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http://www.thedailymeal.com/40-best-burgers-america

When it comes to burgers, the varieties really are infinite, which made it even more important that we assemble our list in the most scientific way possible: We divided our initial list of about 150 candidates into geographic regions, and recruited a panel of 30 noted chefs, restaurateurs, and food writers (including those mentioned above) to then place their votes for their favorites. The results were tallied, and our final list was then assembled.

We also made sure to keep it to just beef burgers, so while the lamb burger at New York’s The Breslin would have ranked highly, that’s a roundup for another day. You’ll also notice that chains with more than 15 locations haven’t been included, in order to give even the smallest burger joint its fair shake; those have been broken out into a separate list.

And yes, looks like "steamed hams" make the cut at #32. They're apparently from Connecticut, not upstate New York.

40. The Thurman Burger, Thurman Café (Columbus, Ohio)

The family-owned Thurman Café makes some tasty burgers; there’s no way around it. The restaurant, which opened in Columbus’ German Village in 1942, has been stuffing guests to the gills ever since, and their flagship Thurman Burger is a masterpiece of the "so big I probably shouldn’t finish it in one sitting but I will anyway" style. Each patty is a whopping three-quarter-pound of 85:15 ground chuck, and this one comes topped with grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, sautéed mushrooms, pickles, jalapeño slices, mayonnaise, a half-pound of sliced ham, melted mozzarella, and American cheese. On second thought, maybe you shouldn’t finish this in one sitting.

39. Sliders, White Manna (Hackensack, N.J.)

A North Jersey legend, White Manna is one of the last remaining diner-style burger joints that arose in the tradition of White Castle. What’s served here is the perfect interpretation of that form, perfected over decades and decades, unchanging. You walk up to the tiny counter, place your order with the grillman, and watch as he smashes a small wad of meat onto the flattop with a handful of thin-sliced onions, keeps careful track of it as it cooks, and sandwiches it into a Martin’s bun. Make it a double with cheese, and the burger that will end up on your plate next to some pickle chips won’t be pretty. It’s astonishingly delicious, however. Order a few — you won’t regret it.

38. Mustang Sally Burger, Burger & Beer Joint (Miami)

This big, unassuming, friendly place serves terrific Angus prime or Wagyu burgers, ranging from 8 to 10 ounces in heft (not to mention the 10-pound "Motherburger"), with all kinds of inspired accompaniments. Choosing just one to typify the place is a challenge, but ultimately we probably have to go with the Mustang Sally: 8 ounces of very juicy, very flavorful Wagyu with red onion marmalade, melted Brie, and prosciutto on a shiny-top brioche bun, with skinny fries on the side. There's nothing classic about this concoction; it's just a generous serving.

37. Le Pigeon Burger, Le Pigeon (Portland, Ore.)

When Gabriel Rucker first opened Le Pigeon in 2006, he only served five of these outstanding burgers per night. How cruel. Today, thankfully, the burger can be purchased at all times, and also at Rucker’s downtown bistro Little Bird. And what a burger it is: A thick square patty of beef from a local farm is seasoned with salt and pepper, grilled (a rarity), topped with sharp Tillamook white Cheddar, an iceberg lettuce slaw, thick slices of grilled pickled onions, mayo, mustard, and housemade ketchup, piled atop a ciabatta bun. If you find yourself in Portland, run, don’t walk, to this burger.

36. JCB Jalapeño Cream Burger, My Brother's Bar (Denver)

This old-fashioned-looking corner bar has been in business under its present identity for more than 40 years — and dates its ancestry back to a century before that. The establishment's famous JCB burger is just a decent-size patty, not overly lean, inside a standard sesame bun — but the inspired combination of cream cheese and sliced pickled jalapeños raises it to another level altogether. The combination is magic.

35. Superburger, Jim-Denny's (Sacramento, Calif.)

This vintage 10-seat diner in the California capital has been serving classic, old-style burgers to everyone from farm workers to politicians since the mid-1930s. For the Superburger, the bready, no-frills bun encloses a griddled patty, well-done but still at least a little juicy, dressed with mustard and mayo and layered with the usual tomato and lettuce. Nothing fancy, just a real burger.

34. Cozy Burger, The Cozy Inn (Salina, Kan.)

There was a big White Castle-inspired hamburger stand boom across America in the early 1920s, and Salina, Kan.’ Cozy Inn is one of the last ones standing. Started as a six-seat counter in 1922, it gained local popularity for serving 1-ounce burgers griddled with chopped onions that came to be known as sliders, and to this day the grillmen are still doing it the old-fashioned way, in the same tiny room, with fluffy white buns made especially for them. A few things to know before going: you’ll want yours "all the way," with ketchup, mustard, a pickle, and onions. Don’t ask for it without onions; don’t ask for it with cheese; don’t ask for fries (just grab a bag of chips). Ask for a sack and you’ll get six; expect to leave smelling like onions.

33. Original Solly Burger, Solly's Grille (Milwaukee)

Family-owned and operated since 1936, Solly’s claim to fame is the butter burger, one of the last and finest examples in the nation. Fresh-ground sirloin is delivered daily from a local butcher, and the shakes, fries, and burgers, complete with a healthy dose of real Wisconsin butter, are prepared in full view of diners. About 15 toppings and burger varieties are available, but the trademark Original Solly Burger is the way to go. Each 3-ounce patty gets cooked on a large flattop griddle, topped with impossibly flavorful stewed onions and a pat of butter that’s at least 2 or 3 tablespoons’ worth, and placed into a soft white bun. The butter melts into the burger and onto the plate, and it’s unlike any other burger you’ll experience.

