The fast food industry gets a lot of attention everyday for limited time releases that are off the wall, wacky, and sometimes ridiculous. The last few years, Wendy’s has toned down their limited releases and instead focused on premium ingredients such as Gouda cheese and diced jalapenos. Wendy’s has now taken it a further step back and is taking time to focus on their foundation, Dave’s Classic Hamburgers. All the major players in the industry are burger joints at their core and Wendy’s square burgers are a standard. Now as part of a minor revamp and refocus, Dave’s Hamburgers are now being served in a new bakery style bun, with a focus on the beef being fresh (never frozen) and being solely sourced from North America. We tried it out to see how it stacks up.
The Ingredients:
- 1/4 LB Fresh, North American Square Beef
- American Cheese
- Lettuce Leaf
- Tomatoes
- Red Onion
- Crinkle Cut Pickles
- Ketchup
- Dave’s Mayo
- Bakery Style Bun
First Impressions:
Along with the new bun, Wendy’s also mentioned to us that the burger is being wrapped up in foil to help secure the heat factor. This is definitely a better play than the paper alternative even though it probably costs a tad bit more. Upon initial glance the burger doesn’t look all that much different. The bun does have a more premium look and feel. Slightly puffier and softer, the bun replaces the old, somewhat prefab creased Wendy’s bun of yesteryear.
Wendy’s has the best produce on their burgers among the chains and it’s displayed fully here. We’ve often complained about Burger King’s lettuce especially but Wendy’s actually uses full blown lettuce leaf, right off the head of iceberg. I still vastly prefer this type compared to the Spring Mix, which is indeed more nutritious but gets really sloppy. Sliced tomatoes, onion slices, and a couple thick cut pickles finish off the mix. Real mayo and ketchup makeup the sauce components here. If I were having a backyard cookout, this pretty much makes up all of the toppings I’d throw on my burger, minus the mayo, so it becomes a little easier to make an apples/apples comparison for me when I’m analyzing here.
No matter how many toppings you put on a burger or what they are, all people really care about is the beef. The easiest thing to notice about Wendy’s beef is that it’s thick cut. So much so that Dave’s Double Burger’s looks laughably large let alone thinking about taking on the Triple. Regardless, Wendy’s is promoting that their beef is all from this continent and that it’s never been frozen, something the competitors can’t say.
Eating this burger, I came away impressed. The two slices of melted American cheese, enveloping burger were great. All too often you get a burger with stoic, flaccid, lukewarm cheese, thrown on at the last second. Melted cheese that adheres to the beef, melds the flavors together and is key to a good experience. The beef was solid and I can safely say is my favorite among the chains. There isn’t the crazy, premium seasoning/taste you’ll find at Craft, Local Burger Joints, but those burgers typically cost double this regardless. The aforementioned toppings tasted fresh, were crisp, and complimented the hot, melty aspects. The bakery style bun wasn’t a drastic change that would alienate old bun loyalists, but was different and better in my view. Think of it like buying the name brand bun at the store compared to getting the store brand.
Wendy’s Dave’s Single Burger – The Verdict
While cult classic, regional burgers like Shake Shack and In and Out will continue to attract crowds, the national chains need a king. Wendy’s Dave’s Single is the cream of the crop in the standard burger category. From fresher toppings to the even fresher meat, and the new bakery bun, Dave’s Single is a great option when you’re craving a nice, juicy, quick, and quality burger.
Dave’s Single contains 550 calories, 34 grams of fat, and 28 grams of protein.
Wendy's Dave's Single Cheeseburger 2016 [Review]
8Overall Score
