There are few foods more American than the hamburger. From its humble—albeit debated—origins as simple street food to its current status as a favorite food for young and old alike, the hamburger is without a doubt one of the most popular meals in the country. It is one of the most iconic representations of American cuisine.

It isn’t any harder to find a hamburger than to walk maybe a block or two in any city. Between bars and fast food joints, it really does seem that there is a burger available on almost every street corner in America. But finding a good hamburger can be a more daunting task. If you hit the wrong fast food restaurant at the wrong time, you usually end up with something more suitable for use as hockey puck than it is suitable for a meal. And on the flip side, there is a growing trend toward higher and higher prices as some restaurants try to elevate the status of the burger by using things like Kobe beef, truffles and expensive cheeses. But there is also a happy medium, where the price is reasonable and the burgers aren’t kept “warm” under an orange light.

Such is the case with Fuddruckers. This restaurant is well-known to people from other cities—particularly those from San Antonio, where the chain first started—but it is a relative newcomer to Las Vegas, with a recently-opened restaurant on Flamingo in the Grand Canyon Shopping Center in Las Vegas and an outlet in the new food court at the Orleans. Judging from the lines at both establishments, Las Vegas residents are taking to the new burger joint.

So what sets Fuddruckers apart? In many ways it is the perfect combination of price and quality: in other words, value. Combos start below the $10 mark and include 1/3-pound burgers, soft drinks and fries. Yes, it’s slightly more expensive than some of the fast food joints, but the quality of the food more than makes up for the price difference. (The freshly-baked buns alone make up for the price difference.)

Everything at Fuddruckers is cooked to order. Your burger doesn’t hit the grill until you specify exactly what you want and how you want it cooked. And there are more options than most people would expect for the kind of burger you can get off the grill.

The first choice is whether you want to stick with the fresh ground beef or try a healthier option like turkey, buffalo or the veggie burger. For the next decision, it’s just a simple gut check: if you’re a light eater, the 1/3-pound burger is probably sufficient, but if you want more, you can go to 1/2-pound, 2/3-pound and all the way up to a 1-pound burger.

Then you have to decide just exactly what you want on your burger. There are a number of “classic” offerings, like the traditional bacon-cheddar burger or a three-cheese burger with cheddar, monterey jack and swiss, to some more exciting options like the inferno with sauteed jalepeños, onions and pepper jack cheese and southwest burger with guacamole, bacon and pepper jack cheese. If you don’t like any of the options, you can also build your own burger from the ground up, with toppings like grilled onions, grilled mushrooms and a number of cheeses. (There are also a number of available meal deals that pair burgers with fresh-cut wedge fries and drinks.) You can also top the burger yourself at the topping bar, which has everything from salsa and onions to lettuce and cheese sauce.

While they specialize in burgers, that isn’t the only thing coming off of the grill at Fuddruckers. There are several chicken sandwiches—not to be missed is the rajun’ cajun with cajun spices, grilled onions and pepper jack cheese—as well as a fish ‘n chips platter and a fish sandwich. And you can also get a hot dog (or a chili dog if you like) and a steak sandwich.

There are also lighter options, including nachos, chicken wings and mozzarella sticks, as well as a number of salads topped with a grilled or crispy chicken breast.

For the sweet tooth, there are plenty of freshly-baked cookies available, as well as shakes and fountain drinks.

For such a simple meal as the burger and fries, Fuddruckers leaves plenty of options open to the customer. You can really create the burger that you want, and you can do so without having to tap into your 401(k). What it really comes down to with Fuddruckers is quality burgers at good prices in an environment that is relaxed and not at all pretentious. It is exactly what a hamburger restaurant should be.

Fuddruckers

4195 S. Grand Canyon Dr. #101

702-732-3833

Orleans Food Court

4500 W. Tropicana Ave.

702-256-3833

By Greg Jones

Greg Jones is managing editor of Casino Connection Nevada, as well as associate editor of Global Gaming Business magazine.