I’m pretty sure 1986 was the year scientific fact established there’s never been a food invented that’s out-sublimed the American invented, meal-in-one hamburger. As a flawless food ecosystem, hamburgers represent paper wrapped miracles of protein, fats, carbs and vegetable packed into a versatile puck of fantasticalness.
Which makes this statistical work of art endlessly fascinating. Below is a territorial map indicating the allied gastronomical-political influence of America’s most popular burger chains. Personally, I was a little teary-eyed in seeing In-N-Out’s failure to make the list even in Southern California, but Jack-In-The-Box (Famous Star!) and Carl’s Jr. (Western Bacon Cheeseburger!) ate some of my pain.
Thanks, Weathersealed!
Wendy’s apparent Utah dominance is a little surprising, considering the 24/7 lines that wrap all the McDonald’s around here. Personally, I haven’t willingly eaten a McDonald’s made burger since “hairy” was a reference to my head and not my back, but I still say this: Whether you like your “meal-in-one” fresh off the backyard grill or warm off a teen-greased assembly line, long live the burger.