Whataburger

I have never visited this fast food place but there is one of their locations very close to my Residence Inn in Houston. I do not know anything about them and I would appreciate some personal experiences from those know before I visit them.

http://www.whataburger.com/browse_our_menu.php

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

My only experience with Whataburger goes back to the early 1950s, and it was bad. My first hamburger ever in Texas was at a Whataburger in Amarillo in 1952. I ordered a burger and when it came it had shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles and some sort of sauce. I told the guy working there that I only wanted a hamburger, and I didn't order all the other stuff. He told me that's the only way they make them. Where I came from if you wanted all that junk on a hamburger you had to order it, and pay extra. When I couldn't get themto make me one without that stuff, I just tossed it away and went to the Trailways bus stop and got something else to eat. A couple of years later I stopped at a hamburger stand in Austin and ordered a hamburger, having forgotten about my Amarillo experience, and not noticing that it was a Whataburger. Once again, the same kind of burger. I haven't been to one since.

Mr. Hoffman,
if you wanted a plain burger, you could have
ordered a "justaburger".
your server should have known as much.
the hubster orders a whataburger with jalapenos
and a diet dr pepper.
this makes him a happy man.

Well, it just goes to show you that opinions vary...

Whataburger is my second favorite hamburger chain (after In-N-Out). As I think of it, all the extras (lettuce, tomato, etc.) give the burger a kind of Chicago style hotdog feel. Try the jalapenos on your burger and it will spice it up a bit...

Whataburger is ok. It is better than most fastfood burgers. I would compare to Dairy Queen or A&W. They come with only mustard unless you ask for mayo.

My favorite is the No.5 with mayo whatasized. A Bacon/cheese Whataburger with Mayo & Mustard all the way, large fries and a rootbeer. Their little tubs of to-go ketchup for some reason is very good.

joe

quote:

Originally posted by xannie_01

Mr. Hoffman,
if you wanted a plain burger, you could have
ordered a "justaburger".
your server should have known as much.
the hubster orders a whataburger with jalapenos
and a diet dr pepper.
this makes him a happy man.

I didn't know that, and the guy working there said they only made them that one way. Perhaps it's different now, but this was in 1952 and 1953. Besides, I'd never heard of a hamburger having anything on it besides the meat unless you ordered it with other things and paid extra for them.

IMO they are a bit better than the rest, as everything burger-wise is cooked to order. Fries are hit & miss, but they are rather good when hot. The Taquitos served at breakfast are definitely worth a try. In my area at least, the "waitress" brings your order to your table if you dine in (you take a number sign when you order). They also come around during your meal to offer extra sauces, napkins, etc. I'd give it a try if I were you, Paul.

I've patronized a Whataburger in Pensacola, FL every time I go there. It is a better-than-average chain burger joint. I find their signature burger very close to the Checkers/Rally burgers. Very classic toppings of mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onions. Portion control packages of ketchup on the table. I've never had a bad meal there, and felt I always got value for money.

David. A funny thing here. I was first introduced to Whataburger in '71 in Pensacola. 'Tis a small world, indeed.

I've only been to Whataburger a few times, down in the Irving TX area when I'm down there for company meetings. And usually after a night full of adult beverages and billiards at Dave & Buster's. Nothing beats a late-night burger after a half-dozen Shiner Bocks. Especially with a designated driver. :-)

John

The only Whataburger I've been to, is the one the Sterns reviewed, in Russelville Arkansas. That was in 2001. It was a very clean place, with more of a 50's 60's feel. Lots of local memorabilia dealing with Arkansas Tech.

Oddly, after being assured of the popularity and the goodness there by a local who makes the 40 mile trip from Ozark down to it bi-weekly, we were the only people there during the duration. (This was about two weeks after the 9/11 tragedy.) Service was excellent as one can imagine. I remember ordering the Whataburger, medium-cooked , french fries and a coke AND a milkshake. My mama and the other adult with us had the same and my son Adam, then 4, the jr whataburger kids meal. When the order came...I thought my burger was the one Adam got.....it was HUGE as were the order of fries. When I saw ours, all similar, I could of died....huge wasn't the word and there had to be more than a lb of fries each. My burger was done to order and excellent with no "old" greasy taste. The fries were piping hot, nicely crisp on the outside, and just the right softness on the inside. The shake was excellent, not foamy like most ff joint shakes, but not so thick that it was pure ice cream. It tasted like a hand dipped shake, not pre-fab. We all were well pleased. I got to talking to the waitress, she noticing my lack of an Arkansas accent. When I told her I came on a recommendation of the Sterns and by the local present she beamed and grew very excited. She excused herself for a moment and went to the back. The grill cook, the owner and another person came out and shook our hands and announced the meal was on the house. They were very, very tickled to have company from so far away and that I knew them by reputation. They sent us on our way with another milkshake a piece and a bunch of cookies. I really enjoyed the experience.

