The Power of Non-Advertising

Market Force Information has just released a poll of 7,600 customers of traditional burger places ( not the hoity-toity gourmet places, though) and arrived at something of a comprehensive list of favorite places to nosh on that most American of foods: the hamburger...supposedly invented in Seymour, Wisconsin, though I have some reservations about that.

You want last place in food quality and cleanliness? Go to a Jack-in-the-Box.

You want the worst service? Hardee's is your place.

You want to be waited on in an establishment that has the lowest rating for customer satisfaction? Go visit the guy with red hair and big clown shoes.

In fact, of the 16 notable chains surveyed, both McDonald's and Hardee's came in dead last for overall value though Dairy Queen finished at the bottom of the bun when it came to overall responses.

Since we've gotten the places that we DON'T want to go out of the way, where SHOULD one go to satisfy that hunger that only beef can satisfy?

Of the top five choices by respondents, I have eaten at three of them so I am not qualified to judge the finer points of dining at a Smashburger or an In-and-Out Burger, though the former sounds good to me. A+W got enough plaudits to place it at #4 on the list, and Fudruckers topped out at #3. Both are OK with me, but I give the nod to the root beer place for cheaper prices (87 cents on Monday if Jordy Nelson catches a RD pass on Sunday) and, of coure, they have great root beer.

The top choice sounded so good after I read the story in the LA Times that we ditched our Panera Bread plan for Sunday and chowed down at 5 Guys Burgers and Fries: the #1 choice overall. Free peanuts while you wait, burgers made fresh and to order, a ginormous amount of fries (even in the small-sized order) right off the tater: what's not to like?Topping it off, this popularity was generated ONLY by word of mouth...5 Guys do not advertise in any medium other than on the tongues of satisfied customers.

However, if burgers are not your choice of casual, take-the-kids dining, Papa John's gets the nod for best pizza, according to the American Consumer Satisfaction Index.

Bon apetit!