32. Steamed Cheeseburger, Ted's (Meriden, Conn.)

Most burger purveyors griddle, grill, or pan-sear their patties. Since 1959, Ted's, in this historic community north of New Haven (there is another location in nearby Cromwell and a food truck on the way), has steamed theirs. Steamed meat? Yep. Steamed Cheddar cheese, too. Cooked in custom-designed steam boxes, the burgers, served on kaiser-roll-like buns, lose very little bulk while cooking and, need we say, stay very moist. The steamed cheese is spooned over the patties and cloaks them thickly. Add lettuce and tomato (or complimentary sautéed onions and/or mushrooms) and you've got an unusual, and unusually good, burger.

31. Local Grass-Fed Burger, Craigie on Main (Cambridge, Mass.)

Serious chefs never used to serve burgers in their restaurants, and when they started doing so, you always sort of had the feeling that they were doing it under duress and would much rather you didn't order one so they could sell you that heritage pork belly and bone marrow tower with kale pesto and quinoa foam instead. Tony Maws, at his splendid Cambridge restaurant, offers a really great burger — fat and dripping with flavor — and has figured out an easy way to keep the number of burger orders down: He prepares only 18 of them a day. If you're 19th in line, sorry Charlie. It's worth getting to the place early for this 8-ounce grass-fed patty (custom-blended daily from various cuts of meat) on a house-baked dome-shaped sesame bun, complemented by Shelburne Farm Vermont cheddar, vinaigrette-dressed lettuce and tomato, and Maws' own mace-flavored ketchup.

30. The Viagra, Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage (Cambridge, Mass.)

Since 1960, Mr. Bartley’s has been serving 7-ounce, freshly ground burgers to hoards of hungry Harvard students. Bill Bartley still mans the grill after more than 30 years, and his parents, founders Joe and Joan, still run the front of house. Fresh-ground chuck comes in from a local butcher daily, and the patties are formed using a special contraption that doesn’t compress the meat too much. They’re seared on a ripping-hot griddle, and the cheese is griddled separately and eased onto the patty before it’s served. The burger selection is enormous, but you’re going to want to try The Viagra, which is topped with blue cheese and bacon. Wash it down with a lime rickey with some onion rings on the side, and take in a place where time seems to stand perfectly still. Unless there’s a Red Sox game on.

29. Butter Burger, Lexington Candy Shop (New York City)

Stepping inside the Lexington Candy Shop on New York City’s Upper East Side really is like stepping back in time. There are the spinning stools of diners past, ice-cream sodas, frosted malts, Formica, and a general wear and patina on everything around you — no wonder, this luncheonette has been doing its thing since 1925. And it still makes your Coke the old-fashioned way: a shot of syrup and a seltzer spritz. There may be a time and a place for a defense of the "diner burger," but this isn’t it. Why? There’s a special burger genre to sample here: the Lexington Butter Burger. It’s far from the only burger place serving this rendition; Milwaukee’s Solly’s Grille (founded 1936) gets a lot of that love, but it’s ridiculously delicious nonetheless, and the panel ranked this rendition higher than Solly's (#33). Conventional burger bun, a flat, but juicy patty that has that caramelized brown crust, and a heaping, honking tablespoon of buttah that arrives still intact but melting. Salty and juicy, dripping wet and indulgent, you’ll appreciate the vinegary pickle to cut through it all, but the Lexington Candy Shop’s butter burger is a decades-old next-level move that always feels revolutionary.

28. Sirloin Beef Burger, Sketch Burger (Philadelphia)

It looks sort of like a psychedelic preschool, all Day-Glo colors and funky signs and crowdsourced artwork, but this small Philadelphia burger joint serves up an exquisitely simple, highly flavorful 8-ounce sirloin burger, served on a doughy white bun from a local bakery with sliced tomato, shredded lettuce, and a choice of sauces — among them hot mustard, BBQ, harissa aïoli, and (a surprising retro choice) green goddess. Sketch also serves a smashed onion burger, a truffle butter burger, and a Cyclops burger (with bacon and a fried egg), but why would you tamper with elementary success?

27. Double Chili Cheeseburger, The Varsity (Atlanta)

It’s not because The Varsity claims to be the world’s largest drive-in, or that it’s one of the few restaurants in America that still employs carhops. No, neither is it The Varsity’s staying power (founder Frank Gordy launched it with a $2,000 nest egg and "million dollar taste buds" in 1928) and its expansion to some eight locations in the greater Atlanta and Athens areas. Nope, it’s about one of the country’s most idiosyncratic burgers: the double chili cheeseburger. There’s something going on with the buns ‘round these parts — they get condensed and sweeter. Make no mistake, this is a greasy cheeseburger, more compact than most double cheeseburgers, but one whose sloppy, cheesy, saltiness all comes together in a solid, but proportionately fluid burger, both texturally and flavor-wise. No wonder it’s one of America’s best burgers (and for just $2.83).

