Breaking down better burgers NRN looks at what’s inside some of the restaurant industry’s most iconic burgers
August 10, 2011
From the finest eatery to the fastest drive thru, burgers have taken over the restaurant industry — and they show no signs of letting up, both as a top consumer menu pick and the hottest growth segment in foodservice.
Technomic research shows that nearly half of today’s consumers, about 48 percent, eat a burger at least once a week, up from 38 percent in 2009. The NRN Top 100 survey shows burger brands dominating the top growth chains, from Five Guys Burger & Fries to Culver’s, Hardee’s and Whataburger.
Whether high end or low, it’s obvious we love the burger right now. Consumers also say, according to Technomic, that it’s important for restaurants to offer a variety of burgers, in terms of ingredients and pricing. They tell the Chicago-based market research firm that while traditional toppings — American cheese, lettuce and tomato — dominate taste buds, a wider variety of toppings — avocado, pepper Jack cheese and buffalo sauce — is becoming more popular.
Nation’s Restaurant News selected some of the most iconic burgers in the business, from the quick-service chain In-N-Out to the upscale BLT Burger, and broke down their building blocks. You’ll see what makes the sandwiches special, whether it’s a freshly baked bun, proprietary meat blend, or extras like chef Bobby Flay’s potato chips.
5 Napkin Burger
Original 5 Napkin Burger 5 Napkin Burger, an upscale casual brand, was founded in New York City by partners Andy D’Amico, Simon Oren and Robert Guarino.
There are currently five units, the first of which opened in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood in 2008, as a spin-off from D’Amico and Simon’s other New York restaurant Nice Matin. The partners soon after opened two more locations in New York, as well as units in Miami, Boston and Atlanta. The average check totals around $25 at most locations.
The chain's signature sandwich, The Original 5 Napkin Burger, served at Nice Matin starting in 2003, is 10 ounces of fresh ground chuck topped with Gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and rosemary aioli. It runs at an average price of $14.95.
1. Bun: Buns from Pane d'Oro, a bakery in Yonkers, N.Y.
2. Beef: 5 Napkin Burger uses a special — and secret-blend of chuck and seasoning that make its signature burger unique.
3. Cheese: Gruyere.
4. Other toppings: caramelized onions and a rosemary aioli.
BLT Burger The Classic The two-unit burger brand opened its first location BLT Burger in New York in October 2006, and debuted a second location in Las Vegas in July 2008. The New York location seats 60 patrons while the Las Vegas location seats 110, 72 and 16 guests in the lower dining room, upper dining room and bar, respectively. The average check also differs at both locations, with the New York check totaling an average $22, while Las Vegas checks average around $21 each.
On the menu since day one, The Classic is made with Certified Angus Beef topped with lettuce, onion and tomato. The company said The Classic burger “certainly works to drive sales” because it is typically an introductory item ordered by first-timers to BLT Burger. The burger is priced at $9 in New York and $12 in Las Vegas.
1. Buns: In New York the buns are sourced from Aladdin Bakers in Brooklyn, N.Y. A local bakery delivers bread fresh two times a day to the Las Vegas location.
2. Beef: In New York the 6 oz. patty is a mix of sirloin, short rib, chuck and brisket sourced from Pat LaFrieda. In Las Vegas the patty is 7 oz., with meat that comes from the Midwest and is butchered on site at The Mirage Resort and Casino.
3. Cheese: The following cheeses can be added for $1: blue, Vermont Cheddar, American, Swiss, Monterey Jack.
4. Other toppings: The following toppings can be added for $1.50: bacon, grilled red pepper, portobello mushroom, fried egg, homemade chili, bbq onion and sliced avocado. The New York location sources its produce from Riviera, a New Jersey-based supplier. The Las Vegas location receives daily produce deliveries from California.
Bobby’s Burger Palace Crunchburger Celebrity chef Bobby Flay threw his hat into the burger ring with Bobby Flay’s Burger Palace in 2008. As of July 2011, there are five locations, with a sixth scheduled to open in Washington, D.C., in August.
Average seating at a Bobby’s Burger Palace unit is 70, with the average check coming in at about $11.
The Crunchburger, its signature item, features thinly sliced potato chips as one of the toppings. According to the company, the burger’s appeal comes from customers who enjoy the potato chips’ crunchy addition to the burger’s texture.
1. Bun: Sesame-seed bun
2. Beef: The company said the meat is Certified Angus Beef that is 80 percent beef to 20 percent fat. Bobby's Burger Palace uses Certified Angus Beef because of its “consistent grading scale and criteria.”
3. Cheese: American.
4. Other toppings: Besides thinly sliced potato chips as one of the toppings, all tables have the concept’s three proprietary sauces: Burger Sauce, Jalapeno Hot Sauce and Chipotle Ketchup. Produce is sourced locally to each store and all other components are sourced through broad line distribution.
