It’s really not much to look at. The meat appears thin. The bun isn’t fancy. But just like the fresh home-made burgers that Mom used to make, the real beauty lies within. Once you’ve had that first bite, you will find yourself in a comfy, warm familiar place.
This is Whataburger. Your order is made from scratch AFTER the words leave your mouth. They never pre-grill burger patties or have them sitting around. The meat is never frozen, always fresh, 100% pure American beef from a local supplier. The veggies taste like you just made a trip to the supermarket produce section. The lettuce is cold and crisp, the onions are sweet and diced into large chunks, and the pickles are thick and tangy, with a home-made taste. A simple burger with fresh ingredients.
The 5-inch plain white bun is larger than most standard fast-food buns, and along with the large-thin meat patty, have become trademarks of the company. The buns are baked by Flowers Bakeries, who also supply several other large chains. Both sides of the bun get lightly toasted on the grill before the burger assembly, creating a thin layer of crispness that breaks open into soft fluffy warmth inside. This a big bun, but despite it’s appearance it doesn’t feel heavy or mute the great flavors packed inside.
“We don’t get fancy. We stick to what got us here. We choose the right way over the easiest, fastest, or cheapest.” — Whataburger.
The beef patty is not very thick, but at 5-inches it’s fairly large in diameter, weighing in at a respectable 1/4 pound (before cooking). That thinness helps the meat cook faster, keeping in mind that every order is cooked fresh, and they’ve got to keep that line of hungry customers moving along. It might seem too-thin just looking at it, but I’ve found the proportions of meat VS toppings and bread in each bite, to be almost perfectly balanced flavor. They offer a Double and a Triple meat option for those who want to get jiggy with it. I would often scarf down those bad boys when I was a bit younger, but these days quite honestly I find it’s too-much meat at once. Forgive me Meat Gods.
The standard “Whataburger” is: 1/4 pound beef, diced-onions, 4 pickles, 3 slices of tomato, shredded lettuce and Whataburger’s own famous Mustard. To that basic foundation, I add American cheese (the only cheese offered) and bacon. I also ‘hold’ the tomatoes. This is one of the few burgers I eat without ketchup. And Whataburger doesn’t include ketchup as a standard ingredient, you must request it. They taste fine with ketchup, and in fact Whataburger’s ketchup is excellent and has a cult following (as does their mustard) but there’s a special ‘balance’ between the meat, mustard and pickles going on here that’s worth preserving. If you’ve never had a Whataburger before, I suggest you stick with the original mustard and not add anything else.
The cheese slice is thick and fairly tasty for fast-food American. The bacon is excellent, crispy on the edges, tender and chewy in the middle. Bacon on hamburgers is usually a good thing, but fresh bacon on fresh beef, grilled fresh together… awesome!
The entire experience, from the first bite to the last napkin swipe of mustard on my chin, was delicious. This is FRESH Fast Food, and Whataburger deserves a lot of credit for it. They are more concerned with quality than speed. That sometimes leaves you waiting a few minutes longer than other fast food joints, but it’s worth it.
The Whataburger with Bacon and Cheese is a winner. Starting with good tasting beef, fresh ingredients, and plenty of room for customizing. You can add extra meat, extra cheese, even Jalepeno peppers. It will remain a regular in my burger rotation.
Price: $3.90 / Website: Whataburger.com
Fast Food Critic Score: A
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Nutrition Facts - Whataburger with Bacon and Cheese.
Calories - 780
Calories from Fat - 380
Total Fat - 43 grams
Carbs - 59 grams
Saturated Fat - 16 grams
Trans Fat - 0.5 grams
Cholesterol - 98 milligrams
Sodium - 1997 milligrams
