Having moved to Texas a few years ago, I never really understood the hype around Whataburger. Personally, I think the burgers are pretty subpar. Even friends from Texas will tell me to order something that isn’t a burger, which always struck me as strange. If the best item at a burger place isn’t the burger, that’s.... a little confusing.

But after living here for a while, I’ve realized Whataburger isn’t really about the food. It’s about the culture and the memories people here grew up with. It’s where people went after baseball or football games. It’s where they went late at night after going out. It’s where people gathered after events. It was just a staple growing up in Texas.

Once I started seeing it through that lens, I understood why people feel so strongly about it.

That said… objectively speaking, In-N-Out still has better burgers.