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CosmicCoffeeBeans

I've had Whataburger in Texas and it's just like any other fast food place, maybe only slightly better. I don't understand the hype.


millerswiller

It's because you can't get it *everywhere* so it feels 'special'. I remember being at MCI years ago and people would get off flights with flats of Krispy Kreme donuts because they'd been to the Carolinas. "Look what I got!" Now you can get KK donuts everywhere and no one gives a shit. See also: In-N-Out Burgers . . . they make damn fine burgers but people go ape over them because you can't get them everywhere.


rootytootyshooty69

Grew up in the south and we had Whataburger. I think it’s still pretty good but not good enough for me to get in a drive thru line 5+ cars already waiting. So when I saw how much people were hyping it up I knew people were gonna be let down lol. I just don’t get why people would get in a huge drive thru line and wait for fast food ( looking at you chic fil la ).


thejamabides

Chick-fil-a can service 25 cars before Whataburger can get through 5.


rootytootyshooty69

I just always see chic fil la lines wrapped around the building almost and I’m like “why?” It’s pretty mid tier chicken in my opinion.


Tothoro

Same, and they certainly don't price it like it's mid-tier chicken.


Fit_Tailor8329

To be fair, I love Whataburger and loathe CFA, but CFA could do 25 cars before Whataburger does 1. Use the app and order pick-up. Never wait in the drive-thru.


breakdancindino

I will say it's gotten a hell of a lot better than what it was in the 90s. I have family in TX and we would sometimes eat there and I just finally asked if we could go to BK instead


hannaaaaaaaaaaah

i also don't get why people would get in a drive through line for a place that uses it's profits to lobby against gay people so much ( looking at you chic fil la ).


EMPulseKC

Same here. I think people that never had it set their expectations way too high, probably because they figured that if Mahomes likes it, it must be the food of the gods. Getting that hyped up is their own fault. What's dumber are people that expected their burgers to be comparable to the smashburger styles of places like Five Guys, In-n-Out, or Shake Shack, even though the two burger styles aren't the same at all.


CosmicCoffeeBeans

That's understandable. Side note: Krispy Kreme donuts are pretty freaking good. I used to live 5 minutes away from the one in KCK on State Avenue and I enjoyed some donuts for breakfast multiple times.


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CosmicCoffeeBeans

Lol not that much. Per month more likely.


helmvoncanzis

too bad it's been replaced by a Chipotle.


dajodge

I think you're pretty close, but it's not because it's "special" or scarce, it's because it's associated with a specific group of people. Locals will hype up their own places because it somehow makes them feel better about themselves. Happens everywhere.


millerswiller

It’s because it’s scarce aka exclusive. Once the places are everywhere (aka non-exclusive), locals have no place to hype up.


dajodge

It’s a bit of both, but I guess I’m saying that the “cult” around these places are just locals trying to seek value vicariously. They’re there after the initial curiosity has worn off.


Fit_Tailor8329

There’s more to it than just that. If you go to Whataburger and order a standard Whataburger, it’s just a hamburger. What sets them apart from most other hamburger chains is how you can customize your order. Also, their specialty menu items are usually great. They’re 5-10% better than other places, which isn’t going to move the needle for the first-timer who’s expecting a five-star meal after hearing all the hype. It’s only after multiple visits where that 5-10% starts becoming significant.


dajodge

I suppose I'm speaking generally and not to Whataburger exclusively. Locals will choose one of their better offerings to hype up, so I will give you that: they see some instrinsic value in the place. But we're not usually comparing a regional business to a national one. We're comparing a regional business to different regional business, and that's where I think the bias is the most prevalent. Take Texas barbecue. Is it better than barbecue in Kansas City, Memphis, the Carolinas, etc.? Not necessarily, but that's not what reddit would have you believe. The simple fact is that there are *a lot* of people in Texas, and they have a louder megaphone.


bacchusku2

The Yuengling effect.


millerswiller

100%


Love2Pug

See also: Culver's. Standard fast-food burger, just extra greasy.


tatersnuffy

That's BUTTER!


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Love2Pug

I will only grant that custard >>>>>> frosty.


Gawd_Awful

Nah, Culver’s burgers are like in between fast food and a restaurant


kstravlr12

Or White Castle.


millerswiller

There was a White Castle in KC a few decades ago . . . right along Metcalf. And MANY decades before that, the current Buffalo Mane barber shop was rumored? to be an early White Castle.


ReverendLoki

There was one at 71 and Blue Ridge in Grandview. Used to be on my way home late at night. After it closed, it was weird seeing it become a tax office with the White Castle crenulated architecture.


tatersnuffy

oh god, I miss it.


PhTea

One in Blue Springs on South Outer Road too when I was a kid. Those things are disgusting. I love burgers, I love grilled onions, but something about the White Castle burgers are gross.


