I ate a burger at both restaurants.
One chain takes orders at the counter while the other has waiter service.
The food at BurgerFi was better than the food at Wahlburgers.
I ordered the same thing at both restaurants to see which one had the better meal.
Both BurgerFi and Wahlburgers focus on quality, according to their websites.
BurgerFi has 120 locations across 22 states, while Wahlburgers has 91 locations across 23 states and four countries.
I ordered a burger and fries from BurgerFi in Florida and a burger and fries from Wahlburgers in Atlanta to compare the food and atmosphere at both chains.
BurgerFi has been serving customers since 2011.
I first tried the chain many years ago and it's headquarters is in Florida. I wanted to give it another try to see how it did against other fast-food chains.
The fast-casual burger joint opened in 2011.
Brothers Mark, Donnie, and Paul opened the first Wahlburgers chain in 2011.
I tried it for the first time on my road trip through Charleston, South Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia.
The biggest difference is that one uses waiter service while the other takes orders at a counter.
The menu at BurgerFi was displayed on large TV screens above the register and kitchen window, and I placed my order with an employee who gave me a table number to take with me while I waited for my food to be done.
There was a small selection of on-tap beers next to the register, which reminded me of Shake Shack, a fast-casual burger chain that started in New York City.
I was given a laminated menu when I sat down, and a team member took my order while I was seated, and then brought it to me when ready.
There was a large bar in the center of the Atlanta restaurant.
I thought the inside of BurgerFi was more low-key than the inside of Wahlburgers.
I thought the fast-casual chain looked like a bar and a restaurant.
I would describe it as a soft-industrial decor style, using a mixture of metal and wood tables, pounding metal detailing, and art-like light fixture.
I thought that the burgers looked more like an attraction.
The family chain has an in-your-face approach to branding. The place is celebrity-owned and there are photos on the walls of family and friends.
A bright-green color scheme was constant throughout, and the logo was plastered on every napkin, on the walls, and on the menu. They used different words for the beer advertisement and the branded merchandise.
I ordered a cheeseburger and a side of fries.
My cheeseburger was dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickles, American cheese, and BurgerFi sauce. The BurgerFi Cheeseburger typically comes with two patties and no pickles, so I modified my order a bit.
The smallest option was the regular size fries.
The burger alone cost me $6.39 at the South Florida location, and the side of fries cost $4.29; in total, I spent $10.68 on my meal. The items cost $7.87 and $4.97 at BurgerFi's Atlanta locations.
The components on the BurgerFi cheeseburger were impressive.
The shape of the beef patty made me think it was shaped in-house, and the meat had a lot of salty flavors.
There was a slice of cheese and a large piece of lettuce, which was very leafy, and I was pleasantly surprised. A single slice of tomato made this meal more light and airy.
I wish there was more of the slightly acidic pickles so that I could taste them in each bite and spread them out more evenly on the bun.
I was impressed with how well the bun stood up to the juices and sauce. The bread did not get soggy or fall apart. I put it down to taste the other menu items in front of me and came back to it around 20 minutes later, but the bun was still dry and intact.
The fries were good but lost their flavor when they got cold.
The potatoes arrived at my table both salted and hot, which is always a plus, and something I learned is never guaranteed.
They were cut to around 1/2 inch thick and varied in length. I like the texture of brown potato skin on the outside. I could tell that they were soft when I saw the exterior.
The fries got cold after 30 minutes. They lost most of their flavor when they turned stiff.
The burger and fries come together as a meal.
I went with the most classic burger on the menu, which came with a beef patty, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and Wahl Sauce.
A side of fries was included in this order.
I was not impressed by the lettuce and cheese.
I noticed from my first bite that the patty was very juicy and delicious. In my opinion, the cheese melted nicely, but it didn't give a satisfying stringy pull.
There was a single slice of tomato on my burger, which was cut thick enough to add both flavor and texture to this meal. I appreciated the thick-cut discs that were heavy on the dill flavor.
The lettuce was the downfall of this burger when compared to the one I ate at BurgerFi. It was limp and slightly soggy.
The bread used for this bun was sturdy and fluffy, but the butter used to seal it worked well to prevent any sogginess. I liked the added crunch, but it was more impressive that BurgerFi's bun was able to hold up on its own without the help of butter.
I was not a fan of the fries from Wahlburgers.
The fries were good, but not great. The shoestring-style potatoes were mostly soft inside.
The texture was nice, but I thought the flavor was bland. When it came to texture and flavor, Wendy's and Burger King were similar.
I didn't feel the need to eat every last one, which was enough to tell me that they were ok.
Both meals were good. I would spend my money at BurgerFi if I had the choice.
Both meals had downfalls.
I would rather have the not-as-flavorful pickles and short-lived but delicious fries from BurgerFi than the bland french fries from Wahlburgers.
If I had the choice, I would not consume the extra butter if I had the option.
The original article can be found on Insider.
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