Whataburger Is Coming To Bradenton

Everybody loves a good hamburger and Whataburger is coming to Bradenton.

Cheeseburgers are one of my favorite thing. And to me, while some are better than others, I really don't mind where they come from. Whether it's a fast food burger, one cooked at home on the grill or from a sit-down restaurant, I enjoy them all. In fact, one of my favorite burgers is the mushroom & swiss from Hardees. I don't go often because it's completely out of my way from my home in Fort Myers up to Palm Beach Blvd, but if I'm up there, I'll stop and enjoy every bite.

I haven't yet been to a Whataburger, but I have a lot of friends who are obsessed. My friend Alek lives in Texas and he and I get into debates all the time about what is better, Whataburger or In-N-Out. I'm In-N-Out all the way, but without trying Whataburger, I can't say for sure. I had a layover in Dallas last year and was about to try it until I saw the line was extremely long, so I opted for BBQ instead. But soon, we'll have a Whataburger is coming to Bradenton, a little closer to us in SWFL, so I can try it.

Right now, there are 45 Whataburger locations in Florida, but none in south Florida at all. In fact, the furthest south is St. Augustine, which for us down here is a hike. But soon, there will be one coming to Bradenton, which will make for a perfect stop on the way to or from Tampa. According to the Miami Herald, a franchisee from the Chicago area put in an application back in May for plans to open a location at the Marketplace at Heritage Harbour shopping center at State Road 64 and Heritage Harbour Parkway.

Every Whataburger burger is made to order with 100% pure, never-frozen beef and served on a 5-inch toasted bun. And with toppings like grilled jalapenos, bacon, cheese, tomatoes, pickles, avocado and more, there's plenty of ways to customize it to your taste.

And they don't just serve burgers. Also on the menu are chicken sandwiches, salads and wings. Yum!

When driving down the road in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Naples, there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of popular fast food options.  There’s a McDonald’s, Chick-Fil-A, Taco Bell or some other drive-thru fast food stop on pretty much every corner.

I've mentioned before that I am an avid TikTok user. I follow a ton of foodie influencers from other parts of the country and it seems like we might be missing out on some popular fast food joints here in Southwest Florida.

The folks over at TimeOut released their list of the 15 best fast food restaurants in America, and it's confirmed that some of the most popular locations aren't in Southwest Florida or even in Florida or the Southeast Region of the United States, for that matter.

One popular fast food joint, in particular, currently trending on social platforms; In-N-Out. The Flying Dutchman, one of their most popular menu items, is all the rage right now.

I have to admit, I have tried a copy cat version at home and I can't wait to get my hands on the real thing. It's messy, but worth it. On the inside you'll get a two beef patties with two slices of cheese, there is no bun. It's become more popular as of late as people have started using grilled onions as the bun, with a squeeze of pepperoncini to give it a little extra kick.

Unfortunately, the closest location to us here in Fort Myers is in Houston, Texas. So unless you have plans to travel out west, the copy cat version will have to do for now.

In addition to In-N-Out, there are other fast food joints we are definitely missing out on. I've tried a few, but not all.

Let's take a look at some of these popular fast food joints in other parts of the country, that we are missing out on in Southwest Florida.

I think this one goes without saying.  Raising Cane's has gained so much popularity from social media recently, and with huge collaborations, like Post Malone and Barstool Sports.  According to The Raising Cane's website, their concept is simple and unique.  They say they only have ONE LOVE – quality chicken finger meals!

Raising Cane's is inching closer to Fort Myers.  They've got 16 locations in Florida, the closest to us is in Clearwater, FL.

OK!  I have been to Whataburger and it is delicious.  Think drive-thru really late at night when you need something greasy in your belly.  There are 45 locations in Florida, but the closest to us in SWFL is all the way in St. Augustine.

Another chicken joint.  I've stopped at a Bojangles many, many times for breakfast in North Carolina and the country ham biscuit is my go to!!!  Another must try, the Bo-Berry.

Right now, they've got one Florida location located in Clermont, about three hours north of us in SWFL.

I think I went to a Jack In The Box while on vacation in Hawaii like 20 years ago and I don't recall it knockin' my socks off.  But, I do see Jack In The Box getting some love on TikTok, so we might be missing out.  They stay open late with a typical fast food menu of burgers, chicken sandwiches, CURLY FRIES, chicken fingers and shakes.

Like In-N-Out, no Jack In The Box locations in Florida or even close by.  The closest store is in California...whomp, whomp.

Another fast food place I haven't tried, but I can bet I would love.  What's not to love?  It's Mexican fast food, what could go wrong.  As all of the other places I've mentioned, I learned about Del Taco on TikTok, from one of my favorite influencers, SnackQween.

From what I can tell, it's a lot like Taco Bell.  They've got 2 for $3 Mix-N-Match deals and are open late.

There are several Del Taco locations in Florida and the closest isn't that far from SWFL, it's in Bradenton.  There are two locations there, one on 14th Street W and the second on Manatee Ave.  That's a doable drive for sure, especially a great option as you make your way to Tampa or Orlando for summer road trips.