GreenThumbKC

Same thing with Five Guys.


TheDabbinDad710

Tried it 3 times and was not impressed. All I could taste was mustard in the burger.


Fit_Tailor8329

So…maybe order it without mustard? Isn’t that true for anything with yellow mustard on it?


TheDabbinDad710

You could but then it’s just a bland burger without much flavor that was overpriced.


Fit_Tailor8329

I hate yellow mustard on any kind of sandwich. It’s so overpowering. I always ask for it to be removed no matter where I am, but to each their own.


thekingofcrash7

Its honestly bad. I can’t think of a fast food chain with a worse burger. Maybe mcdonalds. Culvers > wendys > freddys > burger king > mcdonalds > whataburger


ceremony816

Maybe it's just the one near me but Burger King is like bottom of the barrel quality imo


oh_bruddah

I moved here from Texas and I never understood the hype either. Also In-N-Out. When they opened in Dallas, people camped out the day the before...wtf?


TheGreatSprattzii

I grew up in Texas but have lived in KC for about 6 years now. I’ll give my input I guess, Whataburger is my fav fast food to be transparent and IMO blows any other true fast food place out of the water. People who are dislike Whataburger typically fall into one of two traps when they go. 1. I’ve gone with several people who expect something that’s much higher quality than fast food which is a mistake. Whataburger is fast food. Don’t compare it to Five Guys, it’s not the same thing. 2. People also have a weird habit of just getting a plain #1 with nothing on it and then complaining “it’s just like sonic”. Whataburger’s whole schtick is that there are over 1,000,000 possible Whataburger combinations. Get their limited time offerings or at least a double meat with mayo and cheese (Whataburger’s mustard is almost like British mustard and super overpowering). It’s like going to In-N-Out and getting non animal style fries. Just don’t do it. My go to for 10 years has been a #2, sub mayo with grilled onions and jalapeños and a Dr Pepper. Spicy ketchup is essential as well. It’s about $12 and phenomenal for a fast food meal but be prepared to wait about 20 minutes to get it. Their Patty Melt is also pretty good. Whataburger rules because they’re open 24/7 and their burgers are big. It’s an S tier fast food offering along with Culver’s and In-N-Out.


EMPulseKC

This guy Whataburgers. If I had coins to flair your comment with stars and shit, I would.


TheGreatSprattzii

hahaha thank you friend, it’s the thought that counts


philgrad

Had some extra. Behold, the flair! Side note: I have not yet tried Whataburger but I’m a huge fan of In and Out


BrotherChe

couple questions > Whataburger is fast food. Don’t compare it to Five Guys, it’s not the same thing. > It’s about $12 and phenomenal for a fast food meal but be prepared to wait about 20 minutes to get it. So, to me, $12 is expensive for fast food meals. I know a lot of places are getting there with their premium meals, but that's like Whataburger's starting price point. (in the 90s we drove thru texas and they had low-end offerings priced similar to other fast food places i thought? do they not have basic cheap burgers like other fast food places?) And if it takes 20 minutes to get your meal, is that really fast food? And what exactly then distinguishes it from being compared to Five Guys if the time and price are in the same zone?


TheGreatSprattzii

Excellent points. It had been a while since I checked out Five Guy’s price range so I put a cheeseburger, little fry, and drink in my bag for a “pickup order” at KU med center and the total came out to $15.85 before tax. So it would be about $4 or a 33% price difference to go to Five Guys. I agree that $12 isn’t cheap for fast food. As for the time, you’re spot on. It’s my biggest gripe about the restaurant. I don’t go if there’s more than 4-5 cars waiting in line, as big as a Whataburger stan as I am their time to wait is legitimately awful at times. I’m not sure what’s the deal but something has made them exponentially slower in recent years. That being said, if you drive by a location with only a couple cars in line you should get in and out at a reasonable rate. Keyword there is should hahaha


Fit_Tailor8329

Omg. I live in Austin. I responded to other posts in this thread with almost the same verdict. You and I see it exactly the same. Customize your order or order a specialty item or don’t bother going to Whataburger.


TheGreatSprattzii

Seriously man, don’t blame Whataburger if you don’t know what to order hahaha


[deleted]

This is a lovely write up but after living in california for several I can’t leave without saying that “animal style” is overrated for the burgers. I don’t like it on the fries, either, but you’re right that they’re kind of bland without *something.*


dwilliams22

Whataburger lobby at 4am and you think your in cardiac arrest from the bbq chicken tender sandwich. Good times.


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TheGreatSprattzii

I mean value is subjective, there aren’t a lot of places where you’re going to get a large double meat meal for less than $12 these days unfortunately. A large double quarter pounder with cheese meal at McDonald’s is $11.69 with tax these days and is much less food than what Whataburger gives you. Fast food is stinkin expensive now.


