Texans Consult Their Whataburger Apps For Power Outage Updates-Will This Become A Thing In The Carolinas?

The Lone Star State is known for many things, two of them being storms and Whataburger. And now, the two come together in an unusual partnership as Texans consult their Whataburger apps for power outage updates after Hurricane Beryl.

For those of you who are familiar with the common perception that if you see a Waffle House open, the storm has passed, it's similar to that thinking. Many refer to that phenomenon as 'The Waffle House Index.' And, it's looking like Whataburger may be joining in on the action in a similar way.

According to MSN, people in hard hit Houston are looking to Whataburger apps for power outage updates. Albeit inadvertently, the app seems to be helping folks determine where power is on in the area following Beryl.

Over 2.2 million lost power on July 8. My in-laws were among those. And, many waited nearly 2 weeks for restoration of power. So, with most Whataburger locations being open 24 hours, a closed restaurant is a tell tale sign of no electricity in the vicinity.

Therefore, a quick check of the Whataburger apps for power outage updates makes a little sense. The Houston area has 127 locations. And, an orange W shows the spot is open, while a gray W in the app points to a closure.

Recently, we've had a wave of Whataburger expansion into the Carolinas. So, perhaps one day we can add Whataburger apps for power outage updates to our tool chest along with the Waffle House Index.

So, here's a refresher concerning the Waffle House Index. According to wafflehouse.com, if after a hurricane you see a green indicator at a Waffle House, it means the restaurant is serving a full menu. Damage is limited and the lights are on.

Yellow at a Waffle House indicates the restaurant is serving a limited menu with power coming from a generator. And, the food supply may not be optimal.

And, finally, red means that location is closed and could point to severe damage and unsafe conditions. Apparently, FEMA pays attention to the Waffle House index after storms make landfall. After all, Waffle House is basically viewed as the gold standard of post hurricane response and how to be there for its communities when needed most.

In academic papers, the company is rated among the top four for disaster response along with Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Lowe's. So, these are lofty goals to shoot for if Whataburger ever hopes to be mentioned among the heavy hitters in this arena.

There are a few things that get me more excited than anything. That's shopping and eating. Whether it's me cooking a new meal, cooking my favorite meal, or even going to some of my favorite restaurants. One of the best things to also do is try new foods and restaurants around your area. I have moved around quite a few times in the last few years, but in every spot I lived, I went looking for restaurants. Whether it was simple stuff like American and pizza or I was trying new stuff like Tex-Mex when living in Houston, TX.

While sitting and eating my somewhat healthy lunch, I started thinking about cheeseburgers. This is somewhat ironic because I am not a fan of cheeseburgers but sometimes those burgers can really hit the spot. A juicy patty with a great slice of cheese and tons of topping options is one of those things everyone can call a great meal. Don't even let me get started on having the perfect side item to go along with that burger.

So, while I was sitting and thinking I decided to go look up some great cheeseburgers in the state of North Carolina. Now, I know that is probably a wide range but I wanted to see how crazy some of these restaurants get. I wanted to see if I could find those hidden gems with some crazy, super tasty cheeseburger options. So, take a ride through my mind and check out 5 of the best cheeseburgers I could find in North Carolina.

Up first, we're visiting a spot in Raleigh, North Carolina. Mama Crow's is a burger joint serving up a few different burger options for one to enjoy. One of their famous and most popular burgers is their smash burger. The burger is double smashed patties with cheese curds, mushrooms, onions, goat cheese, and black mayo on fresh bread. How insane does that burger sound? You can even add bacon on to it and make it your own a little! They also have burger specials and deals you can try throughout the year.

Now, we're heading to Greensboro, North Carolina to check out this burger bar. Hops Burger Bar is serving up fresh burgers with some locally grown ingredients to include on it. Each week they do a different featured burger for guests to try and enjoy. The options are endless. One burger that looked great to me is the pickleback. Enjoy a burger topped with fried onion rings, bbq sauce, and bourbon marinated pickles. Like what?! I can only imagine! They don't have a photo, but here's a picture of another insane weekly featured burger.

Now, we're right here in Charlotte. Bang Bang Burgers gives you high-quality, made-from-scratch burgers for you to enjoy. They are very well known for their burger options and the menu does not disappoint. One burger you might enjoy is the Tint Burger. This burger can be in either a single or a double and it comes with pepper jack cheese, onion strings, shaved jalapenos, and siracho mayo. Whew!

Now, I am sure that sushi is not the first thing you think about when you are talking about a burger. Well, The Cowfish is one spot you might think about both because that's what they are serving up. The have a location in both Charlotte and Raleigh to enjoy. The Charlotte menu has tons of options, but one burger that stands out is the jalapeno popper show stopper burger. This burger comes with 1/2 pound of beef, jalapeno infused cream cheese, jalapeno bacon, fried jalapenos, jalapeno citrus aioli, lettuce, tomato, and fresh jalapenos on a brioche bun. Now, talk about a beast of a burger!

Head to Greenville, North Carolina (or South Carolina) to visit this spot! Jack Brown's is a burger joint that serves 100% wagyu beef burgers putting unique twists on some of your favorite classics. One of their famous everyday classics is the Elvis burger. It's a burger topped with peanut butter, mayo, applewood smoked bacon, and American cheese. Now, I am not sure how I feel about that peanut butter, so someone else should try it out and let me know!