Why settle for the same-old, same-old when you can have what’s new and improved, pure and natural, premium-grade, upmarket, unfiltered, top-shelf, first-class, extra-lean, customized, handmade, form-fitting, cruelty-free, and ready-to-serve?

What java vendor in his right mind would settle for selling the standard coffee of yore when consumers have clearly demonstrated that they’ll pay handsomely for a free-trade, shade-grown, fresh ground, French-roast alternative?

More to the point, why, at a time when consumers have developed a hankering for everything from free-range chicken to dolphin-free tuna and heritage-breed pork, would chains where beef is a prime draw fail to differentiate their menus with more select, upscale varieties?

QUALITY: a potential ‘category-killer’

Burger King’s Angus Steak Burger represented a definitive step in this direction. Chains such as Wendy’s and In-N-Out Burger had long touted their use of fresh beef, but BK upped the ante considerably by introducing a particularly well-known and highly regarded variety of beef into its sandwiches—and, just as importantly, into its marketing. The quality halo surrounding Angus beef proved to be a powerful tool in distinguishing BK’s sandwich. More recently, Jack in the Box has been treading similar territory with its Sirloin Steak and Mushroom ciabatta sandwich.

But in an age when fine steakhouses are proliferating at an astounding rate—New York City alone reportedly boasts 97 such outlets, while Las Vegas is now home to more than 50—it’s clear that the public’s appetite for fine cuts of beef that taste appreciably better than mass-market alternatives has not yet been satisfied. Hubert Keller, a member of the Center for Culinary Development’s Chefs’ Council whose Fleur de Lys in San Francisco is among the city’s true culinary landmarks, opened the Burger Bar in Las Vegas not long ago, where offerings include a $55 foie gras-and-truffle burger, which suggest the humble hamburger can be dressed up to great effect, given high-quality raw materials and a bit of creativity.

Perhaps the most promising uncharted frontier at this stage is the mystical realm of Japanese Kobe beef. This exquisitely tender, well-marbled, and highly flavorful beef is derived from Wagyu cattle, and exceeds United States Department of Agriculture marbling standards for prime-grade product. Though American cattlemen now raise the Wagyu breed, there are those purists who insist true Kobe beef can only come from Japan. It should be noted, though, that with prices for Kobe on restaurant menus sometimes running $33 an ounce or higher, such purists often have an economic stake in making these sorts of fine distinctions.