Texas Restaurant Wins Best Burger Honors

Call something the Best Burger In America, and it’s sure to bring debate. Add Texas into the equation and … well, people just freak out.

That’s the predictable fallout from Whataburger winning Best Burger In America honors this week in Fast Company magazine’s Burger Bracket. You don’t have to be a Texan — or a culty Whataburger devotee (which may be one and the same) — to objectively acknowledge that a worthy champion’s been crowned.

After all, Whataburger was not competing against Bernie’s Burger Bus or Hubcap Grill, or any of the other real contenders for Best Burger In Houston honors. With the possible exception of Danny Meyer’s Shack Shake chain (which was inexplicably toppled by Five Guys in the Burger Bracket’s Elite Eight), Whataburger mostly found itself going up against a lot of tired big-chain burgers.

Heck, Fuddruckers even won a round.

In a field that included McDonald’s and Burger King, is it really any wonder that Texas’ iconic burger chain reigned supreme?

That has not quieted the Texas critics, however. As soon as Fast Company revealed its Best Burger winner, the comments flooded in. And quickly veered into politics.

“Dang Republicans are ruining this poll,” one wrote. “I love Whataburger, but 5 guys is just so much better.”

And that’s one of the nicer comments questioning the win that came in.

Yes, the rest of America still thinks Texas is all Republicans — and that the fix must be in. Then again, burger passion may run even higher than political passion in America. (Just look at those dismal voter turnout numbers in national elections.)

Whataburger fans can just sit back and enjoy their fast food glory, though. The chain didn’t even have to do anything fancy to win. Its standard burger with lettuce, tomatoes, mustard, pickles and onions took the crown.