Burger Lists: A Rant.

Arkansas burgers? I've had a few.

From time to time, you'll see me rant on here about the shoddy state of clickbait journalism. There are far too many websites out there just looking for someone to visit, and they use unscrupulous tactics to get you there.  In the past few years, that's included what my friend Michael calls "listicles," which are posts that enumerate points or items.  If you've seen the "Top 25 of This" or "10 Ways to That" sort of pieces out there, you know what I mean.

Sadly, we're seeing a lot of that with "experts" who are claiming the top restaurants for different types of things in Arkansas.  For instance,

One of these sites, OnlyInYourState.com, has come up with its supposed list of the 25 best burgers to be had in the state of Arkansas.  For your benefit and so you don't have to click through, the list goes:
25.  Root Cafe, Little Rock
24.  Salem Dairy Bar, Salem (Benton)
23.  Bulldog Restaurant, Bald Knob
22.  Morrilton Drive Inn Restaurant, Morrilton
21.  DJ's Drive In, Bismarck
20.  Thirst 'N' Howl, Little Rock
19.  Chopping Block, Mena
18.  Boss BBQ, Benton
17.  Red Door, Little Rock 
16.  Feltner Brothers, Fayetteville
15.  Dairy Shack, Waldenburg
14.  Johnny B's, El Dorado
13.  Cotham's Mercantile, Scott/Cotham's in the City, Little Rock
12.  Hamburger Barn, Arkadelphia
11.  Viola Stampede, Viola
10.  Boardwalk Cafe, Jasper
9.  Sparky's Roadhouse and Ultralounge, Eureka Springs
8.  Myer's Cruizzers, Mena
7.  The Back Forty, Mountain Home
6.  Hamburger Station, Paragould
5.  Dairyette, Mount Ida
4.  Asher Dairy Bar, Little Rock
3.  Greenhouse Grille, Fayetteville
2.  Benson's Grill, Fort Smith
1.  David's Burgers, Little Rock

One of Grav's friends sent him the link, and he read it off to me as we were on the road, actually heading to the World Championship Steak Cook-Off in Magnolia -- because, of course, we actually GO places and do our research.  And as he read off the list, I noticed something.  Something sounded very, very odd.

They're all places I have reviewed.

Okay, that may seem a bit pompous, but get this -- with the exception of the Morrilton Drive-Inn Restaurant, Asher Dairy Bar and DJ's in Bismarck, they're all in my 50 Best Burgers of 2011 piece on this here blog.  What's more -- they're almost all burgers I wrote about in the Burger Joint of the Week pieces I did on Eat Arkansas between June and November 2011.  And Viola Stampede?  It's been closed for over a year.

If I were writing Eat Arkansas right now, I'd be doubly cheesed.

COME ON.  At least Thrillist did SOME research when it came to its choices of seven (heavily NWA centered) burgers in The Natural State.   And I think Thrillist is one of the worst at this.

I'm guessing it's time I put together a dang listicle of my own that encompasses all of the best burgers.  For now, if you'd like to see some of the awesome burgers I have eaten, head to this Facebook album.  Seriously.

And I'll see what I can come up with for your burger-eating pleasure.