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One burger chain is beloved by Americans. Their devotion borders on obsession, yet you can barely find a location east of the Mississippi River. This spot has burgers so revered they show up at Academy Awards afterparties, with winners like Michael B. Jordan and Brie Larson holding them alongside their Oscars. It’s one of the first boxes people check when they touch down in California, including Padma Lakshmi and Anthony Bourdain. It’s the favorite fast food chain of Gordon Ramsay, and was a guilty pleasure for both Ina Garten and Julia Child. Renowned chef Andrew Zimmern, on the other hand, would never be caught dead there.
Tasting Table caught up with the self-described “international raconteur of all things culinary” at the 2026 Food Network New York Wine & Food Festival Oyster Bash. While garnishing mollusks, he discussed a wide array of food and beverage topics, and he had a few choice words about this cherished burger chain. He matter-of-factly revealed, “The worst chain burger in the world is In-N-Out. Most overrated piece of crap. Terrible.” While he praised In-N-Out’s service, he went on to season his burning remarks further by saying, “It’s tasteless. The fries are cardboard. The burgers are tasteless.”
Andrew Zimmern is open to fast food, but probably still more into bizarre food
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Should he ever win an Academy Award, the staff at In-N-Out probably shouldn’t save a table for Andrew Zimmern to celebrate. The same could be said for McDonald’s, which he has no affinity for. He said he stopped eating its burgers when it “started serving poisonous meat.” In a prior interview with Tasting Table, Zimmern admitted he has yet to try an unexpected fast food item: McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets. However, he did shine a spotlight on one McDonald’s item he admittedly likes. When he’s catching a morning flight, his weakness is the Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel.
Zimmern thinks Burger King’s burgers aren’t so royal, and that Wendy’s could also work on its burgers, but he instantly swooned over its classic Frosty dessert in 2024, when he tried it for the first time at an airport. He’s singled out Bonchon as a better option than Dave’s Hot Chicken or Raising Cane’s, and has a soft spot for fried chicken chains such as Church’s and Popeyes. The chain that more than fits Zimmern’s bill is Culver’s, which hails from Wisconsin, neighboring his adopted home state of Minnesota.
In our interview, he gushed, “I’m very passionate as a Minnesotan about Culver’s, which I think is the best.” What he likes most about the chain compared with others is that, “They don’t serve frozen meat. They slice their tomatoes and lettuce in the stores.” He finished his thought with a truly glowing endorsement: “A Culver’s ButterBurger is the best chain burger in America.”