26. Kuma Burger, Kuma's Corner (Chicago)

It’s a the sign of a great food city when you can find two crazy restaurant waits within three blocks of each other. So it is in the case of Hot Doug’s and Kuma’s Corner, some would argue Chicago’s best hot dog and burger joints. It’s not a quiet place to eat — the restaurant’s ethos is "Support your community. Eat beef. Bang your head." But with all the pyrotechnics that go off when you take a bite, the heavy metal doesn’t just make sense — it’s a perfect fit. There are burgers with tomatillo salsa and fried chiles, burgers with Sriracha and grilled pineapple, but you have to start with the signature: the Kuma Burger: bacon, sharp Cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a fried egg. It’s not as though there’s not enough flavor in the burger, but that egg... whoah.

25. Country-Fried Bacon Burger, Christian's (Houston)

This loud and lively sports bar offers diners a choice of sizes, burger-wise: one-third pound, one-half pound, and one pound. The country-fried bacon version is a half-pound patty slathered with mustard and mayo and layered with lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, and country-fried bacon — which, yes, is bacon that has been battered and deep-fried — has got to be about the most mouth-filling burger in America. And it's a really good one, too.

24. Bill’s Burger, Becks Prime (Houston)

There are 12 locations of Beck’s Prime in Houston and two in Dallas, and not one has a freezer. Founded in 1985, Beck’s has become a beloved institution since then, serving half-pound Angus chuck burgers that are hand-ground and formed on-site daily. While they offer your usual variety of cheeses and toppings, the Bill’s Burger is the way to go. With sautéed onions, sliced Cheddar, bacon, jalapeños, secret sauce, and lettuce, it’s a true gem, and is sure to make your dining companions jealous./quote]

23. Griddled Burger, Edzo’s (Chicago)

To know Edzo’s, you must first know Eddie Lakin, a former line cook who worked in high-end kitchens around the world before settling back on his home turf to flip burgers for a living. But what burgers these are: Choice chuck, hand-cut and ground on-premises every morning, handled gently and given a shake of salt and pepper as they cook. Burgers at the original Evanston location are available in two preparations, smashed flat on a griddle, or grilled over an open flame (these "Char Burgers" aren’t available at the new Lincoln Park location). Go for the classic griddled burger: thin and crispy, served with up to three on a bun, topped with the classics as well as interesting options like garlic butter, fried eggs, and giardiniera (this is Chicago, after all).

22. Double Winstead, Winstead’s (Kansas City, Mo.)

Winstead’s is a household name in the Kansas City area, serving diner staples and "steakburgers" for more than 70 years. These burgers are what the locals crave when they leave the city: fresh-ground Choice beef, served with mustard, ketchup, pickles, and a thick slice of onion (with cheese lettuce, tomato, and bacon if you want it), served on a soft white bun. The double is the way to go, offering two 2-ounce patties, smashed down on the griddle until they’re essentially just crust, but retaining moisture. If this is your preferred type of burger, then you probably agree with Kansas City native Calvin Trillin, who proclaimed it one of the best burgers in the world. Get cheese, order a limeade and fries, take in your surroundings, and enjoy what Hamburger America’s George Motz calls "the perfect diner eating experience."

21. Steak House Burger, Brindle Room (New York City)

At the East Village’s Brindle Room, chef/owner Jeremy Spector is serving a lunch-only burger that, at $12, is a certifiable steal. The reason? Dry-aged meat. Prime aged beef trimmings and deckle are brought in from his partner’s New Jersey restaurant, and give this burger a pronounced mineral-rich funk. It comes topped with caramelized onions and your choice of cheese, but honestly, would you top a dry-aged rib-eye with cheese? The soft white generic bun perfectly holds it all together.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

20. Bistro Burger, Corner Bistro (New York City)

This always crowded Greenwich Village institution, a semi-dive bar (no real dive bar sells a large line of branded casual clothing, or opens outposts in Long Island City), is justly famous for its big no-nonsense burgers, cooked under a salamander-like broiler, draped with American cheese (and crisscrossed with bacon for the signature Bistro Burger), and served on a classic sesame bun with the usual trimmings. Old-timers complain that it isn't what it used to be, but the burgers still taste darned good to us.

19. Dick’s Deluxe, Dick’s Drive-In (Seattle)

With six locations, Dick’s is a Seattle institution. For nearly 60 years, Dick’s has been serving an unchanging menu of never-frozen one-eighth-pound burgers delivered daily, hand-cut fries, and milkshakes, and its owners know that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The Double Deluxe is a hamburger Platonic ideal: two patties, melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, and pickle relish, on a soft, squishy bun, sold for a whopping $2.70. Want onions? That’ll cost you an extra five cents, please.

Dick’s is family-owned, and they treat all employees like family as well, offering full benefits, scholarships, childcare assistance, paid community service, and a starting hourly wage of $10.

18. Hell’s Fury Burger, The Vortex (Atlanta)

The Vortex, which has two Atlanta locations, is a crazy place. First of all, just to enter the restaurant you have to walk through a giant skull with crazy eyes that also happens to be the main entrance. The menu has a full page of rules ("We maintain the right to refuse service to any person that, in our sole opinion, is a great big jerk."). They also don’t allow anyone in who’s under the age of 18 because of smoking laws. And while all of this kitsch and attitude might make for a great distraction from underwhelming food anywhere else, the burgers here are the real deal (and so are the sweet potato tots). The Hell's Fury burger is a gargantuan half-pound patty of Choice sirloin, topped with pepper jack cheese, something called Atomic Death Sauce, habanero relish, and a whole roasted jalapeño. Not for the faint of heart, but if you’re into spicy food, this very well might be the tastiest burger you’ll ever encounter.

