6 Chain Restaurants With The Best BBQ Cheeseburgers, According To Reviews

Great cheeseburgers exist in every corner of the United States, but there are some that add a little kick to the original recipe. Barbecue cheeseburgers have a savory-sweet flair, often accompanied by crunchy ingredients like crisp bacon and fried onion rings. Sometimes the burgers are armed with vegetables, and sometimes there's a larger emphasis on pure barbecue flavor. These greasy dishes make for some delicious lunch and dinner options. It's made all the better by burger patties that are prepared with distinct flavors and topped with gooey, melted cheese.

Chain restaurants with dozens of locations in various states across the country deliver some flavorful options in this burger category. While any barbecue cheeseburger at an establishment can be a serviceable meal, only a few in particular stand out from the crowd. This list delves into six of the most noteworthy, stemming from satisfied customer reviews. A handful also include my own testimony as a regular chain restaurant attendee and as a fan of barbecue burgers done right.

Red Robin has plenty of delicious burgers on its menu, from the egg and bacon savor of the Royal Red Robin to the tang of a Jalapeño Heatwave. But one of the restaurant's best is the Whiskey River BBQ Burger, which also stakes a claim as one of the best barbecue cheeseburgers chain restaurants have to offer. A thick beef patty and melted cheddar cheese are placed atop a pile of crunchy, crisp onion straws. Topped with Whiskey River barbecue sauce, the burger is rounded out with tomato, lettuce, and a humble spread of mayonnaise.

This combination has made the dish a customer favorite, defined by a fresh taste that exemplifies its tender preparation. Regulars express admiration for the barbecue sauce and onion straws in particular. The crunchy texture and sweet savor blend with precision — a delicious complement to the meat, cheese, and vegetables. The consistent, quality flavor keeps customers returning for more, and that's made better by the bottomless fries served on the side.

I've had the opportunity to try the Whiskey River BBQ Burger on more than one occasion, and the dish has since become a staple of my Red Robin visits. Much like other customers, I'm enamored by the burger's deliciousness. The sweetness of the barbecue sauce almost melts into the patty, while the mayo provides an extra creaminess to balance the scales. This delectable approach makes the Whiskey River BBQ Burger a noteworthy cheeseburger with a strong barbecue bite.

On the other side of chain restaurants found in most U.S. states, Applebee's delivers a Whisky Bacon Burger with a precise barbecue-style flavor. Crunchy lettuce, soft tomato, biting onion, and tart pickles act as the foundation for a Pepper Jack cheeseburger patty. The burger is drenched with barbecue sauce, and it also comes with golden-brown onion rings and two slices of bacon. While Applebee's beats out competitors like Chili's in a variety of areas, its delicious barbecue burger triumphs on a wider, multi-chain restaurant scale.

Customers concur the burger is a strong menu item, with a delicious mix of ingredients that elevate it further than other options. The burger goes well with margaritas, too, aiding Applebee's in its history of high-quality alcoholic beverages. For some, the Whisky Bacon Burger is the best burger on the menu. Its flavorful combination of sauce, meat, and vegetables grants it a concrete place as one of the tastiest barbecue burgers around.

As an Applebee's loyalist, I too believe the Whisky Bacon Burger is a cut above the rest. Each time I've eaten this enticing barbecue dish has been a worthwhile experience. The crunch of the lettuce, bacon, and onion rings melds with the softness of the beef patty, cheese, and barbecue sauce. The explosive flavor never disappoints thanks to a consistent, smoky-savory taste. It makes the Whisky Bacon Burger an Applebee's staple and, in turn, one of the best widespread barbecue cheeseburgers at a chain restaurant.

Located in 14 states, Habit Burger & Grill is home to the char burger, defined by patties grilled over an open flame to give each one a scorched, smoky flavor. The BBQ Bacon Char Burger is no exception. A mayo spread, shredded lettuce, and sliced tomato create the base of this burger, which has a charred patty and a gooey slice of American cheese. Hickory-smoked bacon curls greasily above it, while a massive swath of fried onion strips and a layer of barbecue sauce complete the sesame-bunned experience.

