We asked pro chefs for the best fast food burger chain—here are the top picks

Even with plenty of recipes in your Rolodex and fancy sit-down restaurants nearby, sometimes you just need to eat fast food. The convenience is only part of the appeal. In times when you just want something salty, savory, greasy, and satisfying, a fast food run will always hit the spot.

That even applies to professional chefs, too. You may think that working in restaurants and test kitchens means you can’t appreciate the simple pleasures of a drive-through—but that couldn’t be further from the truth. If anything, being a food expert makes you appreciate fast food even more.

And what menu item captures American fast food culture quite like a cheeseburger? I asked professional chefs and food experts from Delish’s very own test kitchen and beyond to share their favorite fast food burgers. Here are the six chains that topped the list.

Burger King

When I asked Delish’s team of food experts about their perfect fast food burger, Test Kitchen Manager Alejandro Valdes Lora’s answer was simple: “Whopper all the way.”

Food Editor Francesca Zani feels the same way, noting how much she loves the “nostalgic” flavor that she’s enjoyed since she was a kid. While the recipe has recently been revamped, the classic flavor is the same. Lora appreciates that it’s delicious yet affordable, and he always loves “that crisp iceberg.”

In-N-Out

The regional fast food staple has earned the respect of professional chefs because it strikes the ideal balance between convenience and quality. Chef, restaurateur, and television personality Adrianne Calvo says the chain “understands something a lot of restaurants forget: simplicity only works when execution is obsessive.”

The care that goes into every order is clear. “The beef has that fresh, almost backyard-grill quality. The lettuce actually tastes alive. The ratio is right. Nothing slides out. Pretty close to perfect,” Calvo says.

An In-N-Out burger is delicious as is, but chefs also love to customize with some off-menu additions. Delish Test Kitchen Assistant Emily Efraimov’s ideal order is a single cheeseburger, animal-style, with “extra pickles, extra lettuce, chopped chiles, [and] pepperoncini on the side.”

And, for food expert and television personality Adam Richman, the perfect In-N-Out burger is a Double Double, animal style, with two notable additions. “I add whole grilled onion and chopped chiles—my personal pro move,” he says.

Shake Shack

The burger chain has come a long way from its original kiosk in Madison Square Park. Now, there are nearly 700 locations worldwide, many of which boast unique regional menu items. But the best thing you can order is still the classic ShackBurger.

The well-browned patty with its crispy, lacy edges and the signature ShackSauce hit every time, and the “potato bun is basically engineered by scientists to make you emotionally attached after two bites,” Calvo says. “It’s polished comfort food,” she adds. “It’s the burger equivalent of showing up to brunch in expensive sweatpants.”

Five Guys

Even though the menu isn’t much fancier than your standard fast food fare, there’s something truly special about Five Guys. “Honestly, I can never ever deny a Five Guys Little Cheeseburger,” says Senior Food Editor Brooke Caison.

The single cheeseburger is much more than just meat, cheese, and a bun. Five Guys lets everyone choose their own burger adventure with unlimited customization options, like adding anything from grilled mushrooms to A.1. Steak Sauce. “It’s so reliably good, and the menu has been the same for my whole life,” Caison adds. “Also, they’re so generous with the fries. And the free peanuts are very classy.”

Braum’s

Every other chain on this list has a sizable presence across at least 10 states. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention one of the nation’s small regional chains. Senior Food Editor and Oklahoma native Makinze Gore had to shout out her hometown hero: Braum’s.

With just 300 locations across Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Kansas, Braum’s specializes in its dairy products—but you shouldn’t sleep on the burgers. Gore says the chain’s use of high-quality beef is “a big plus.” Each burger is topped with Braum’s savory, spiced signature sauce and served on a fresh-baked sesame seed bun.

“It’s very simple, but I really just can’t turn down the chance to get a malt,” Gore adds.

White Castle

For over 100 years, White Castle has been a fixture in the American fast food scene. But when it’s not the setting of a buddy comedy movie, the chain often flies under the radar—and it shouldn’t.

Richman says White Castle’s jalapeño cheese sliders are “the real sleeper hit.” It’s the perfect spicy, savory bite in a small package. To up the ante, Richman likes to order the slider “bottoms up,” which sandwiches the meat between two bottom halves of the bun.

“The crown has that sort of hard crust, and I like the soft pillowy texture of the bottom,” he says. “And you can also ‘add steam.’ It’s like an Umami Bomb Bao.”