Hamburger pictures

[Rick Potter]

Have you ever been disappointed when the hamburgers you get at your local fast food joint don't actually have much resemblance to the picture on the menu board you ordered from?

I eat a lot of burgers, and I am older than most of you, and in my mind, that makes me an expert.

The only place I know of that consistently serves up burgers that look as good as the pictures do is good old In'N Out. Honorable mention goes to Moolah, which recently opened in my area. Great burgers but twice the price.

Not talkin' about taste here, since that is subjective. Just the presentation at burger joints.

[Jim Becker]

There was actually recent litigation about that where several fast food entities were sued for what you mention. The restaurant organizations won that case...

[Jim Koepke]

What really bugs me is at one of the "Kings" of hamburgers if you ask for extra onions they have a charge of fifty cents and they rarely actually add any extra onions.

Going back to the counter and complaining might get you a cup or plate with some extra onions.

Most of the time we get an order to go and extra onions and mustard can be added at home.

jtk

[Warren Lake]

this always comes to mind. 4:00 minutes in

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJs9p-VNORw

[Pat Germain]

You're not wrong. There's also no such thing as Fast Food anymore. Wherever I go, it takes 20 minutes to get my food and the order is almost always wrong. I'm not a fan of In & Out, but they seem to work efficiently. Culver's burgers are OK and typically presented well.

[Lee Schierer]

It isn't just the fast food places. A number of the large sit down chains have menu pictures of their meals that have little resemblance to what they place in front of you.

Lately, the problem with the fast food places is the sandwich looks like it was assembled by a three year old during a temper tantrum. Most of "the works" are not between the buns.

[Rick Potter]

Never saw that movie but....sheesh, that's what I'm talking about! That was great.

PS: I just got back from an In'N Out break. Honest.

[Stan Calow]

I made a zillion burgers in my teen years. Do you want pretty or do you want cheap?

[Rod Sheridan]

I’ll suggest Harvey’s as having burgers that resemble their photos and taste like they’re actually cooked on a grill

Regards, Rod

[Howard Garner]

Went to a Culver's in Indiana a couple years ago.
Ordered my usual, plain, no-cheese.
Burger was fine except to the pickle on top of the bun
Complained to on duty manager "but we always put a pickle on our hamburgers"
But you photo does not show the pickle topping.
Lost that argument - never back to a Culver's

Howard Garner

[Barry McFadden]

I’ll suggest Harvey’s as having burgers that resemble their photos and taste like they’re actually cooked on a grill

Regards, Rod

I agree with Rod.... Harvey's burgers look and taste good. I also think the same of an A&W Teenburger.

[Doug Garson]

I’ll suggest Harvey’s as having burgers that resemble their photos and taste like they’re actually cooked on a grill

Regards, Rod
Yeah, Harveys was always my favorite growing up in Ontario. The fries were never frozen always fresh cut, I can remember seeing them peeling the potatoes outside the back door in summer and the burgers were real meat and as you said looked like the picture. Sadly they are no longer in BC, not sure why. Last time I had one about 5 years ago, the burgers were still as good as I remembered, the fries, not so much. Most of our southern neighbours will never enjoy a Harvey's burger as they are only in Canada. Kinda the Lee Valley of burger chains.

[Brian Elfert]

You're not wrong. There's also no such thing as Fast Food anymore. Wherever I go, it takes 20 minutes to get my food and the order is almost always wrong. I'm not a fan of In & Out, but they seem to work efficiently. Culver's burgers are OK and typically presented well.

Which fast food places are you going to that take 20 minutes to make your food? I only eat fast food a couple times per month, at most. However, I have never waited 20 minutes to receive my food order. Taco John's is the longest I have waited at about five minutes. Taco John's makes up your food after it is ordered which is why it takes some time.

One time a few months back I walked into a local Jimmy John's and they said it would be thirty minutes to get a sandwich as they were slammed with either online orders, or a catering order. I don't recall which. I don't understand why they couldn't pause the order for someone not in the store, and make a sandwich for someone actually in the store. I should have contacted corporate about that one, but I never did.

[George Yetka]

I wont get a burger outside of my house or someone elses. I usually do brisket burgers but 85% ground beef with diced onion and seasoning/marinade make delicious burgers as well. They are fast and easy, too fast and easy to sacrifice taste for buying them at a chain.

[Kent A Bathurst]

No disrespect to anyone here, nor any restaurant, but........

I've eaten in establishments of all types and cuisines, in most of these United states and in many foreign countries, and my expectations are adjusted at establishments providing photos on the menu.

[Doug Garson]

Interesting that high end restaurants which pay a lot of attention to presentation, never, as far as I know, put pictures on the menu while fast food joints where speed and low prices are the keys to success do. I agree, when I see pictures on the menu I also lower my expectations.

[Jim Koepke]

Which fast food places are you going to that take 20 minutes to make your food? I only eat fast food a couple times per month, at most. However, I have never waited 20 minutes to receive my food order.

This reminds me of something that bugs me locally.

The large grocer in our area has a deli counter that also makes sandwiches.

One one of the cases is a sign saying, "your deli order can be left at the counter and will be prepared while you do the rest of your shopping."

Often there is only one attendant at the deli order end and one making sandwiches. Sometimes the wait is 5 minutes or more. Candy often gives up on ordering if the wait is long. I often ask the person why would anyone wait in line to give a written order and then come back and wait again to pick it up?

