Regional fast food: Why Whataburger is worth a stop

The scene: Back in 1950, before Ray Kroc started franchising McDonald's, before Fatburger or Burger King, when the only notable fast food burger chains were White Castle, Krystal and In-n-Out, Whataburger came on the scene. Like Jim 'N Nick's, Zaxby's and other successful chains profiled in this column, it started by serving cheap eats to college students, in this case 25-cent burgers across the street from Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas. Sixty-four years later, there are more than 700 locations spanning a dozen states in an unbroken line from Arizona to Florida. The company remains family-owned and run by the son of the founder, with only about a fifth of the locations franchised (not to be confused with What-A-Burger, another old, smaller regional chain in the Carolinas).

Whataburger is easily recognized by its "Flying W" logo and distinctive architecture, a white and orange A-frame. While the very first restaurant was an urban stand, the distinctive standalone Whataburgers began early on in Odessa, Texas, and often included drive up car hop service. Today the A–frame roof is usually incorporated into a more modern and standard building, and inside most look just like any other roadside fast-food place, with easily cleaned tile floors, synthetic tables and chairs, and a counter with menu boards over it (though one location I visited in central Alabama was playing Christian radio as background music, something you are not likely to find at Burger King). Even the newer locations are still easily recognized by the high peaked roof and color scheme, and unlike most competitors, many Whataburger stores are open 24 hours.

Reason to visit: Patty melt, signature double burgers, onion rings, breakfast biscuits

The food: While the burgers at contemporaries White Castle, Krystal and McDonald's range from very small to small, Whataburger has always positioned itself as the big fast-food burger, requiring two hands. The patties are considerably larger than the competition and served on a generous 5-inch diameter bun. Unlike most chains, they are also cooked to order and delivered to your table, so you are given a little plastic number, in turn white and orange and shaped like the restaurant's signature A-frame roofline.

While the burger is a wider two-hand model, the patty is still thin, just as thin as McDonald's or similar versions, but because it is made fresh, it tastes better than most fast-food burgers. It's not quite as hearty and succulent as the Five Guys or Shake Shack models, but definitely a cut above the big three burger chains, McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's. Whataburger also offers a patty melt, which is my favorite sandwich, and because it comes standard as a double with two patties, it is meatier and more substantial. It also comes with grilled onions, Monterey Jack cheese and a uniquely distinctive creamy pepper sauce that is a nice change from all the Thousand Island dressing iterations of "Secret Sauce" in the chain burger world. The regular single patty Whataburger is also available as either a double or triple, and without encouraging gluttony, the extra patty does make a difference and really improves the burger experience. On the other hand, in a world where restaurants have increasingly super-sized everything, Whataburger still offers its fries, onion rings, shakes and malts in a more reasonable range of sizes like small, medium and large.

The fries are virtually indistinguishable from those at McDonald's, which many people love, so if that is your style you will be very happy with these. But in terms of sides, it is the onion rings that stand out, as these are very good, crispy, tasty and solid enough so they don't fall apart when you take a bite. In my opinion, not enough fast-food restaurants offer rings, and when they do they are not usually this good.

Whataburger has a number of interesting signature burgers – all doubles – including an A1 Steak Sauce burger that is a long-time partnership, and some others that that are only regionally available, like the Chop House, with bacon, cheese and house (not A1) steak sauce (Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama and Florida only) or the Green Chile Cheeseburger – something almost no fast-food places offer (Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona and New Mexico only). These, along with the cooking to order and wider size, really set the chain apart, as do the other menu items with Southern and Southwestern influences like a jalapeno burger, a burger generously topped with grilled peppers, and a slate of breakfast biscuit sandwiches. These are better than the bland English muffins the big chains use and normally only available at places like Chick-fil-A, Popeyes or Bojangles', another notable differentiator. Finally, the shakes, quite thick, are a little bit more real-tasting, or at least less synthetic, than the national chain versions, and while you won't mistake them for ice cream parlor shakes, they are a cut above the industry standard.

If you are driving and want a fast-food burger, Whataburger is a better choice than the biggest national chains, with some more interesting offerings, especially at breakfast and late night, when it is one of the only places open.

Pilgrimage-worthy?: No.

Rating: Mmmm (Scale: Blah, OK, Mmmm, Yum!, OMG!)

Price: $ ($ cheap, $$ moderate, $$$ expensive)

Details: Whataburger spans the southern states from Florida to Texas and Oklahoma, and continues up into the Southwest, New Mexico and Arizona; whataburger.com

Larry Olmsted has been writing about food and travel for more than 15 years. An avid eater and cook, he has attended cooking classes in Italy, judged a barbecue contest and once dined with Julia Child. Follow him on Twitter, @TravelFoodGuy, and if there's a unique American eatery you think he should visit, send him an e-mail at travel@usatoday.com. Some of the venues reviewed by this column provided complimentary services.