(Read the intro post for background on this trip.)

Well, we made it, and Andrew (24) is safely ensconced at the Culinary Institute of America now. Across our entire burger trip, we ate 24 different burgers including the two we had in Seattle as a baseline a little before our trip. (We also had four Philly cheesesteak sandwiches.)

Our three favorite burgers were:

• Jucy Lucy, Matt's Bar in Minneapolis, MN
• Bernice Original, Shady Glen Dairy Stores in Meridian, CT
• Double Tavern Burger, Loretta's Northwesterner in Seattle, WA

It's worth noting that these burgers are all pretty different, so they're a little hard to compare. They're just the burgers we wanted to order more of and kept talking about afterwards. I'd also call out the Bear Bite Burger at the Shoshone Lodge outside of Cody, WY and the plain burger at Louis’ Lunch as other burgers we kept talking about afterwards.

Our least favorite burger was the Galley Burger at Swensen's Drive-in in Columbus, OH. (The elk and bison burgers at Iron Horse Bar & Grill in Gardiner, MT were also nothing special, but those were in a different class and were not a destination burger for us.)

For the chain restaurants, we loved the cheeseburger at Kewpee Hamburgers in Lima, OH. We were split on White Castle (they weren't as good as I remembered, but Andrew was entranced by something about it) and Culver's (I loved them but Andrew was turned off by how much mustard his had.)

In truth, all of the burgers were acceptable or better; none were bad.

Across all these burgers, we realized a few things:

• A lot of burgers are really about the toppings, with the patty mostly providing texture and warmth. I think this is why you can have a decent burger experience with a veggie patty. Incrediburger in Spokane is a good example of this -- creative and tasty toppings and a good bun, but the meat didn't add much in terms of flavor. It was still a good burger.
• Our favorite burgers had the meat as the focal point -- beefy taste, at least half of the volume of the bite, well-seasoned. The classic burger at Louis' Lunch is the epitome of this fact -- great meat on a toasted bread with nothing else. Delicious, like eating a steak sandwich. We liked burgers with a good char on the outside, like a smashburger. In most cases, we think a double is the way to get the right meat/bun ratio. Medium rare, of course.
• We both liked cheese on our burgers, usually American. In most cases, the cheese becomes a sauce for the meat. This was particularly true when the cheese was in the meat, like the Jucy Lucy and Juicy Nookie burgers in Minneapolis. (Cheese inside the patty mixed with the juices to make a terrific sauce.) When it's not melted (like at Culver's) it wasn't nearly as good. However, on two burgers (Bernice Original at Shady Glen in Manchester, CT and the single burger at Ted's in Meridian, CT) the cheese was its own element. In each of these cases, the cheese was thick enough that it had a distinct flavor and texture that changed the burger (for the better). This was especially true with the Bernice Original where the cheese was cooked until it crisped up. Both ways are great.
• We were divided on toppings. We liked onions, either grilled or raw. We'd like to try a mix of both. We were both ok with lettuce. I liked tomato if it's a good tomato; Andrew thought it didn't add anything. I liked thin pickle chips on the burger to add some acid; Andrew liked his on the side to prevent the pickle from overpowering the flavor. Surprisingly, we were both ambivalent about bacon on the burger.
• One note, we realized that we didn't like toppings that were long and could be pulled out of the burger, like rings of onions or slices of bacon. It was no fun fighting the toppings, plus then you either got too much of something or not enough. We liked diced onions better, so every bite was consistent. The one exception was the piles of onions on the burger at Powers in Fort Wayne, IN. That was basically an onion burger -- half onion and half burger. Super tasty, just different.
• We were divided on condiments too. On the best burgers, we didn't need any condiments (e.g. Louis' Lunch). I like ketchup, mayo, and mustard. Andrew just wanted ketchup. Barbecue sauce was a nice addition if it added a little acid to cut the fat, but the ones that were too sweet overpowered the burger.
• We both agreed we liked the buttered and toasted buns of Culver's Butterburger -- great flavor and crunch. We both thought brioche buns were too soft and fragile for burgers; they just disappeared. We liked something with a little more substance to hold together as we ate the burger. Sourdough can help balance a strong burger, and ciabatta-style rolls held up well.
• There was some pairing to explore with drinks and burgers. We didn't come to consensus on when Coke, beer, or a shake was best or what kind of beer or shake matched what circumstance. We liked the balance from the acidity in Coke, the way alcohol in beer washed away the fat, and how a creamy shake complemented the richness of the burger. We didn't even delve into the wine side at all -- something for another time.
• We were pretty disappointed with the fries across the board. Most of them were the same frozen fries cooked in vegetable oil. (Still tasty, of course.) Incrediburger in Spokane was an exception with their beef fat fries. Loretta's in Seattle has good, handcut fries too. And, Matt’s Burger in Minneapolis must have sprinkled crack on their frozen fries; we ate every last fry out of a huge basket – just well executed frozen fries, I guess.

