If burgers are part of your foodservice offer, could you take your burger to the next level? If so … is it the meat, the seasonings, the toppings, the technique or a blend of all of the above that can set you apart?

Even burger experts don’t agree on what makes a great burger—so there’s room to make your own offer stand out.

Technique and Taste

Billy Kramer left his career in advertising to create an amazing burger. The NFA (No Fooling Around) Burger has been a hit, drawing lines around the Chevron station in Dunwoody, Georgia. Since opening in 2019, he’s sold more than 300,000 burgers.

Kramer started to test out various seasonings and blends: “I went to Publix and found spices like Paul Prudhomme’s and Slap Ya Mama. I experimented, and it took 19 tries to get it right. The best one might be number 20, but after 19 tries, I had what I wanted. My friends and family were happy.”

Kramer also found that it’s not just the ingredients that make a burger great—technique is key. He doesn’t season the meat before making the patties. Instead, he sprinkles seasoning on right before it hits the grill and avoids overworking the meat.

“You can season a ribeye and put it in the fridge for two days, and it’s perfect,” he said. “Ground beef has a different reaction.”

The NFA patty rests on a Martin’s potato roll. “I tried all kinds of buns, but I found that this one holds the best and is perfect for the meat-to-bun ratio,” Kramer explained.

Everything that goes on the burger is strategically placed. “We want the first bite and the last bite to have the same flavor. We have mustard, pickles, cheese and sauce,” Kramer said, adding, “Pickles are circular. You need to have a pickle in every bite, so we use 4 pickles. Instead of strips of bacon, we use diced bacon so you get bacon in every bite. We also considered that strips of bacon might be fatty, and possibly slide off the burger.”

Kramer continued, “Cheddar cheese gets real oily. American cheese melts great—it tastes great, too. It just belongs on my burger.”

Put Your Own Spin on It

Great food often stems from passion, and Hooshang Nazarali’s love for the American cheeseburger began in 1977. After moving from Iran to East Texas to pursue his education, the first thing he ate was a cheeseburger—which he called a life-changing experience.

Nazarali owns the Pig Trail Bypass County Café, a restaurant and convenience store in Elkins, Arkansas. Over the years, he’s made a few changes to the café. Inspired by his first cheeseburger, Nazarali decided to add a Persian twist to the American classic.

“Before I make the patty, I add chopped onions and my secret blend of spices,” he said. “The burger is seasoned inside and out.”

Great burgers evolve. “I tried using grass-fed beef, but customers found it too dry. Now, I use an 80/20 ratio—80% lean and 20% fat,” he said.

Once the patty is cooked to perfection, it’s placed on a 4.5-inch bun. It’s dressed with the usual lettuce, tomato, mayo and cheese. “I usually use American cheese, but it depends on the customer. Depending on what the customers want, I can also use cheddar or white cheese,” he explained.

Back to Basics

In Texas, where beef reigns supreme, Nathan’s Barbecue in Brenham continues to gain fans with its simple, classic burger.

Manager Cyndi Merski said, “We use fresh ground meat each day—an 80/20 blend. We make our own patties, weigh them individually and hand patty each one. It’s a half-pound burger seasoned with just salt and pepper.”

At Nathan’s, each burger is cooked fresh, which means a 12-minute wait when a burger is ordered.

The burger’s popularity has grown, and Merski noted that people are still discovering it. “We’ve had nights when all we do is line the grill. It’s Texas; if you don’t want brisket, you want a burger—seriously. Some customers ask for two patties. I tell them that’s a pound of meat, and they say, ‘Put it on,’” she said.

“If you get one of my burgers with fries and a drink, it’s about $13,” Merski said. “I’ll put my deal up against anyone in town.”

Community Connections

Rob Zorn’s Acadiana Burger Company has no brick-and-mortar location, but it has proven that customers will seek out a great burger.

Zorn said two things make his burgers stand out: texture and flavor.

“My burger is 100% ground beef with no fillers, and I believe a great burger has a high fat content,” he said. “I use the highest fat content—27% fat and 73% lean. The fat is where all the flavor is—whether it’s pork or ribeye, fat holds the best flavor. Some people believe a burger is just high-quality ground beef with salt and pepper. I believe you have to be bold with the prep. I incorporate seasoning into the hand mix with the raw ingredients.”

Zorn uses five different natural seasonings and is firm on one point: “If your burger requires toppings to be good, then you don’t have a good burger.”

“When someone has the burger for the first time, they don’t know what they’re in for. They walk away and take a bite, then stop in their tracks. They take another bite and then turn around and look back at us with a ‘What the hell did I just eat’ look on their face,” Zorn said. “It’s the coolest thing.”