One Of The Best New Fast Food Cheeseburgers Of 2026 Came From Hardee's

Hardee's released a cheeseburger in April 2026 that had everything a meat-lover could ask for. It was part of a limited-time collection that featured prime rib and put the spotlight directly on the beef. 

Called the Prime Rib Burger, it combined the best parts of a prime rib dinner with everything we love about a cheeseburger — starting with a 100% Angus beef patty. On top of that was a layer of sliced prime rib soaked in au jus along with a garlic cheddar sauce and grilled onions, all piled on a toasted brioche-style bun. The combo of an Angus beef patty and prime rib set it apart from the rest of the menu, but so did the garlic cheddar sauce, which was sharp and garlicky. The au jus brought the hearty flavor of slow-simmered beef, while the grilled onions tied the cheeseburger together, adding a note of smoky sweetness. The Prime Rib Burger was available as a single or a double, with the single priced between $7.99 and $9.49, depending on location. 

Customers rate Hardee's Prime Rib Burger as one of the best new fast food burgers of 2026 so far because it really is a hearty meal. It follows in a line of other filling menu items, like the absolutely massive Really Big Hardee burger. A single Prime Rib Burger weighed in at around 850 calories, according to independent menu-tracking sites like Hardees-Menus.com and fries.wtf, and it grows from there as you add customizations. 

YouTube reviewer Rays on the Road happily noted the cheeseburger had a lot of large chunks of prime rib. And YouTubers Nick's Happy Place and The Endorsement both praised its peppery, steakhouse-style flavor. Nick's Happy Place and Rays on the Road both highlighted the quality of the prime rib itself, cooked so it's still juicy, tender, and full of flavor, though The Endorsement said it was a bit chewier and more difficult to swallow than a previous breakfast version of the prime rib (that could be a matter of cooking, though). 

The Prime Rib Burger was technically a cheeseburger, but it didn't have the traditional slice of American cheese. Instead, a garlic cheddar sauce was the only cheese on the burger, and it received mixed reviews from customers online. YouTuber Joe Is Hungry described it as savory and garlicky. The Endorsement said it was a bit bland, noting it was "very reminiscent of, like, the cheese sauce you're going get at a little league game with some nachos." He wanted something more like horseradish sauce. But even with some disagreement over the sauce and some less well-cooked prime rib, the generous portion and steakhouse flavor earned this burger a spot at the top of 2026's best-of burgers list.