I want to try combining these lessons to make the Ultimate Burger. Stay tuned.

And, because several people have asked, I gained four pounds on the trip. I have mostly lost that since coming home

Here are a few other observations from the trip. Nearly every restaurant, hotel, and gas station we went to had signs saying they were hiring. As I noted, the best breakfast place we went to (Bearlodge Bakery in Sundance, WY) was serving their last breakfast before closing because the owner couldn't find enough help. It's one thing to read about the challenges businesses face hiring; it's another to really see it everywhere.

East of Seattle, there were very few people wearing masks, except where required like in US Federal buildings in National Parks or indoors in cities with mask mandates like Chicago. Masks picked up again in New York. No one said anything to us since we were wearing masks, but we stood out. I think the social pressure to be like people around you has a snowball effect -- either nearly everyone wears a mask or nearly no one does.

It's easy when you live in a biggish, coastal city like Seattle to dismiss the "flyover" states, maybe with exceptions for big cities like Chicago. However, I was really pleasantly surprised by how nice smaller cities like Spokane, WA and Sioux Falls, SD are. I'd love to spend more time in Philadelphia too (big city there, of course). I was also amazed how good the museums in Cody, WY and Dayton, OH were. I really want to go back and spend more time in those. And, I am impressed with how my hometowns of Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN have revitalized. I love spending time there. It was really great to remind myself how awesome the United States is and that each part has uniquely cool things to offer.

The List

Seattle, WA
Loretta's Northwesterner

• Double Tavern Burger
• Deluxe Burger

Spokane, WA
Incrediburger

• PB&J Burger
• Classic Burger

Gardiner, MT
Iron Horse Bar & Grill

• Elk Burger
• Bison Burger

Cody, WY
Shoshone Lodge

• Bear Bite Burger

Rapid City, SD
Sickies Garage Burgers & Brews

• Sickie's Burger
• Classic Cheeseburger with Kobe beef

Sioux Falls, SD
Culver's

• Butterburger

Minneapolis/St.Paul, MN
White Castle

• Cheeseburger

Casper & Runyon's Nook

• Juicy Nookie
• Triple B (Bourbon Bacon Burger)

Matt's Bar

• Jucy Lucy

Davenport, IA
Maid-Rite

• The Cheese-Rite
• The Original Maid-Rite

Chicago, IL
Au Cheval

• Single burger (plain)
• Single burger (w/ bacon and egg)

Fort Wayne, IN
Powers Hamburgers

• Doubles with cheese

Lima, OH
Kewpee Hamburgers

• Cheeseburger

Columbus, OH
Swensen's Drive-In

• Galley Burger

New Haven, CT
Louis' Lunch

• Hamburger (plain)

Meridian, CT
Ted's Restaurant

• Single cheeseburger with everything

Manchester, CT
Shady Glen Dairy Stores

• Bernice Original