Pretty good for a chain, better than McD's IMHO. We usually hit the one in F. Walton Beach FL, after a six-hour drive from ATL.

Also make sure to get over to Whataburger for breakfast and get a taquito (or three). We had a Whataburger near where we used to live in Houston when my daughter was small, and she still loves them. She used to go to Burkburnett, TX with one of her sorority sisters who was from there for weekends, and they always made sure to go to Whataburger in Wichita Falls for breakfast.

Hint hint - we need Whataburger in Kansas - I'm tired of watching their commercials during Big 12 basketball games and not being able to go there.

My first exposure to Whataburger, like Redtressed, was driving from New Jersey to New Mexico, relocating, and dined in Russellville Arkansas. The experience was so positive that once I settled down in New Mexico, have visited their establishments in Las Cruces often. After Blakes (A New Mexico-only chain) this is my second favorite chain in which to eat a cheeseburger, always with green chile. I've never ordered anything else from there. I'd recommend that you try it out. They are all made to order, and you can specify whatever ingridients you want or don't want. I don't like onions or tomatoes, and they always leave them off.

We now have one in Schertz on FM3009 by the new Super Walmart.i haven't tried it yet,but have been to the ones in Gonzales and Cuero
in the past.Those were pretty good. Have to give it a whirl.I'd like to try Culver's for the heck of it.They started in Corpus Christi and gradually spread through Texas and elsewhere.

quote:

Originally posted by HollyDolly

We now have one in Schertz on FM3009 by the new Super Walmart.i haven't tried it yet,but have been to the ones in Gonzales and Cuero
in the past.Those were pretty good. Have to give it a whirl.I'd like to try Culver's for the heck of it.They started in Corpus Christi and gradually spread through Texas and elsewhere.

Are you talking about this Culver's?

http://www.culvers.com/

Paul, take one for the team. Give the place a try and tell us about it. I've only seen them in Texas, but have never stopped in. To be honest, their buildings look cheap and I just assumed that their burgers would be nothing special, and therefore just kept on driving to someplace familiar, or with a perceived better appearance.

Just out of curiosity, are Whataburger stands still just walk-up places where you order and get your food at a window, the way McDonald's and Burger King used to be?

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

Just out of curiosity, are Whataburger stands still just walk-up places where you and get your food at a window, the way McDonald's and Burger King used to be?

I do not know as I have not been there but I will tell you soon as I plan on doing breakfast there tomorrow morning.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

Just out of curiosity, are Whataburger stands still just walk-up places where you order and get your food at a window, the way McDonald's and Burger King used to be?

No not anymore they all have dining rooms. You walk up to the counter and order. If it is dine in they give you a number and when your order is ready they bring it to you or call your number if they are extremely buisy. The old A-Frame buildings are few and far between. Some were converted by enclosing the parking up front and turning it into dining rooms. Most were torn down and rebuilt.

joe

Thanks. I haven't been to one since around 1953.

well, that's too long..

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

Just out of curiosity, are Whataburger stands still just walk-up places where you and get your food at a window, the way McDonald's and Burger King used to be?

I do not know as I have not been there but I will tell you soon as I plan on doing breakfast there tomorrow morning.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Their breakfast is average or slightly below. If you want to really get a feel for a Whataburger you have to try their burgers.

joe

I don't believe the Russellville Arkanas Whataburger is part of the chain.

quote:

Originally posted by xannie_01

well, that's too long..

Nope. It would be impossible to be long enough -- eternity doesn't cover it.

I took my daughter (Paula) to breakfast at Whataburger in Houston. She had the pancakes with bacon which was good and I had their breakfast egg with sausage with tortilla. It was OK and I had maybe half of it.

I think my attitude at that time made the breakfast less than desirable.

I will try their burger later.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

No salsa with that Paul? That's what makes 'em good.

quote:

Originally posted by Adjudicator

No salsa with that Paul? That's what makes 'em good.

Salsa on pancakes? Not even in Texas.

joe

quote:

Originally posted by Texianjoe

quote:

Originally posted by Adjudicator

No salsa with that Paul? That's what makes 'em good.

Salsa on pancakes? Not even in Texas.

joe

On the Taquitos... Paul did not have the pancakes.

redtressed-
Whata experience that was that you had! The Whataburger in Russellville, Arkansas is the only one I have ever visited, too and that was in 1999. It has been too long for me to remember exactly what I had, but I do recall that my burger, fries and especially the shake (cherry?) were all excellent. And the enthusiasm of the young workers was noticeable and made the experience fun. No free stuff for me, though.