I came across an article from Consumer Reports a while back which listed the best and worst fast food restaurants in America.
A burger chain which I had never heard of before took the top spot for best tasting burger in America. I looked to see where the closest location of The Habit Burger Grill was to home.
It turned out that a couple of Habit Burgers were located in New Jersey but I never had a chance to go until a few weeks back.
I had high expectations for The Habit considering it had beaten out chains like In-N-Out, Whataburger, Five Guys and many others. (My favorite fast-casual burger chain Shake Shack was not ranked at the time this list was written.)
We headed to the Fair Lawn, NJ location, hungry to try some of the best fast food burgers in the country.
The restaurant was packed- there wasn’t an open table in the place but this didn’t really matter considering there was also a pretty long line to place an order.
I ordered the Double Charburger which comes with mayonnaise, pickle, fresh tomato, lettuce and caramelized onions on a toasted bun. (I had them hold the pickle & tomato.)
Once our order was placed the food was definitely not fast. The Habit Burger Grill cooks their burgers on a grill, they’re not pre-cooked or microwaved. Definitely not a bad thing.
We waited around 7-10 minutes for our food and then gave our burgers a try.
I bit in and noticed that the burger was juicy and cooked well. However, that is where the positives ended.
When it came to taste, The Habit Burger Grill didn’t hit the mark. I wasn’t sure if it was the meat or some sort of seasoning added to it, but the burger had an odd taste.
The burger wasn’t inedible but it wasn’t what I’d consider a burger I need to have again. Surprisingly, I didn’t even finish my burger!
Kim didn’t notice the odd flavor right away. When I pointed it out she then did and also didn’t like it. Lucas had a few bites of my burger and didn’t mind the flavor so maybe The Habit’s more his taste!
I won’t be going out of my way to dine at The Habit Burger Grill in the future but maybe I should give it one more change if I come across one again.
Have you had a burger at The Habit? What was your thought about their burgers?
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I like the taste of the burgers, especially when paired with blue cheese. I usually order them either with sweet potato fries or tempura green fries. I have no idea about the after taste the people complain about. Maybe is the open flame cooking that doesn’t appeal to some.
We ate there many years ago. Decided to eat there last night, because it was the closest burger place to us. Although they had the nicest staff I have ever come across at a fast food restaurant, that’s where the compliments stop for me. My Wife couldn’t even eat half of hers. She was grossed out. She said the patties reminded her of cafeteria food. We both found the meat tough, and it definitely lacked flavor for us. It was plain bad. The fries tasted disgusting. Like it had been fried in old oil. We will take an In-N-Burger animal style over Habit Burger anytime!!! Also Five Guys! At least their burgers have flavor, and tons of toppings to choose from. Thanks for the article. We feel better knowing we aren’t the only ones…
Bad burgers taste like it has been microwaved.
Too salty
My daughter loves The Habit burgers. I, on the other hand, find them far too salty. Affects my blood pressure adversely..
That odd flavor you tasted was fish. They cook tuna in those same grills.
Cindy- Definitely disappointing…
Eddy- Sucks… Maybe I’ll give The Habit a try again but it definitely hasn’t been high on my list.
I just ate there today got a #2(double charburger with cheese meal) in Cali aaaand it was disgusting… that “odd” flavor you spoke of…? Yeah! I don’t know what that was but it was NOT good! Every bite I hope it would go away but nope same nasty taste and after taste! The mocha shake was decent I’ve definitely had better. The fries were OK nothing to rave about overall I won’t be going back… so far my absolute favorite burger place is “Burger 25” there are at least 2 of them in NJ(where I’m from originally) I usually stop in to visit once or twice a year and I ALWAYS stop in there… they have a “Bison Chipotle Burger” I promise you will NOT be disappointed!!!
Again people this is all about preference and maybe locations vary in flavor but my flavor experience today was absolutely terrible and I have no intention of returning…
I find grey beef a little odd.. and the burger was gross
Rebecca- Glad you enjoyed… Read my review and you’ll see what I didn’t like about he Habit. I was there around 5 years back, things could’ve changed.
