I Tried Cheeseburgers At 7 Sit-Down Chain Restaurants And Ranked Them Worst To Best

When it comes to American cuisine, few foods are more iconic than the cheeseburger. The simple combination of beef, bread, and cheese has remained a staple at restaurants and cookouts alike for decades. Although cheeseburgers are commonly associated with fast food, many sit-down establishments offer their own versions of the beloved classic, often positioning them as comfort-food staples alongside heartier entrées.

To find out which sit-down restaurants offer the best cheeseburgers, I visited seven national, non-regional chains to conduct taste tests and ranked them from worst to best. Additional ingredients were limited to ketchup, mustard, and pickles, but if the burger didn't come with these, I sampled it exactly as it was served. I judged each burger on the overall flavor, the quality of the meat, and how well-cooked the patty was when ordered medium rare. I also considered whether the ingredient ratio was balanced and whether any single element overwhelmed the rest. Let's take a look at how the cheeseburgers at each of these sit-down chain restaurants stack up.

As basic as it gets, IHOP's cheeseburger is nothing to write home about. The meat was dry and largely lacking in flavor, while the bun was stiff and unnecessarily thick, taking up more real estate than it needed to. It wasn't nasty by any means, but calling it "good" would be a stretch. Ordering from IHOPs value-focused breakfast menu or choosing from the chain's plethora of pancakes will serve you and your wallet much better. The best compliment I can give this cheeseburger is that it was serviceable.

IHOP offers other burger options, including Bacon Avocado Ranch, Cowboy BBQ, and Jalapeño Kick, which have enough flair to stand out and may help mask the shortcomings of the base patty. Truthfully, I can't see why someone would pick the basic cheeseburger unless they prefer their burgers as plain as possible. Given IHOP is primarily known as a breakfast restaurant, I won't say that I had high expectations to begin with, but I still had to rank it in last place based on overall quality alone.

Bob Evans is part restaurant, part grocery store, offering a variety of menu options, as well as takeout dishes to cook at home. The chain has multiple locations across the country, offering a casual dining atmosphere with a farm-inspired aesthetic. Bob Evans' cheeseburger was basic, with a thin yet well-seasoned beef patty, and two slices of cheese that worked together to create a simple, satisfying sandwich. It also included pickles, adding a fresh, crisp tang that slightly elevated the burger.

It will do in a pinch if you're really craving a cheeseburger but it's nothing special, and there are much better options on Bob Evans' menu that reflect the chain's strengths — particularly its breakfast items. At $11.99, it's not a terrible deal, and it's cheaper than most of the other burgers on this list. Still, the following chains simply had more impressive cheeseburgers overall.

Texas Roadhouse is a classic steakhouse chain, with its rustic wood-paneled interior, meat-packed menu (including various beef, chicken, pork, and seafood dishes), and a wide range of appetizers. When it comes to Texas Roadhouse's cheeseburger, however, "classic" is not the word I would use. 

The cheeseburger wasn't bad, but it wasn't especially memorable, either. The quality was noticeably lower than the chain's steak offerings, as the flavor of the meat was neither unique nor bold, and it wasn't particularly well-seasoned. The patty was slightly charred and very greasy, and while I typically enjoy these characteristics, they didn't enhance cheeseburger here. Plus, it didn't come with ketchup, mustard, or pickles. The other steakhouses I visited served burgers as satisfying as their steaks, but Texas Roadhouse fell short in this regard, so your money would be better spent on one of its other dishes.

The epitome of the American sit-down chain, Applebee's menu includes just about every restaurant staple you can think of. One of the standouts, however, is its Classic Cheeseburger. Cooked with the restaurant's Bar & Grill seasoning, this greasy, delicious beef patty was packed with flavor. It came topped with two slices of gooey American cheese and crisp pickles that added a tangy crunch.

While Applebee's offers several burger options, the classic cheeseburger manages to get the fundamentals right. The meat was well-seasoned and developed a solid crust that soaked up the melted cheese. While these traits are present in many of the Applebee's burgers, such as the Quesadilla Burger and the Bourbon Street Mushroom Swiss Burger, the Classic version shows that strong core ingredients matter most. At $14.99, it isn't the cheapest burger on this list, and while I enjoyed it, it was clearly outperformed by the top three entries. 

It isn't surprising that Outback Steakhouse offers a solid cheeseburger that reflects the meat-focused chain's standards. Consisting of a thick, juicy beef patty, a slice of American cheese, and crunchy pickles, Outback Steakhouse's cheeseburger delivered a flavor profile reminiscent of its signature steaks. 

While the patty wasn't thoroughly seasoned and no single component stood out as exceptional, the elements worked very well together. The result was a burger that felt cohesive, balanced, and satisfying. If you're visiting Outback Steakhouse on a budget and don't want to spend upwards of $30 on a filet mignon, you can't go wrong with this $16 cheeseburger. Still, two chains managed to superior cheeseburgers.

Chili's offers a casual dining experience with a wide-ranging menu that includes everything from chicken and steak to salads and quesadillas. The chain aims to appeal to a broad audience, but how does it handle this American classic?

Chili's Big QP is an excellent example of what a chain restaurant cheeseburger should be. The beef wasn't as high-quality as the steakhouse chains', but it was still tender and flavorful enough to blend seamlessly with the cheese, ketchup, and mustard. The pickles were crisp and fresh, creating the perfect contrast of texture and acidity. Priced at $14, Chili's cheeseburger falls around the middle of the pack, but it delivers plenty of value. Despite being someone who is not generally a fan of Chili's, this burger alone would be enough to bring me back.

Hands down the best of the bunch, LongHorn Steakhouse's cheeseburger was top-notch in every regard. Despite the patty's substantial size, it was cooked to perfection and remained tender and juicy throughout. The quality was on par with LongHorn Steakhouse's premium steaks, which immediately set it apart from the rest.

Doubling up on cheese can easily throw off a burger's balance, but here the extra slice worked in the patty's favor, complementing the smoky beef without overwhelming it. Meanwhile, crunchy pickles and a hint of mustard rounded out the flavor profile, enhancing the burger rather than distracting from the meat. LongHorn Steakhouse's cheeseburger was one of the more expensive burgers I tried at just under $15, but it's slightly cheaper during lunch hours. Given its quality, it's well worth it.

Every burger on this list came from a sit-down chain restaurant that was not exclusive to any particular region. Each burger was ordered with cheese, ketchup, mustard, and pickles to keep the focus on the core elements of the cheeseburger itself. Many chains offer additional toppings such as bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, and specialty sauces, but those extras can easily distract from the quality of the meat.

I evaluated each burger based on the patty-to-bun ratio, the quality of the beef, how well-seasoned the meat was, and whether it was properly cooked to my medium-rare specifications. Together, these factors gave me consistent criteria to fairly judge and compare each cheeseburger.