30 editor picks across United States.
30 burgers restaurants worth the trip across United States, editor-ranked. All cuisines in United States.
Dotty Dumpling's Dowry on North Frances, downtown Madison's burger institution founded by Jeff Stanley, runs a long burger menu with cheese-curd toppings.
OrderA Melting Pot burger with hand-cut onion rings on the side.
TipClosed Sundays; the front bar gets loud on football and basketball game days.
Kopp's Frozen Custard on North Port Washington Road, founded by Elsa Kopp in 1950, serves jumbo cheeseburgers and a daily-changing custard flavour today.
OrderA Jumbo cheeseburger and a small of the flavour of the day with a chocolate cone.
TipLines move fast; counter only and three locations across the Milwaukee suburbs.
Solly's Grille on North Port Washington Road in Glendale, founded by Kenneth Salmon in 1936, popularised the butter burger with a pat on a griddled patty.
OrderThe original butter burger with stewed onions and a chocolate malt to go.
TipCounter only; arrive before 12:30 weekdays to skip the lunch queue.
Skip Kitchen on El Camino Avenue in Carmichael is the suburban gourmet burger counter north of midtown, the chef-driven greasy-spoon institution.
OrderThe gourmet burger with the mac puppies; the mini beef Wellingtons; the hand-cut fries
TipClosed Sunday. Counter ordering and patio. The signature joker card draw gives one diner a free meal.
Workingman's Friend in Haughville, Indianapolis is a 1918 lunch counter. The thin-patty smash double cheeseburger is the West Side standard.
OrderThe smash double cheeseburger with mustard, onion and pickle.
TipCash only. Lunch counter; in and out. Closed Sunday.
Stock and Barrel on Market Square, the burger and bourbon room running since 2013, sources beef from Mitchell Family Farms with a bar pouring more than 300.
OrderA house burger with a bourbon flight off the 300-deep American whiskey list.
TipWalk-up is reliable weeknights before 18:00; the bar runs later than the kitchen on Friday and Saturday nights.
Stock and Barrel on Market Square, the bourbon-and-burger counter since 2013, sources beef from Mitchell Family Farms with bread from Flour Head Bakery.
OrderA house burger with a bourbon flight off the 300-deep American whiskey list.
TipWalk-up runs weeknights before 18:00; the bar stays open past kitchen close on weekends.
Crown Burgers on East 200 South, the Katsanevas family's burger institution since 1978, popularized Salt Lake's pastrami burger at its Greek-American counter.
OrderThe Crown burger with pastrami plus fry sauce and a gyro on the side.
TipLunch turns the counter fast; the original downtown location is the canonical seat among the seven Utah branches.
Crown Burgers on East 200 South, the Katsanevas family's institution since 1978, popularized Salt Lake's pastrami burger at its Greek-American counter.
OrderThe Crown burger with pastrami plus a side of fry sauce and a gyro.
TipOriginal downtown location is the canonical seat among seven Utah branches; lunch counter turns fast.
The Owl Cafe on Eubank Boulevard is the green chile cheeseburger anchor on the New Mexico GCCB Trail, modeled after the Owl Bar and Cafe in San Antonio NM.
OrderGreen chile cheeseburger, Owl burger
The Owl Cafe on Eubank Boulevard in Albuquerque is the green chile cheeseburger anchor on the New Mexico Tourism GCCB Trail, open daily from 07:00.
OrderGreen chile cheeseburger, Owl burger
Tremont Tavern has hand-crafted burgers and a deep beer list on Hixson Pike in Chattanooga since 2006, a neighbourhood pub that takes its patties seriously.
OrderThe house burger, medium, with a rotating Tennessee draft.
TipKitchen runs to 22:00 most nights and 23:00 Thursday to Saturday; Monday opens at 15:00, not lunch.
Big Al's Burgers and Dogs grinds its 60/40 bacon burger on Mountain Avenue in Fort Collins, with Chicago dogs, truffle fries and hand-scooped shakes.
OrderThe 60/40 bacon burger with truffle fries
TipHappy hour 14:00-17:00 daily puts burgers, Chicago dogs and milkshakes at 5 dollars each; the art on the walls rotates.
Kincaid's Hamburgers has been grilling Fort Worth's favourite burgers at Camp Bowie Blvd since starting life as a grocery store butcher in 1946.
OrderThe original half-pound burger, house-made pimento cheese, pecan pie slice.
TipOrder at the counter and grab a spot at the butcher-block tables. The half-pound patty is pressed fresh daily.
Kincaid's Hamburgers has been grilling Fort Worth's favourite burgers at Camp Bowie Blvd since starting life as a grocery store butcher in 1946.
OrderThe original half-pound burger, house-made pimento cheese, pecan pie slice.
TipOrder at the counter and grab a spot at the butcher-block tables. The half-pound patty is pressed fresh daily.
