As a native Iowan, I love beef (for years our butcher was John Holmes of John Holmes Meat Market--I kid you not) but all of this hamburger talk makes me think of the ne plus ultra of fast food in Iowa, the breaded deep fried pork tenderloin sandwich, which, to my knowledge, is unavailable anywhere along the East Coast:  http://www.allenbukoff.com/wildBPTiowa03/

The Apple Pan, in Westwood, Los Angeles, with the hardest working countermen in the business. "You want cheese with that?" is always asked, even if you order the "steakburger" or "hickoryburger" from the menu.