Chick-fil-A Sets the Standard with Premium Chicken
Chick-fil-A doesn’t serve health foods by any means, but it does pride itself on serving “real food” with “rigorous standards.” When it comes to chicken, these standards involve serving menu items made with breast meat, all of which are hand-breaded in its restaurants. All of this meat is free of fillers, artificial preservatives, or steroids. Chick-fil-A also vows never to use ground or separated meat (as is the case with overly processed chicken), as well to use zero No Antibiotics Important to Human Medicine (NAIHM).
There was a time when Chick-fil-A was free of all antibiotics, period, but it backtracked on this 10-year-old promise in 2025 amid concerns about chicken shortages. Antibiotics controversy aside, Chick-fil-A’s efforts to secure high-quality chicken translate into overwhelmingly positive reviews. The chain ranked first on the American Customer Satisfaction Index in both 2023 and 2024. It’s the attention to detail that takes its chicken from good to great, with the chain’s use of pressure-cooking and a salt-sugar brine (which, contrary to popular belief, does not use pickles) giving it its trademark juicy finish.
Culver’s Never-Frozen Beef Commitment
Some fast-food fans attest that Culver’s serves the best fast-food burgers around, so it’s no surprise that the Midwestern chain offers some top-quality beef. “Frozen beef loses moisture and when you lose moisture, you lose flavor. And we won’t compromise on that,” Culver’s notes on its website. The chain is also thoughtful about the type of beef that goes into its filler-free burger patties. It uses a special blend of sirloin, chuck, and plate beef, all of which are well-marbled for extra richness and flavor.
Meanwhile, Culver’s utilizes a proprietary three-cut beef blend that creates a more interesting burger flavor. Boasting fresh, never-frozen beef and a lightly buttered and toasted bun, the ButterBurger features crisped edges on every patty. This approach has earned them widespread recognition among fast-casual dining enthusiasts.
Mooyah’s Certified Angus Beef Excellence
When Mooyah says, “Our beef is higher grade than most steaks,” they mean it. This Texas-born chain uses Certified Angus Beef, so each patty is either USDA Prime or Choice – the top two beef grades available. To earn the Certified Angus Beef stamp, the beef first needs to be graded as Choice or Prime, with Prime offering the richest marbling and flavor. From there, it undergoes an extra round of strict inspection, meeting 10 specific standards for marbling, size, and uniformity. Only about 8% of beef qualifies, so when you bite into a Mooyah burger, you’re tasting the best of the best.
Mooyah stands out in a pool of larger, better-known burger chains with an impressive dedication to serving only the highest-quality, most flavorful beef. In fact, all of the beef at this 80-unit chain comes from Certified Angus Beef, a brand with exceptionally high standards.
Five Guys’ Fresh-Ground Beef Philosophy
The chain used to list the size of its burgers on its website as 3.3 ounces. According to a behind-the-scenes look at the chain Business Insider got in 2021, when the patties are formed, they are made into “handmade meatballs weighing between 3.5 and 3.7 ounces.” Cooked down, that gets us closer to the number previously advertised, although it could turn out slightly smaller or larger. Their commitment to fresh, never-frozen beef creates juicier burgers with better flavor profiles.
Five Guys patties retain more flavor from the natural beef juices, which seemed to be smashed out of the Culver’s burger altogether. Both chains smash or press their patties on the grill, according to Culver’s and Insider, but Five Guys either has a better technique or does it to a lesser degree that allows for a juicier final product. And beef lovers currently have tons of craveable fast-food options at their disposal, from the juicy burgers at Five Guys to the steak burritos at Chipotle.
In-N-Out’s Complete Supply Chain Control
Beloved regional burger chain In-N-Out Burger is deeply involved in every step of beef production to ensure that it only serves the best of the best. That process starts with the cows. In-N-Out only uses fresh meat from premium cattle “selected especially” for the chain. It also uses its own facilities in California and Texas to make the actual burger patties, which feature 100% USDA ground chuck that’s free of additives, fillers, and preservatives. And once the patties are ready, they’re delivered fresh to In-N-Out restaurants directly from those patty-making facilities without ever seeing a freezer. As the chain notes on its website: “We control the whole process, so we can be certain of the quality and freshness of every patty we make.”
