Considering hamburgers are named after the German city of Hamburg, it’s impressive that you likely associate them with the States more than anywhere else.
With no end of burger chains vying for a keen market, America certainly has the broadest selection and the biggest cultural tendency towards a slab of ground beef wedged between two slices of bread.
As to which one is best, Yelp has just released its latest rankings of the country’s top 25 burger gaffs, with one particularly beloved option storming to the top without breaking a sweat.
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No, it’s not McDonald’s - which barely made it into the top 20 - nor is it Wendy’s, Jack in the Box, Sonic or Smashburger. Despite being mostly limited to the West Coast, the standout winner was California-born In-N-Out.
If you’ve ever had an In-N-Out, you’ll know those burgers are basically worth the 11-hour flight from London to San Francisco on their own. With fresh ingredient made to order, bundles of flavour and all the right kinds of texture, they psldjkjdojvndfijnvfdkvfd… sorry, I just salivated all over my keyboard.
The rankings, published on May 21st 2025 alongside the US’s National Burger Day (isn’t that every day?), cemented the cult classic chain at the top via its 119,000+ reviews across its 400+ locations.
Having first opened in 1948, In-N-Out’s reputation for high-quality burgers and their relative scarcity compared with nationwide chains like McDonald’s have given the place a huge following on social media.
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“Based on the reviews we’re seeing, it has to do with the ingredients, drive-thru experience, and the not-so-secret ‘secret’ menu,” Tara Lewis, a Yelp trend expert, told Food & Wine.
“Of course, customisation and consistency are big factors when it comes to this list, and I think In-N-Out does it really well.”
Yelp, which has been hosting online restaurant reviews since 2004, rounded out its top-25 list by enlisting a research team focused entirely on burger chains that have over 100 restaurants across multiple American states.
The ranking methodology also focused on chains listed under the ‘burger’ category at Yelp, along with referencing user reviews in terms of their volume and the rate of positivity around factors like quality, customisability, and the speed of service.
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“You want to be able to access a burger that you know you’re going to love regardless,” Lewis continued.
“When you look at the regionality, a lot of that has to do with accessibility and consistency of service. You know you’re going to get delicious food every time, which taps into your nostalgia and the comfort food [element] of eating at a burger place.”
Here’s the full list of Yelp’s top 25 US burger chains:
- In-N-Out Burger
- The Habit Burger Grill
- Shake Shack
- Culver’s
- Islands Restaurants
- Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers
- Five Guys Burgers & Fries
- Wayback Burgers
- Mooyah Burgers, Fries & Shakes
- Red Robin
- Jack in the Box
- Cook Out
- BurgerFi
- Whataburger
- Wahlburgers
- Smashburger
- McDonald’s
- Sonic Drive-In
- Burger King
- White Castle
- Fatburger
- Wendy’s
- Carl’s Jr.
- Checkers / Rally’s
- Steak ‘n Shake
Rachael Davis