Lankford Grocery & Market in Houston is the 1939 corner-store-turned-burger-shack on Dennis Street in Midtown, with the Grim burger, weekday breakfast.
OrderThe Grim (a Hatch chile burger with American cheese, jalapenos and house sauce).
TipCash and card. Closed weekends. Sit at the picnic tables outside; the indoor counter is a single bench.
In-N-Out Burger on Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, is the chain landmark closest to the Walk of Fame, with late-night drive-through service until 1:30.
OrderA Double-Double Animal Style with grilled onions and extra spread, plus fries well done.
TipLate-night Friday and Saturday closes at 1:30, the queue spills around the block by midnight.
Tipsy Cow on King Street, just off Capitol Square, runs an American burger menu with Wisconsin cheese curds, craft beer and a long whisky and cocktail list.
OrderA Wisconsin butter burger with fried cheese curds on the side.
TipClosed Sundays; the bar runs faster than the dining room midweek.
Sobelman's Pub and Grill on West St Paul Avenue serves Milwaukee's most photographed Bloody Mary with brat, slider and pickled garnish stack since 1999.
OrderThe Masterpiece Bloody Mary garnished with a brat, slider and pickled vegetables.
TipLines wrap weekends; weekday lunch is the calmer window. Five Milwaukee locations.
Hodad's in Ocean Beach is the 1969 Newport Avenue burger shack with surfboards on the walls, the Guy Fieri Diners Drive-Ins and Dives stop and the canonical.
OrderThe Double Bacon Cheeseburger with the works.
TipThe line moves; queue at the side door for takeout. Park your car blocks away on weekends, Newport Avenue fills up.
Green Dot Stables on West Lafayette in Corktown serves $3 sliders in Detroit. Cash and cards; loud and busy at peak. Walk-in only. At 2200 W Lafayette Blvd.
OrderOrder four sliders across categories, the fries, and a $3 cocktail to match.
TipCash and cards; loud and busy at peak. Walk-in only.
Brome Modern Eatery on Michigan Avenue in Dearborn serves halal grass-fed beef burgers and hand-spun shakes in metro Detroit. Open through 02:00 on weekends.
OrderHalal beef burger with crispy onions and a salted-caramel milkshake.
TipLate-night kitchen runs to 02:00 Wednesday to Sunday; vegetarian and vegan options too.
Love Shack by Tim Love in Fort Worth is a Stockyards counter-service burger stand on Exchange Ave serving the celebrated Dirty Love Burger since 2009.
OrderDirty Love Burger, hand-cut fries, root beer on tap.
TipCounter service only. The root beer on tap is brewed in-house. Tables on the outdoor deck fill fast during the evening cattle drive hours.
Curious Dog on West Jackson, the brothers Weidenhamer's hot-dog counter in the historic JFG building, runs over 30 specialty dog builds since 2009.
OrderA specialty dog build with a bottle off the rotating craft-beer wall.
TipBottle shop runs longer than the kitchen; aim for lunch or early dinner.
Cassell's Hamburgers inside the Hotel Normandie in Koreatown grinds its own chuck for griddled patties, a recipe in continuous use since 1948.
OrderThe third-pound cheeseburger with grilled onions, plus a vanilla malt for the side.
TipCassell's grinds beef in-house every morning; the breakfast burrito is the under-rated order from the same kitchen.
In-N-Out Burger near LAX on Sepulveda sits at the end of runway 24R, making it the chain branch that doubles as a plane-spotting picnic spot.
OrderA Double-Double Animal Style and a chocolate shake to eat on the patio.
TipThe patio is the move; aircraft pass directly overhead on approach to runway 24R every two minutes.
Tipsy Cow on King Street, just off Capitol Square, runs an American burger menu with Wisconsin cheese curds, craft beer and a long whisky and cocktail list.
OrderA Wisconsin butter burger with cheese curds on the side.
TipClosed Sundays; weeknight 11:00-22:00 hours run quieter than weekends.
The Plaza Tavern on North Henry, a block off State Street between the Capitol and UW Madison, is home to the secret-sauce Plazaburger since 1964.
OrderThe Plazaburger with the secret sauce, plus a side of fried cheese curds.
TipClosed Sundays; small-town tavern feel makes the dinner shift the right window.
The Plaza Tavern on North Henry, a block off State Street between the Capitol and UW Madison, is home to the secret-sauce Plazaburger since 1964.
OrderThe Plazaburger with the secret sauce and a side of fried cheese curds.
TipClosed Sundays; the small-town tavern feel makes the dinner shift the right window.
AJ Bombers on North Water Street downtown is Joe Sorge's burger bar with airplane-themed peanut delivery, the Barrie Burger and a deep beer list since 2009.
OrderThe Barrie Burger with cheese curds and a basket of fries.
TipPeanut shells go on the floor by tradition; weekend brunch runs Bloody Marys 10:00-14:00.
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