IHOP is now a burger joint?

eastsideTim said:

Red Robin is passable, and I have no problems getting a medium well burger there.

Getting a medium-well burger is never a problem.  Getting places to cook them rare or medium-rare is the problem.

Apexcarver said:

yeah, but the problem with 5 guys is that they overcook all the flavor out of their meat.  at least at the ones I have been to.  

Yeah, they do, I agree, but when you want a 5 Guys burger, that's what you want, even though they do overcook them.

MadScientistMatt said:

spitfirebill said:

Stick with the Lizards Thicket. 

Are they a South Carolina thing? I haven't seen them elsewhere.

Unfortunately they are a Columbia, SC thing. We don't have any down here in Charleston. I do manage to stop there just about every time I'm working in the Columbia area though. They are the go to place for good inexpensive food. 

SVreX said:

I went to an IHOP last week. Got there about 6:30 AM to find they didn't open until 7:00. 

How does THAT make any sense for a place that serves breakfast??

IHOP is the next Sears. 

Wait, yours aren't open 24/7? Pretty much every one I've ever seen has been open around the clock (just checked, and both here in town are).

I used to eat at IHOP a LOT more than I do now- there used to not be one here in town, so when I'd travel for work (used to be about once a month) I'd always stop and get an omelet with cinna-stack pancakes, eat all of the pancakes and part of the omelet, and save the rest for breakfast the next day. When they opened one here in town a few years after I moved here I ate there more often, but less and less over the years (mostly due to the positive influence of the Dancer on my diet). We ate there earlier this year because they did a fundraiser for her non-profit, and I was less-than-impressed than I used to be... probably in part due to the fact we have several really good brunch places in town that make much better food...

Toyman01 said:

MadScientistMatt said:

spitfirebill said:

Stick with the Lizards Thicket. 

Are they a South Carolina thing? I haven't seen them elsewhere.

Unfortunately they are a Columbia, SC thing. We don't have any down here in Charleston. I do manage to stop there just about every time I'm working in the Columbia area though. They are the go to place for good inexpensive food. 

I worked a long term project in Columbia and was staying in a motel.  The Lizards Thicket on Elmwood was my first stop every morning.  There was an older waitress there that the men would fight to sit in her area, she was THAT good.  The food was too. 

As long as we've drifted to chain burgers, here's the definitive list:

Culvers > Habit > Shake Shack > 5 Guys > Whataburger > In-n-Out > rest of the field.

Fight me.

Fat Burger uber alles!!

How no one has mentioned it at all in this chain burger discussion is just sad. 

And an honorable mention to Squeeze Burger. 5 locations counts as a chain right? Right. The star of the show there is the cheese though, so I can see if you're for some reason not a fan of melted cheddar overlooking them.

JG Pasterjak said:

As long as we've drifted to chain burgers, here's the definitive list:

Culvers > Habit > Shake Shack > 5 Guys > Whataburger > In-n-Out > rest of the field.

Fight me.

Shake shack can eat a bag of dicks with their overpriced underdelivered hipster bullE36 M3. I put them somewhere around McDonalds. 

At least several years ago the CEO of IHOP was a woman that worked her way up the ranks all the way from waitress…that earns my respect in the franchise regardless of anything else.

Having said that, IHOP essentially over charges for a mediocre product that can easily be produced at home but somehow many people, myself included, continue to go there. Basically, it's Baskin Robins with syrup.

Oh, and JG, please don’t ban me but man are you ever wrong about In-N-Out…squeaky clean in every imaginable way and an excellent value.

Dude, you know those fries you’re chowing down on were a raw potato like fifteen minutes ago; right?

RevRico said:

Fat Burger uber alles!!

How no one has mentioned it at all in this chain burger discussion is just sad. 

And an honorable mention to Squeeze Burger. 5 locations counts as a chain right? Right. The star of the show there is the cheese though, so I can see if you're for some reason not a fan of melted cheddar overlooking them.

I left Fatburger and Smash Burger off my list because of limited availability, but, honestly, they're both probably more prolific than Habit. They'd both be competing for the 3-4-5 zone spots in my list. 

JG Pasterjak said:

As long as we've drifted to chain burgers, here's the definitive list:

Culvers > Habit > Shake Shack > 5 Guys > Whataburger > In-n-Out > rest of the field.

Fight me.

Definitely agree with Culver’s at the top. Not enough experience with the rest of the list to comment on. 

RX Reven' said:

 

Oh, and JG, please don’t ban me but man are you ever wrong about In-N-Out…squeaky clean in every imaginable way and an excellent value.

I got no beef with In-n-Out (C wut I did ther), other than I have to get on a plane to have one.

Honestly the 3-4-5-6 spots on my list are so close as to be a tie. I just think Culvers and Habit are in a tier above all of those really good "premium fast food" burgers, which are in a tier waaaay above the high-volume fast food burgers.

It's a small chain, mostly in the Southwest, but Blake's Lotaburger should be included in that list because getting a (kinda greasy) green chile cheeseburger made with Hatch Valley green chile is just awesome when that's what you want.