17. The Original Burger, Louis’ Lunch (New Haven, Conn.)

Sigh. Deep breath. A conversation about Louis’ Lunch is never simple. Is it the birthplace of the hamburger? Supposedly, one day in 1900, a gentleman hurriedly told proprietor Louis Lassen "he was in a rush and wanted something he could eat on the run" resulting in a blend of ground steak trimmings between two slices of toast being sent with the gentleman on his way. But is it a "burger," or is it a "sandwich"? Some argue that historically and semiotically speaking, the "original burger" is a sandwich and not a hamburger because a hamburger is technically a ground-beef patty on some form of yeast bun. It’s a smart conversation, one it would be fun to get Chicago’s deep-dish lovers to take on (theirs is a casserole, not a pizza). But because of the "it’s a burger" answer that comes from 99.995 percent who answer the "what-is-this" question, and because, well, give us a break, it’s a place in the pantheon of hamburger sandwiches (how is a burger not a sandwich anyway?), Louis’ Lunch made this list.

Sandwich, hamburger, whatever. So what do you get? A flame-broiled burger made in a vertical hinged-steel wire gridiron that cooks the burgers on both sides at the same time. That’s what. It’s a hamburger sandwich supposedly made from a blend of five cuts of ground steak. If you want condiments, you’ll have to ask. The extent that your burger is going to get tricked out is cheese, tomato, and onion. No mustard, ketchup, or mayo. But do you really need all that? You can practically taste the nostalgia. And that never disappoints.

16. The Father's Office Burger, Father's Office (Los Angeles)

What do you get when you go to Father's Office, chef Sang Yoon's gastropub in Los Angeles (now in both Santa Monica and Culver City)? No table service. And no pretention. There's a wood-paneled, comfortable vibe of a great local lived-in spot, but it's clean, to the point, and one of The Daily Meal’s 101 Best Restaurants of 2012. There are great craft beers and small bites (think smoked eel, sobrasada, Spanish mushrooms, and white anchovies). You can also "Eat Big" and opt for the spicy oatmeal stout ribs or the bistro steak. But let’s face it, you're there for the Office Burger, which many people in LA refer to as the city's best burger. There's nothing bougie or frou-frou about it, just caramelized onion, bacon, Gruyère, Maytag Blue, and arugula. It's a very, very juicy burger with funk, freshness, and great flavor. Checklist item? You bet.

15. Luger Burger, Peter Luger (Brooklyn, N.Y.)

Because of this burger’s location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and its lunch-only appearance on the menu, out-of-town visitors are likely to have an easier time than New Yorkers experiencing one of New York City’s best burgers. There are no bells and whistles, but Peter Luger has been handling meat since 1887 and its rich, ½-pound Luger Burger made from porterhouse and prime chuck roll trimmings is worth New Yorkers figuring out how to sneak out of the office for a long lunch. Burgers are molded into a coffee cup, emptied onto the high-temperature broilers used for the restaurant’s steaks until they develop a dark crust, and then settled into a sesame-studded bun. For a few dollars more you can have cheese and thick-cut bacon, a bit more of a chewy affair, but either way, if the famed gruff waitstaff unsettled you when you sat down, you’ll have forgotten them after the first bite. Just make sure to arrive before 3:45 p.m. when they stop serving it.

14. Hamburger, Perini Ranch Steakhouse (Buffalo Gap, Texas)

Tom Perini's steakhouse, in a converted barn on his family's ranch just outside Abilene, is famed for its 22-ounce "cowboy rib-eye" and other heroic slabs of good Texas beef, but burger lovers swear by the establishment's grilled half-pound burger, laden with Cheddar or provolone, grilled mushrooms, green chiles, and onions.

13. Hamburger, Zuni Café (San Francisco)

The lunch-only grass-fed burger at this San Francisco classic, ground in-house, medium-lean, comes on grilled rosemary focaccia slathered with aïoli. Beecher's Flagship or Bayley Hazen blue are available options, as are grilled onions or sliced heirloom tomatoes. There's very much of an only-in-Northern-California feel about the whole arrangement, which is fine with us.

12. Truffled Cheeseburger, Palena Café (Washington, D.C)

The burger at Washington, D.C.’s Palena Café is certainly a fancy-pants one, but that doesn’t mean it’s at all precious. Chef Frank Ruta’s burger starts with a loosely packed 7-ounce patty of Angus beef (mostly chuck and trim from aged steak cuts) that’s got a 60:40 fat ratio, about double the fat of your average burger. He gussies it up with a slice of a truffled Italian cheese called Sottocenere al Tartufo, a smear of powerfully garlicky mayo, and a fried egg if you want it, and it’s served on a big fluffy bun that compresses nicely once you get into it. Make sure you have napkins handy, and be ready for a flavor bomb.

