Few things go together as naturally as burgers and fries. The pairing of the two is universally loved and a juicy burger just doesn’t totally work without a pile of perfectly golden fries. Whether it’s a fast-food classic or a gourmet pub-style creation, the burger-and-fries combo is the ultimate comfort meal. But which restaurant chains have truly mastered it? To find out, Eat This, Not That! turned to Chef Ben Lee, Senior Corporate Chef at Creative Food Solutions who shares his top five spots across the U.S. that have the best burger and fries combo.
Shake Shack
Shake Shack/Instagram
People love Shake Shack because it takes fast food favorites like burgers, fries, and shakes and reimagines them with premium ingredients, thoughtful execution, and a sense of community. It’s comfort food made cool, and that balance of nostalgia and quality keeps fans obsessed and it’s one of Chef Ben’s picks. “Shake Shack is all about the meat, it shows in the quality,” he says. “The beef is griddle-fried (but not smashed!) in its own glorious beef fat, creating a unique beef crust that adds to the textural bite among the crisp lettuce, bright tomato and sharply-hinted raw onion.” Chef Ben says, “Add in some salty, crispy, fluffy-on-the-inside crinkle fries and enjoy the wondrous experience of pure beef/potato joy pulsing through your arteries.”
In-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out/Instagram
Known for its authentic, consistent, and timeless — a place where the food feels handmade, the prices are fair, and the taste never disappoints. In-N-Out Burger is not trying to be fancy or trendy — just perfectly classic. The West Coast chain is favorite for Chef Ben and his go-to is a Double Double with fries.”The beauty of In-N-Out Burgers is the construction of their burgers–neatly constructed double cheese burgers, lettuce, tomato, their signature thousand island sauce, pickles cushioned between the most attention-to-detail oriented bun toast,” he explains. Chef Ben says, “The edges of the buns are toasted to a crispy, in your face bite that when you take the first bite, the bread screams like the youngest kid wanting to be recognized among its punchy older siblings. The meat is clean and straightforward, but a double patty is needed to balance out the burger. Half of the burger is then wrapped in butcher paper, keeping the 4-star build intact and then reinforced with a burger sleeve that allows you to eat the burger from start to finish without making a mess.” He adds, “Fries are clean, thin and crispy with enough salt to keep your blood pressure at bay…but maybe you may want to add a little bit more to round out the joy when dipping into zesty ketchup. Get a medium Cherry Coke and your wallet is happy that you didn’t spend more than $11.”
7th Street Burger
7th Street Burger/Instagram
7th Street Burger nails the smash burger approach—a crispy seared patty, straightforward toppings, a decent roll, and a simple menu that keeps the experience tight. For many people especially in NYC, it hits the sweet spot of taste, value and convenience for a quality burger fix. “While there’s a lot of debate on who makes the best smash burger, this fairly newcomer (2021) kind of reset the bar,” says Chef Ben. “Simplicity is key. Really good beef. Grilled onions. Pickles. House sauce. Melted American Cheese that will never split for only science knows why. Most spots in NYC are takeout only but some have stand up tables.” He adds, “You won’t want to sit anyway because you want gravity helping you to digest the unctuous, salty beef fest. You will most likely want to turn around for another round when you start heading to the subway.”
White Castle
White Castle hits a sweet intersection of flavor memorability, affordability and cultural moments. The sliders aren’t trying to be a gourmet 8‑ounce steak burger—they’re their own thing. Because of that, when you get them, you’re tapping into something unique, which Chef Ben loves. “The OG Combo Slider–4 White Castle Hamburgers (yup…no cheese!), griddle onions, weirdly griddled then steam squared beef patties with holes in them like sliced Swiss cheese (and barely thicker too) and fries,” he says. “Have your drink ready because the best part of these burgers is that you can smash 2 burgers in your mouth at once,: he jokes. “Then force a large pinch of ketchup-smothered fries. The buns are so soft that without the pickles and the follow through fries, you miss texture. But that is the whole fun. Harold and Kumar would be proud.”
Five Guys
Five Guys/Instagram
Five Guys is beloved because it combines fresh, customizable burgers and fries with a casual, fun, and consistent fast-casual experience. It has earned a devoted following from many, including Chef Ben. “Most people love the fact that you can add as many toppings to their burgers as long as their toppings list, but I like it simple–meat, cheese, raw onion, pickle, mayo and my all time favorite, A1 steakhouse,” he says. He adds, “This is the only burger chain that I know that publicly announces A1 Steakhouse on their menu. And I salute them. Respect. Their fries are on the floppy side but it all works out just fine. I always need fries with my burger.”
Heather Newgen
Heather Newgen has two decades of experience reporting and writing about health, fitness, entertainment and travel. Heather currently freelances for several publications. Read more about Heather
