When it comes to backyard barbecues and get-togethers, one of the first things that comes to my mind is burgers and hotdogs. Growing up in California especially, eating burgers for dinner (and sometimes breakfast) was more of a regular occurrence. It’s safe to say I’ve had my fair share of grilled patties in between buns, from ones I’ve cooked myself to those at someone’s house or a restaurant. But the one thing I’ve discovered that all burgers share is that there is no one thing in common. Everyone has their own recipe and preferences, from bun to cooking method.

To test this theory I asked some of the Christies staff what their ideal burger consisted of. If there was enough consensus I would be able to use the results to build the perfect Christies burger! While some folks shared similar tastes, not one single burger was identical to another. If you’re craving a burger after reading this, get a head start and order some hamburger buns! 

The Patty

When it comes to the main component of a burger, there was no agreement on what to use. The majority of people prefer a beef patty, but there were some that opted for chicken or a veggie patty. Even the beef patty people were particular with their burgers: my uncle prefers a thinner and wider patty and I like a thicker patty. 

Cheese

There was more of a consensus when it comes to the cheese, but still no complete agreement. 80% wanted cheese and 20% did not. What was agreed upon is that those who wanted cheese all wanted cheddar. Zach specified that the more aged the cheddar, the better. 

Condiments

Another category, another disagreement. No one asked for more than the “big three” of ketchup, mustard and mayo, but there was variation in the combination of said condiments. Some preferred just one and some preferred all three. Interestingly, no one liked a combination of two condiments and poor mustard was the only one that wasn’t selected to be used solo. 

Add Ons

I wasn’t surprised at the results here, this was the one that had the most room for creativity. The chart is skewed a little due to the total number of vegetables used, but the majority of people’s burgers had tomatoes on them. I was one of the few that did not want pickles on my burger, but I did replace them with a grilled pineapple (my favourite burger ever was a barbecue burger that I had at a restaurant in Hawaii). When it comes to the mushrooms and onions, there was agreement that they needed to be grilled.

Lettuce 

Not even lettuce could bring us together! Almost everyone wanted iceberg lettuce and a couple folks asked for coleslaw. If you were to guess that those were the same people that wanted a chicken or veggie patty, you might be correct. I’m happy to admit that I was the only one who wanted shredded lettuce, everyone else wanted the iceberg leaves. 

The Bun

I didn’t ask what everyone’s favourite bun was, because obviously they should be picking a Christies Bakery hamburger bun! I did ask how the staff liked their buns prepared. Only 20% of folks didn’t want their buns warmed up in any way. Once again there was disagreement in the agreement: some wanted their buns toasted and others preferred a grilled bun.

This exercise worked to confirm my beliefs: taste is subjective. Whether it’s a burger, hot dog, or a cup of tea, what’s good for me might not be good for you. As for the burgers specifically, I’ve found some new styles to try out! While I set out to try and build the perfect burger, if I were to use the results from the poll, my burger would be a mile high.

What about you? How do you like your burger prepped? Cheese, no cheese? Maybe you throw on some bacon? Let us know!