This Food Network Host Has Fond Memories Of Enjoying Carl's Jr. Burgers

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Just like us, celebrity chefs love burgers. Some, like José Andrés, focus on the best possible ingredients, such as Ibérico pork. Others, like Ina Garten, play up fancy burger upgrades like caramelized onions and gruyère. But for Padma Lakshmi, the cookbook author, Food Network star, and long-time host and executive producer of "Top Chef," it's all about nostalgia. In her cookbook "Tangy, Tart, Hot, and Sweet", Lakshmi reminisces fondly about a specific offering from a well-known burger chain: the Western bacon burger from Carl's Jr. Born in India, her family moved to New York and then California, the first state in the country to have a Carl's Jr. After school, Lakshmi would scarf down the bacon and barbecue sauce-laden burger with impressive gusto.

If you've never delighted in this long-standing menu item yourself, the Western Bacon Cheeseburger from Carl's Jr. features a charbroiled all-beef patty (or two), a few strips of bacon, melted American cheese, fried onion rings, and, of course, barbecue sauce. (You can also upgrade to a hefty angus beef version on a potato, rather than seeded, bun.) If you're officially tempted to try one yourself, pick up an extra packet of barbecue sauce to recreate Lakshmi's memorable meal.

Even after reflecting on her high school Carl's Jr. habit in her cookbook, and particularly in light of her iconically audacious Hardee's commercial in which she houses a Western Bacon Thickburger in captivating fashion, you might think that the Food Network host Padma Lakshmi is happily eating Carl's Jr. or Hardee's for free for life. However, her burger preferences have taken a simplified turn. In 2019, she appeared as a guest on First We Feast's "The Burger Show." After powering through a thinly smashed slider at New Jersey's White Mana Diner, she commented to host Alvin Cailan that the bun-to-burger patty ratio is crucial. "I know nowadays, people think they're being generous or luxurious by giving you like this 4-inch burger, but I think that the bun to burger ratio is very important," she says.

No-frills, top-notch smash burgers are currently all the rage. While still moist and juicy, thinner burgers build up a crispier edge and a more nuanced texture that plays well with the soft, balanced bite of a bun. Plus, you won't have that moment of disbelief when you try to imagine taking in all the components in one mouthful. Of course, even smash burgers can be given the Western Bacon Cheeseburger treatment — all you need is bacon, American cheese, and barbecue sauce for a bite to eat that Lakshmi enjoyed during her high school days.