I visited Whataburger, a Texas chain with a cult following, for the first time. Here's what it's like.

• Whataburger is a Texas burger chain with a cult following.
• As an East Coaster, I'd never visited Whataburger - until a recent road trip.
• After eating at Whataburger, I understood why Texans are obsessed with the chain.

The legend of Whataburger has spread far beyond Texas.

Whataburger has a larger-than-life presence in the Lone Star State - it's a regional burger chain that shines bright as a point of pride in a region that's better known for its Tex-Mex. Even first lady Melania Trump had to stop by Whataburger when she visited Texas in December.

However, as a New York City dweller, I had never visited Whataburger. Sure, I've tried almost every burger chain in the business - Shake Shack, Five Guys, even In-N-Out - but Whataburger had remained a mystery.

So, on a recent road trip that started in Dallas, Texas, I decided it was time to find out what I had been missing.

Here is a coastal elite's take on a Texas chain that has the grit to take on any burger chain on either side of the Mississippi: