Is a Burger a Sandwich?
It's the question that has divided dinner tables, sparked Twitter wars, and confused food taxonomists for decades. We're settling it once and for all.
The short answer: Technically yes, but culturally... it's complicated.
The Case FOR: Yes, It's a Sandwich
The USDA Says Yes
The United States Department of Agriculture officially classifies a hamburger as a sandwich. Their Food Standards and Labeling Policy Book defines a sandwich as 'a meat or poultry filling between two slices of bread, a bun, or a biscuit.' By this definition, a burger unambiguously qualifies.
The Dictionary Agrees
Merriam-Webster defines a sandwich as 'two or more slices of bread or a split roll having a filling in between.' A burger is ground meat between two halves of a bun. By the textbook definition, a burger is a sandwich.
Historical Origin
The hamburger was literally called a 'hamburger sandwich' when it first appeared in American restaurants in the late 1800s. The name evolved, but the concept didn't — it was always meat between bread.
The Case AGAINST: No, a Burger Is a Burger
Cultural Identity
Nobody walks into a restaurant and says 'I'd like a sandwich' when they want a burger. Burgers have their own menu section, their own restaurants, their own culture. They transcended the sandwich category decades ago.
The Bun Factor
A sandwich uses sliced bread. A burger uses a bun. The round, soft bun is specifically engineered to hold a burger patty, and it fundamentally changes the eating experience. You don't toast sandwich bread the way you toast a brioche bun.
The New York Rule
New York State tax law treats hamburgers and sandwiches differently. If the government taxes them as separate categories, they must be separate things. (Legal experts will note this argument has... limited academic rigor.)
Our Verdict
At Redondos Miami, here's our official position: a burger is technically a sandwich, but it earned the right to be called something better.
Calling a perfectly smashed, crispy-edged, juicy smash burger a "sandwich" is like calling a Ferrari a "car." Sure, it's accurate. But it misses the point entirely.
A great burger — the kind with real nutritional data you can track, made with proper technique on a screaming-hot griddle — isn't something you eat because you want a sandwich. It's something you eat because nothing else will do.
So is a burger a sandwich? Maybe. Is a Redondos smash burger a life-changing experience? Absolutely. Come settle the debate in person. 🍔
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a burger a sandwich?
Is a hamburger a sandwich?
Is a hot dog a sandwich?
What makes a sandwich a sandwich?
Sandwich or Not, You Need to Try This Burger
Come to Redondos on Bird Road and taste the best smash burger in Miami. Then you can call it whatever you want.