Interesting article although how they tallied the winner did not make much sense to me. In-N-Out bests the other two on all the individual merits but Shake Shack wins overall vote. I think it’s a case of Not Invented Here.
“Clearly the In-N-Out burgers making their trans-continental trip by plane would be at a disadvantage to the made-fresh-in-the-same-city burgers from Five Guys and Shake Shack, so in order to compensate for this, we made the decision to handicap all three burgers by the same amount. After a careful synchronization of watches, burgers were ordered from their respective establishments at precisely 1 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time (that’s 9 p.m. EST, 6 p.m. Pacific) and not tasted until the following morning.”
I’ve had In-n-Out and five guys, never heard of shake shack. I think the double double from InO and bacon double cheesburger from FG are equivalently tasty, just different. Toppings goes to FG in a landslide. But fries are a whole different story. FG fries are meh, but In-n-Out fries animal style…I could have that everyday. Yum f’ing yum.
Never heard of Shake Shack. Went to In-n-Out for the first two times on our recent trip to Napa. Five Guys is a wonderful place that has caused me to fall off my diet many times and In my opinion, a notch above In-n-Out. For me, it is the variety of toppings that make the difference. Free roasted peanuts are a bonus.
…and thirsty, no doubt, Leenda! We have our first Five Guys but I have not been to it yet. Did have a double double animal style sans fries a few weeks ago. Best In-N-Out I have had evah! Oh, the Green Flash Ale didn’t hurt a bit.
Shake Shack is a “New York thing”, although apparently opening up in other cities now and in the future. The original (smack in the middle of a small park in Manhattan) is infamous for hour long lines.
I read the article early this morning but didn’t link it simply because I found the whole thing gimmicky and useless (burgers flown in from the opposite coast? tasting the others the next day?).
I haven’t tasted any of the three, the 5 Guys near me is perpetually mobbed and I refuse to wait an hour for a burger anywhere.
Five guys blows in my opinion, no comparison to a double double, reg fries. Yes they have more toppings but so what. The original dd needs nothing more. Not sure why they threw shake shack in the equation.
What is the point of three cold burgers on day old soggy buns?
I have been to the Seattle (Northgate) Five Guys a couple of times. Strong burger. I think I prefer In-N-Out, but of course that is colored by the fun roadtrip aspect of my few visits there.
I agree Eric. This should have been called something like “Who Makes The Best Cold Soggy Day Old Burger?” Shake Shack is good but I would not put it ahead of In-N-Out or 5 Guys.
I’ll take the Pepper Bacon Tillamook Cheddar Cheeseburger from Burgerville (more stores than Shake Shack for anyone about to point out that they have limited locations) over In-N-Out or Five Guys any day. Real cheddar cheese, not that “Pasteurized Process American Cheese Food” crap. Bonus accompaniment, Twice Walla Onion Rings during the season.
I vote In-N-Out. The texture and flavor of their burgers is very unique and delicous. I could see how some folks want the more meaty and decandent Five Guys though.
The best burger I’ve ever had was this hole in the wall in Jackson, WY called Billy’s. Damn, those were crazy tasty burgers. Ate there 3 times on a 5 day ski trip. Good times…
Many hole-in-the-wall local places will beat the three chain restos in the subject line. George Burgers in San Marcos CA is my vote for local joint. Our house ground burgers are good, too!
One of these days when I’m in NYC I’ll break down and stand in that line at Shake Shack. Between In-N-Out and Five Guys I’d give the nod to Five Guys based on the burger, In-N-Out for the fries.
I’ve had all of these burgers, a lot.
Never ever tire of this conversation… despite all – the cold well travelled deconstructed machinations, the conclusions are dead on because they’re almost inarguable. Just skip to the end of the article.
I love all these places. Will wait on line 30 min for a Shake Shack burger any day of the week, if I’m in town. Waited a lot longer than that a few times. “2x the tree” on occassion.
But make no mistake, all these burgers suck. Nobody should be using language like “best burger.” This is something else. A decent sandwich. There is no such thing as a “great” medium, medium well, nor well done hamburger.
The plus of In&Out is you don’t have to stand in a ridiculously long line to eat outside in a park. Though I was there in less than ideal weather and the line was still too long for me so I didn’t even stay. The other thing is that In & Out is truly inexpensive, Shake Shack not as much so. I’ve tried Five Guys once and thought In n Out was better. I think if you want to do the counter burger chain throwdown you have to mention Steak n Shake, especially if you include the fries.
![[snort.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/b/bdc3944606213c4dca6c1169cf0a166c8bc4f8c9.gif "snort.gif"){kind=small}
