Classics in Fast Food and the thin Burger Patty

After I have reviewed [the agony at] Wings 'n Things, I was just hungry to get the right fast food experience.
You know - sometimes it is not about having the best quality available, but just to experience the right [and accustomed] taste profiles.

Burgers are very special for me. When I was young [this might be 3 decades or so back - I know, that you would never guessed, that I am that old...] McDonalds fast food restaurants were not everywhere seen in Germany. There were still the styrofoam boxes, the better burger came in - and my parents kept me on very low supply of fast food, knowing that these are not the nutritions I would need to grow up strong.
Anyway - there is a typical taste, which I connect to a proper burger. Others might have different expectations. However for me the typical gourmet burgers are not real burgers for me. They might be tasty, they might be even delicious and yes, sometimes they might be of a better quality - but they don't shout burger to me.

So today on the [not so] long way from Dubai to Abu Dhabi I treated myself with a cheese burger meal and some chicken nuggets. Lets face it - the cheese of McDonalds cannot be seen anything else than horrible. Fake. Cheese. Not. Worth. To. Be. Called. Cheese.
But overall you get a nice, soft, juicy and tasty parcel which is touching your memories - in a good way. Chicken nuggets are working very similar with me. I tried a lot of different ones- but I never encountered better nuggets of McD. Please don't misunderstand me - always better are "flaky" real chicken tenders [oh yeah, BonChons - or Kim Chikin how it is nowadays called]. But the formed chicken pieces, we are knowing as nuggets, are the best in McD. Yes - hands down. Usually I don't like formed meat. It taste cardboardy and artificial - except of Donalds nuggets!
And then the sweet, smoky, thick and super tasty bbq sauce - and the tangy mustard dip...

But lets go to the dark side of the golden bows. How dare can they be, to charge more [and extra] for their artificial cheese? I never understood this. McDonalds - if you read this: Please offer a real cheese option. I am willing to pay extra. Really. Swiss or cheddar - it doesn't matter. But real, please!

Enough of it. Enough of the biggest fast food chain [or is it the second biggest?].
Back to the burger.

Fact is, that very few other companies, which are clearly upscale [yes Wendy's, Burger King etc all make also burgers, which are similar] do the "right" burger. The patties become too big. The bread becomes too bready. And the vegetables too veggie.
The triumvirate I know, which are clearly better than Mac - but still hitting the same soft spots in my gourmand feelings is:

• Shake Shack
• Fat Burger
• Johnny Rockets

And in exactly this order!

I read quite a lot of reviews, where reviewers criticized Shake Shack. Because the buns are too soft; because the patties are too thin. But this is exactly, why it is so close to my heart. I love you Shake Shack. No - lets not make kiddies - otherwise I had to eat them all...

Fat Burger features also soft buns and amazing tender beef. Sometimes the beef patty falls apart. But this is ok. We are under friends.

Johnny Rockets - I like the 2 above more than you, but you still have a very soft spot in my heart - especially if I combine one of your nice burgers with your awesome, luscious and forbidden peanut butter shakes.

Well... I am hungry again...