Over 23% Of People Agree That This Restaurant Has The Best Burgers

Choosing the perfect burger from a fast food place can feel slightly complicated when you're inundated with an abundance of options. This is an important decision to make, after all. Do you go for the trustworthy and familiar McDonald's burger or opt for beef from Wendy's? Perhaps you'd like to feast on a giant, freshly grilled hamburger from In-N-Out. Does Burger King live up to its name and rule over the competition, or is its image a big, fat whopper?

Rather than just wonder about it, Mashed to ask 555 people from across the United States which major fast-food outlet they really feel has the best hamburgers. The survey named several tempting choices – McDonald's, Shake Shack, Five Guys, White Castle, Wendy's, Burger King, and In-N-Out. Participants could also choose an "Other" option and specify a restaurant if nothing on the list matched their preferences. Here's what we found.

For the largest chunk of the respondents, Five Guys reigned supreme — 23.06 percent of them vouched for the hamburgers from Five Guys while 18.38 percent of interviewees opted for In-N-Out's offerings, which came in second. Wendy's and Burger King followed closely behind at 16.58 percent and 15.68 percent respectively. The least popular options? McDonald's (6.85 percent), Shake Shack (6.13 percent), and White Castle (4.5 percent). 

Nearly 9 percent of people picked "Other." One such respondent expressed their distrust towards fast food and wrote, "Sorry. I don't eat fast food or meat so I don't know. But I went with friends to 5 Napkins, and they really liked their burgers." They were presumably referring to the New York and Boston-based burger joint, 5 Napkin Burger. A piece by Spoon University described the burgers as "the perfect combination between moist and crispy." Another respondent spelled out the bitter truth about fast-food burgers: "All are too greasy and fatty."

Given some of the rave reviews that they get online, it's no surprise that Five Guys' burgers came out on top. As one Redditor wrote after trying a Five Guys burger for the first time in their life, "My burger was one of the best fast food burgers I've ever had. Patties were meaty and juicy, had a good ratio of cheese and it was melted, and veggies were fresh and helped cut the richness of the meat/cheese." Commenters on the post agreed, suggesting that the chain's burgers are well worth the price, even if that means they indulge less frequently than they would like. One other thing almost everyone (including Thrillist) can agree on? Go for the "little" single patty option. Business Insider describes the chain's serving sizes as "gargantuan," so you can assume there will still be more than enough meat on the smaller burger, and you'll be able to save some money on your order.

Now, who wants a juicy burger immediately?