Last spring, In-N-Out Burger beat various Southern California restaurants in a March Madness-inspired “best burger” poll conducted by the Register. Other top-ranking burgers included Fatburger, Fuddruckers and The Habit.
Beyond the rankings and behind the scenes, burger aficionados quibbled about the burger brands that didn’t make the cut – from Brea’s Best to Slater’s 50/50 in Anaheim Hills.
The debate sparked a burger investigation.
Over several months, I scrutinized the winners and taste tested a number of reader-recommended favorites in a quest to find a common factor uniting the top-ranked and dark horse burgers. The sleuthing led to Puritan Bakery, a Carson-based family-run factory that’s been making old-fashioned sponge dough bread since 1938.
Puritan’s roster of restaurant clients reads like a who’s who of iconic burger brands.