These Are 3 Of The Best New Fast Food Burgers Of 2026 So Far, According To Customers

Faced with the difficult task of keeping up with inflation, fast-food restaurants have been forced to close locations at alarming rates and take risks with menus and pricing — often resulting in an onslaught of customer complaints. But despite the industry's woes, there have been a few bright spots. Among the newly introduced fast-food items that have completely tanked (like McDonald's Big Arch that not even the fan who's eaten over 30,000 Big Macs wants to bother with), three burgers have risen to the top, winning patrons' praise with rave reviews. The burgers are the Ultimate Steakhouse Whopper (Burger King), All-American Smasher (Sonic), and Prime Rib Burger (Hardee's).

The wave of recent burger releases falls within a wider trend of fast-food restaurants turning its marketing focus away from the value menu to offer larger, meatier options in the form of premium burgers (many of which come with an option for double patties). These can sometimes come at a higher price point but offer American consumers the increased protein they seek based on new federal dietary guidelines. An Instagram reviewer said while speaking directly to the Burger King Ultimate Steakhouse Whopper he ate in his car, " ... oh my goodness, you're a hefty boy!"

As part of a larger push to rebrand the whopper in 2026 (think creamier sauce, more durable bun, and a cardboard box to rival McDonalds), Burger King recently introduced a few new variations of its signature sandwich. One take, the Peppercorn BLT Whopper, made our previous list of the best new fast-food items of 2026 so far, but some Redditors claimed the Ultimate Steakhouse Whopper is even better. Inspired by a customer's original creation in Burger King's "Whopper by You" platform, the sandwich takes the traditional whopper patty and tops it with onion rings, bacon, Swiss cheese, sautéed mushrooms, and creamy peppercorn aioli. The limited-time sandwich is reportedly $8.59, though cost can vary by location.

"In one bite there's lots of flavor," said one Instagram reviewer, "You can taste the flame grilled essence of the beef. It's nice and smoky, very meaty ... the onion rings nice and crisp, little sweet ..." A Facebook reviewer noted the peppercorn aioli blended well with the rich Swiss cheese and crunchy onion rings. The one ingredient some had mixed feelings about were the sautéed mushrooms, with one Redditor firmly noting all fast-food mushrooms are a no-go for them. But despite a few mushroom aversions, the creative ingredients of the sandwich appear to be drawing some rare customers in. "I normally avoid Burger King, but this looked good," one Reddit user said. "I tried it and absolutely loved it!"

While some restaurants have increased prices to reflect more exceptional burger options, Sonic Drive-In gambled on the opposite move in January and launched $6 All-American meal deals, which featured the year's new burger offering, the All-American Smasher. The simple sandwich features two hand-smashed burger patties, American cheese, tomato, lettuce, pickles, diced onions, ketchup, and mayo. One Redditor commented on the fresh taste and proclaimed, "The All-American Sonic Smasher is the best $6 burger you can buy," adding, "The tomatoes were good, and the beef was crispy on the edges and tender in the middle." They noted they still preferred a burger from Culver's, but they felt it was better than Freddy's, considerably less expensive, and thus, a better value. 

Another Redditor said, "[The] most slept-on fast-food burger out there," while offering a tip of ordering it with bacon. Lucky for the fans of this burger, Sonic announced it will launch a special variation this summer called the Tropical Heat Sonic Smasher topped with pepper jack cheese, bacon, lettuce, mayo, and a jalapeño pineapple glaze.

In April, Hardee's took a bet on prime rib and introduced the Prime Rib Burger, as well as two breakfast options: Prime Rib Burrito and Prime Rib Biscuit. The burger is topped with slices of prime rib, au jus, grilled onions, and garlic cheddar sauce. And though it costs $8, customers have shared ways to capitalize on coupons and deals to enjoy the elite burger. A Facebook user shared he discovered a rare in-app members reward for a free prime rib item with any $1 purchase (a problem he solved by ordering two apple pies). He said he split the Double Prime Rib Burger with his wife for lunch, and they enjoyed it so much they each ordered a Prime Rib Burger to take home for dinner. 

"This burger is juicy, melty, and super tasty," said one Instagram reviewer, though he noted the prime rib cuts did not appear to be the finest. A TikTok reviewer said after trying a prime rib breakfast item he felt compelled to go back and try the Prime Rib Burger, which he described as delicious with ingredients that have great flavor. He also noted the prime rib was perfectly tender. "The one thing that Hardee's has figured out is unlike Arby's, they know how to handle their meat."