11. Cheeseburger, Husk (Charleston, S.C.)

So what’s the secret to the burger at Husk, Sean Brock’s Charleston landmark? Bacon. Ground right into the patty. Brock’s been on a personal quest to perfect the burger, and after eating his cheeseburger you’ll most likely agree that he’s achieved his goal. Housemade buns are steamed, sliced, toasted, and smeared with butter and beef fat. The two patties are a blend of chuck and hickory-smoked Benton’s bacon, seared on a ripping-hot nonstick griddle and scraped off to retain a ridiculous crust. The toppings? Three slices of American cheese, shaved white onions in between the patties, bread-and-butter pickles, a "special sauce" that closely resembles the one at In-N-Out, and lettuce and tomato only when they’re in season. Sean Brock: in relentless pursuit of burger perfection. You: lucky.

10. Jucy Lucy, Matt's Bar (Minneapolis)

Ah, the inimitable Jucy Lucy (yes, Matt's spells it without the "i"). While the battle rages between Matt’s Bar and the nearby 5-8 Club over who originally invented this brilliant burger variation, the one at Matt’s Bar is a superior specimen. Legend has it that shortly after the restaurant opened in 1954 a hungry customer came in and asked for two burger patties with a slice of cheese in the middle. He took a bite, proclaimed it to be "one juicy Lucy!," and a legend was born. Only fresh-ground beef goes into each hand-formed burger, and the first bite yields a river of molten, gooey cheese. These burgers are much more difficult to make than it may appear, and the one at Matt’s Bar is absolute perfection.

9. Cheeseburger, Gott's Roadside (San Francisco)

Back in 2011, popular California hamburger stand Taylor's Automatic Refresher renamed its three locations (Napa, St. Helena, and San Francisco's Ferry Building) because its owners brothers Joel and Duncan Gott didn't own rights to the name, and couldn’t persuade its owners to let them trademark it. It may have been jarring to see the name change and the neon-lit red G, but what didn’t change when they adopted the family name Gott's Roadside Tray Gourmet were the storied grilled ⅓-pound Niman Ranch burgers. Cooked medium-well, but served "a little pink inside," topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and secret sauce on a toasted egg bun, Gott’s cheeseburger gets pressed lightly in a machine at the end of the line (employees say this steams the bun, but it still leaves the underside toasted-crunchy). The effect is thick and juicy. An icon.

8. Green Chile Cheeseburger, Bobcat Bite (Santa Fe, N.M.)

Down the Old Las Vegas Highway (the original Route 66), the green chile cheeseburger joint Bobcat Bite, founded by Mitzi Panzer in 1953, has been hailed by Hamburger America's George Motz, Roadfood's Jane and Michael Stern, Food Network, and even Bon Appétit as not only the zenith of green chile cheeseburgers, but perhaps one of the greatest burgers period in the US of A. This 29-seat diner sitting atop a desolate, dusty dirt hill, was supposedly named after the local fauna that would ravage the garbage cans at night looking for leftovers. A recent dispute between the Panzer family and John and Bonnie Eckre, who took it over 12 years ago, means that there will now be two spots in the area claiming the heritage and expertise of what has become a legend. It remains to be seen which ("The Bite" or "Bobcat Bite") restaurant can lay claim to regulars’ and experts’ title as best green chile cheeseburger, but it’s clear that the restaurant’s ginormous house-ground, boneless chuck, 10-ounce burgers cooked to temperature preference and blanketed with green chiles under white American cheese on huge, ciabatta-like buns deserve a shout-out as one of the nation’s best burgers.

7. Half-Pound Niman Ranch Cheeseburger, Mustards Grill (Napa, Calif.)

There's all kinds of good stuff on the menu at Cindy Pawlcyn's ever-popular wine country bistro (crispy calamari with curried slaw, seafood tostada, Mongolian pork chop…) but the cheeseburger (Maytag Blue is an optional choice, and one well worth making) is just so big and juicy and tasty that it's hard to resist. The house-made pickles and impeccable fries don't hurt, either.

6. Cheeseburger, Au Cheval (Chicago)

Is the burger served at Chicago’s relative newcomer Au Cheval "the perfect griddle burger?" According to Bon Appétit, it is. Its beauty lies in its simplicity: two patties (or three if you order a double) of no-frills ground beef topped with Cheddar, Dijonnaise, a few thin slices of pickles, and served on a soft toasted bun from Chicago’s Z Baking. The patties are wonderfully crusty, the fries are fried in lard, and just about everything about this burger is perfect.

5. Bacon Cheeseburger, The Little Owl (New York City)

Chef Joey Campanaro knows his way around a burger, and the one that he serves at his West Village restaurant The Little Owl has been named the country’s best by Eatocracy and the world’s best by The Guardian. Campanaro starts with a ¾-inch-thick patty of ground Pat LaFrieda brisket and short rib, seasons it liberally with a curry powder-kicked spice blend, grills it, tops it with American cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onion, and serves it on a homemade bun. It’s rich, meaty, hits all the right notes, and is a damn good burger.

4. Big Devil, Ray’s to the Third (Arlington, Va.)

After the closure of Michael Landrum’s two D.C.-area locations of Ray’s Hell Burger, devotees despaired that they’d never again be able to enjoy these perfectly seared, ingeniously topped burgers. The third outpost, however, is still going strong, and thank goodness for that. Hand-trimmed, aged in-house, fresh-ground throughout the day, and hand-formed, these burgers, especially the original 10-ounce "Big Devil," are a sight to behold. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you can top yours with seared foie gras or roasted bone marrow.

