Not In-N-Out: The Best Fast Food Burger In 2026 Comes From Another California Chain, According To USA Today

In-N-Out Burger is as closely associated with California as surfing and Hollywood. The restaurant is baked, or perhaps grilled, into the very fabric of California culture. And USA Today readers and editors recognized the chain's greatness by placing In-N-Out's Double-Double at #2 on a list of the 10 best fast food burgers anywhere.

But the fact that the actual winner of this list was a burger from an entirely different California-based chain might come as a shock, particularly if you didn't know In-N-Out even had any legitimate burger competition in the region. Number one on that list was actually the Double Char from Habit Burger & Grill. The winners were determined by a group of burger experts who came up with an initial list of nominees, which were then voted on by USA Today readers to narrow it down to and rank the final 10.

Habit Burger might not have the name recognition of In-N-Out, especially if you don't live in California. But after starting out as a small-town burger joint, Habit has proven itself a worthy competitor in the burger chain space. Habit currently operates over 380 locations and has also finished at the top of USA Today lists of best fast casual chain and best side with its tempura green beans. 

Habit Burger's winning sandwich, the Double Char, consists of two beef patties, lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayo, and sweet caramelized onions. We didn't give it the top spot on our ranking of all of Habit's charburgers, but take that with a grain of salt — there really aren't any bad options. We just preferred the classic original, the sliders, the Portabella Char, and the Santa Barbara Char.

But what is it that puts a Habit Double Char above In-N-Out's iconic Double Double? The USA Today list didn't really compare and contrast the burgers directly. Examining the major differences between the rivals Habit came out ahead with bigger patties, better buns, and more options for add-ons and customization. There is also a sense that Habit's burgers feel a little more upscale, while In-N-Out has deliberately stuck with a simpler approach.

Given that we're comparing a No. 1 burger to a No. 2 burger here, there really is no wrong option. It all comes down to taste and, perhaps most importantly, whether you live close enough to an In-N-Out or Habit Burger & Grill to have the choice in the first place.