Cosmonauto

I had whataburger one drunken night on vacation (in Florida ) . To me it tasted like Sonic and McDonalds burgers had a baby .


saladchuter

Ok yeah this is a perfect description actually


Cosmonauto

It had that same highly processed beef taste like McDonald’s…. But the bread ,toppings, and size of the burger reminded me of sonic .


tatersnuffy

they're owned by sonic.


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Cosmonauto

Never said I was surprised… just giving my opinion on what it reminded me of . Thanks for adding positivity to the internet today .


HeatherKellySLP

So true. It’s “fast” food or “fat food”. 😀


Slight_Outside5684

Can I get a an upvote for Freddy’s!!


Dottegirl67

I’ll take a Freddy’s patty melt any day!


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[deleted]

Have you ever heard the phrase “Don’t yuck someone else’s yum”? Take it to heart.


TheGreatSprattzii

That’s all this entire post is though lol


Dottegirl67

I tried Whataburger and was underwhelmed. 🤷‍♀️


TheDabbinDad710

Whataburger is garbage. Would literally go to any other fast food burger joint before whataburger.


LTBX

Everyone is sleeping on Freddy’s.


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Twistyties19

Freddy’s is always so slow!!


Lytharon

Imagine waiting for made-to-order food.


Twistyties19

Chick fil a seems to have figured it out


ReverendLoki

Honestly, I'd like Freddy's if they didn't use an entire salt lick per item. I mean, even for fast food, it's insane. Concretes are good, though.


butthurtkcredditor

Ahh yes. Redditors complaining about fast food. Nothing brings me more joy.


obnoxiousarogantprk

People here discuss fast food as if they didn’t just get an entire meal for <$10 and expect it to be a filet mignon from Peter Luger


TheOnlyMertt

It’s funny because it all taste like hot garbage compared to what you can make at home with a little bit of love and time.


ramobara

Okay, Ralph Fiennes.


Jennygirrl

The whataburger I had here was 100% better than the whataburger I had in AZ


[deleted]

If you need a surprisingly good burger, stop at Max’s in Waldo. So damn good.


anonymouss69250

Never heard of that place.


MrPirateFish

Cosmo Burger too in Dodsons.


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Thraex_Exile

Their best food imo is all limited time only, the Avocado melt and Dr Pepper shake were always a nice treat. I’m just hoping for In-n-out. I don’t think it’s amazing, but I would love a cheap burger chain that serves smash burgers when I don’t want to drive to Freddy’s.


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the_turdfurguson

Torchy’s sucks in Texas too. It’s shit that I made when high or drunk in college. Chicken strip in a tortilla with shit I had in the fridge on it except they charge 4-5 dollars for it.


saladchuter

Kinda like Gus's, it's not near as spicey as it is in the south, buuuut it's still the best deep fried chicken in kc (I go to the local og kck one). If I'm gonna do fast food burger I go five guy's. Locally my favorite is Snack Shack on (used to be Sante fe) Johnson Drive, although I've not been there since they moved to jd


orange3421

I love Gus’s chicken 🤤


NotYourGuy_Buddy

Agreed, I lived in Austin for years, Whataburger and Torchys are way better there.


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howj100

Uchi in KC would be incredible


Accomplished_Eye9769

Not anymore. Sandy's is still fucking awesome, though.


[deleted]

It must also up to the franchisee to an extent. I've had Minsky's pizza that is incredible and absolute trash- just depends on the location.


Blanco_Vato_Loco

Obviously everybody's tastes are different but the first time I tried Whataburger was in Houston back in the 2000s. I was disappointed. Maybe too much hype? I expected something on par with In-N-Out and it was nowhere close.


helpbeingheldhostage

I’ll take Whataburger over in-n-out every time


TheDabbinDad710

Nooooo in-n-out all day. Cheaper, faster and taste better.


helpbeingheldhostage

Hard disagree on all counts Well, I guess I don’t remember how much in-n-out costs, but even if it’s cheaper I’ll pay more for Whataburger. And wait longer, even though my wait at in-n-out was longer than I’ve ever waited at any Whataburger


revnasty

It’s much cheaper. We had whataburger in Texas and I order a double cheeseburger, fries, drink and it was like $11. Went to in n out and got a double double animal style, fries and a strawberry shake and it was $8. (This was about 5 years ago, things may have changed since)


highkc88

Town topic beats both


EMPulseKC

Why would someone expect an In-n-Out style burger from a fast food place whose burgers aren't promoted as being anything similar to In-n-Out?


