What McDonald's burger is named for a pre-cooked patty weight of about one quarter pound?

The McDonald’s burger named for a pre-cooked patty weighing about one quarter pound is the Quarter Pounder.

The name refers to the patty’s uncooked portion size: approximately four ounces, or one quarter of a pound. Because cooking removes moisture and fat, the finished patty weighs less than the advertised pre-cooked amount. McDonald’s later increased the standard raw patty to about 4.25 ounces in 2015.

The burger was created by Al Bernardin, a McDonald’s franchisee and former company product-development executive. He introduced it at his Fremont, California, restaurants in 1971, using the slogan “Today Fremont, tomorrow the world.” After its success, McDonald’s added it to the national American menu in 1973.

The Quarter Pounder is different from the Big Mac, which is defined by its double-patty, three-part bun, and special sauce. It is also distinct from a McDouble, whose name describes two smaller patties rather than a quarter-pound portion. In some metric-market countries, the same style of burger uses names such as “Royal” instead.