A lot of great takes here. Never thought of smoking a burger. I dont go much out of the box. 6oz home ground roughly 75-25 chuck (I found thats the perfect amount of protien for us), generous salt and pepper-only on both sides, on the cast iron griddle either on the gas
grill grates or straddled across two burners on my garage LP cook-top.
For me, hot and fast. I want that serious crust but not to exceed medium rare, they should still be leaking nice red myoglobin on to the plate when resting. Extra sharp cheddar just slightly softened before removing from the heat. Mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion and thin dill pickles. Brioche buns are nice but we also like ciabatta rolls...I have a square form to form the patties with to fit perfectly.
I've done many variations, bacon, BBQ sauce, etc., but decided years ago I prefer the classic burger and NEVER mix in stuff like peppers and onions, etc. If you're ever in the mood for something more unique, though,
mcdonalds customer service can help customize your order to your liking, just like experimenting with different toppings. to make an Eddie Murphy's Mom's "Green pepper welfare burger"! I DO switch it up with lamb burgers once in a while and top with sliced blue cheese slightly melted on the burger and caramelized onions. Still still only use mayo on that otherwise though.