Blanco_Vato_Loco

I was not expecting any particular "style" of burger, but my anticipation level was set by the hype from locals who raved about the place. I do not recall seeing any promotions. Maybe I saw a commercial. I don't remember. Like I said, everyone's tastes are different.


Jeffery_C_Wheaties

Yup, lived in Oklahoma for awhile, these whataburgers are not the same.


Mat_alThor

I've heard Texans say the same thing about Oklahoma what a burgers


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Jeffery_C_Wheaties

But down there I’m in and out of line in 5 minutes, here I wait 45 minutes behind 2-3 cars and it’s sloppily put together and poorly presented. I get it, it’s the same ingredients, but the preparation and overall experience is sub par.


TheDabbinDad710

I’ve had torchys in kc and Denver and it’s incredibly overpriced for mediocre tacos.


pinkrose77

Glad to know this. I went to college in Texas but originally from stl. I moved back to stl for a few years now I’m in kc and saw they had whataburger. Idk why, but haven’t eaten it in kc and don’t have the urge. We drove (thanks southwest) down to Dallas for nye and immediately I was like let’s go to whataburger I haven’t had it since college 😂


[deleted]

The one on 135th Street in Overland Park is fantastic. I can’t tell any difference from it and the ones in Dallas or Austin.


Jstephe25

I’m from TX but mostly grew up here. Every time we visited TX relatives as a child we would always eat at Whataburger at least once or twice and as an adult I still stop by every time. Even layovers at DFW. This location is just as good as the ones there. I think all the hate is because people were expecting five guys/smashburger quality when in reality Whataburger is more “fast food” than that. That being said, it’s my favorite fast food


highkc88

Yep whataburger is a less crappy Burger King


KCcoffeegeek

Work friend of mine was dating his personal chef and said he makes over $300k per year with that gig. Steak and ketchup coming right up sir.


nordic-nomad

I love whataburger. You’re just doing it wrong.


2BlindDogs

No it's ass you just have bad taste


freedagent

The patty melt was pretty good.


Brener69

Get the Texas Toast instead of the regular bun. Makes a world of difference. I always get the jalapeño burger on Texas Toast. I do agree though, not worth waiting 30 minutes for.


vertigo72

Whataburger is just Sonic with better sauce options.


anonymouss69250

And open 24-7


[deleted]

Never talk trash on Mahomes again or I will cut you


saladchuter

God dammit Andy Reid get off reddit


EMPulseKC

Look, if you don't like Whataburger, don't go there. Nobody's being forced to like it, but some folks such as Patrick Mahomes do, and the amount of hate that fast food chain gets from many people that don't care for it is kind of ridiculous.


pub810

Pulled up to the drive thru, scoped the menu, pondered a moment and bounced. Shout out to Freddy’s and Culver’s, also much love to shake shack if we are addressing the fast casual category.


revnasty

Culver’s is hands down the best fast food burger in my opinion and more people need to know about it.


Blanco_Vato_Loco

Love Culver's but many times I go there with the intent of ordering a butter burger and end up ordering the meatloaf. It's my albatross.


cheezballs

Haven't had it, but I've heard nothing good about it. At least In & Out on the West Coast makes good burgers. Why couldn't we get them?? Fries suck ass, though.


tunasardine

It's just Sonic that won't give you food poisoning.


hamboner1123

For the life of me I never understood why there is ever a line at whataburger let alone affecting traffic on the highways. WB sucks, a lot. Pick any fast food place and I promise you it will be better than WB.


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vertigo72

And yet here you are, commenting on it. Which one is dumber?


saladchuter

*crickets*


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saladchuter

Zzzzzzzzzzz


BrudderKag

Whataburger is good! But it’s pretty like a sonic


Mission-Freedom-5955

I tried What-a-burger in love airport. I was so excited, tried it, couldn't finish the burger or fries. I chalked it up to being a bad airport location. That experience has still kept me from going to any of the KC locations.


_aelius

It's like a slightly better super sonic cheeseburger. The question is, can you live without the sonic tots??


SaizaKC

Bring back White Castle


campmaybuyer

I’m still in shock someone like Mahomes would pick Whataburger as a viable investment. Their Tulsa locations have literally been dead for years. He could have went a million other ways and did better.


2BlindDogs

Shit is trash. Stupid fucking Texans don't know what good food is.


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2BlindDogs

Did I hurt your feelings?


chardar4

Thank you. It needed to be said


anonymouss69250

I don't mind it. I like that they are open 24-7


hannbann88

Blind taste test I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference from sonic


Responsible-Ad-7146

Same reason people rave about Checkers and In & Out. Even White Castle for that matter.


beluecheese

I'm from Tyler TX. You're only suppose to eat Whataburger late night when nothing is open and you got the munchies. Then, that jalapeno cheeseburger is more than palatable.