In-N-Out Double-Double Since 1948, this 251-unit chain based in Irvine, Calif., has cultivated a rabid following based on the quality and style of its burgers. So popular is the chain, which has units mostly on the West Coast, that customers waited for hours when the first In-N-Out restaurant opened in Texas, near Dallas, in May.
One of its signature offerings is the Double-Double, two all-beef patties with a proprietary, Thousand Island-style spread and American cheese topped with lettuce and tomato. Fries sliced to order complete the meal.
1.Buns: Freshly baked, reportedly in-house, using old-fashioned, slow-rising sponge dough.
2. Beef: All-beef patties with an option for grilling in mustard.
3. Cheese: American, which comes standard on the Double-Double.
4. Other toppings: By ordering “animal style,” customers get a Double-Double with patties grilled in mustard and topped with pickles, extra spread and grilled onions. Fries can also be ordered “animal style.”
McDonald’s Angus Deluxe Burger Founded in 1955 in Oak Brook Ill., and now with more than 14,000 U.S. locations, McDonald’s has become synonymous with the word hamburger.
In July 2009, the chain introduced its third-pound Angus Deluxe Burger to help diversify its menu and attract consumers looking for a larger burger at a good value.
Since the Angus launch, McDonald’s has credited the premium sandwiches with driving sales trends. Along with other new menu additions, from smoothies to Snack Wraps, McDonald’s product pipeline has helped it post an unrivaled string of same-store sales growth.
The Angus Deluxe Burger is made with 100-percent USDA-inspected Angus Beef, topped with mayonnaise, yellow mustard, lettuce, red onion, tomato, pickles, and American cheese, and is served on a toasted bakery-style sesame roll.
The burger is priced at $3.99 depending on location.
1. Bun: Toasted, bakery-style sesame roll.
2. Beef: 100 percent USDA-certified Angus beef supplied by a network of ranchers who raise grain- and grass-fed cattle.
3. Cheese: Two slices of American.
4. Toppings: Mayonnaise, yellow mustard, lettuce, tomato, red onion and crinkle cut pickles.
Shake Shack
ShackBurger Shake Shack has been drawing the masses with its burgers since it was founded in New York City in July 2004 by famed restaurateur Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group. There are now 13 locations, including outposts at the New York Mets’ Citi Field and units in Kuwait City and Dubai.
Shack Shack’s signature ShackBurger has been on the menu since day one, and features a Pat LaFrieda beef blend, a Martin’s potato bun, American cheese, lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce.
The beef at Shake Shack is 100 percent Black Angus from vegetarian-fed cattle, with no added hormones or antibiotics. It is ground fresh daily and the patties are hand-formed.
1. Bun: Potato bun from Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe Inc.
2. Beef: Proprietary Pat LaFrieda Black Angus beef blend.
3. Cheese: American.
4. Toppings: Lucky’s Real Tomatoes, lettuce and signature ShackSauce.
Smashburger Classic Smashburger This 112-unit chain was founded in Denver in 2007 and has since spread its restaurants around the country. Each location seats 70 to 125 customers and checks average $8.
Smashburger says its burger-building technique differentiates it from other better burger purveyors. Cooks place a hand-rolled meatball on the grill and smash it with a custom-made tool to create a well-seared patty.
The Classic Smashburger is the chain’s best-selling item and, as the restaurant’s original burger recipe, has been on the menu from the very beginning.
Prices for the Classic Smashburger start at $3.99, with third-pound and half-pound burgers available.
1. Buns: Artisan butter-toasted egg bun.
2. Beef: Fresh, never frozen, 100 percent Angus beef.
3. Cheese: The standard Classic Smashburger comes with American cheese. Customers can also add aged Swiss, blue, pepper Jack, sharp Cheddar or melted Cheddar for 75 cents.
4. Other toppings: Fresh lettuce, onions, pickles, tomato and a proprietary Smash Sauce, with ketchup and mustard available.
Umami Burger
Signature Umami Burger This Los Angeles-based burger chain, named for the savory “fifth taste,” has five units in the L.A. area that each seat between 40 and 80 customers. Average checks top out at $15.
Its signature Umami Burger, which sells for $10, comes with luxe, house-made toppings. Ingredients are sourced from the United States and Italy, and all recipes are proprietary.
Founder Adam Fleischman says the burger has driven sales “incredibly.”
1. Buns: Portuguese-style bun, made exclusively for Umami Burger and delivered daily.
2. Beef: House-ground beef.
3. Cheese: The Umami Burger is topped with a parmesan frico, shredded parmesan cheese that is melted and cooled into a lacy, crispy disk.
4. Other toppings: Caramelized onions, roasted tomato, ****ake mushrooms and house-made ketchup.
Special report created by Charlie Duerr, Sonya Moore and Marcella Veneziale. Read more:
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