These Gut-Busting Cheeseburgers Have More Than 1,000 Calories
Diet-Busters on a Bun
Burgers don't exactly spring to mind when we think of health food, but they're a cheap and tasty staple at restaurants all over the U.S., so we can't blame you for indulging every once in a while. But choose carefully, or you could be downing half your daily calories – or worse – in just one sitting. In honor of National Cheeseburger Day, we peeked at the menus of chains across the country to sound the alarm about some of the worst offenders, and ranked them from lowest to highest calorie counts.
Note: Calorie counts may vary by location
Related: 20 Highest Calorie Counts at Fast Food Chains (And How to Lower Them)
Hardee's: Double Bacon Cheeseburger
Calories: 1,020 At Hardee's, the only thing more extreme than the racy commercials is the burgers. Case in point: the Double Bacon Cheeseburger, with two patties, two slices of bacon, and two slices of cheese. (Though there used to be a Triple Spicy Western Bacon Cheeseburger.)
Related: The Best Fast Food Deals to Grab This Month
Five Guys: Bacon Cheeseburger
Calories: 1,060
At "just" a little over a thousand calories, the bacon cheeseburger at Five Guys almost seems like a good choice — but that's the calorie count before you add anything to it.
Related: Taste Testing The Best Fast-Food Cheeseburger
Perkins: The Breakfast Burger
Calories: 1,070
The Breakfast Burger isn't quite the biggest calorie bomb on Perkins' burger menu. But it may well be the hardest to resist at this morning mecca, since it's topped with hash browns, maple bacon, cheddar cheese, and a fried egg.
Related: 10 Unhealthy Fast Food Breakfasts — and What to Order Instead
Red Robin: Southern Charm Burger
Calories: 1,190 We reckon you'll need quite an appetite to plow through Red Robin's Southern Charm Burger. It's made with a half-pound of brown-sugar-glazed beef that's slathered in honey barbecue sauce, then topped with candied bacon, caramelized onions, mayo, and extra-sharp cheddar.
Buffalo Wild Wings: Cheese Curd Bacon Burger
Calories: 1,210 Some evil genius at Buffalo Wild Wings decided that you can never have too much of a good thing, topping this massive cheeseburger with Wisconsin cheese curds in all of their fried glory. Rounding out your heart attack: bacon and chipotle barbecue seasoning.
Frisch’s Big Boy: Super Big Boy
Calories: 1,260A double-decker bun and a big dollop of tartar sauce crank up the calorie count on this otherwise simple half-pounder with cheese, lettuce, and pickles. Watch the sides at Frisch's: Your two choices could easily add 500 calories or more to this already hefty plate.
Mimi's Café: The French Quarter
Calories: 1,280 A calorie-laden burger has never seemed so cultured. Mimi's serves its French Quarter burger on grilled garlic-parmesan sourdough, topping it with avocado, Swiss cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and Thousand Island dressing.
The Cheesecake Factory: Bacon-Bacon Cheeseburger
Calories: 1,590The Bacon-Bacon Cheeseburger is just as decadent as you'd think it would be. A burger is topped with two types of cheese, two types of bacon, and a secret sauce.
Applebee's: Quesadilla Burger
Calories: 1,630
If you're "eatin' good in the neighborhood" tonight, beware of this Mexican-American mashup. The Quesadilla Burger is served up on a tortilla stuffed with beef, pepper jack cheese, smoked bacon, pico de gallo, lettuce, and Mexi-ranch sauce.
BJ's Brewhouse: Hickory Brisket and Bacon Burger
Calories: 1,700 As its name suggests, BJ's Hickory Brisket and Bacon Burger features a heap of smoked brisket, barbecue sauce, and bacon atop the beef patty. But don't forget the mayo and two types of cheese, pepper jack and cheddar, to round out your indulgence.
Beef O'Brady's: OMG Burger
Calories: 1,790 Beef O'Brady's OMG Burger keeps it simple, but in large quantities. You'll get a ¾-pound Angus patty, four slices of American cheese, four slices of smoked bacon, lettuce, and tomato piled onto your bun.