There are few things more American than a hamburger. For around a century now, Americans have been tucking into this meaty treat and its popularity seems in no danger of waning. According to IBIS World, there were over 83,700 burger restaurants operating in the United States during 2023, and astonishingly, around 25% of these restaurants were operated by one of the country's two dominant chains: McDonald's and Burger King. These chains, and others like it, are thriving thanks to the public's insatiable appetite for burgers. However, this incredible demand also means that some American burger chains continue to grow despite serving subpar food -- so how do you know which burger joint to frequent?
In this article, we aim to separate mediocre burger chains from the excellent, providing the knowledge you need to avoid eating subpar patties. To put this article together, we referred to both amateur and professional reviews from a variety of sources. A full methodology detailing how we ranked the chains is available at the bottom of the article. Until then, let's learn more about America's best and worst burger chains.