Managers come up with brilliant ideas, where if they knew how things worked they would realize it would be a better idea to hire more help.

jtk

[Mike Null]

I have a need for a cheeseburger fairly often and while I've found some excellent ones at a couple of watering holes I can't get used to the $15 they ask so, I've become a Culver's regular and am pretty happy with their product.

I also buy Sam's prime ground beef patties and make my own, which my wife prefers.

[Jim Koepke]

I also buy Sam's prime ground beef patties and make my own, which my wife prefers.

I like to make burgers the way Candy showed me. Mix half hamburger and half sausage.

Legally it isn't a hamburger, thank the beef association for that, it sure tastes good.

jtk

[Patty Hann]

I like to make burgers the way Candy showed me. Mix half hamburger and half sausage.

Legally it isn't a hamburger, thank the beef association for that, it sure tastes good.

jtk

My Dad always made burgers half sirloin and half ground chuck....and thick.

[Jim Koepke]

My Dad always made burgers half sirloin and half ground chuck....and thick.

I remember one time at Costco they ran out of the beef they usually grind into hamburger and used tri-tip instead. Those were good burgers.

jtk

[Doug Garson]

I guess my wife's burgers are real Outlaw Burgers. She uses ground beef plus ground pork and sometimes ground turkey plus garlic, onion and spices.

[Patty Hann]

If you make burgers with pork or turkey you have to thoroughly cook them.
I like burgers the way I like steak -- medium, with some pink in the middle.

[Brian Elfert]

If you make burgers with pork or turkey you have to thoroughly cook them.
I like burgers the way I like steak -- medium, with some pink in the middle.

You are also supposed to cook ground beef thoroughly. The reasoning is that any bacteria on the surface will get ground into the meat. Whole meat like steaks, chops, roast, and the like will only have bacteria on the surface, if any, and it will get killed during the cooking process.

I want on a camping trip once where raw food was provided that participants needed to cook. One meal with hamburgers and the patties were maybe 1/4" thick. The organizers wanted to be sure the burgers were cooked well enough to kill any bacteria. It would have been very difficult to not cook them well.

[Roger Feeley]

I’m a five guys fan but to each his own. It takes 10-15 minutes because they cook to order. They give you peanuts to eat while you wait so you don’t get antsy.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I keep thinking about the movie Falling Down as I read this thread.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Wife likes her meats to look same color as charcoal, before lighting, as in BLACK! Can't stand for her to cook me a burger, as it's dried out and HARD, just the way she likes them. An instant read thermometer should be on every grill / griddle. One hundred sixty degrees on inside, and it's DONE! Smash burgers on the griddle are so easy to cook, as they are so thin after smashing. Both Freddies, and Culvers do smash burgers. What we really like about Culvers, is about once a month we get BOGO coupons in the mail. Makes it easy to decide where to go to eat with friends after church on Sunday.

[mike stenson]

I keep thinking about the movie Falling Down as I read this thread.

Now that you mentioned it...

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I became very fond of McDonald's as a youngster. There was one in the basement of the university bookstore on the MU campus. It was very close to our house. I could pickup a few return for deposit soda bottles in the Sigma Chi and Kappa Alpha parking lots, cash them in and get a cheeseburger.

[Bill Dufour]

I remember years ago some advertisers got in trouble because they used tricks like mashed potatoes to make ice cream that did not melt under the studio lighting.
Bill D

[Warren Lake]

post #4 for falling down.

When my mom was passing I had two hour drive each way. Long days and no time to cook so grabbed Macdonalds from take out and ate while driving on back roads. No cars just me so safe. I had it once or twice the odd day, pretty much each day for two weeks. At 67 in decent shape from working from young. Trashed my stomach in that two weeks.

Havent had a great burger in years. There are 10 places better than harveys. Then better than them are places like the Golden Star if they are still there. Last time I checked they were and there since 64. Best burger ever a friend cooked came from a butcher in Bracebridge. Pre made frozen. Friend doctored it up a bit and it was the best so far.

[Jim Becker]

My opinion is that Micky D's burgers are the worst in the business...overly salty and bland at the same time and just greasy grey meat. Their McCrispy Chicken Sandwich (deluxe for me) is very worthy and the only thing I will eat there. But even on a good day with a good worker making it, it's still not quite as attractive as the photos. ;)

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Our attraction to McDonald's these days is quick and easy access from the highway to the bathroom. It is nice that many locations kept the bathrooms available even when dine in was closed due to covid.

[Warren Lake]

i wasnt getting burgers there it was a grilled spicey chicken thing. Havent had a burger there in likely 40 years. The chicken thing and fries were enough to pack on the pounds in that short time.

[Andrew Hughes]

I can confirm Moolahs makes a outstanding burger and French fries.
Inflation doesn't help

[Maurice Mcmurry]

It is interesting to observe the price variation from location to location when you are on the road. My last cheeseburger was in Cloverdale Indiana. It was .99 cents and put together just like in the picture. I know picky people, including a Chef, who will go out of their way to get a filet-O-fish. The Chef has a funny stand up comedy style dialogue about his attraction to the Filet-O-Fish.

511339

[Warren Lake]

some history

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksiskwlNNVs