The Best Local Burger Chains, Ranked

If you're hungry enough when a burger craving hits, even the flimsy, sad-excuse variety at McDonald's could do — but every true aficionado knows that enormous chains like that just don't churn out the type of quality burgers you want to sink your teeth into. That's not to knock fast-food chains, though. There are plenty of smaller-scale, local burger joints out there that have made a name for themselves in the beef patty business. Here are our all-time favorites in America, in increasing order of deliciousness.

The number 10 spot is dedicated to what is perhaps the most "fast-food" like joint on the list. But that's okay. Their menu selection, which includes the typical burger joint offerings at an affordable cost, also features some killer patties. Take note off of the secret menu and sandwich the beef in-between slices of Texas toast. If you're feeling ready to splurge, toss in a side of hash brown sticks. Yum. Whataburger now has over 800 locations nationwide.

Photo: Instagram/whataburger

This Wisconsin-founded chain is famous for some of the most Midwestern menu items you've ever heard of — cheese curds, frozen custard, and butterburgers. Yes, that's right, if a typical fast-food burger isn't already greasy enough for your taste, these patties come served on buttered, toasted buns. Trust us — a butterburger and order of crinkle-cut fries make any pit-stop in middle American infinitely better. Locations have popped up across the country, but you'll find most in Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan.

Would you like bacon in your milkshake? Yes, you read that correctly. If you have a daringly large appetite, Five Guys will provide quite the fix. Their menu, which consists of a variety of burgers and hot dogs, plus sandwich and shake options, is at the lower end of the price range–but keep in mind their dishes are notoriously high-calorie. However, who eats a burger to count calories, anyway? They have now expanded to over 1,500 locations across the U.S. Pro-tip: Five Guys is very generous with the french fry serving sizes, so unless you are feeding a half-dozen teenage boys, one order of fries should do the trick.

Photo: Flickr/Neil Conway

Prideful of their Northwestern burgers, fries, and ice cream, Dick's Drive-In makes it their mission to deliver an experience from a simpler era. In an Esquire.com poll, readers voted Dick's "the most life-changing burger joint in America." That's quite the title. Pull up, order, and enjoy at the Seattle-based eatery, which has seven area locations.

Photo: Instagram/dicksdrivein

The instant you walk into one of the nine upstate NY locations of Tom Wahls, you will feel as if you have been transported back to a soda parlor in the 1950s. The menu features typical offerings like fries, burgers, shakes, and hot dogs. But it's an upstate NY staple known as the "Junker Plate" (or "garbage plate" as others put it) that lands Tom Wahls on the list. Imagine taking a bacon cheeseburger burger off of the bun and resting it upon a bed of fries and mac salad, topped with mustard and onions for $10.59. Your taste buds just exploded, right?

Photo: Instagram/tomwahls

Three words: maple bacon fries. Enough said. The Southern California-born burger restaurant offers a full dinner menu, but you can't go to a place with "burger" in the name and not try one of their specialties. From the "Manly" or "Truffle" burgers to the buzzed-about Impossible Burger, Umami packs on the toppings to make these tasty bites worth every dollar. With locations in Los Angeles, Orange County, New York, Las Vegas, Chicago, Japan, Mexico, and even the Bahamas, you can visit Umami in most major cities.

Photo: Flickr/G M

If you're looking for a burger, but not just any ol' burger, look no further than Burgerfi. The self-titled gourmet burger joint offers a unique spin on the American classic. Take, for example, the Street Stack, which features griddled corn cakes, an all-natural black angus patty, melted white cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, smoky bacon and jalapeño pico de gallo for $10. Pick one of these bad boys up at any of their 106 restaurants nationwide.

Photo: Instagram/burgerfi

Head to Madison Square Park in New York City, and you'll come across a small, metal snack shack that cooks up some of the most talked-about patties in all of Manhattan. Since it's burst of popularity in the early millennium, the business has expanded to 130 locations across North America and 70 internationally. The 100% all-natural angus beef patties are best served up in a traditional burger. However, if chicken or hot dogs strike your fancy, they have those, too. After all, Shake Shack did start as an NYC hot dog shack. Whatever you decide, don't forget to throw in a side of wavy fries with cheese sauce for a couple of bucks extra.

Picture this: Farm-fresh beef stacked with a mountain of toppings–including, but not limited to mushrooms, Thai ketchup, caramelized onions, dill pickles, black forest bacon, and special sauce. Now, stop drooling and get yourself to one of the nearest locations. They have 30 in NYC alone, with a few sprinkled in other Northern U.S. cities, including Philadelphia, Washington, and Chicago.

Photo: Instagram/bareburger

When you pull up to an In-N-Out location, chances are the drive-thru line is winding around the block. With over 300 sites scattered across the Southwest, In-N-Out takes the cake when it comes to popularity, and its become a must-eat staple of the region. The menu is relatively affordable, and it sticks to the classics: Burgers, fries, soda, and shakes. If you're looking to go low-carb, you can always order "protein style" which substitutes the bun for a lettuce wrap. But here's the ultimate order: Ask for a Double-Double and get it "animal style" — it'll come topped with cheese and grilled onions and doused in special sauce. Just the right combination of simplicity and decadence.

Instagram/hungry.burgers