Have you ever wondered what's going into your fast-food burgers? If you
eat at any of these chains, you won't have to.
From the Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger to the Breakfast All Day Burger,
beef is the shining jewel of BurgerFi's menu. As such, it's little surprise that
the chain takes its protein seriously. According to the BurgerFi website,
the company only serves the top 1% of all beef produced in the States.
In line with its "Never Ever Program," BurgerFi makes its patties from all-natural
Angus Beef that's antibiotic, hormone, chemical, and steroid-free. Furthermore,
BurgerFi guarantees that the farms supplying its meat raise their cattle on pastures,
providing them with the freedom to feast on grass, grains, hay, and legumes. The cattle
are then fed corn to enhance the beef's flavor and achieve optimal marbling.
BurgerFi's commitment to serving antibiotic-free beef has earned it recognition in the annual Chain
Reaction Reports. Perhaps BurgerFi's Chief Culinary Officer, Paul Griffin,
sums up the restaurant's beef policy best, saying on the company website,
"From day one, BurgerFi's commitment to providing the ultimate better-burger experience has always
started and ended with fresh, quality ingredients, premium options, and delicious possibilities."
Since opening its doors in 1969, Wendy's has been serving fresh, never-frozen,
100% real beef without additives or fillers. The meat is sourced from local Beef Quality
Assurance-certified farmers and transported to restaurant locations in refrigerated trucks.
Wendy's is the first chain restaurant to collaborate with the Progressive Beef program,
a sustainability and animal welfare initiative that focuses on promoting
the best standards within the industry and third-party verification. The program aims
to provide a humane environment for cattle, ensure the responsible use of antibiotics,
and support local communities by providing training and certification.
Unlike many other international chain burger joints, Wendy's is completely transparent
about the tangible steps it's taking toward serving antibiotic-free meat. Since 2020,
Wendy's has only been sourcing its beef from producers who have committed to reducing the use
of antibiotics in their cattle by at least 20%. Additionally, the popular franchise has the noble
goal of switching to 100% antibiotic-free meat at all of its U.S. and Canada outlets by 2030.
"Be different. Get on the cutting edge."
From basic cheeseburgers with lettuce and tomato to more elaborate options like the Avocado Bacon
Burger and the Spicy ShackMeister, Shake Shack uses only 100% Angus beef patties in its burgers.
Better still, the chain's beef is never frozen and contains no hormones or antibiotics. Shake Shack
only sources its beef from farmers who uphold the most rigorous animal care and welfare standards.
To make their patties stand out from the pack,
Shake Shack uses a distinctive smash-and-scrape technique where patty balls are pressed into
the grill and scraped with a tool that looks a little like a paint scraper prior to flipping.
Food critic Nick Kindelsperger from The Chicago Tribune says that this unique
technique resulted in the beefiest patty he had tasted the entire month, adding,
"The meat is placed on the softest bun around — a Martin's potato
roll — which is just one step away from the texture of a marshmallow."
With the motto "Our beef is higher grade than most steaks," you know you're in for something
special when you sink your teeth into a Mooyah burger. The chain uses only Certified Angus Beef,
a premium black Angus beef brand that has been helping rural communities since 1978.
The Certified Angus Beef brand only selects three in 10 cattle to ensure that its product
meets 10 stringent criteria in relation to size, uniformity, and marbling. Furthermore,
only USDA Prime or Choice-designated beef can qualify as Certified Angus Beef.
It's not just the commitment to serving high-quality beef that makes Mooyah burgers
special; it's also their commitment to freshness and variety. Mooyah offers many different burger
styles, from classics such as the MDC with two beef patties, lettuce, tomato, and American
cheese, to more elaborate options that cater to every palate and dietary preference. Choose The
Paleo with iceberg lettuce, applewood smoked bacon, avocado, tomato, pickles, and onions,
or indulge in the Mushroom Swiss Burger with Swiss cheese, sautéed mushrooms, and fried onion
strings. Alternatively, you can build your own burger from the chain's 26 toppings and sauces.
Famous for its ButterBurgers made with never-frozen beef patties and toasted
buttered buns, Culver's aims to stay true to its "small-town Wisconsin roots." This means that all
of the chain's meat — including beef and chicken — is sourced from local family-operated farms.
"From Wisconsin with love."
Culver's beef patties are made from a blend of top-quality Midwest cuts known for their
marbling and juicy flavor, including chuck, sirloin, and plate. Additionally,
the patties don't contain any fillers that could compromise the quality of the beef.
Culver's makes burgers to order, and they use a specific cooking method to ensure that each patty
is cooked to perfection. The beef patties are cooked on the griddle using the smash technique,
which helps to seal in the juices and create the chain's signature crispy sear.
In-N-Out Burger has grown considerably since opening as the first drive-thru burger joint
in California in 1948. Decades later, the restaurant chain still prides itself on
serving food made the old-fashioned way, without freezing, pre-packaging, or microwaving. In fact,
until 1963, when the restaurant opened its specifically designated patty-making facilities,
In-N-Out Burger patties were still manually hand-made by the chain founder's wife, Esther.