This vertical integration ensures consistent quality across all locations while maintaining strict standards for beef selection. The slightly toasted bun had a nice kick and the veggies were fresher than any fast food burger I’ve had, but the meat and cheese reminded me of a slightly better quality McDonald’s burger. Despite mixed reviews, their commitment to quality control remains unwavering.
Shake Shack’s Humane Beef Standards
Great beef is at the heart of every great burger chain–and great beef needs to come from great cows. That’s why Shake Shack only works with suppliers that follow “the highest animal handling and care standards,” according to its website. All of the cattle behind Shake Shack’s beef is humanely raised and fed a diet that contains no animal by-products or sub-therapeutic antibiotics. The chain’s 100% Angus beef is also completely free of hormones and any other antibiotics. Shake Shack customers can find that commitment to quality throughout the chain’s entire menu.
Burger – Amazing! Imagine a higher quality version of the meat Steak ‘n Shake uses thrown onto a potato bun. The price for a double shack burger is outrageously high (around $8) but god damn is it good. Their commitment to ethical sourcing justifies the premium pricing in many customers’ minds.
The Habit Burger Grill’s Chargrilled Perfection
A West Coast chain giving In-N-Out a run for its money on meat quality, The Habit Burger Grill is known for its charred burgers cooked over an open flame, made with 100% fresh ground beef without any fillers, additives, or preservatives. With over 300 locations nationwide and globally, this California-born chain earned serious cred in 2014 when its “Charburger” was rated the best burger by Consumer Reports.
I wasn’t sure what to expect during my visit to Habit – my first-ever – so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The beef is undoubtedly the star of these burgers, boasting a deep, delicious smoky flavor and juicy consistency from the chargrilled cooking style. On the Charburger with Cheese, all of the toppings enhanced rather than masked the flavor of the meat, from the juicy tomatoes to the melty cheese and those savory, slightly sweet caramelized onions.
BurgerFi’s Premium Angus Selection
BurgerFi hasn’t had the smoothest history, with the chain filing for bankruptcy in 2024 and cycling through two owners in the aftermath. Whatever challenges BurgerFi may have faced, the quality of its meat has never been one of them. Not only does it use 100% American Angus beef, but its chicken is also of an equally high standard. This is all sourced from the same supplier as Culver’s, Spring Mountain Farms, which holds the honor of being the first poultry company in America to be recognized by the American Humane Association for its treatment of chickens.
Even apart from all those stipulations, BurgerFi’s beef is decidedly high end, as the chain serves up burgers made with the kind of meat one might find at a nice steakhouse – those burgers come from select Black Angus cows. BurgerFi says that just 1% of United States beef fits its stringent criteria. Their unwavering commitment to quality has helped them maintain customer loyalty despite financial difficulties.
Chipotle’s Antibiotic-Free Beef Promise
Chipotle restaurants have long boasted a limited list of high-quality ingredients, and that trend extends to its beef. For years now, all of the company’s meat has come from animals raised without the routine use of antibiotics and no added hormones ever. It has also committed itself to only using responsibly raised meat with high animal welfare standards. Plus, the entire menu is completely free from all artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives, so you’ll know you’re biting into something undeniably real every time you add Chipotle’s grilled steak or smoky barbacoa to your burritos.
All of that aside though, Chipotle always uses fresh ingredients and is much higher quality than anything else out there. Their commitment to transparency about sourcing practices has become a model for other fast-casual chains looking to upgrade their meat quality.
The Future of Fast Food Meat Quality
The shift toward higher-quality meat in fast food isn’t just a trend anymore – it’s become a competitive necessity. But if you’re only on the hunt for the best quality fast-food beef, there are certain chains that stand out from the rest. Sure, brands like McDonald’s and Burger King win some points for only using 100% pure beef in their burger patties, but that standard has become more of a baseline. Some fast-food chains are going above and beyond to ensure that they only serve customers the absolute best beef, like solely working with suppliers that raise cattle humanely, prohibiting the use of antibiotics or hormones, and only selecting the most premium cuts of meat for their menu.
Consumer demand for transparency and quality has forced even traditionally low-cost chains to rethink their sourcing strategies. The chains that have invested in better meat quality early are now reaping the rewards through increased customer loyalty and higher satisfaction scores. This evolution shows how the fast food landscape continues to mature as Americans become more conscious about what they’re eating.
