jack in the Box, pregnant you tin can pick up the simple, perfect Breakfast Jack sandwich with ham, egg and American cheese on a pillowy bun. It's non a bacon cheeseburger, but it'll gustation better than the ones the concatenation is serving.
9. A&Westward: Bacon Double Cheeseburger
The build:Ii patties, two piece of American cheese, hickory-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, onions, and pickles on a lightly toasted bun
Eating bacon should non exist similar trying to chew prophylactic from part of a shredded tire yous found on the side of a highway. Luckily, A&W's bacon isn't that bad, but it'southward a limp approximation of bacon y'all'd really want to eat, and therefore it'south non a welcome addition to this cheeseburger. It's a shame because the burger patty itself is passable and non too dried out, and the accoutrements surrounding the beef (onion, pickles, lettuce, tomato, mayo) both taste and wait fresh. Just the bacon! It's a swing and a miss. Stick to ordering A&W's root beer floats and you'll go home happy.
8. Carl'southward Jr./Hardee's: Double Western Salary Cheeseburger
The build:Two beef patties, 2 strips of salary, two slices of American cheese, tasty onion rings, and BBQ Sauce on a disappointing sesame seed bun
Carl's Jr./Hardee's sells chicken, breakfast, and even burritos (in some cities), but let's exist real—information technology's a burger place. If you need further proof, the chain's Instagram might likewise just be a billboard for just its burgers, and for good reason. Information technology knows how to take a plainly erstwhile fast food beefiness patty and add together enough bells and whistles to make pulling into the drive-thru fun over again. It even has a damn-good Across Burger.
This is a smartly constructed burger, where every ingredient plays a part in creating a cohesive, succulent repast. Allow's commencement with the bad news: the sesame seed bun tin't hold a candle to Mickey D'southward, but it does concord the burger together. The good news is everywhere: crisp, smoky bacon with a smell and so exhilarant you'd be forgiven for drooling all over yourself; ii slices of melty American cheese; BBQ sauce with a pleasant sweetness; onion rings that add together another layer of crunch and saltiness; and two beef patties that aren't likewise thick (or dry) to overwhelm the flavor coming from every other role of the burger. In bottom hands, this burger could exist an overstuffed mess. But this is Carl's Jr., and they know what they're doing.
vii. McDonald's: Quarter Pounder with Cheese Bacon
The build:Fresh beef patty, two slices of American, slivered onions, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and non plenty bacon on a sesame seed bun
We love McDonald'southward Quarter Pounder with Cheese for its impossibly juicy and meaty fresh beef, abundance of melty cheese and onions, those acidic piffling pickles that definitely wouldn't be very adept on their ain, and its overall simplicity. The good former QPWC ranked third on our list of the best fast food burgers available today, and so we went into eating the bacon version of this classic—the awkwardly named Quarter Pounder With Cheese Bacon—with high expectations. Salary makes everything ameliorate, correct? And adding bacon to an already bully burger could only outcome in an extraordinary burger. Right? Non quite.
Turns out that what makes every Quarter Pounder with Cheese and then succulent—its intense beefiness and meatiness—is what holds the bacon version back. How is that possible, you ask? The burger patties and their e'er-pleasing pockets of salty grill char simply overwhelms the three, inadequate half-strips of bacon McDonald'due south includes. The applewood bacon is crispy and of decent quality as far as fast food bacon goes, simply the season just doesn't stand to the large mouthfuls of beefiness with every bite of this thing, and you know what, we can't actually blame it. There needs to exist more—if not double—the bacon. All said, is it a bully burger? Yep. But is it a swell bacon burger? Absolutely, but yous can go even meliorate elsewhere.
vi. Culver's: The Culver's Salary Deluxe
The build: 2 fresh beef patties, two strips of salary, Wisconsin cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, cherry onion, and mayo on a toasted bun
There's a reason caps lock was invented, and information technology'southward considering calling this beautiful Culver's creation piled high with ii smashed, fresh beefiness patties a burger isn't plenty—this thing is a BURGER. Information technology volition fill you up for hours, but besides perchance a couple weeks? The onion, lettuce, pickles and tomatoes are actually fresh, a rarity in fast nutrient. The Wisconsin cheese is perfection. But the bacon is just there. And for some reason, there are simply two strips, then that even when you bite into a part of the burger with bacon, you don't get plenty smoky pork flavor. It'southward not considering the bacon is subpar—it'south articulate that when you eat the pork on its own that it'south crispy and delicious. If you're craving a fast food cheeseburger, you can't do better than Culver's. Merely if you want a bacon cheeseburger, information technology'southward best to become elsewhere.
v. Whataburger: Salary & Cheese Whataburger
The build: The concatenation's 5-inch beef patty, one slice of American, three strips of bacon, lettuce, tomato plant, pickles, diced onions, and mustard on a large bun
It's hard to peak the original Whataburger, simply cheese and bacon definitely add life to the patty party. Order the burger exactly as Whataburger cooks have conceived information technology and you'll find iii strips of crispy salary crown the usual suspects of mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickles, diced onion, and melty American cheese for a overnice residual of textures and flavors. The bacon's thicker than that of many fast food joints and the even distribution allows for a smoky crunch in every bite.
One of the greatest things nigh Whataburger, of course, is the ease with which you can customize. Y'all can add together more bacon for 50 cents a slice, get your onions grilled, have your buns toasted on both sides, go wild with sauces, and even modify upward the cheese selection. Or, you lot can ignore all of that and get out perfection lone.
