“Best Burger in the U.S.” can be an overwhelming as a reputation, something that the Habit Burger Grill may be hoping to live up to for a long time amidst competition. Not to mention that Habit has no other locations except in California, Arizona (six), and Utah (five), a condition that comes short of being “the best” in “the nation.” New Jersey will be Habit’s only home on the U.S. Eastern seaboard.
Habit edged out In-N-Out as well as Five Guys to be named more topnotch by Consumer Reports (McDonald’s was on the bottom rung). Habit’s signature hamburger is 100% fresh and pure ground beef grilled over open flame and served with pickle, lettuce, caramelized onions, fresh tomato, and mayonnaise on toasted buns. As Habit’s burgers were rated “8” on a scale of “1 to 10,” East Coasters’ interests have piqued.
What Makes it the Best Burger in the US?
Generation Z’s Influence on Eating Habits
Habit’s Jersey site, a mere half an hour from the Big Apple, gives it the advantage over the strongest competitor, the “fashionable” and frequented-by-celebrities, In-N-Out, is adamantly making a presence in the East Coast. Habit’s burgers don’t look anything fancy or gourmet. The Charburger is your classic patty mentioned earlier which can have bacon or mushroom toppings.
The menu includes cones, shakes, salads, and sundaes which, except for the albacore tuna that’s freshly grilled upon a customer’s order, are also on menus of other hamburger joints. The eating habits of customers influenced heavily by the so-called “millennial generation” or Generation Z, may have something to do with Habit’s sustained popularity which places more importance on quality than convenience.
Quality Food at Affordable Prices
Habit’s selection of side dishes has expanded with sheer nutritional genius: they rolled out their tempura version of green beans in February this year. Light, well-seasoned, crunchy, and served with ranch dressing for a dipping sauce, your regular green beans have never tasted better. Customer reviews have written how Habit has taken the “blah” out of this particular vegetable by innovatively coming up with more than just the traditional butter as a co-ingredient.
Customers who have gluten issues are given lettuce wraps for their burgers at Habit. Dairy-free food items are available and a list of allergens is provided on Habit’s website as well as in all their store locations. Habit’s burgers start at $2.95 and that certainly says a lot about the quality of food they serve because their portions are relatively generous.
Donating to Local Charities
Fresh salads that are tossed to order and malts and shakes hand-blended with genuine ice cream as the main ingredient are bestsellers in Habit. Their fries are made from sweet potatoes, a fact which diabetics should take note of since these tubers have a lower glycemic index than their white siblings, meaning, blood sugar rises slower and won’t spike blood sugar levels like white potatoes do.
Private equity Karp Reilly LLC beefed up operations when it acquired Habit in 2007. Café Zupas, Sprinkle Cupcakes, Hooters, and PAtxi’s Pizza are all included in Karp Reilly LLC’s portfolio. The company continues to donate a hundred percent of its proceeds to local charities during designated events on their pre-opening schedules for each new location of a Habit Burger Grill restaurant.
Everything Fresh Daily
Great service comes with excellent-tasting food for money-saving value is what a Habit Burger Grill experience is all about. The open-flame grilling method for the burgers, which use only fresh and not frozen beef, ensures less fat but additional flavor. The sweet potato fries, onion rings, tempura-style green beans, and French fries are cooked in soybean oil and are 100% free from trans fat.
Habit’s chicken breasts are also fresh, in-house marinated, and hand-filleted. Tri-tip steak is also in-house marinated and hand-trimmed and comes with mayonnaise, tomato, lettuce, and onion with a choice of either barbecue or teriyaki sauce. All tomatoes, onions, and lettuce are cut fresh on a day-to-day basis, not pre-cut to wither in refrigerator crispers. The in-house ranch dressing is also prepared fresh every day.
Other Items on Habit’s Menu
Habit’s Chicken Club Sandwich is made with a fresh grilled chicken breast, fresh tomato and avocado slices, fresh lettuce, bacon, and mayonnaise on a toasted sourdough bun. The Pastrami Sandwich has grilled lean and fresh pastrami with fresh tomato, mayonnaise, caramelized onions, mustard and melted Swiss cheese.
Habit salads, which are tossed to order as mentioned, include:
Garden Salad: Roma tomatoes, red onions, carrots, red leaf and iceberg lettuce varieties, cucumbers, fresh Romaine lettuce, sprouts, and croutons with tri-tip or grilled fresh Albacore tuna as additional.
Grilled Chicken Salad: red leaf and iceberg lettuce varieties, carrots, cucumbers, fresh Romaine lettuce, Roma tomatoes, and red onions topped with a fresh grilled chicken breast.
Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad: grilled fresh chicken breast tops fresh Romaine lettuce chopped and then tossed with in-house Caesar salad dressing, fresh parmesan cheese, and croutons.
Barbecue Chicken Salad: barbecue sauce is drizzled with chopped tomatoes, cilantro, red leaf and iceberg lettuce varieties, bacon, fresh Romaine lettuce, red onions, and grilled fresh chicken breast.
Every Habit Burger Grill restaurant has a complimentary bar of condiments which feature assorted lemons, peppers, several sauces, and limes for guests to spice up their orders.
Make Your Burger Experience A “Habit”
If you’re anywhere in California, Utah or Arizona or New Jersey in the Eastern seaboard, you may want to find out what the rave is all about regarding the Habit Burger Grill. What more could you ask for if you discover terrific food with impeccable service, and at reasonable prices?
