According To Our Taste Test, The Absolute Best Fast Food Burger Is Also One Of The Cheapest

Every fast food burger joint would love to have the best burger, and many claim they do. Some, like McDonald's and Burger King, who have an ongoing rivalry, have even partnered to create the ultimate burger, the McWhopper. But despite what the burger franchises want you to believe, the title of "Best Burger" just might belong to a chain that offers a delicious burger that is also one of the cheapest on the market, making it an all-around win for hungry burger lovers.

Chowhound recently took a look at 12 popular fast food burgers and ranked them from worst to best, looking at factors like freshness, flavor, and quality. While the burgers all had basic similarities, one stood out from the crowd, taking the crown as the absolute best fast food burger: Culver's ButterBurger. Brought to you by a chain that originated in Wisconsin and is famous for things like frozen custard, crispy-on-the-outside and gooey-on-the-inside cheese curds, and, of course, its ButterBurgers.

Our reviewer tried the customizable burger a couple of ways — with just lettuce and tomato, and another version with "The Works No Onion" (ketchup, mustard, pickles) and the result was the same both times: the quality and flavor of the meat stood out among the rest of the burgers on the list, like Shake Shack's Shackburger and the Our Burger from Wahlburgers. And when it comes down to price, the ButterBurger starts at under $5 for a single patty at most locations, although the price does go up with additional patties and extra toppings like bacon or mushrooms. When you compare this to other burgers on the list that didn't even meet the taste standards set by Culver's ButterBurger, like the Shackburger that starts at around $7 or $8 for a single-patty burger, depending on the location, the price is the icing on the cake for Culver's.

The chain's approach to creating this standout burger is no joke. It comes from buttering a lightly toasted bun and using fresh (never frozen) meat for its patties. At first glance, the ButterBurger might come across as sort of basic, but perhaps that is what makes it so excellent. Culver's doesn't make any attempts at pretense and doesn't rely on any fancy sauces or gimmicks to deliver the knockout punch. It simply serves up a quality burger that lives up to what customers expect it to deliver: good flavor, good quality, and good value.