Roaming the Globe: A List of 87 Hamburger Brands with a Touch of Flavor
Over the past two years, with the determination of "putting the world's hamburgers in my stomach", I visited 32 countries and 87 hamburger brands from street food carts in New York to elegant stores in Ginza, Tokyo, to pop-up stalls on the beach in Sydney, and family-owned stores in the old alleys of Berlin. This list does not have cold sales figures or complex scoring formulas; it only records the flavors that make people's eyes shine when they bite into them and that they still want to come back after eating - after all, the standard of a good hamburger has always been hidden in the real feeling on the tip of the tongue.
TOP 1: In-N-Out Burger (USA) - "The Beef Faith of the West Coast"
When I queued up at the store on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles for the first time, I thought it was just an ordinary fast food place. But when I took the first bite of the "Double-Double" (double-layer beef burger), the hot beef patty with the freshly fried aroma, the dripping meat juice, the melted cheddar cheese wrapped around the fresh tomato slices, and the warm bread crust with a hint of buttery flavor - it was all worth the wait. The "secret menu" was also amazing: add an extra portion of roasted onions and drizzle with a special animal oil sauce, which is salty and sweet with a hint of aftertaste, completely without the overwhelming taste of industrial sauce.
This brand, which only has stores in the western United States, even fries the fries freshly and on the spot. The sweetness of the potatoes can be tasted. When queuing up, I heard an old customer next to me say that he has been coming here since he was a child and now brings his son here. "The beef here is never frozen, and the bread is freshly baked every day. It hasn't changed for 30 years." This insistence on simple ingredients makes it the top choice in my heart - after all, doing "ordinary" to the extreme is much more difficult than fancy creativity.
TOP 2: Shake Shack (USA / Global) - "The Happy Burger in the City"
At the Madison Square store in Manhattan, New York, I queued up in the cold wind for 20 minutes and my hands were red from the cold when I got the burger. But the moment I bit into it, all the waiting was worth it. The "ShackBurger" beef patty is made of Angus beef, with a particularly tender texture, and the pink meat core can be seen when you cut it open, but there is no fishy smell at all; the cheese melts just right, paired with the refreshing lettuce and sour cucumber, not at all greasy.
The most surprising thing is its "global adaptability": at the Shinjuku store in Tokyo, you can get the limited edition with Japanese teriyaki sauce; at the Covent Garden store in London, they use local cheddar cheese, with a stronger cheese flavor. Last year at the Xintiandi store in Shanghai, I saw many young people taking pictures with the burger and pairing it with the signature vanilla milkshake, the sense of satisfaction was probably the little happiness in the busy life of urbanites.
TOP 3: Five Guys (USA / Global) - "The Freedom of Hamburger Self-Decision"
When I ordered at the store in Washington for the first time, I was almost defeated by the "choice difficulty": how much should I choose for the beef? Should I add grilled mushrooms? Which sauce should I choose - mayonnaise or mustard? There were even three options for onions: raw onions, grilled onions, and fried onions. In the end, I chose "single-layer beef + grilled mushrooms + bacon + yellow mustard sauce", and when I got it, the burger was about one size larger than I imagined, and the oil paper was soaked with the meat juice a little.
The first feeling when biting into it was "solid", the meat particle texture of the beef patty was very obvious, unlike some hamburgers that are crushed like minced meat; the grilled mushrooms had a crispy aroma, and the salty flavor of the bacon balanced the sweetness of the sauce. The most thing was that the fries could be chosen as "crispy" or "soft"， I chose the crispy one， which was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside， and you could even taste the aroma of the potato skin. In the Paris store, I saw someone spreading french fries onto the hamburger and eating it together, and I tried it too. Surprisingly, it turned out to be quite good - this unconventional way of eating, perhaps, is the charm of Five Guys.
TOP 4: Mos Burger (Japan) - "Put Japanese delicacies inside the hamburger"
At Mos Burger near Sensoji Temple in Tokyo, I ordered the signature "Aichi Wagyu Cheese Burger". When I got it, I was a bit surprised: the hamburger was a little smaller than my palm, and the packaging was extremely exquisite. Even the lettuce was neatly arranged. The first bite made me feel the delicacy of Japanese cuisine - the Wagyu beef patty was very thin, but the meat was very tender, with a faint beefy flavor; the cheese was specially made for Japanese cuisine, more than ordinary cheese, and also added a little miso sauce， with a salty and slightly sweet taste.
Their "Rice Burger" is more distinctive. It uses glutinous rice to make the bun instead of bread， and when you bite into it， it is chewy. Paired with teriyaki chicken， it has a very Japanese bento-like feeling. In the Osaka store， I also tasted the limited "Osaka Curry Burger"， which added squid particles and seaweed crumbs， like putting the flavor of Osaka curry into the hamburger. This creative combination of local cuisine and hamburgers makes Mos Burger stand out among many brands.
TOP 5：Grill'd (Australia) - "Healthy hamburgers by the sunny beach"
At the Grill'd store near Bondi Beach in Sydney， I chose an outdoor seat and ate the hamburger while watching the beach. I ordered the "Australian Wagyu Burger" with grass-fed Wagyu beef， and the meat was very firm， without any excess fat； the sauce was homemade avocado sauce， fresh and refreshing， and it also added grilled red peppers， adding a hint of spiciness. The most special thing was that the bread was whole wheat and sprinkled with sesame seeds， giving a faint wheat aroma when you bite into it.
This brand pays special attention to health. Even the fries are made from sweet potatoes， sprinkled with salt and black pepper， without any excess oil. In the Melbourne store， I saw someone order the "Vegetarian Burger"， made with mushroom patties， and was able to taste the meat texture， paired with quinoa and spinach， healthy and filling. In sunny Australia， eating such hamburgers makes your mood become refreshing - after all， hamburgers can also be eaten very healthily.
TOP 6：Burger Fuel (New Zealand) - "With the enthusiasm of the Southern Hemisphere"
At Burger Fuel in Auckland， I was attracted by the graffiti style of the store， with a strong sense of street art. I ordered the signature "Southern Style Burger"， with smoked bacon and cheese added to the beef patty， and the sauce was the specially made "BBQ Sauce"， with a faint smoky flavor， and also added pickled cucumbers and onion rings， with a very rich taste.
Their hamburgers are very generous in portion. I finished one alone and felt a bit full. The fries were made from coarse potatoes， crispy on the outside and soft on the inside， and were also given a small box of homemade tomato sauce， which was a bit more sour than ordinary tomato sauce， just right for relieving the greasiness. In the Queenstown store， I saw someone pair the hamburger with the local craft beer， and I tried ordering a glass， and the malt aroma of the beer and the meat aroma of the hamburger surprisingly matched - this casual and passionate way of eating is probably the flavor of New Zealand.
Final note： There is no standard answer for a good hamburger.
This list does not include global chain giants like McDonald's and KFC. It's not that they are bad， but compared to standardized flavors， these brands have a "human touch" - perhaps In-N-Out's insistence on not using frozen meat， perhaps Mos Burger's attention to details， perhaps Grill'd's pursuit of health. In fact, the most delicious hamburgers are never the ones that rank first on any list. Instead, they are the ones that, at a certain moment when you are hungry, you take a bite and it just meets all your expectations - it might be the Shake Shack you have in the cold wind on a New York street, it might be the Mos Burger you have beside the Senso-ji Temple in Tokyo, or it could be the one from your local neighborhood store. After all, the temperature of the food is the most precious taste.
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