The charred flavor is a customer favorite, with praise aimed at how well the patty flavor pops out amongst the dish's many toppings. Fans find it difficult to stay away due to the savory burger's tasteful blend. Regulars say the burger always arrives fresh, and that the barbecue tang and crunch-addled smokiness keep people coming back for more. It helps that Habit has reasonable prices for the quality offered. Customers are happy to pay for a full meal, especially because of the cheeseburger's sheer ability to tap into what makes barbecue dishes so delicious. Habit may have come from humble beginnings, but its BBQ Bacon Char Burger is a force to be reckoned with.

Carl's Jr. serves charbroiled burger meat that, much like Habit, is cooked over an open flame to deliver a crunchier, smokier taste than a typical patty. The Western Bacon Cheeseburger is one of its most flavorful offerings. Available in single, double, or triple form, the sandwich has one slice of cheese atop each patty, depending on size preference. This is coupled with two massive onion rings, thick slices of bacon, and a slathering of barbecue sauce on both sides of a sesame seed bun.

Across various locations in 15 states, Carl's Jr. customers are extremely satisfied with this particular barbecue burger offering. Not only does it taste delicious, but it also forgoes the addition of vegetables, keeping the focus on its smoky, crunchy, and sweetly savory ingredients. Some favorably compare the sandwich to those from other big chains, like In-N-Out, explaining how it manages to surpass other locations specifically because of this barbecue burger. It helps the cheeseburgers look exactly as advertised, and these sandwiches are sometimes the subject of meal deals. These factors only make the Western Bacon Cheeseburger even more enticing. Customers can't get enough of the sandwich, making it a Carl's Jr. staple and a delicious blend of all things barbecue.

Fuddruckers employs a nostalgic '90s flair in its presentation, the kind that makes customers across 15 states feel welcome no matter what type of burger each purchases. This is thanks to the restaurant's high level of customization, cooking fresh burgers that attendees can craft to their liking. Of course, it also offers preset orders, including a standard BBQ Burger. It comes with a thick burger patty topped with cheddar, and this is furthered by crunchy lettuce, tender grilled onions, smokehouse bacon, and a barbecue-style smokehouse sauce. These burgers are big, with customers attesting to some orders weighing over half a pound.

The size, however, is just one noteworthy factor. The delicious burger patties and exquisite barbecue taste make this an extremely savory menu item. It's denoted by its customizability too. While Fuddruckers provides a preset BBQ Burger for customers to enjoy, the restaurant also allows them to enhance it with additional toppings. This helps the already mouthwatering flavor of the preset burger shine all the brighter, deliciously enhanced with extra barbecue sauce or additional vegetables. Fuddruckers' offering stands on its own, too, with a blend of tastes that makes even a base rendition feel like a gourmet meal.

Operating out of the American Midwest, Steak 'n Shake is a retro-themed burger chain that transports customers back to the mid-1900s. The restaurant boasts a simple but effective menu, with one of its most memorable burgers being the Western BBQ 'n Bacon Steakburger. This meaty sandwich delivers a delicious barbecue taste, created with two smashburgers squashing a slice of melted cheese. Drizzled barbecue sauce gives it a richly sweet flavor, complementing its slabs of smoky bacon and smattering of crunchy onion strings.

The burger is a fan favorite, aided by its concentration of barbecue flavoring and appetizing ingredients. Diners say the meal is greasy (in a good way) and delicious, only bolstered by the addition of more meat should one choose. It's also quite a filling dish thanks to just how much food comes stuffed between its buns. Customers also say the Western BBQ 'n Bacon Steakburger's balance of flavors makes it a strong, tasty, and high-quality chain restaurant barbecue burger. According to regulars, this level of quality is only improving by the day.

With a simple stack of ingredients and strong testimony on its side, Steak 'n Shake's Western BBQ 'n Bacon Steakburger surpasses so many others to rise to the top.

The burgers chosen for this list were decided based on frequently positive customer reviews across social media, alongside my own experiences at various chain restaurants. The restaurants were an additional factor, with the definition of "chain restaurant" taking the form of establishments found across multiple states in the U.S. This allowed for a diverse number of burgers from various regions, though with commonality for anyone seeking the menu items out.

Taste was the biggest factor, coupled with texture. Customers across Tripadvisor, Reddit, and Facebook flocked to these burgers in particular, describing each as some of the best barbecue cheeseburgers chain restaurants had to offer. Incorporating my own experiences allowed me to present my case for my favorites, backed by a plethora of customer reviews that justified our joint testimony.