Fuddruckers is an American fast casual restaurant chain that specializes in hamburgers. The restaurant prides itself on serving never-frozen 100% USDA all-American premium-cut beef with no fillers or preservatives. Fuddruckers burgers are made fresh in-house every day from scratch. The chain offers customers the ability to fully customize their burgers with a variety of toppings and cheeses.
Fuddruckers Beef
The key ingredient that sets Fuddruckers burgers apart is their beef. All of their burger patties are made from 100% fresh, never frozen, all-American premium-cut beef with no fillers or preservatives added. The beef contains no hormones or antibiotics and is ground in-house daily. Fuddruckers only uses cuts of beef from the chuck and sirloin. They do not use trimmings, so their beef has a higher meat-to-fat ratio than typical fast food burgers made with trimmings. This results in a juicier, more flavorful burger.
Fuddruckers is also unique in that they make their burger patties much larger than most other fast food chains. Their standard hamburger patty is 1/3 pound before cooking and their largest “Fudd” burger is a full 1 pound patty. The large patties allow the meat to stay juicier during cooking. They are cooked to order on a flat top grill to create a nice crust while keeping the interior moist and pink.
Bun Choices
Fuddruckers offers a variety bun options so customers can customize their burger experience:
- Regular sesame seed hamburger bun
- Multigrain wheat bun
- Jalapeño cheddar bun
- Hawaiian bun
- Onion roll
- Lettuce wrap instead of a bun for low-carb diets
The buns are baked fresh daily in the restaurant. Having a variety of bun choices allows customers to complement the flavor of their burger patties.
Produce Options
All Fuddruckers locations slice their vegetables fresh daily rather than using pre-sliced produce. This ensures the highest quality and texture. Customers can choose from a variety of fresh produce to pile onto their burgers:
- Lettuce – Romaine, iceberg, spinach
- Tomatoes
- Onions – red, yellow, white
- Pickles
- Jalapeños
Having fresh, crisp vegetables adds an extra crunch and moisture to balance out the hearty burger patties.
Cheese Choices
Adding cheese on top of a hot burger patty allows the cheese to get melty and oozy. Fuddruckers provides customers with several cheese options to top their customized burgers:
- American
- Cheddar
- Swiss
- Monterey Jack
- Pepper Jack
- Blue cheese crumbles
- Nacho cheese sauce
The cheeses offered range from mild American to pungent blue cheese, allowing customers to get the exact cheese flavor they desire to complement the beef.
Signature Sauces
In addition to traditional condiments like ketchup and mustard, Fuddruckers provides a few signature sauces that add extra flavor to their burgers:
- Southwest sauce – Chipotle mayo base mixed with barbecue sauce and hot sauce
- Fudd sauce – Creamy, tangy secret sauce with herbs and spices
- Bayou sauce – Spicy Cajun mayo base sauce
The Fuddruckers sauces help make their burgers stand out from competitors. Customers can also request plain mayonnaise if they want to keep it simple.
Toppings
For extra customization, Fuddruckers allows customers to top their burgers with unique ingredients beyond the standards:
- Guacamole
- Grilled mushrooms
- Grilled onions
- Fried egg
- Chili
- Fajita vegetables – grilled onions, peppers, and tomatoes
- Fried jalapeños
- Pineapple slices
These toppings let customers get creative and build burgers to match their preferences. The grilled veggies add nice smoky flavor, while fried jalapeños bring heat and crunch.
Burger Cooking Process
So how exactly does Fuddruckers cook their juicy, custom burgers? Here is an overview of their burger making process:
- Beef patties formed by hand from fresh, never frozen chuck and sirloin cuts
- Patties placed on a hot flat top grill
- While patty cooks, buns are toasted
- Cheese, vegetables, and sauces added on top of patties
- Burgers cooked to order – anywhere from rare to well done
- Cooked patty placed on toasted bun and served immediately
Cooking the burgers fresh to order results in the hottest, juiciest, most flavorful burger possible. The made-to-order process is why Fuddruckers is considered a better quality burger than typical fast food chains.