Non-chain, the green chile cheeseburger from Sparky's in Hatch, NM is hard to beat-- and they will mail their green chile to you frozen, though I think I recall the quantity was 15 lbs!

spitfirebill said:

I worked a long term project in Columbia and was staying in a motel.  The Lizards Thicket on Elmwood was my first stop every morning.  There was an older waitress there that the men would fight to sit in her area, she was THAT good.  The food was too. 

I think my family went to the exact same one when we were in Columbia for a cousin's wedding. We had some trepidation over the name but were very impressed.

JG Pasterjak said:

As long as we've drifted to chain burgers, here's the definitive list:

Culvers > Habit > Shake Shack > 5 Guys > Whataburger > In-n-Out > rest of the field.

Fight me.

Oh man, I do like The Habit. Their tuna sandwich is so good. It's an actual piece of seared fish, not tuna salad.

*cue fast and the furious meme*

JG Pasterjak said:

As long as we've drifted to chain burgers, here's the definitive list:

Culvers > Habit > Shake Shack > 5 Guys > Whataburger > In-n-Out > rest of the field.

Fight me.

I dunno man Slaters 50/50 will do a half bacon half beef burger and has craft beer on tap. They're not really a national chain though.

Who in the heck is Culvers & Habit.  They must be very localized chains.

& Shake Shack is low rent all the way.

5 guys is over hyped for what they deliver.  Which brings on the disappointment.

Initially I heard all the hype about I-N-O and was terribly disappointed until the expectations of a huge, meaty, specialty type burgers disappeared out of my head and I realized they were quite a bit better than the usual cheap burger.

Unfortunately I haven't found 5 guys to be better than anyone else.

I have multiple places that fulfill my big specialty burger cravings, but none of them are chains.

 

I have never heard of 90% of these burger joints. I do like 5 Guys, though. Nothing exceptional about it, just a solid burger with a gratuitous helping of fries. Plus they keep malt vinegar at the tables, since proper fries are best with vinegar.

I really need to try In-N-Out one of these days.

The newer burger specific restaurants that are offering a more “upscale” or trendy burger dont really compare to the usual cracker thin fast food burger. 

I will say mcdonalds has a good fast food burger with the quarter pounder with cheese. I rarely eat them, maybe 1 a year, if that, but when we had been without power for like 5 days and i was getting real punchy, the mcdonalds had opened with limited menu. Had a 1/4 pounder and fries, was the best effing burger ever. 

Also the junior bacon cheeseburger from wendys is something i get a craving for regularly. Especially when it was only .99

Grew up in SoCal (who didn't). I like In-n-Out but I don't get all the hype.

5 Guys is crap. Made worse by the prices. Sweep the dang floors.

Culvers is OK in a "We're not as bad as Jack in the Box yet" sort of way.

I like Carls/Hardys but their prices are getting nuts for a cheap/fast burger. The whole $6 burger was clever when it came out because it was <$4. Now they are $6-8? Still pissed they got rid of the Philly burger. Anyway.

I usually go to Wendys. Unless I'm feeling flush, Then I go to Apollo Burger. Not sure how far their chains range though.

carguy123 said:

I have multiple places that fulfill my big specialty burger cravings, but none of them are chains.

 

That is the truth. if I truly want a great burger, there is a local place to me called "The spot" that serves Angus Sliders. You could eat these without teeth, they are that tender

Culver's at the top? Really? The best they ever gave me was"...Ok." I was never wowed by them to the point that the burger was a destination. But my pallette is tempered by my cheapness aND lack of money. I will eat the E36 M3 out of Steak n Shake's 2 for $3 promotion. I can get 4 Southwest burgers for less than a Culver's meal. 

Remember my mantra of lower your standards.

The0retical said:

I dunno man Slaters 50/50 will do a half bacon half beef burger and has craft beer on tap. They're not really a national chain though.

Some friends took me there when I was out in the L.A. area.  Oh my god, that has to be one of the best burgers ever made!

Agree many of these burger chains are regional, and not in my region.

I do like 5 Guys, though.  I get mine "all the way", and split a big, greasy, bag of Cajun fries with whomever I happen to be with.  Sure, it's enough fat for a week, but I don't eat there often.  Never a disappointment.  And free peanuts keeps the kids busy while we wait for our food.  Probably a little overpriced, but I'm okay with that.  The place is never crowded and it keeps the riff-raff out.

z31maniac said:

Hal said:

Very seldom go out to get a hamburger but when I do I go to Fuddrucker's.

Whoa! I didn't realize they were even still open. I don't think I've seen one on more than a decade.

Seem to be a Mid-Atlantic thing.  I go to the one in Rockville, MD

JG Pasterjak said:

RevRico said:

Fat Burger uber alles!!

How no one has mentioned it at all in this chain burger discussion is just sad. 

And an honorable mention to Squeeze Burger. 5 locations counts as a chain right? Right. The star of the show there is the cheese though, so I can see if you're for some reason not a fan of melted cheddar overlooking them.

I left Fatburger and Smash Burger off my list because of limited availability, but, honestly, they're both probably more prolific than Habit. They'd both be competing for the 3-4-5 zone spots in my list. 

We dont have fatburger anywhere fl, do we?