Everyone has a different idea of what makes the best burger. Is it a thin patty or a thick one? Medium rare or medium well? Cheddar or American? We're not interested in diving into that debate right now. Instead, we present our staff-sourced list of our absolute favorite burgers. No grand claims, just good food (and apparently we really don't like fancy burgers).
We had our son Marlon seven years ago at Lenox Hill Hospital. While my wife Simone was recovering in the hospital bed after a VERY long day/night/morning/day/night, eating hospital Jell-O, I snuck off to J.G. Melon, a few blocks away. I sat down at one of its red checked-tablecothed tables in the back and got a cheeseburger and its signature cottage fries. The burger, fried till crisp and perfectly greasy on a flat-top griddle and blanketed in melted American cheese, and sandwiched between squishy toasted hamburger buns, was kind of the best thing I had ever eaten. The fries and vodka soda weren’t too shabby either. —Adam Rapoport, editor-in-chief
Pie 'n Burger in Pasadena, CA was one of the burgers that my boss and mentor at Union Square Hospitality Group, Richard Coraine, had credited as one of the inspirations for the Shack Burger, and I went to California to try it. It’s made to order, topped with a hand-smashed stack of iceberg lettuce, pickles, and homemade thousand-island type special sauce, then neatly wrapped in wax paper. Properly greasy griddled patty with cold crunchy lettuce for contrast, and an awesome 60s Cali dark wood vibe inside. I had it once, in 2005, and remember every bite. —Carla Lalli Music, food director
Harmon’s Lunch in Falmouth, ME. My dad ate lunch here weekly for god knows how long. It was the one restaurant I begged to go to as a kid. The burgers are thin, covered with American cheese, and, if you get them loaded (you should), they're topped with yellow mustard, red relish, and sautéed onions. I can eat three at a sitting. Definitely not a fancy burger but instantly recognizable as what a McDonald’s burger would be (used to be?) if it were about 200% better. —Scott DeSimon, deputy editor
Webers in Ontario (yes, Canada) is the best ever. Ever. It’s a tradition to stop there on the way to cottage country or camping in the summer. The burger is perfectly greasy and chargrilled. The accoutrement is as basic as you can get (yellow cheese, ketchup, mustard, pickles...), yet there is nothing else like it. And it needs to be accompanied by a milkshake. —Emily Eisen, associate photo editor
Brooks Headley’s superiority burger! I eat and love meat, but I love this veggie burger the most. Oh, man. The couple times I’ve had it, it was after a few drinks, so I can’t describe the nuance of specific ingredients. But I can tell you how it made me feel: giddy with surprise at its balance and rich taste and texture, and relieved to know that zero animals were killed on its way to my belly. As a recovering vegetarian, I’m always thinking about the origins of meat, which can be a buzzkill. To encounter something so wholesome AND satisfying is unusual—much like Brooks himself, whose total lack of bullshit while serving them (and always) enhances the whole experience. And…bonus: It’s a hangover tonic! Whatever goodness is in there counteracts the effects of any booze. —Cara Cannella, researcher
I don't even really *like* burgers, but the one from Fred's Meat & Bread had me fighting my friends for it. The sesame bun was squishy and fluffy and amazing. It's not a potato roll (boring) and not brioche (too rich/thick), but it was somewhere between the two. The patty was perfectly savory, salty and kinda thin (just like I like it) and they used American cheese (required) which was almost completely melted, not just a single slapped on there. The super crunchy pickles were an added bonus because they are in my top five favorite foods, so I'm sure that helped. —Alison Roman, senior food editor
One of the most underrated ingredients in a burger is salt. And that's why I like the one at The Brindle Room in the East Village so much. The patty has an amazing salty and crispy crust, while the inside remains perfect medium rare. The restaurant offers several cheese options, but American is the only one that should be there. —Carey Polis, senior web editor
The Seafood Shanty. A clam shack on Rt. 6 near the Cape Cod bridges. I plan my trips to get there at lunchtime. After a week of eating all seafood all the time, this is just the perfect counterpoint. It’s not too big, so a good reentry into other protein groups, and by the last bite, it has disintegrated into an mush of bun, mayo, ketchup, cheese and burger. It’s a mess, but it’s the best. —Chris Penberthy, research director
The best burger I have ever had is at the Gowanus Yacht Club in Brooklyn’s Carroll Gardens neighborhood. (There are no yachts. And it’s not on the water.) It’s laughably low-brow: just a crappy, thin, often overdone patty slapped on a squishy, smushed bun—with American cheese, of course. I smother it in ketchup and eat it with a bag of potato chips (they refuse to serve fries) and a Founders IPA straight outta the can. Some things just taste better lowbrow, and burgers are definitely one of them. —Rochelle Bilow, associate web editor
J.G. Melon on the UES of Manhattan makes the best burger of all time. Perfectly seasoned patty, soft bun, American cheese, minimal toppings, and cheap beers to pair. The burger tastes like someone’s grandfather made it for you, in the best possible way. The place is an institution, and the kitchen is open until 1:00 a.m. Ultimate late night move, and it’s walking distance from my apartment. No complaints here. —Alex Delany, production assistant
Charlie’s Hamburgers in Folsom, PA. No-frills griddled goodness with cheese, paired with a black & white shake. —Rob Staeger, freelance copy editor
My favorite burger resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the city where I grew up (so there’s some nostalgia involved). It’s from a magical place called Burgatory where you can create your own custom burger. You can pick any meat you want, from elk to bison to crab to chicken, then pick bread, cheese, sauces, and the toppings are limitless and fresh. But they also have a set menu, and one of my favorites is the awesomely named “Meat Your Maker,” which is, per the description, “dry aged Wagyu beef with sweet onion crust, aged gruyere, roasted tomatoes, organic field greens, and truffled shallot aioli. So good you’ll think you died and went to heaven.” Pretty much sums it up. —Jill Baughman, digital recipe editor
My parents live in Honolulu, and there’s this Hawaiian fast food chain called Zippy's. It’s basically a Hawaiian McDonalds, except maybe greasier, less maintained, and a bunch of Japanese-inspired food on the menu. I grew up going to the beach and eating their Teriyaki Burger—I single-handedly blame my overweight childhood on this place. It's really a simple burger—not a fan of fussy burgers with too much on them—and I’m actually thankful it’s a long flight away because my waistline can’t handle it. —Josh Ocampo, business manager
The greatest burger of my childhood was/is found at O’Connoll’s, an old-school Irish pub in St. Louis. Theirs is a huge, juicy, no-frills burger served with a slice of onion, a piece of lettuce, and cheese if desired. Their onion rings, as I remember them, are phenomenal and must be ordered alongside. —Claire Saffitz, associate food editor
Right now, the honors have to go to the Ch-Ch-Ch-Chon Burger at Genuine Superette. It’s wagyu beef, charred jalapeño mayo, cotija cheese, and pickled jalapeños on a Martin’s potato roll—and named by a friend who won a blind burger taste-test there this year. —Christina Chaey, assistant web editor