I recently discovered a the Habit Burger Grill at a food court mall near me that I didn’t know was there. So far I’ve eaten there twice now + had just a char-cheese burger with a coke. I don’t see why people are finding fault with this place . The burgers were cooked well + were tasty. The staff also were always very polite + friendly. The first time there I was offered a free drink without asking for it.
I don’t mean to be sarcastic but – if anyone thinks their burgers aren’t tasty enough? Maybe they should just stick with the (overly seasoned) burgers at McD’s or Burger King. Habit burgers are just real burgers.
EXTREMELY SALTY!!!
So, salty, it hurt my mouth, no kidding, no BS…
I agree, far too salty!
Maria Martinez- Interesting! Glad you like it but I wasn’t impressed when I dined there. Maybe one day I’ll give it another try.
Everything looked great, ingredients, bun, etc., looked fresh, and the restaurant seemed very clean and nice. My only complaint relates to an odd herbal flavor, after taste. It comletely turns me off after multiple visits.
The Habit Burger is DEFINITELY the best for me and my family. I don’t know why people think otherwise and give it bad reviews either. I too agree, here in Az they rule. Their hamburgers, salads, fresh fries, delicious onion rings, milkshakes! Oh my it’s just the best! Their food AND customer service is beyond any other places including In N Out’s.. I personally love their mushroom burger and salads. I could eat here practically everyday.
John- I hear ya. I’ve never been a fan of Five Guys, I’ll only eat there out of major convenience. In N Out is awesome. My fav of this group is Shake Shack. Have you been?
I LOVE a great burger, and had the Habit double char cheeseburger on 2 separate trips. Both times I tasted an “off” flavor, or seasoning, and I won’t be back! Five Guys, or IN N OUT, isnt fancy; but I’ve never had a bad cbeeseburger at either place!
Mary E- I’d give them another try at some point and hope to have the same experience with The Habit that you had!
I personally LOVE The Habit. I have been going to their restaurant here in Phoenix for a while already. Love the taste and freshness of their foods..and their cheerful employees, definitely better than In &Out. I don’t know why this place has bad reviews, maybe next time your in Phoenix, Az you should stop by. They’re definitely the best!
Easy- Sounds better than my experience. Good to hear.
Ren- Over-doing it with toppings is probably done to hide the flavor of the meat. For free it was definitely worth give a few tries!
Erica- Smashfries are very good! Smashburger to me is decent, nothing stand-out. BTW- They also make a really good chicken sandwich.
Rich- Thanks for the rec! I’ll have to give Cook Out a try if I come across one. Not a fan of Five Guys but I love Shake Shack!
Dana Louise- I think the word disappointing sums it up best to me. Good point.
Bill S- I hope people give The Habit a try too. I’d love to hear other people’s thoughts on the restaurant.
Scott- Oh interesting!
They are in terminal 6 at LAX. Underwhelmed. And slow!
I like their burgers. I hope folks don’t avoid trying the just because of your review.
Very disappointing, considering the positive reviews. I especially didn’t like the bun, which tasted like that old cheap bread you would buy from a convenience store that’s filled with preservatives. Even regular old McDonald’s beats it.
When in the Carolinas, try a Cook Out burger. IMHO, they’ve got 5 Guys and Shake Shack beat (by at least a little anyways). As usual, VMMV ——
We have been once and it is fine. I think I prefer Smashburger though. Their Smashfries are so good!
Same. They had a free coupon a few months back so I tried it three times. Definitely underwhelmed. Once, it was so salty I almost couldn’t eat it (almost). I guess the responsibility for seasoning (salt) is left to preparing chef. And it’s one of those burgers that they build so much stuff into the sandwich that you can’t taste anything. The flavors don’t compliment each other, it’s just a mash. Like I said, I tried it three times, once I ordered their signature Santa Barbara burger which has avocado and a special roll, but again, no distinction in flavors, just a mash.
I’ve been there once. I thought it was a very good burger, but definitely not near the best I’ve ever had.