Hardee's

Wilber Hardee opened his first restaurant in Greenville, North Carolina, in 1960, and Hardee’s became a Southern institution largely thanks to something it started making in 1977: biscuits made from scratch every morning. In 1997 it was bought by the company behind Carl’s Jr., so the two chains share a star logo and several burgers, but Hardee’s has kept its own, more family-friendly personality.

The burger side is built around the Thickburger, a thick Angus patty that gives the chain its most famous and most infamous product, the Monster Thickburger. Outside the US, Hardee’s is huge in the Middle East, where it has been open since 1980 in Kuwait and serves only halal beef and no pork.

Across the American Southeast and Midwest, plus hundreds of restaurants in the Middle East and Asia.

• Checkers & Rally's (United States, since 1986). Two names, one menu, double drive-thrus and fries everyone argues about. Also built on beef, bacon, cheese and a double stack.
• Fatburger (United States, since 1947). The Last Great Hamburger Stand, founded by a woman and immortalised in hip-hop. Also built on beef, bacon, cheese and a double stack.
• Red Mill Burgers (United States, since 1994). Seattle’s cult burger stand, known for peppered bacon, Mill Sauce and the Anaheim-chile Verde. Also built on beef, bacon, cheese and a double stack.
• Jack in the Box (United States, since 1951). A drive-thru that sells more tacos than burgers and still makes a great Sourdough Jack. Also built on beef, bacon and cheese.