[tptacek]

Shake Shack --- at least the original --- is an internationally recognized excellent burger. But leave it aside, if you want, as a chain. The other burgers are celebrity, destination burgers; "make arrangements well in advance to get them" burgers (though you can get Au Cheval's burger easily at Small Cheval now).

American cheese is the standard, at the high end and the low end, for burgers that aren't eaten with a knife and fork. The reason is that it has superior functional properties to other cheeses: it remains emulsified when melted, and easily melts completely.

At this point, I'd probably just send to you J. Kenji Lopez-Alt if you want to read more about the virtues of American cheese. It's useful stuff. Ironically, though, I'm here in the thread to talk it down as "cheese". It's a good product. It's not good cheese.