3. Chargrilled Burger, The Spotted Pig (New York City)

The burger at New York’s The Spotted Pig, a restaurant that is widely responsible for launching the high-end gastropub trend on this side of the pond, is a wonder. Chef April Bloomfield has created a half-pound behemoth of prime grilled beef, topped with a layer of creamy, stinky Roquefort, and sandwiched inside a brioche-style bun. It’s served alongside a mound of rosemary-scented shoestring fries, and is the kind of burger that will force you to close your eyes after taking the first bite and make sure all your dining companions know that they’re missing out.

2. Black Label Burger, Minetta Tavern (New York City)

Sure, the côte de boeuf, roasted bone marrow, and various ungodly delicious potato renditions are big reasons why Minetta Tavern was called the city’s best steakhouse and awarded three stars by The New York Times. But no less the stuff of legend is chefs Riad Nasr and Lee Hanson’s Black Label Burger. Prime dry-aged beef sourced and aged for six to seven weeks by Pat LaFrieda is well seasoned and cooked on a plancha with clarified butter, developing a glorious exterior. The fussed-over burger is nestled onto a sesame-studded brioche bun designed specifically for it, topped with caramelized onions and served with pommes frites. Juicy, funky, salty, soul-satisfying, these words lose meaning in the presence of a burger this good. Minetta is a bit of a scene, and it’s going to cost you $26, but if you consider yourself a lover and connoisseur of the country’s best burgers and you have yet to make this pilgrimage, you better get moving.

1. Double Cheeseburger, Holeman & Finch Public House (Atlanta)

Every night at 10 p.m. on the dot, 24 burgers emerge from the kitchen at Holeman & Finch Public House, and that’s it. Even though they’re not listed on the menu, these burgers are often spoken for well in advance (they can be reserved at any point during service), and for good reason. Each double-patty burger of fresh-ground grass-fed chuck and brisket comes topped with American cheese, pickles, onions, and homemade ketchup, and is served on a toasted house-baked bun alongside fresh-cut fries. Chef Linton Hopkins (who developed this burger while he was battling cancer; it’s the only food he didn’t lose his taste for) chose to offer this burger on such a limited basis in order to let the other items on his menu get their due, but if you’d prefer not to take your chances you can also try it on Sundays, when it’s featured on their brunch menu. We suggest it; it’s nothing short of the best burger in America.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

And for the larger chains, here's their Top 10:

http://www.thedailymeal.com/america-s-top-10-chain-burgers-slideshow

10. Cheeseburger, BurgerFi

There are almost 50 BurgerFi locations, most in Florida and Texas, with a smattering on the East and West Coasts — the BurgerFication of America continues. Why? Much of that has to do with the fast-casual all-natural burgers made from humanely raised, 100 percent antibiotic- and hormone-free, and sustainably farmed cattle. The BurgerFi Cheeseburger, a double natural Angus burger with double layers of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and BurgerFi sauce, makes you wonder why tasty and responsible have taken such a long time to go hand in hand.

9. Cheeseburger with Everything, Fatburger

Just think, a few different decisions by a few select entrepreneurs and we all could be talking about In-N-Out and Fatburger as franchises with the same crazy scope as McDonald's. How's that? Lovie Yancey had been making Fatburgers in her own home for famous musicians on tour in Los Angeles before opening her first shop in 1952, that’s about four years after the McDonald's brothers opened the streamlined burger shop that would inspire Ray Kroc’s quest for national domination. Fatburger may not have the scope of McDonald’s, but it has a cult following for good reason: big, juicy hamburgers served with shredded lettuce, tomato, onion, relish, mustard, and mayo.

8. Crunchburger, Bobby’s Burger Palace

Food Network Iron Chef Bobby Flay doesn’t claim to have invented the idea of putting potato chips on a burger instead of serving them alongside one, but he did trademark the term "Crunchify," and proudly stack them three times the height of your typical burger (perhaps up to six times the height of a McDonald’s cheeseburger). The first of the current 15 Bobby’s Burger Palace locations (Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.) was launched in Lake Grove, Long Island, a pit-stop on the way to chef Flay’s Hamptons home. There are 10 signature burgers inspired by Flay’s travels across the country and his love of the grill, but that Crunchburger (or "Crunchifying" any of the signatures actually) is the move. A skewered burger made with certified Angus beef and served on a sesame seed bun, it’s draped with two layers of American cheese and layered with potato chips for a juicy, but texturally pleasing affair.

7. “The Burger,” BGR: The Burger Joint

The one burger you must have before you die. That’s the claim of founder Mark Bucher’s BGR: The Burger Joint, which is some 20 locations strong. Bucher’s burgers are modeled after Bucher’s burger memories as a child growing up on the outskirts of Philadelphia, where every Sunday, the neighborhood’s prime beef butcher Philip Kaufman would grill burgers that would draw long lines of local kids, including Bucher. The Burger Joint’s signature "The Burger," comes with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and "mojo sauce." They use dry-aged prime beef from grain-fed cattle, grilling them to temperature over an open flame, and settle them onto a buttery-toasted brioche bun baked just for the chain. The one caveat is that you need to eat the burger quickly lest the bun deteriorate. As tasty as this hamburger is, that won’t likely be a problem.

