Denny's Better Burgers Really Are, Well, Better

This week I reached out for a new Western Burger, one of five new "Better Burgers" from Denny's that are " too good to eat on the run" ... meaning too hoity-toity to pass through a drive-thru window to the downtrodden masses.

Denny's has totally upgraded its burger portfolio with these new Better Burgers, and I'm sensing an attitude from America's all-night diner, with 1,500 restaurants coast-to-coast. All of a sudden, Denny's is bragging about its ingredients and daring the burger bully boys to a throwdown. Here's news: The big deal at Denny's is quality.

Here's the Western Burger blueprint: a thick, hand-pressed beef patty, tangy steak sauce, crunchy onion thingies, melted Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and red onion slices on a sesame seed bun.

Total calories: 1,160. Fat grams: 65. Carbs: 79. Fiber: 4. Manufacturer's suggested retail price: $8.29 (includes newfangled wavy-cut fries or hash browns or dippable veggie sticks and a Coke.)

Denny's other Better Burgers are a Double Cheeseburger, Bacon Cheddar Burger, Mushroom Swiss Burger and Classic Cheeseburger. The Classic Cheeseburger is $6.99 for the meal, and the price rises as the toppings get more creative.

I picked the Western Burger, because I'm not neutral about Swiss cheese. It's my favorite, and I love those little onion crunchies, too. More important, everything on my burger was prepared when I ordered it. Nothing was loitering under a heat lamp in a holding tank. The burger was delivered to my table exactly perfect. Hey, now that's new and improved. The drive-throughs should take note.

Whenever I hear a company brag "new and improved," I always wonder, "Exactly what was so bad about your old product?" Of course, they never answer.
Until now. Denny's is up front about it. Their old burgers ... not so good.
For example, Denny's says its new burgers are made with "100-percent seasoned beef (.5 percent salt) for a better burger experience." Its old burgers?
"They were flavored with a mixture of five seasonings resulting in an unnatural taste."

The new burgers are "hand-pressed on the grill for natural homemade texture, better flavor, and they're customized for perfect thickness." Its old burgers? "They were grilled from pre-formed patties resulting in a tighter, tougher texture and significantly reduced juiciness."

There are way more upgrades to Denny's Better Burgers. Now Denny's is using thicker, creamier cheese for a more consistent melt. The old burgers had thin slices that didn't melt evenly and didn't exactly pack a lot of flavor.

The veggie toppings are thicker, fresher and crispier. And now the bun is dry toasted, instead of slathering it with margarine, which sogged up the burger and added unnecessary calories and fat.

This is the kind of detail I appreciate as a fast food fan: Denny's burger ratio is now 33 percent meat to 67 percent bun, instead of the old, bread-heavy 25 percent to 75 percent. That means you're getting more bang and burger for your buck. I like when the burger sticks out from all sides of the bun, and I don't need to hire a Sherpa to find the meat.

Source: Houston Chronicle