The Top 10 Greatest Cheeseburger Scenes In Movie History

When eating certain foods, do you ever look up scenes from movies of characters eating the same thing to help you enjoy the meal even more? For example, have you ever stopped eating beef stew mid-stride to check if anyone uploaded the dinner scene from The Hateful Eight? And then you get disappointed because they uploaded the majority of the scene but not the scene in its entirety, so now you have to go back and find another video that shows the remainder so that you can feel the satisfaction of witnessing the scene from beginning to end. Is this example broadening the scope of relatability for audience experiences, or is it narrowing it down? Anyway, we’re talking about burger scenes in movies.

Cheeseburgers are among the most popular foods in the U.S., so naturally, they pop up quite frequently in movies. Very frequently. So much so that we had to narrow it down severely because there are way more than you’d expect. Burger scenes are a lot like Robert Longstreet appearing in minor roles in major movies: there are way more than you’d expect, and both were in Pineapple Express. So, anyway, we’re going to list them off here. Just so it doesn’t go completely off the rails, we’re only listing scenes from movies, not TV. There’s no “Heads of Beef” from Courage The Cowardly Dog, the burger cook-off from Parks & Rec, “The Best Burger in New York” from How I Met Your Mother, “Just One Bite” from Spongebob Squarepants, or “Employee of the Month” from Teen Titans. (Note To Self: Find five more TV examples and make another list. Supplemental: Don’t forget to delete this before publishing.) Also, since Copyright Trolls do to lists like this what the lunch scene from The Substance did to the crawfish industry’s stock value (presumably), we can’t include the scenes here, but we’ll provide links so you can search them out for yourself…you’re welcome.

10) The Spongebob Squarepants Movie – Say Cheese

Just because you can’t talk about the TV show doesn’t mean you can’t talk about the movie! Whoever wholeheartedly believed and was outspoken that the process of adding cheese to a cheeseburger couldn’t be treated with the severity of defusing a bomb—you know who you are—clearly never saw this scene. What turns out to be a dream sequence of Spongebob entering a roped-off Krusty Krab to add cheese to a krabby patty is one of the funniest ideas of the film, which is made funnier by the fact that scene is played completely straight. It also perpetuates the weird trend of the show, which involves putting the cheese over the lettuce instead of directly on the burger patty. That’s such an unnatural practice that it sounds like an AI-generated idea of how to make a cheeseburger. Either way, it’s a fun way to open a fun movie.

9) This Is The End – Gluten!

Hope you like product placement because it shows up frequently on this list. This Is The End was the directorial debut of screenwriting partners Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, and it’s a fun and surprisingly creative initial outing. Not that you would guess that from the blatant ad space for Carl’s Jr within the first ten minutes. The film opens with the often underrated but always wonderful Jay Baruchel getting off a plane to Los Angeles and being greeted by Rogen (both playing themselves, if you haven’t seen the movie). Following a comical debate in the car about the health benefits of not eating gluten and the definition of what it even is, the scene hard-cuts to the two of them biting into burgers and Rogen proudly proclaiming, “Each bite is better than the previous bite! Gluten!” What’s great about the scene—possibly unintentionally—is that the framing of them eating in their car in front of Carl’s Jr. makes it look like a commercial that would run on TV that would tie in with the film’s release that just somehow snuck into the movie. The embedded advertising works, though, considering it’ll likely make you crave Carl’s Jr. after watching it. Or Hardee’s if you live in the Midwest.

8) Demolition Man – This is Rat Burger?

Is it weird that the movie that’s most known for its use of product placement is one of the few entries on this list that has no product placement in the scene? This moment, by all accounts, should be disgusting to watch. It’s Sylvester Stallone eating a burger in a sewer environment and discovering the meat in the burger is made of rat. But Sly’s performance of being so excited to smell barbecue after eating bland future food, getting a bite of the burger, and being so happy makes the moment surprisingly…palatable (Disclaimer: shut up). Even when he learns that it’s made of rat, he’s still polite to the woman who made it for him, is more impressed than disgusted, and even finishes it. It also has a wink-wink joke where he says that it’s the best burger he’s had in years, which invariably, if you watch it with the wrong person, someone has to say some variation of, “Ha! I bet it is!” Because they need to be sure you know that they understand the deep-cut complexity of the line. Either way, the scene could be cut out, and the story would miss nothing, but since every scene in Demolition Man is the best scene of the movie, they had to keep it in for the audience’s sake.

7) Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse – Lunch With Peter B. Parker

People eating is the most disgusting thing ever, and it’s good that some movies take the time to acknowledge it. That being said, since this is animation, it gets a pass. The ketchup splatter on the camera lens is a nice touch, too. Also, much like Stallone in Demolition Man, watching Peter B. Parker be so happy to enjoy a burger from a restaurant that’s been closed for several years back in his reality makes the moment enjoyable because you believe that he believes that the burger is the best thing he’s been missing for the longest time. All the while, Miles is just sitting there, wanting to learn how to be Spiderman because the good one was murdered, and pondering to himself why Chris Pine’s Spiderman doesn’t get brought up more in the conversation of great Spidermen. Speaking of gross burger-eating scenes, a quick shout-out to ‘That’ scene from Drumline, for doing literally the exact same thing sixteen years earlier.

6) The Founder – First Visit to McDonald’s

It’s surprising that McDonald’s allowed this movie to exist considering the picture it paints of how the company came to be is not a flattering one. Maybe they only saw the scene of Ray Kroc’s first visit to the original location because it’s the most romantic depiction of fast food you’ll ever see. From the transaction with the friendly McDonald’s employee—that’s an oxymoron, by the way—to Kroc sitting on a bench, seeing people eat, and quietly wondering how he entered a Norman Rockwell painting, it’s a very idealized depiction of getting lunch. It is great seeing how the concept of fast food was so new and alien to everyone and seeing someone experience it for the first time. Also, the ensuing segment of Kroc seeing the McDonald’s kitchen and witnessing how burgers get made is a joy to watch. Then again, it does include Michael Keaton, John Carroll Lynch, and Nick Offerman in a scene together, so that feels like cheating.

5) Kingsman: The Secret Service – A Classic Pairing

McDonald’s again? Alright. This is one of the best hero and villain interactions in any movie. Besides the meta-conversation of classic spy movies, the dinner scene between Galahad and Valentine is both fun and tense, and the best part is Gazelle wheeling in a cloche to reveal that the billionaire playboy got them McDonald’s for dinner. Also, they pair it with two glasses of ’45 Lafite, which, if you don’t know how much it costs…that makes two of us. But it’s probably expensive. Again, what makes the moment work is the reactions of the characters. The scene has tense music with the approach of Gazelle, which is subverted by the meal’s presentation. Valentine is smiling—clearly excited—and Galahad is smirking like he recognizes the ridiculousness of the meal but also appreciates the pageantry of the gag. It’s also a great visual dichotomy of the two men at the table, with Galahad, the gentleman spy, politely sitting up straight at the dinner table with the napkin in his lap, whereas Valentine, the aloof tycoon, is leaning over with his elbows on the table and the napkin tucked in his shirt collar. Come on, Valentine. You’ve seen The Princess Diaries. You know what time it is.

4) Iron Man – “I want an American cheeseburger…”

If there are two brands that you likely remember from the original Iron Man film, it’s Audi and Burger King and this moment is why you remember the latter. Following three months in captivity and returning home, there were two things Tony Stark wanted: An American cheeseburger and to set up a press conference (“cheeseburger first”). People make fun of the movie because of the blatant product placement—not that it stopped anyone else on the list, especially Entry #3, but we’ll get to that—and the fact that Stark is a multi-billionaire and could’ve gotten burgers anywhere, but he chose to get some from one of the cheapest places possible. That honestly speaks more to his character and makes him feel more relatable. That bag of burgers probably cost him under ten bucks in 2008 money, and he still enjoyed it gladly. He’s not alone. In Burnt, you’ve got Bradley Cooper’s two-time Michelin Star chef character unironically enjoying Burger King for lunch and comparing it to classic French peasant dishes and in The Terminal, Tom Hanks collects quarters from rounding up carts and loading up on some whoppers. That’s right, we’ve got more secret entries sprinkled into pre-existing entries. While we’re at it, let’s include the restaurant scene from Falling Down! If you don’t like it, make your own list.

3) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle – They Go To White Castle

It’s literally the title of the movie. Can you name a more cathartic and well-earned scene in all of cinema…related to eating fast food? No, you can’t. It’s legitimately a triumphant moment when they finally get to eat after a night of drugs, mayhem, and ripping off at least one gag from Not Another Teen Movie, and the moment reflects that—the triumphant part. It’s made better by the fact that after all they went through, they almost couldn’t afford it. Luckily, they were bailed out by Dr. Horrible himself, Neil Patrick Harris, so everything worked out. They then proceed to eat 30 sliders, five fries, and four cherry cokes (diet cokes for Kumar), and it’s glorious. The scene even includes a remix of the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Why? Why did they use that song of all songs? It was probably expensive to license. It’s because movies are the best and so are cheeseburgers, that’s why.

2) The Menu – “Medium. American Cheese.”

Wow, did you know that the scene where Ralph Fiennes makes the world’s most excellent cheeseburger had an entire movie surrounding it? Because the internet probably didn’t care; they just loved the scene. It’s like the grilled cheese in Chef; even if the movie sucked (Disclaimer: It doesn’t), people would still remember the food porn, and this moment is intensely pornographic…in the food sense of the term. If Harold & Kumar’s scene is cathartic, this scene is simultaneously heartwarming and heartbreaking. It’s heartwarming in how it’s the only moment in the entire film where you see Fiennes visibly happy and getting a slight glimmer of the enjoyment he got from cooking as a teenager. It’s heartbreaking because it’s not enough to keep him from killing himself, the entire staff, and the clientele of Hawthorn. The second that Anya Taylor-Joy leaves the restaurant, it’s just back to business for him. Upon multiple viewings, the moment really cements Fiennes’ Chef Slowik as a tragic villain who became disillusioned and burdened by the only thing that brought joy to his life.

As far as the burger goes, it’s presented majestically, with the music flowing and the staff witnessing a master at work; it gives the moment an extra sense of awe and has surprising amount of weight to it, to the point of feeling almost meditative. What caps it off is him pressing the bun down and seeing the money shot of the juice drip out the side. The least realistic moment in the entire movie is when Fiennes says that the burger—that burger specifically—with an order of fries is $9.95. No…No, it’s not. That’s as ridiculous as a milkshake being five dollars—oh, and speaking of five-dollar shakes, that leads us to our number one slot, which is…

1) Pulp Fiction –Durward Kirby Burger at Jack Rabbit Slim’s

Made you look. The actual final slot is…

1) Pulp Fiction – Royale with Cheese

Yep, you knew this was coming. To be honest, this entry and The Menu are pretty interchangeable for entirely different reasons, and either could’ve been in this slot. The scene that includes one of the most quoted monologues of all time also has one of the best interactions revolving around a cheeseburger. It’s also why Americans know what a quarter-pounder with cheese is called in France. A detail that another John Travolta film, From Paris With Love, would later reference. (If you haven’t seen it, Jonathan Rhys Meyers does an American accent, and if you’re a fan of August Rush, hearing Meyers without his Irish accent is the aural equivalent of accidentally putting a t-shirt on backwards.)

From the start of the sequence of Jules and Vincent talking in the car to the climactic moment of the duo shooting Bret (or Brad, as Jules inexplicably calls him at one point), this entire portion of Pulp Fiction could work as an excellent short film; it just so happens to be proceeded by an intensely excellent feature film for another two hours after. The scene is great, and it’s an incredible display of Tarantino’s ability to draw out the tension of a scene without anyone being overtly hostile. Jules forces Bret and ‘Flock of Seagulls’ to sit and relax and then proceeds to ask—that word should be in quotes—for a bite of Bret’s Big Kahuna Burger. Remember when we said watching people eat is disgusting? That’s still true, but Samuel L. Jackson makes everything cool, so him eating the burger is a killer power move. It’s not ‘Kurt Russell eating nachos in Death Proof,’ but then again, very few things are. This also laid the groundwork for both Tarantino’s deliberate avoidance of product placement—barring his shameless advertisement for Pan Am in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, in an attempt to get some of that sweet, sweet Pan Am money—and also cements his unspoken rule that burgers precede or directly follow murder (as seen in both True Romance and From Dusk Till Dawn). There’s not much else to say about this scene that hasn’t been said already. It’s a perfect scene in a near-perfect movie, and if it doesn’t make you crave cheeseburgers after watching it, you’re the weird one.