Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- What makes a cheeseburger tremendous?

Is it the quality of the meat? The melt factor of the cheese? Maybe it's the fresh toppings, or a combination of all three factors?

We set out on a journey to determine where you can find the best fast food/fast casual cheeseburger in Northeast Ohio by tasting the varieties at 13 chains located throughout the region.

The cheeseburger that finished at No. 1 came from Shake Shack.

Check out our rankings and thoughts and tell us your go-to spot for a great cheeseburger in the comments.

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No. 13 McDonald's

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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This cheeseburger was delivered to us a bit on the cold side and smashed. The thin, salty burger got lost in a voluminous amount of ketchup. Other toppings were lost as well -- a tiny dab of mustard, one lonely pickle chip. How sad.

The real objection is the cheese was not melted at all. The cold slice of American slapped atop the burger left much to be desired.

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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No. 12 Swensons

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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We got a hot burger with melted cheese at Swensons, but the thin patty offered little flavor. What's more, the bun was a bit soggy as though it had been microwaved.

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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No. 11 Sonic

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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Cold burgers unfortunately are a bit of a trend on this journey. The burger itself was cold and the cheese was not melted. It had an OK flavor and might have been good if it was warm.

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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No. 10 Dairy Queen

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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Hooray, Dairy Queen served us a hot burger. Steam actually came off the patty when we lifted the bun and the cheese was melted. Sadly, the patty was overcooked and the bun was soggy and not toasted. It was topped with only ketchup, mustard and two pickle chips, which, while scant, overwhelmed the flavor of the burger.

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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No. 9 Rally's

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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This cheeseburger was slathered in mustard, which helped the dry patty, but completely overwhelmed any taste of meat. The cheese was not melted either.

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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No. 8 Burger King

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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This was the first sesame seed bun we encountered. The patty offered some smoky "grilled" flavor, but the meat was dry and chewy. Again, the cheese was cold and not melted. What is the point of that?

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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No. 7 Wendy's

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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With their square patty, you get meat in every bite at Wendy's! And they made an attempt at melting the cheese. Sadly, the condiments were the biggest disappointment with just one thin ring of raw onion, a small dab of mustard and two little pickles amid lots of ketchup.

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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No. 6 Steak 'n Shake

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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Hearty meat flavor comes through even though the patty is thin. The crispy edges add a lot of flavor. The cheeseburger was topped with plenty of fresh veggies -- lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle -- a bit of ketchup and lots of mayo! If you're not a mayo lover, you may want to ask them to hold the mayo or serve it on the side.

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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No. 5 Culver's

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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This cheeseburger was a bit on the salty side, though the crunchy edges of the patty distracted us from the salt. The patty was cooked well and the cheese was warm and melted. Bonus points for serving it hot and on a soft bun.

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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No. 4 Mr. Hero

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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If you have a hankering for a lot of meat, head to Mr. Hero. Served on a long "sub" bun, you get two thick patties of well-cooked meat. This was the only burger that came with white cheese. The lettuce tasted as though it had a bit of Italian dressing on it.

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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No. 3 Hardee's

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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This burger has a fresh, hearty grilled taste. Served hot, the cheese was melted and even though it had a mild flavor, it stood up against the burger. Unfortunately, the appearance left a bit to be desired. When unwrapped, it appeared to have been squished.

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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No. 2 Five Guys

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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This is as solid and as simple as a cheeseburger can get. A well-cooked fresh patty, it was cooked when we ordered it. The cheese wasn't completely melted, but it was enough to give the burger the cheesiness it needed. The sesame seed bun was grilled. We got ours without any toppings, but they offer a long list of free options so you can top it the way you want it.

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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No. 1 Shake Shack

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

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Shake Shack makes burgers once they're ordered as well. The outside of this patty had the slight crunch of a well-fried burger, yet it remained juicy. If cheese is what you want, you'll find plenty of melty richness here. The fresh bun is toasted and buttery and the cheeseburger arrived nice and hot.

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David Petkiewicz, cleveland.com

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

More fast food rankings

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Yadi Rodriguez, cleveland.com

More food rankings