Fast Food Review: Whataburger

Posted July 21st, 2009 | 2:17pm by Ryan

Some things are classic for a reason. Led Zeppelin II is a great example of this. Unfortunately some people feel it necessary to skip over classics such as this in favor of more obscure songs and records. That is until they finally listen to the album in it’s entirety. This is the Led Zeppelin IV of burgers, the Whataburger.

Previously I would always look past the Whataburger as being too simple to satisfy my palate. I would always opt instead for the BBQ Chicken Strip Sandwich or something else in the vein. So, when I entered the orange and white A frame restaurant, I had generally low expectations. Perhaps it was because of those not so great expectations, I was highly impressed by the burger I was served (it was number 29, if you were wondering).

The burger itself has a pretty nice size about it, dwarfing the Wendy’s Double Stack (read our review) and barely looking up to the fast food juggernaut, the Whopper. My positive impressions were only mimicked with it’s taste. The Whataburger website cites the burger as consisting of “100% pure American beef with mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and onions” and each of those ingredients are almost perfect in their placement. That’s another good thing about this burger that most either don’t have or don’t realize, it just handles well. It’s stacked with (surprisingly) fresh toppings but it’s not overflowing like a clumsily filled teacup. The toppings almost burst with flavor that compliment the meat and bun perfectly…that is, except the onions. They just seem to be idle extras in the scene of the burger. Onions in burgers usually jump out upon biting into them, but they just seemed blase in this.

Really, the only complaint I would have with the Whataburger is that the meat itself is dry. This is of course covered up with all of the toppings and condiments, so it never really turns into a big issue. The only time it would really matter is if you get unlucky enough to have a sloppily constructed sandwich. I regret being so unoriginal in my dressing of the burger. For the most part I don’t even like jalapeno peppers or bacon all that much, but I feel that if they were placed with moderation in the midst of the other toppings, I would have been a believer. Perhaps dressed with some pepperjack cheese to really amplify the present flavors. I also rue not taking my chance to try the famous “Fancy Ketchup” that Whataburger boasts about on my burger, but honestly it didn’t need the extra class.

I previously mentioned that I had low expectations for this meal. That being, I’d still like to give the classic Whataburger full credit for being a great hamburger. At $2.20 it’s far cheaper than my normal Whataburger sandwich of choice. If pressed for money, I would definitely opt for the number 1 at the register. Heck I would even blindly recommend the double or triple variation if they build on the great taste of their foundations. It goes back the the Led Zeppelin analogy. The Whataburger has the simple, straightforward (and satisfying) flavor and that makes it really appealing. If simplicity is key, then the door is now unlocked.