Burger Battle: Steak ‘n Shake Vs. In-N-Out Burger
Steak ‘n Shake’s Steakburger was named “Best Burger in America” by culinary influencer Joshua Weissman.
Food influencer Joshua Weissman recently embarked on a meaty mission to find America’s best hamburger. Boasting 9.5 million followers on YouTube, a New York Times best-selling cookbook, and a flair for serving up home-cooked American fare, he’s equally unapologetic and entertaining. As his hundreds of millions of viewers can attest, Weissman doesn’t deliver scripted food reviews from a chef’s table while sampling perfectly curated dishes in the company of restaurant owners.
When he’s not making mouthwatering bites, testing viral recipes, or dishing out top tips for home cooks, he’s a road warrior. The unassuming culinary influencer travels to beloved restaurants and dines like any other customer, offering immediate and entertaining feedback while providing insight into the authentic restaurant experience that a typical patron can expect to receive. On one of his most recent missions, Weissman embedded himself in a quintessentially American love story as he searched far and wide for the country’s best hamburger.
Weissman was joined by Christian Alquiza, Culinary Producer of First We Feast’s YouTube series The Burger Show, on a whirlwind national tour that saw the pair visit the California coast, Texas plains, and the bright lights of New York. Along the way, Weissman and Alquiza reviewed orders from 18 of America’s largest and most storied burger chains, filming their honest reactions for 4.2 million viewers and counting.
The Results
The fight for the top three spots was a battle of geographic titans. The Big Apple’s Shake Shack came in third place, while California’s In-N-Out Burger notched second. Steak ‘n Shake, the Midwestern burger chain founded in 1934 and credited with creating the Steakburger, took top honors and the title of “Best Burger in America.”
Weissman’s initial reaction to tasting Steak ‘n Shake’s Original Double Steakburger with Cheese was so emphatically positive, it had to be edited out. “That’s ****ed. It has a good Maillard [reaction]…that’s how it should be,” he said. “It’s beefy—you immediately taste the beef—followed by the gooey cheese. You get a solid crunch from the pickles. It’s acidic, but not too acidic. The best part of the burger is easily the meat—a burger should be tender and melt in your mouth. It should be the filet mignon of American sandwiches.”
Alquiza also named Steak ‘n Shake’s Steakburger as the clear winner, saying, “This is real food. This is going to be a core memory…[Now] I’ve gotta go find all their locations.”
Weissman summed up the Steak ‘n Shake experience, concluding, “I give this burger a minimum of 8.0 and I might even say higher”—it was ultimately rated an 8.1. “This is the one burger that broke it all up…they made a burger that should be a burger. That means that Steak ‘n Shake wins!”
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