The Best Fast Food Cheeseburger Comes From An Iconic West Coast Chain

There are few foods more dear to an American's heart than a cheeseburger. They're as much a staple at backyard barbecues as they are at five-star steakhouses. But no cheeseburger is more significant than a good old-fashioned fast food cheeseburger. So, we set out to find the best fast food cheeseburger by sampling and ranking 8 different cheeseburgers from all the famous chains. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the winner, by far, was the iconic West coast chain: In-N-Out Burger.

Each cheeseburger was ranked according to overall flavor, heartiness, value, presentation, and the quality of each individual ingredient. For our taste tester, In-N-Out checked off all the criteria boxes. An In-N-Out burger is as basic as they come, with a toasted bun layered with a beef patty, American cheese, sliced onions, lettuce, tomato, and In-N-Out's signature spread. All this is further enhanced with the addition of grilled onions.

Everything from the appearance to the taste of this cheeseburger was comforting, hearty, and felt homemade, a big detour from the generic "fast food" taste of every other competitor. The grilled onions add a richness and caramelized depth to take this burger over the top. But the raw veggies are fresh, the meaty patty and melted American cheese is cooked to perfection, and the slather of sauce offers just the right amount of a creamy zesty kick to tie it all together. Plus, this burger looks as good as it tastes, and its low price outshines the other fast food joints.

Customers on social media are outspoken in their love for In-N-Out's cheeseburger. The main complaint is the small size of the patty. Consequently, most suggest ordering the Double-Double to get a quarter pound of meat for a heartier burger. However, every element of the single cheeseburger was praiseworthy from the slightly crispy crunch and seasoning of the burger to the fresh toppings. But praise doesn't stop at the cheeseburger.

Another thing customers love about the In-N-Out burger, and all orders at the popular chain, is that you can customize your burger with delicious and unique toppings free of charge. According to fans on Reddit, the bottom line is: "When we're talking quality and taste per dollar, In-N-Out is the highest by far." We agreed, voting In-N-Out the best fast food burger chain in America.

Most In-N-Out regulars advise newbies to order their burgers "Animal Style," the not-so-secret secret menu item that adds grilled onions, extra sauce, and pickles. For some heat, the chain also provides chopped chili peppers, again, free of charge. You can also order your fries Animal Style, loaded with In-N-Out's famous "spread" sauce, grilled onions, and gooey cheese. In fact, it's the way that most customers can tolerate the fries at all. To that effect, there are certain menu items that aren't worth getting at In-N-Out, and they generally involve more elaborate sandwiches. So, keep it simple with your burger order, but go all-out with the toppings!