6. Whataburger, Whataburger

More than 60 years ago, Harmon Dobson was inspired to serve a burger on a 5-inch bun, a burger so big that it would take two hands to hold, and so good that after just one bite, customers would cry out, "What a burger!" Thus the name of his Corpus Christi, Texas, original: "Whataburger." However you order your Whataburger: (triple, double, jalapeño and cheese, bacon and cheese, or the new Monterey Melt with jalapeño ranch and grilled onions and peppers), you really can’t go wrong. But the beauty about the classic, the namesake Whataburger that comes with mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and diced onions on that 5-inch bun, is that beautiful blank canvas it provides. There are some 36,000 delicious different ways to make a Whataburger with special requests. What a burger indeed.

5. Umami Burger, Umami Burger

Adam Fleischman’s wildly popular LA-based Umami Burger chain is 17 locations strong, and about to double in scope. A $20 million investment by the New York-based Fortress Investment Group has Umami slated to open in 13 new cities in 2013, including Miami, New York, and Chicago, with more to come in Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, and Philadelphia. Named after the Japanese term the "fifth taste," this isn’t your run-of-the-mill burger chain. look at their flagship Umami burger for proof: a custom-baked Portuguese-style roll, a 6-ounce fresh-ground patty formed in a ring mold and seared on a ripping hot plancha, Umami Dust (which contains flavor-bomb ingredients like kombu and dried mushrooms), roasted tomato, caramelized onion, shiitake mushroom, a Parmesan crisp, and umami-kicked ketchup. When this place says "umami," they mean it.

4. The Original Double ‘N Cheese, Steak 'n Shake

Since 1934, Illinois-based Steak ‘n Shake has been serving their famous diner-style "steakburgers," and they’ve become the stuff of legend. The trademark creation is the classic Double ‘N Cheese, which is just what it sounds like: two patties, American cheese, and your choice of toppings. A true American classic, and undoubtedly delicious.

3. Cheeseburger, Five Guys

With more than 1,000 restaurants, this Washington, D.C.-based burger chain continues its quest for national domination, and as far as fast-food-style burgers go, it doesn’t get much better. Two thin, well-seared patties go into each cheeseburger (a single is called a "little" burger), and it’s served on a seeded enriched bun. You can stop there (the meat itself is juicy, beefy, and needs no augmentation), but with a selection of 15 free toppings there’s plenty of room for creativity. And don’t forget to order the Cajun-seasoned fries, and grab some free peanuts while you wait.

2. Double-Double Animal-Style, In-N-Out

It’s difficult to believe that Harry Snyder could have imagined the cult following that would swell up around his hamburger stand when he launched California’s first drive-thru in Baldwin Park in 1948. But take off they did. There are now almost 300 In-N-Out spots serving its signature "Animal-style," and that “secret” menu has spread beyond California to Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and Texas. A freshly baked old-fashioned bun made from slow-rising sponge dough, two slices of American cheese, two all-beef patties, a freshly sliced or grilled onion, fresh and crispy hand-leafed lettuce, a plump and juicy tomato slice, and the original recipe for In-N-Out’s "spread," which goes back to that founding year. So the fries are subpar even when ordered Animal-style, this excellent, quality, fast-food burger is the whole package. The perfect blueprint for fast-food burger heaven, which was only barely outvoted by the panel as the country’s best.

1. Shackburger, Shake Shack

America’s best fast-food burger is Shake Shack. Yes, it’s better than In-N-Out, and yes, it has its own secret menu… kind of (it’s called Danny Meyer’s hospitality philosophy). What started as a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park in 2001 has made history. In 2004, restaurateur Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group won the bid to open a permanent kiosk in the park, and the lines, buzz, cult following, and even a begrudging review from The New York Times followed. Why is it so good? Quality. And one of the juiciest cheeseburgers (100 percent all-natural Angus beef, no hormones, no antibiotics) you’ll ever find on a soft, grilled potato roll (ask for pickles and onions!). Shake Shack’s vigorous expansion program — Theatre District, Coral Gables, Abu Dhabi, and now, Las Vegas, means that next year, and for the first time ever, there will be a Shake Shack and an In-N-Out in the same city, setting up a showdown that has been in the works for fans of both chains as their devotees, and word about both burger joints has spread. Place your bets....

 

[tokyostomp]

Damnit, now I want a burger

 

[Chance Hale]

 

[Admiral Bone to Pick]

I dare someone to quote the OP.

 

[alfredofroylan]

In-N-Out above Five Guys!!!!!

 

[CHusson91]

Well, now I know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow...

 

[QuiteWhittle]

I want a burger so badly now

It's 1:23 in the morning, why'd you have to do this too meeee

 

[Spring-Loaded]

I remember seeing the sign advertising the Jucy Lucy... I could never bring myself to eat something called that.

 

[tokyostomp]

anyone else find The Habit grossly overrated

 

[chertipros]

For some reason I knew the shackburger would make #1. That shit is delicious

 

[Kevtones]

Sweet mother of God.

 

[TheKaeptain]

In-N-Out above Five Guys!!!!!

LIKE IT SHOULD BE!

 

[Off-Kilter]

Goddamn at all this food porn. Should've NSFW'd this.

 

[ZoddGutts]

In-N-Out above Five Guys!!!!!

As it should be.

 

[kirblar]

In-N-Out above Five Guys!!!!!

Five Guys quality control has suffered due to the franchising.

 

[aparisi2274]

I seriously think I am the only person who hates Shakeshack, and I live in NYC!

There is no way in hell that their shackburger is better than either In N Out, or Five Guys!!!

