When you buy a burger at a restaurant, you want to get a quality beef product that’s at least as good as what you buy at the grocery store – if not better. Unfortunately, that may not be the case if you order from Dairy Queen. Its website is pretty elusive when it comes to information on the beef patties used for burgers.
Often, burger chains that pride themselves on serving premium beef make a point of sharing what sets them apart. For example, Elevation Burger explicitly states that its beef is 100% organic and grass-fed, making its burgers the opposite of mystery meat. Shake Shack is another transparent burger joint that only buys Angus beef from humanely raised cattle. Dairy Queen, on the other hand, only claims that its burgers use a “100% seasoned real beef patty,” which naturally makes us question the grade of the chain’s beef.
Read more: 12 Fast Food Burgers, Ranked
Why Dairy Queen (and other fast food chains) may choose lower quality beef
Ordering counter at Dairy Queen restaurant – Ham patipak/Shutterstock
Unfortunately, the lack of transparency leaves Dairy Queen’s beef sourcing in question. According to Consumer Reports, Dairy Queen currently has no policy on beef raised with unnecessary antibiotics. Low standards from food suppliers can help chains save money, which may allow them to keep prices low as food costs rise for many people. Bottom line: If you want a burger with higher-quality beef, you’ll want to head to a restaurant that proudly shares plenty of meat-sourcing information with its customers.
Dairy Queen’s website is very vague when it comes to beef, and we wonder (pure speculation, just to clarify) if all Dairy Queens use the same supplier. The chain operates under a franchise model, which means some decisions are left to individual store owners. That being said, brand consistency from one restaurant to another is a requirement, so you’re unlikely to find a ton of differences between Dairy Queens.
However, there are a few exceptions. According to Reddit, several locations — including one in Murray, Kentucky — predate the establishment of the chain’s franchise model. As a result, owners of these old-school Dairy Queen stores may have more flexibility when it comes to food sourcing. So while this doesn’t guarantee higher quality food, it does show that not every Dairy Queen operates under the same menu constraints.
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