4. Wendy's: Baconator
The build: Ii fresh beef patties, 2 slices of American, six pieces of applewood smoked bacon, ketchup, and mayo on a "premium bun"
When y'all think fast food bacon cheeseburger, chances are the Baconator is the first to come up to listen. And for adept reason. This isn't just a burger that'south topped with a few strips of bacon. This sizable sandwich is all about the crispy meat—to the indicate where Wendy'south dispenses with other traditional toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles. And you know what? It doesn't need them when in that location are six whole strips of applewood smoked bacon crisped into greasy curls.
The Baconator doesn't avowal the best salary in fast nutrient (continue reading for that), merely it makes up for that with quantity. Eat a Baconator, and you'll take care of your beef, cheese, and bacon cravings all at once. Eat a Baconator and y'all'll feel full for hours. Eat a Baconator and you'll need a nap.
3. Sonic Drive-In: SuperSONIC Salary Double Cheeseburger
The build:Two beef patties, 2 strips of delicious bacon, ii slices of cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on a flimsy bun
Out of all of the fast nutrient bacon cheeseburgers nosotros ate (and, equally you can run across, in that location were many) in our research for this story, nosotros're pleased to study that Sonic Bulldoze-In's has the best bacon. The flavour-filled strips are big, wide, and crispy... you know, as bacon ought to exist, but frequently isn't when information technology'south from a fast food place. While you only get a couple strips of this pork perfection on the SuperSONIC Bacon Double Cheeseburger, it'southward hefty enough to appear in—and thereby enhance—every bite, though information technology would certainly benefit from more bacon (duh). Better yet, the relatively simple lineup of toppings—lettuce, love apple, mayo—allows the bacon's flavour to shine while providing a pleasant freshness that cuts through the fattiness of the meats. Just watch out for big chunks of lettuce (ours included a piece that wasn't shredded properly and ended up falling out of the burger upon our outset chomp, making a mess).
Speaking of messes... that brings us to our biggest criticism. After taking a few, totally normal-sized bites into it, the height piece of the bun splits right down the middle jeopardizing and ultimately, undermining, its structural integrity. This bun just isn't designed for SuperSONIC eating, but hey, we're willing to practice a scrap of caution to enjoy this otherwise excellent bacon cheeseburger.
two. Checkers: Baconzilla!
The build:Two patties, four slices of tasty bacon, two slices of American cheese, melted cheddar cheese (!!!), ketchup, and mayo on a bakery bun
If this ranking were based on the names of the burgers alone, Checkers' Baconzilla! (yes, it fifty-fifty includes an exclamation signal) would most certainly win. It's a bang-up name, yes, only the fitting monicker nothing to practise with this cheeseburger's loftier position on this ranking. The Baconzilla! soared to the No. 2 spot on pure porcine perfection.
Let's commencement with the bacon. Yous get four relatively thick strips that taste like your significant other cooked them for you on a lazy Sunday forenoon (yeah, it'due south that good). The deliciousness of the bacon is closely followed by the hamburger patties, which hit all the right notes with their own fatty and salty flavors in addition to some tasty grilled char. The ketchup and mayonnaise duo perfectly balance all the greasiness with acidic tang. What actually sends this burger over the top, though, is the melted cheddar cheese sauce—we repeat: melted cheddar cheese sauce—that Checkers throws on in addition to ii slices of American. All of this cheese melds with the bacon and beef for a salary cheeseburger eating experience that's actually worthy of the peachy name. Though perhaps information technology should be called the Cheesezilla!
1. Burger King: Bacon Male monarch
The build:Two succulent flame-grilled beef patties, vi strips of thick-cut smoked bacon, 4 pieces of American cheese, ketchup, and mayo on a sesame seed bun
When we fix off to discover the absolute best bacon cheeseburger in fast food, we didn't expect to find it at Burger King, when there are other chains serving ones with names similar the Baconator, Baconzilla!, and SuperSONIC Double Bacon Cheeseburger. We were so wrong. Turns out the Salary Male monarch is the merely bacon cheeseburger on this listing that truly lives up to its novelty proper name.
The first affair we jotted downwardly in our taste exam notes is that this matter is substantial. With two burger patties, six strips of bacon, and four slices of cheese sandwiched on a sesame seed bun, y'all'd recollect that information technology'd exist a pain to eat and a guaranteed mess in your automobile. Merely it'southward neither of those things. Bigger doesn't always mean better, but the Bacon King's width contributes to its bang-up overall construction. You tin can swallow information technology without worrying about a piece of bacon falling onto your lap. Well-nigh importantly, you go consistently even bites featuring all of the ingredients, delivering a perfect marriage of flavors from beginning to end.
These flavors are what fabricated the Bacon King the clear winner. Like Checkers' bacon, Burger King'due south tastes home cooked and easily surpasses the level of quality you'd expect from a fast food concatenation. Meanwhile, the substantial amount of melty American cheese and the sandwich'southward kiss of mayo add squeamish flossy notes to this salty symphony. Burger Male monarch'south flame-grilled burger patties seal the deal with that signature flavour that's reminiscent—simply not quite the same—as a burger grilled in your backyard. Information technology is exactly what a fast food bacon cheeseburger should sense of taste similar.
All said, the Bacon Male monarch achieves that magical, borderline-inexplicable fast nutrient flavour alchemy that we haven't experienced since taking our outset few bites of the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich. Not only is information technology an boggling bacon cheeseburger, it'south a fast food engineering marvel that'due south ultimately greater than the sum of its parts.
The Bacon Male monarch is, indeed, the king. Long may it reign.
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Source: https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/best-fast-food-bacon-cheeseburgers-ranked
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