Fuddruckers Fries
To complement their juicy burgers, Fuddruckers also makes fresh-cut French fries in-house daily. The potatoes are cut by hand every morning. Their fries tend to have the skin left on for extra nutrition and texture. Fuddruckers fries are fried up fresh to order so they come out crispy on the outside while fluffy on the inside.
Fuddruckers offers the following fry choices:
- Original – Normal cut French fries
- Sweet potato
- Beer battered
- Chili cheese
- Garlic Parmesan
The beer battered and chili cheese options make for an elevated fry experience to match with their premium burgers.
Kid’s Meals
Fuddruckers also appeals to kids with the following entree choices for children 10 and under:
- Hamburger or cheeseburger with fries
- Chicken tenders with fries
- Hot dog with fries
- Grilled cheese sandwich with fries
All kids meals come with a soft drink or milk and a cookie. Fuddruckers wants to provide a better quality kids meal using fresh ingredients without too much processing. The kids burgers and fries are cooked to order just like the regular menu items.
Milkshake Options
To satisfy your sweet tooth, Fuddruckers offers thick, creamy hand-spun milkshakes in a variety of flavors:
- Chocolate
- Vanilla
- Strawberry
- Cookies & Cream
- Mint Chocolate Chip
- Peanut Butter
- Coffee
The milkshakes are made from real ice cream and milk mixed together to create the signature thick, frosty texture. They pair perfectly alongside a juicy Fuddruckers burger and fries.
Nutritional Information
As a “better burger” chain, most Fuddruckers menu items are higher in calories than typical fast food burgers. However, the quality ingredients make them a healthier indulgence on occasion. Here is the approximate nutritional info for some of their most popular menu items:
| Item | Calories | Fat | Carbs | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/3 lb hamburger | 530 | 32g | 31g | 29g |
| 1/2 lb hamburger | 770 | 46g | 44g | 42g |
| 1 lb “Fudd” burger | 1540 | 92g | 88g | 84g |
| Regular fries | 370 | 19g | 41g | 4g |
| Chocolate shake | 840 | 25g | 136g | 16g |
As you can see, the burgers and fries range from 530 to over 1500 calories depending on the size. The milkshakes also weigh in at over 800 calories. While not a low-calorie health food, Fuddruckers does use quality ingredients you can feel good about compared to most fast food chains.
Prices
As a fast casual better burger chain, Fuddruckers prices are higher than McDonald’s but reasonable for the food quality. Here are some average prices for key menu items:
- 1/3 lb hamburger – $5.99
- 1/2 lb hamburger – $7.99
- 1 lb “Fudd” burger – $10.99
- Fries – $2.49
- Milkshake – $4.99
- Kids meals – $5.99
There are also combo meal deals available that bundle a burger, fries, and drink together at a discounted price. Fuddruckers frequently offers coupons on their website and app as well to help save money on your burgers.
Conclusion
When you eat a Fuddruckers burger, you truly can taste the difference that fresh, high-quality ingredients make. The never-frozen 100% beef patties stay juicy and flavorful, especially when topped with ooey-gooey melted cheese. Their produce is always fresh, never pre-sliced and soggy. And the option to customize your perfect burger from bun to toppings makes the meal feel special.
While not the cheapest fast food option, Fuddruckers provides a superior burger experience you can feel good about. Knowing their beef has no fillers, hormones, or antibiotics is a peace of mind you don’t get from most chains. And seeing your patty grilled right in front of you adds to the fresh appeal.
Next time you are craving a satisfying burger and fries, skip the frozen hockey pucks from McDonald’s. Spend a few extra bucks for a customized premium Fuddruckers burger made just the way you like it. Your stomach and your taste buds with thank you for the better quality meal made from scratch with fresh ingredients. Once you bite into that juicy hot patty topped with all your favorites, you’ll never go back to typical fast food burgers again.