If you find yourself traveling to North Carolina, and you want a decent burger, you are going to have to cook it yourself.
North Carolina law forces restaurants to not serve a burger short of medium (or medium well, depending on interpretation by the restaurant). Steaks can still be cooked rare or medium-rare. If David Shaw weren't already dead, he would keel over at the thought.
Of course, this is an overreaction to a) poorly assembled beef, and b) the e-coli scare from Jack in the Box back in the early 1990s. But there is actual hope that North Carolina would adopt the federal code on the matter sometime next year.
Many reports have noted that overcooking meat can lead to increased carcinogens, which can increase the risk for stomach cancer.
In a state known for smoking, the idea that a medium-rare burger being illegal is ludicrous. So if you are going to be in North Carolina for a short time, get the chicken or the steak. And if you are going to be in the Tar Heel state for some time, buy a grill and do it legally yourself.
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