Habit Burger’s Double Char Wins No. 1 Burger for 3rd Straight Year

Q: What secret from 1969 helped a regional California chain defeat massive fast-food giants for the third consecutive year?

The edge was Habit Burger & Grill’s open-flame cooking method, a technique it has used since the chain began in Santa Barbara in 1969. That long-standing approach gave the Double Char the smoky, chargrilled flavor USA TODAY cited as a defining advantage in its 2026 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, where the burger finished No. 1 for the third straight year. Unlike many rivals that cook on flat-top grills, Habit’s patties are made to order over an open flame, creating the signature seared taste that has become central to the brand. The burger itself is also built around a simple but strong formula: two freshly chargrilled beef patties, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo on a toasted bun, with cheese optional. Readers and experts again ranked it above larger national names including In-N-Out’s Double-Double, Freddy’s Original Double, Burger King’s Whopper and Five Guys’ cheeseburger. So the “secret from 1969” was not a hidden sauce or marketing gimmick. It was Habit’s original open-flame chargrilling method — a decades-old cooking style that helped a once-regional California chain outscore some of the biggest fast-food burger brands in America for a third consecutive year.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 8

USA TODAY readers ranked Habit Burger & Grill’s Double Char the best fast-food burger in America for 2026, extending its winning streak to three straight years.
The burger topped the annual 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards after earning praise for moisture, beefy flavor and overall quality, with Habit’s open-flame chargrilling central to its appeal.
Habit also repeated as best fast-casual restaurant, while In-N-Out’s Double-Double placed second and Freddy’s Original Double finished third.
The chain, founded in Santa Barbara in 1969, now has more than 380 locations across 14 states and abroad, though the Double Char is still unavailable nationwide.