Fuddruckers and Red Robin Gourmet Burgers were both born in 1980. Red Robin’s orgins are way earlier, but the current concept was hatched in 1980. Red Robin seems to currently be hitting its stride as far as franchises go. In my area of W. Pa, three Red Robins have opened in the past few years. Fuddruckers, on the other hand, has had a rougher ride. The chain has been bought and sold and quality issues have dogged some of the restaurants, but they continue to hang in there.
But, which is better? Please vote in the poll below. My own views follow.
Loading ...In my experience, I have found that non-burger people seem to really like Red Robin. Personally, I’ve never been totally pleased. The burgers are somewhat overpriced and merely ok. I’ve never had to get a refill on the “bottomless” fries they offer, because the initial order wasn’t that hot to begin with. This isn’t to say that I would never eat at a Red Robin again, because I would, but I wouldn’t go out of my way.
Fuddruckers started out right. I remember going to my first Fuddruckers in 1987, on Independence Blvd. in Charlotte, NC. It had the air of something new and special. They had a glass wall where one could see the fresh cuts of meat that would soon be their hamburgers. But, somewhere along the line, the wheels fell off. The original owner left and the chain seemed to be going through an extended identity crisis. The chain seemed to stabilize a bit when its current owner took over in 1998. While the chain seems to still try to be too many things to too many people (family fun center, bar, gourmet burgers), things seem a little more stable.
Fuddruckers’ food is still pretty good. While one will pay more than at a fast food place, it seems worth it. The burgers themselves are not incredible, but they are good. Whether they are better than Red Robin may come down to personal taste preference. I do like them better, but I’m not sure why. Red Robin has probably gotten the “medium” order right more consistently than Fuddruckers, but the Fuddruckers’ burger has that some elusive thing that makes me like it a little better.
The Fuddruckers fries have never been anything to brag about. I’d put them about even with Red Robin. Why are french fries the weak link at many of these places? If you’re a hot dog person, the Fuddruckers dog is also worth trying.
