Burgers Beware

Just off my post-Pianos burger glow, I read this hilarious, albeit alarming, story on various burgers and their calorie counts.

SirDatesALot, my calorie-counting guru weighs in:

Nothing says summer like a big, fat, juicy hamburger.

Whether it's from Shake Shack, The Burger Joint, P.J. Clarke's, Corner Bistro or my new favorite, The Pier I Café, I am always happy to get a burger, fries and a beer (or even the occasional vanilla milkshake).

But with the new calorie listings on menus at New York chain restaurants, maybe it was time to do a little bit more than inhale a good burger. I decided to find out how many calories some of America's favorites pack in there.

Check out the PHOTOS of these monster patties.

The calorie-packing champ didn’t come from McDonald’s or Burger King. One of the biggest burgers I stumbled across in my research was TGIFriday's cheesy bacon cheeseburger.

The restaurant describes this 1,590-calorie behemoth: "Our juicy, fire-grilled beef patty topped with two kinds of cheese -- mild American and gooey, golden-fried Provolone. We add crisp bacon, stack 'em all on a toasted bun with the classic fixings and serve with fries."

Compare that to the 540 calories in the Big Mac or 670 for the Whopper.

So what is the New Yorker looking to stay fit while still indulging in these carnivorous treats to do? Eat out less? Skip the fries? Or maybe just stick to those non-chain restaurants that don’t have to disclose their calorie counts.

Maybe like so many things in life, ignorance truly is bliss.

I agree, SirDatesALot. Life is too short for calorie-counting. Burger. It's what's for dinner.