Consumer Reports rated fast food burgers and here's what they and their readers decided. In-N-Out and Five Guys tied for first place followed closely by Fuddruckers and a couple of places I've never tried. McDonald's fared especially poorly, finishing well behind even Jack-in-the-Box, Burger King, Wendy's, Carl's Jr and White Castle.
Not that anyone's opinion matters but yours on a topic like this but I much prefer Five Guys to In-N-Out. I used to really like In-N-Out but my last half-dozen visits have all been disappointing and I've been wondering if they've changed or I have. Since their sales seem to be higher than ever, I'm guessing it's me. I'm not a big fan of McDonald's except that there are times, especially at airports, when they're just plain dependable and convenient…and maybe unavoidable. I still prefer them to Burger King and Jack-in-the-Box by a wide margin…and the last two times I went to Carl's Jr were the last two times I'll ever go to Carl's Jr. I like Wendy's, and White Castle struck me as a fun place to eat…once. (In light of McDonald's low rating, I assume none of the voters were factoring french fries into their evaluations. Five Guys really leaves In-N-Out in the dust if you're taking fries into account.)
By the way: If you do have to eat at a McDonald's, the best hamburger I've found there is the Quarter Pounder without cheese. This requires a bit of explanation. Once upon a time, you could go to a McDonald's and order a Quarter Pounder with or without cheese and they had both ready-made and rarin' to go…and probably sitting there for five or ten minutes before you ordered. At some point, they stopped pre-making them without cheese so now it's a special order and if you're lucky, they'll grill up a fresh (i.e., frozen) patty just for you. Any McDonald's hamburger has its shortcomings but they're all a lot better in the unlikely event you get them hot off the grill.
Thanks to Vince Waldron for letting me know about this survey. The gesture of my friend Vince is all the more touching when I consider that he's a vegetarian.