Today, In-N-Out Burger is still made from entire cuts of 100% USDA beef
chuck obtained from premium cattle. The meat is free of things such as fillers,
additives, and preservatives. To ensure top quality, the franchise across the U.S. takes
care of bone removal, meat grinding, and patty preparation. The patties
are then transported to restaurant locations around the country. Notably, Carl Van Fleet,
the former vice president of development at In-N-Out, once told Business Insider,
"Our new restaurant locations are limited by the distance
we can travel from our patty-making facilities and distribution centers."
With around 40 locations across six states,
Elevation Burger is a small player as far as burger chains are concerned. Founded by a dad
who struggled to find healthy fast-food meals for his family, Elevation Burger seems to have
stuck to its world-friendly philosophy even though it was acquired by FAT Brands in 2019.
Elevation Burger doesn't take its produce and sustainability lightly. In fact, according to
the chain's website, the company's mission is to "change the world one burger at a time."
In a 2018 interview with The Daily Targum, Elevation Burger's director of operations,
Joe Hafez, summed up the chain's commitment to quality, saying,
"Our burgers are 100 percent organic beef, fresh ground in house. Our beef is
also sourced from grass-fed cattle, which has less calories and saturated fat than
conventional beef. All our meat is organic, free-range, humanely processed, and Halal."
From classic burgers with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions,
and pickles to more elaborate get-ups like the Truffle Mushroom Swiss Burger,
Smashburger caters to all dietary preferences and appetites. The chain even makes a keto-friendly
burger served on a bed of lettuce rather than inside a bun. And when it comes to its beef,
Smashburger only settles for Certified Angus Beef, without ever freezing or microwaving its meat.
Just like the chain's name suggests, Smashburgers are made using custom-made metal smashers. Each
beef patty is smashed on a buttered and seasoned griddle. This technique caramelizes the meat,
resulting in incredibly rich and juicy patties. In a review for Business Insider,
writer Hollis Johnson said that the meat was savory and perfectly cooked. He added,
"There's no uneasy, greasy texture to the burger, unlike at many other chains.
It's a lean meat that stands out among the flavors instead of suffocating beneath them."
"It's time to raise the bar on how you burger."
When it comes to B.GOOD, the name says it all. The popular restaurant chain is all
about providing "good" food that isn't just delicious but is also good for you and the
planet. Founded by two friends with a penchant for wholesome food made from local ingredients,
B.GOOD sources its beef from Walden Local Meat Co. This company procures
100% grass-fed beef from more than 70 environmentally responsible Northeast farms.
B.GOOD CEO Chris Freeman explained the reasoning behind the chain's
decision to partner with Walden in 2023. According to a press release, he said,
"We were initially drawn to Walden Local because of its loyal ties to local farmers
and focus on sustainable foods, both of which are incredibly important to B.GOOD."
In an interview with QSR Magazine, B.GOOD Co-Founder Jon Olinto also
elaborated on the ethos behind the chain, saying,
"When we started, we thought if we would grind the beef and hand-cut the potatoes,
that would make it real food. As we got into it, we became more passionate about what real food
should be. Now it means getting meat from family farms that never use antibiotics or
hormones and being transparent about the source of all our ingredients."
With the tagline, "There's No Substitute for Quality," The Habit Burger Grill has
given itself a lot to live up to. Luckily, with over five decades under its belt,
the chain has had considerable time to perfect its craft.
The Habit Burger Grill burgers start with never-frozen USDA Choice tri-tip
steak that's ground to create fresh and flavorful patties. Furthermore,
the patties are free of fillers, additives, and preservatives. The chain's cooking process
involves an open flame to sear in the juices and give the beef a slightly crispy exterior.
Founded in 1969 in Santa Barbara, California, The Habit Burger Grill has grown from a single store
to more than 350 restaurants across 14 states, along with outlets in China and Cambodia. In 2020,
the company was acquired by Yum! Brands — a conglomerate that also owns KFC, Taco Bell,
and Pizza Hut — for approximately $375 million.
Hopdoddy Burger Bar is a small-scale burger chain that's big on regenerative farming.
The 50-location franchise has partnered up with Force of Nature — a brand that brings
together farmers and ranchers committed to creating a better world through sustainable
practices. This ensures that Hopdoddy Burger Bar's patties are sourced from
100% grass-fed cattle raised in a regenerative and responsible manner. It also aligns with the
company's mission to provide customers with a delicious and guilt-free dining experience.
Hopdoddy Burger Bar's high standards are reflected in the quality of its food and
its transparency. For instance, not only does its Mother Nature Burger come with Force of
Nature 100% grass-fed regenerative beef, but it also features Vital Farms pasture-raised eggs,
Raw Farm cheddar cheese, and Brother's Bond Bourbon onion jam. Some of the
chain's other burger options include the Goodnight/Good Cause with cheddar cheese,
lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, jalapeños, and caffeinated BBQ sauce,
and the Magic Shroom with goat cheese, field mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, and onion.