This is the burger that USA Today says is the best fast food burger in America. What did I think? Keep reading.
Geno / BBGILast week, I shared the results on the show the results of a USA Today breakdown of the best fast food burger list of all of the American chains. The big surprise to me was McDonald's, undoubtedly the biggest fast food chain in America, had no burger on the list. In-N-Out held the top spot for years but was dethroned by a chain I'd never heard of before. After some research, I found that we have ONE location here in the Tampa area so I had to try it.
When USA Today's list came out and listed The Habit Burger Grill's Double Char cheeseburger as the best of the best, I was bummed. I didn't think I could try it.
Geno / BBGIWhen I first read the USA Today piece, I didn't think we had The Habit. Come to find out, I'd driven by it dozens of times and just never really noticed it. I don't know how long they've been around, but it's on East Bay in Clearwater (although really I think you'd think of this area as Largo instead of Clearwater).
Geno / BBGIIt's not just burgers. If you want to go healthy (why?) you can even find a few salads. But the charburgers are definitely the star of the show.
Geno/BBGII didn't try the shakes this time but that apple pie shake looks awfully tempting. Their price is pretty close to the one at Five Guys but I do like how at Five Guys you have a whole laundry list of unlimited mix ins.
Geno / BBGII like that they have Pibb. And it's cool they have the sugar free Minute Maid lemonade. The iced tea is what I ended up going with. It was ok. Nothing special.
Geno / BBGII wish they had Coke Zero as a choice. I'm not a Diet Coke fan. But I love Coke Zero. At least you can a 50/50 mix of Coke and Diet. That's my usual move if a place doesn't have Coke Zero.
Geno / BBGIVery nice touch! Want to spice up your burger? You have your choice of jalapenos, pepperoncinis or chili peppers. No extra charge for this.
Geno / BBGII liked the variety of toppings and sauces you can go with. Looking at the burger, I was excited to try it. It looks better than a typical fast food burger.
Geno / BBGISome good stuff for your burger. LOVE that malt vinegar is an option for your fries. A1 sauce, Tobasco, I'm liking the options here.
Geno / BBGINot bad. I'd give it a solid grade of B... above average. I like how the cheese melts really well into the burger. I hate fast food burgers where the cheese doesn't melt right. The Double Char burger's flavor was decent. It wasn't one of the best burgers I've had, but far from the worst. I think I'd still prefer a Five Guys burger to this one though. The whole experience just reminds me of Five Guys. If you like Five Guys, I think you'll dig The Habit.
If you sign up and order via their app, you can get your first double cheeseburger free. So I did that, bringing the price for the burger, fries and Iced Tea down to about $7 or $8. Normally it'd be around $15-$16 for all those together.
Final thoughts: Is this really the best fast food burger in America?
I liked the Double Char at The Habit. I would say it's among the better fast food burgers. But honestly, if the right crew is working, I'd even opt for a Whopper over this burger. But with Burger King it's really hit or miss. If the crew isn't on their game that day, a Whopper can go from a B+ to a C- fast. I'd also take a Five Guys burger over this one. But I would say it's worthy of trying once. USA Today says it's the best fast food burger in America. Let me know what you think.
Happy National Cheeseburger Day. There are lots of burger bargains out there to celebrate this important holiday. In the fast food drive thru world, you can get a double cheeseburger at McDonald's for 50 cents. Burger King will give you a free cheeseburger with a $1 purchase. Wendy's is doing a buy one, get one free Big Bacon Cheddar cheeseburger deal. All of those require you to put their mobile app on your phone though.
If you want to step up your burger game (plus support local businesses), here are my 10 best picks for juicy, flavorful burgers here in the Tampa area.
#5: The Stein & Vine in Brandon
This is one of the things I miss about living over on the Hillsborough side. I only got to visit once or twice, but their take on the Juicy Lucy with the cheese in the middle was fantastic. (This burger in the photo is a different one, but it looks solid.)
#4: Shake Shack in Tampa
We FINALLY have our own Shake Shack in Tampa. Hopefully there are more to come. As great as the burgers are, the real star of the show is their Christmas Cookie milkshake... offered only seasonally unfortunately.
#3: Five Guys in Pinellas Park
Sure sure it's a chain. But those burgers are always done right. Whenever anyone complains that Florida doesn't have In-N-Out, I say you have Five Guys - which is way better. I lived in California for 5 or 6 years and had plenty of In-N-Out. And I'll still drop in whenever I visit the west coast, but Five Guys burgers are far better. But you could argue it's comparing apples to oranges because In-N-Out is far cheaper.
#2: Engine No 9 in St. Pete
My only complaint is it's a pretty pricy burger. Once you add tots, drink and a tip, you're spending around $20-$30. That said, that burger in the pic... I snapped that shot. It's my go to every time. So good.
#1: Portillo's in Brandon
I'm going to get a lot of grief about this pick and I get it. It's a chain. And Portillo's is known for their Italian Beef and Chicago style hot dogs. I've had both. But the winner for me on the menu is their burger. (Although the cheese fries and chocolate cake shake are close behind.)
