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Maybe it's just the way I've gotten used to eating, but I can't stand greasy food anymore. Which kind of makes me not like chain burger places in general. Whether you think it or not, they are all greasy.
For me, they've fallen into the pit of "I like them but if I've decided this is gonna be an unhealthy meal, I can do better than that."
 
My fellow Texans often draw their long knives when I start talking about how overhyped I think Whataburger is. It's just pre-health-kick mcdonalds with more salt and mustard.
Having worked at both places in my youth, I can perhaps provide some insight.

McDonalds uses a teflon coated clamshell grill to press and cook the patties. The teflon doesn't let grease stick, and pretty much every patty cooked is like it's being cooked on a new grill surface. I don't recall what the temperature was, but it could cook a grill full of patties in something like 38 seconds.

Whataburger uses an old fashioned steel grill with a burger press. They are cooked the old fashioned way: Put on the grill, cook a bit, flip over, put the meat press on it, finish cooking. It took considerably longer than 38 seconds ;) At night, this is scraped down with a scraper, but using the day's burger grease to help lift away solids. This allows the grill to get seasoned, much like a cast iron skillet.

I imagine much of the difference in flavor comes from this difference. I'm also sure that the meat formulation (percentage fat, etc) is different, since Whataburger patties always looked a little fattier than McDonalds to my eye. Lastly, Whataburger quarter pound patties had these kind of 'cube steak' kind of regular indentions pressed into the meat, which affects how the things cook.
 
Wait - you JUST RECENTLY had your first In 'n Out?

Please tell me that was a Double-Double... Good girl, always have a Double-Double your first time at In 'N Out. Rite of passage and all that.
To be fair, it's not a chain they have on this coast. Also, this is only the 2nd time I've ever been in CA, and my 1st time in southern CA.
 
Having worked at both places in my youth, I can perhaps provide some insight.

McDonalds uses a teflon coated clamshell grill to press and cook the patties. The teflon doesn't let grease stick, and pretty much every patty cooked is like it's being cooked on a new grill surface. I don't recall what the temperature was, but it could cook a grill full of patties in something like 38 seconds.

Whataburger uses an old fashioned steel grill with a burger press. They are cooked the old fashioned way: Put on the grill, cook a bit, flip over, put the meat press on it, finish cooking. It took considerably longer than 38 seconds ;) At night, this is scraped down with a scraper, but using the day's burger grease to help lift away solids. This allows the grill to get seasoned, much like a cast iron skillet.

I imagine much of the difference in flavor comes from this difference. I'm also sure that the meat formulation (percentage fat, etc) is different, since Whataburger patties always looked a little fattier than McDonalds to my eye. Lastly, Whataburger quarter pound patties had these kind of 'cube steak' kind of regular indentions pressed into the meat, which affects how the things cook.
I worked at McDs all through H.S. and they implemented the clam-shell-teflon cookers in my last couple of months. Heck, when I first started we still made burgers in anticipation of business and slide them down the hot-tray for pick-up. We also toasted the buns and didn't "microwave" the food. It changed a bunch since I worked there.

Your explanation of of Whataburger's technique makes sense why it tastes better. That is if they still run it that way.
 
To be fair, it's not a chain they have on this coast. Also, this is only the 2nd time I've ever been in CA, and my 1st time in southern CA.
Do keep in mind that they do have In 'N Out in my neck of the woods. (Mesa has two of them, and they're adding a third sometime this year :) )
 
Your explanation of of Whataburger's technique makes sense why it tastes better. That is if they still run it that way.
The last Whataburger I went to (in Nov last year) still had the same grill set-up I remember. Most restaurants are set up in such a way that you can see the grill from the dining room, if you choose to look for it. I imagine they have an "ain't broke don't fix it" mentality, considering how loyal most Whataburger fans are.
 

Cajungal

Staff member
I used to be super into 5 Guys, but the last 2 times I went, the patty wasn't salted *AT ALL,* so I stopped going. If a restaurant doesn't know how to use salt, they don't deserve my time or money. It's a shame; I loved all the toppings and the fries.
 
Yeah, but according to this map (which is from 2014, so it might be missing a couple), the odds of me stumbling across one most of my life are not so great.


It's shocking I've had one at all, since the number of times I've been further west than Middle America could be counted on one hand with fingers left over.
 
I used to be super into 5 Guys, but the last 2 times I went, the patty wasn't salted *AT ALL,* so I stopped going. If a restaurant doesn't know how to use salt, they don't deserve my time or money. It's a shame; I loved all the toppings and the fries.
For some weird reason my folks cook with minimal salt and then at the dinner table they liberally shake it on everything. My wife convinced me to keep tasting the food whilst cooking and have it properly salted, and then there's no need to add it later.

Now, I am surprised at the number of restaurants that don't season their food.
 
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