You may not have enough room in your stomach to get through all of the best fast food patty
melts out there, but we do. And there's only one you have to try
Originating out of Paris, California, Farmer Boys is a franchise dishing up American favorites
morning, noon, and night. Unfortunately, this restaurant's patty melt is unlikely to be
anyone's favorite. The beef, although grilled to order, is pounded out to a dry flatness
and the sourdough is so flimsy it sponges up all the butter before it can make it to your mouth
The puny slivers of meat are more fit for a Happy Meal sandwich rather than an adult-sized portion
Sauteed onions are listed as one of the toppings, but there's so little that you'll hardly notice
them. It's disappointing how unimpressive this patty melt is, given the restaurant operates more
like a short-order kitchen that actually cranks out orders from scratch rather than a drive-thru
that worships at the altar of the heat lamp. Sorry, farmer boys, two spatulas firmly down
Contrary to Sonic's retro car hop image, the patty melt is not a permanent mainstay on the menu
Maybe there's a reason for that. You get a quarter pound of dreary-looking beef on planks
of brittle, mushy Texas toast, with globs of mayonnaise and mustard bleeding through
Sonic keeps its mayo on to a repulsive degree. It dampens the bread, making the entire thing
fall apart as you eat it. For more balance, perhaps including a special sauce spiked with
some relish or pepper would help make this patty melt more enjoyable, and a lighter layer
of it at that. Party patty melts are both crispy and sumptuously gooey. On the other hand, Sonics
range from dry to watery all in a single mouthful. A disappointing misfire. Avoid this one too
You're a cheap date! The sourdough patty melt, a staple specialty rolled out at Jack in the Box
layers Swiss and American cheese, a scattering of charred onions, and when you double the meat
some bacon strips. Of course, everything's wedged together on two discs of sourdough
While Jack in the Box's melt isn't totally inedible, it's not especially noteworthy either
One could say it's an okay cheeseburger that dabbles beyond the usual backyard barbecue fixings
but Jack in the Box does a bad job convincing us that it's a good twist on a griddled classic
Once again, the buns leave a lot to be desired. They're squishy and fall apart easily like
sliced bread from the supermarket, a bad sign for melts of any kind. Even worse
the fermented essence that defines sourdough bread and all of its savoriness is missing from
the picture. It would help if the caramelized onions had a smokier flavor, but Jack in the Box
commits the error of undercooking them, never achieving that char-grilled feel. Perhaps it's
best that this is not a permanent menu item. It's comfort food for the uncomfortable things in life
Burger King's classic Whopper melt fuses its signature Whopper with the beloved patty melt
and somehow gets them both wrong. This limited-time sandwich's proportions are totally off
The beef patties at a quarter pound as seen on the Whopper Jr are too small for the number of toppings on every sandwich The heavy coating of American cheese and the piled onions end up overwhelming the smaller proportions
The Whopper moniker implies a mighty, weighty burger is within reach, but it's common to devour one of these faster than you'd expect
The stacker sauce has an odd taste that's hard to pinpoint. Some enjoy the hint of sweetness tucked into the relishy base
but Burger King's penchant for slathering it on is enough to turn your stomach
And considering how overly oily the sandwich is on its own, the indulgence of the sauce is definitely overkill
Hardee's launched the Frisco Burger in 1992, which Gen Xers will remember for its use of sourdough rounds rather than a regular hamburger bun
When the chain resurrected the San Francisco-inspired sandwich in 2022, it returned as the Frisco Angus Burger
If you haven't tried it, it basically features a smoke-licked patty bursting with Swiss, tomatoes, bacon, and mayo
Charbroiled is a phrase you'll often spot at Hardee's, so it's easy to assume you're in for a mouth-watering surprise
Most of the patties here have been quarter-pounders, yet this beast of a burger weighs a third of a pound
The cold toppings offer a cooling boost, something that's not always present on a pressed sandwich
But that as it may, this one still has its flaws. The beef has an artificial taste
The bacon strips are skimpy, and despite the toasted sourdough Hardee's boasts on its website
it doesn't really taste like sourdough. There are also no grilled onions to play up the savoriness
Though they have changed the patty to a quarter pound, and its name back to the classic Frisco
Burger, it does little to change our minds. Hardee's is okay for a quick option, but there are definitely better patty melts out there
BurgerFi ekes out a decent middle grounder with the Texas Toast Patty Melt
American cheese, as any foodie knows, is the liquid gold of burger toppings, and it glides
over 100% American Angus beef and blackened curls of sliced onion. A house bread referred to as pie sauce does a decent job of balancing out the sweet and
savory flavors. While the concept of a fresh, made-to-order patty melt certainly seems promising, the craving
wanes when the time comes to actually sink your teeth into it. The beef is undoubtedly tender and nicely broiled, but here's where it starts losing points
The patty itself is actually quite plain-tasting. As much as quality should speak for itself, dabbing on a zesty-ish sauce doesn't replace
seasoning the meat. Pickings can be slim at the drive-thru, or in this case, the front counter
But BurgerFi's temporary menu could've been better. chains stop at one patty melt. Culver's, however, advertises two different versions that play up its
Wisconsin pride and mouth-watering beef all in one go. Available in single, double, and triple-stacked
patties, the sourdough melt is the chain's mainline style that doesn't stray from the traditional
flavors. In this instance, though, aged cheddar and seared red onions take the place of the
American cheese and yellow onions found at prior eateries. It's slim and shaped like a grilled
cheese with a buttered surface that decently toasted have a taste of Wisconsin While Culver boasts meat that certainly fresh never frozen that not the only factor to consider when grating a patty melt
