Texans will go head to head over football teams, preferred BBQ sauce styles (team sweet and spicy here), and the differences between Texas chili and anywhere-else chili — but Whataburger? That is sacred ground upon which all Texas will hold hands and sing. August 8th, 2025 was National Whataburger Day. Yes, that’s a thing, and yes, Whataburger celebrated in style. 75-cent burger deals, anyone?
If you haven’t been fortunate enough to make a pilgrimage yourself, let me paint you a word picture. Whataburger is a burger chain that was originally founded in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1950 by Harmon Dobson. The original mission was to make a burger so big the viewer would exclaim “what a burger!” Going to Whataburger for a late-night snack after the big game has been a rite of passage for Texas teens for 75 years now (and going the morning after a night on the town is a necessity for hungover Texans every weekend morning across the land).
Why do Texans treat Whataburger like it’s a pillar of their religion? Well, because it might as well be. There’s 24-hour service for night owls who need to be able to eat a decent meal at 3 a.m. The orange and white A-frame buildings could double as roadside shrines where one goes to pray to the god of milkshakes and fries. Locals develop borderline emotional attachments to their favorite menu items (my college roommate will slap a hoe for a Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit). Whataburger’s expanded beyond the bounds of the State of Texas, but that will always be its home base and heartland.
Whataburger just turned 75, and the powers that be decided to celebrate in style. The official celebration was August 8th, 2025, at Whataburger locations everywhere. The big draw? A No. 1 Whataburger for 75 cents. This cheap and legal high for burger lovers only required that the person doing the purchasing be a Whataburger Rewards member, and not try to order more than one per person between the hours of 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. If you’re wondering whether or not people were signing up in the drive-thru for the rewards program, congratulations. You know people very well.
The real celebration, though, was in Corpus Christi at Whataburger Field — because yes, there’s a baseball stadium named after the burger chain. The celebration coincided with a ballgame between the Corpus Christi Hooks and the Tulsa Drillers. Fans were decked out in orange, and 1,500 Whataguy masks and 5,000 Whataguy capes were handed out. There were orange-themed fireworks at the end of the game (because subtlety is for suckers from other states), but that’s not the best part. Everyone who attended got a coupon for a free Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit. Remember how I told you my college roomie will throw down for one of those bad boys? Watch out for a tiny blonde named Chelsea — she packs a punch.
Whataburger won’t be done celebrating until August is over. They’re offering limited-edition 32-oz collectible cups all month long, and the tribute to the A-frame will be dropping on August 19th. For families who collect Whataburger gear like family heirlooms, this is a big month.
Whether you went in for the 75-cent burger, the free biscuit, or are just reveling in having a reason to wear all orange in public, Whataburger turned 75 the way Texans like everything: loud, proud, and with a side of fries. The chain is far from done, so let’s all raise a milkshake to another 75 years of keeping the Lone Star State well-fed at 3 a.m.