 

[ReturnOfTheRAT]

CLICK ON THE LINK
CLICK ON THE LINK
CLICK ON THE LINK
CLICK ON THE LINK
CLICK ON THE LINK

 

[morikaze]

Why did I click on this thread

 

[Minus_Me]

The Black Label burger is really an outstanding product. Totally gets my vote out of all the places I've been to.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

I see some places from CT in that list. Might have to make a trip on my next day off.
Thanks, now I am hungry as hell at 1:30 am.

 

[Qvoth]

i swear one day i'll travel to the usa and try some of these

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

How does the #1 burger in America have American Cheese [sic] on it? American cheese is just shit, I don't get it.

 

[BillRiccio]

List is automatically obsolete for not including anything from B-Spot.

http://bspotburgers.com/menu/

 

[Dead Man]

Good to see America getting on board with eggs on burgers.

 

[BlackNMild2k1]

As far as chain burger joints go, they left out one I think is more than good enough to have made the list

Mooyah's
http://mooyah.com/

something about their burgers are just so damn delicious. and I still don't see why In-n-out is still rated so high. Their burgers are not that good.

 

[Harry Potter]

In-N-Out above Five Guys!!!!!

My man.

 

[MDSLKTR]

Bless you OP

 

[PhoncipleBone]

This is both the most glorious, and the most horrific thread ever. Sweet glorious burgers everywhere, and all late at night when I cannot get any of them.
True torture.

 

[tokyostomp]

How does the #1 burger in America have American Cheese [sic] on it? American cheese is just shit, I don't get it.

People love that shit, No idea why

 

[Harry Potter]

If you're in NorCal, check out Gott's. My favorite burger place. Egg buns to die for.

 

[Minus_Me]

In-N-Out above Five Guys!!!!!

Shake Shack beats both.

 

[Femmeworth]

This is a bit too much IP theft, methinks.

 

[Artanisix]

oh my fucking god i have never wanted a burger more in my life than right now

 

[B-Dubs]

Shake Shack beats both.

Anyone who has had Shake Shack already knows it's the best.

 

[jediyoshi]

dick's #19?

questionable list.

 

[XiaNaphryz]

This is a bit too much IP theft me thinks.

The article had everything on a separate page, I figured people didn't want to click through 50 links. If the mods think its too much, I can trim out the description text.

 

[Minus_Me]

Burger Joint in the Parker Meridien in NYC is also pretty fantastic albeit a little pricey.

 

[dekline]

In-N-Out above Five Guys!!!!!

In-N-Out is delicious.

edit: I need to cook some meat

 

[PhoncipleBone]

The article had everything on a separate page, I figured people didn't want to click through 50 links. If the mods think its too much, I can trim out the description text.

No. NEVER change the OP. The length and glory of it should be celebrated from the heavens.

Spoiler

I hate you right now.

 

[Hellsing321]

32. Steamed Cheeseburger, Ted's (Meriden, Conn.)

Holy shit! Steamed Hams actually exist!

 

[David Incorporated Esq.]

List is automatically obsolete for not including anything from B-Spot.

http://bspotburgers.com/menu/

Aww yiss. Motha. Fuckin'. B-Spot.

I'll have to go back next time I'm home. Seriously how did they not make the list?

 

[HPhins54]

It's 1:47 in the morning and now I'm really craving a burger...

=/

 

[Femmeworth]

The article had everything on a separate page, I figured people didn't want to click through 50 links. If the mods think its too much, I can trim out the description text.

I bring it up out of ethical concerns, not moderation. Not trying to be an ass.

 

[WorldStar]

I'd put fatburger above in-n-out, but I used to work there so I might be a bit biased

King Burger + fried egg + bacon + cheese = heaven

ate one about every day for over a year. you'd think you'd get sick of it...but nope.

 

[aparisi2274]

Shake Shack beats both.

Nope. No it does not!

I've lived in NYC my whole life and I can say without a shadow of a doubt, that the Shackburger at Shake Shack is the absolute worst burger I have ever had the unfortunate pleasure of eating.

I truly can not express how much hatred and disdain I have for that burger, and for that chain.... I get annoyed when I see people waiting in line for 45min to get one of those burgers, where are so many other (and better) burgers to be had in the city!

(sorry for the rant, but I really just do not like that burger).

If you want a good burger in NYC, go to the Le Parke Meridian Hotel and hit up the Cheeseburger speakeasy. Such a tasty burger.

 

[Gobias]

No food can beat a good burger.

Also, I just realized that I've lived in central Ohio my whole life, yet I've never been to Thurmans.

 

[WorldStar]

fuck it in-n-out is down the street, brb burger time

u jelly?

 

[Minus_Me]

Nope. No it does not!

I've lived in NYC my whole life and I can say without a shadow of a doubt, that the Shackburger at Shake Shack is the absolute worst burger I have ever had the unfortunate pleasure of eating.

I truly can not express how much hatred and disdain I have for that burger, and for that chain.... I get annoyed when I see people waiting in line for 45min to get one of those burgers, where are so many other (and better) burgers to be had in the city!

(sorry for the rant, but I really just do not like that burger).

If you want a good burger in NYC, go to the Le Parke Meridian Hotel and hit up the Cheeseburger speakeasy. Such a tasty burger.

We might not agree on Shake Shack but I wrote another post about Burger Joint. A great burger all around and cooked to perfection.