So where does it stand among its competitors? Like one of the chain's rotating custard flavors, opinions are very mixed
Even though the burgers do taste moist, the plainness makes them disappear into the melted
mess of cheese. Culver's also doesn't add any sauce, and a zingy spread could do wonders in tapping into
the patty's potential. As the blog Indianapolis Restaurant Scene explained in its review
Honestly, it needed a little ketchup or something just to add another dimension to it
Despite appreciating the sourdough-satisfying crunch, the author of this assessment found the sandwich to be a tad underwhelming overall
Steak and Shake piles its signature steak burgers between sourdough bread to craft the Frisco
Melt, a sandwich pocketing Swiss and American cheese. A blistering orange Frisco spread
resembles a savory Russian dressing. When pressed properly, the Frisco Melt is a revelatory
experience customers remember long after the crumbs have settled. Slimmer patties are convenient
for eating's sake, and the pairing of cheeses adds a flavorful dimension beyond creaminess
These burgers are razor-thin and charred to the perimeters of the patty, but with the overflow of sauce and cheese, a thicker slab of beef would better anchor the
extras. There's also the extreme oiliness from the butter coating the bread. If the Frisco melt
is consistent at anything, it's inconsistency. You'll understand the popularity, so long as you
order it from a solid location. Whether it's char-grilled cheeseburgers or swirly concretes
chains like Freddy's frozen custard and steakburgers pride themselves on retro American dishes
The original double patty melt is no frills, and while that term might provoke long yawns
in some circles, the deliciously simple execution makes it worthwhile. The beef patties are smashed
and seared to order, so the freshness is already head and shoulders above much of the competition
The Swiss, meanwhile, oozes deliciously from the meat and complements the glossy
griddled onions. Freddy's also made the right call by using rye bread. Although the bread and
toppings can be customized, the hint of nuttiness mixed with that sturdy crunch is frankly too good
to resist. Sure, the burgers aren't the thickest of patties out there, and the sandwich comes
without condiments. But isn't that the beauty of this throwback item? It's cheesy, crispy
and filled with flavor. Within two slices of bread, every topping manages to shine through
As one of the chain's all-time favorites making customers drool since 2008
Whataburger makes its patty melt with heaps of love. Look at the gargantuan slabs of Texas toast
hugging the char-grilled patties in place. Admire the folds of mild, melty Monterey Jack
cheese nestled between the beef. Savor the creamy pepper sauce oozing down the edges
Patty melts are simple enough to invite culinary exploration, and Whataburger's condiment choice is on point, an excellent ode to the patty melt in true Southwest
fashion. Should there be a single thing to nitpick about this Lone Star signature
it that there no way to eat one neatly Truth be told your hands will be grubby since the beef is pretty tender and the onions are prone to escaping from the sides of the sandwich If anything it a testament to the steaming hot freshness that will pull your taste buds in each and every time There are plenty of twists to excite the palate
and Whataburger never wears out its welcome. It's a drive-thru staple and among the top
patty melts in the world of fast food. Transporting diners to the 50s is what
Wayback Burger's Soda Fountain Fair does best. Regardless, no time machine could ever capture
anything as spectacularly gluttonous as the cheesy burger. And that's cheesy with four Es
As the chain's menu description reveals, each of the vows represents one slice of American cheese
stuffing each bite with quadruple the creaminess and two juicy patties. Between golden brown burger buns that are smashed upside down
the tasty mass before you clocks it at 830 calories. Some patty melt purists may argue
that this is nothing more than a glorified double cheeseburger. There's no sautéed onions or sauce
for starters. But in 2023, experimenting with old favorites means taking a few risks along the way
and reviewers feel this indulgent twist is well worth it. According to one Yelp reviewer
Wayback Burgers' version excels at fusing two irresistible sandwiches into one, claiming
"...it tastes like an awesome grilled cheese and great diner burger combined." The secret's out. Five Guys' patty melt isn't technically an official offering
but the hamburger chain nevertheless has a hidden hit on its hands. In fact
the sandwich was born out of an ingenious hack that's taken social media by storm
Essentially, you order a grilled cheese off the regular menu. Then you tack on a plump burger
patty and the various toppers like grilled onions and mayo. Feel free to add any additional toppings
Following this formula, the recipe is relatively easy to recreate, as Five Guys has all the
ingredients covered. But there's no doubt that the finished product delivers. The chain's beef
is on a whole other level of freshness, and that mouthwatering moistness is present and accounted
for. American cheese slathers the patties, and because there are double the slices
you're getting an explosion of creaminess from every corner of the sandwich. As much as homey bread slices stay true to the melt's form
the pillowy sesame bun that crisps up on the grill top is more than welcome
If you like Five Guys, obviously give this one a try. And if you like patty melts
well, prepare to be blown away. We want them to leave and go, how do they make that burger so good
At the end of the day, the Habit Burger Grill remains top dog, or really, the sacred cow of
patty melt perfection. The reason this diner sandwich leads the pack can be seen in the
excellent ingredients. Flavorful corn rye is toasted to a snappy finish, remaining an excellent
foundation for the two mouth-watering burger patties stuffed together. The cheese, like always
packs a creamy tang when nestled between the meat. And you can bet there are sauteed onions
to unleash some flavor. For a little bite, it's doused in an old-fashioned Thousand Island dressing
Since it's only served occasionally, it's truly meant to be savored. It's a patty melt that lives up to the hype