This is the burger that USA Today says is the best fast food burger in America. What did I think? Keep reading.
Last 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 / BBGI
When 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 / BBGI
It’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/BBGI
I 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.
I 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 / BBGI
I 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 / BBGI
Very nice touch! Want to spice up your burger? You have your choice of jalapenos, pepperoncinis or chili peppers. No extra charge for this.
Geno / BBGI
I 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 / BBGI
Some 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 / BBGI
Not 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.
Hear Geno on the air weekday afternoons. Geno's passions include fat guy food, concerts, sports, travel to Europe and South America. He loves 80s and 90s music, from MTV hairbands to old school freestyle, alternative rock to TRL era jams. Geno's radio career began in his hometown of Portland, Maine. Since then he's been on the air coast to coast from Boston to Las Vegas, Tampa to California.
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