18 of the Best Hamburgers in America

Even if you’re a bit of a food snob, there’s just no substitute for a nice juicy burger. Whether it’s the greasy bliss of crisp bacon and melted American cheese or a fancy-pants melt in your mouth Kobe burger, these 18 restaurants have the power to make even a vegetarian think twice.

The almighty Smashburger in Denver

Broward / Palm Beach

Sonny’s Famous Steak Hogies
Sonny’s is what you might call an institution — by the time its birthday rolls around on May 29, it will have been sitting in the same quaint spot just north of Taft Street for 50 years. It’s a family joint, with papa Sonny having passed down his legacy to his sonny, John Nigro, who’s…More >>

Dallas

Twisted Root Burger Co.
This Deep Ellum gem is known for one of the best hamburgers in town, along with its famous homemade root beer and milkshakes that can be ordered with Bailey’s or amaretto. But for those hoping to avoid a future of getting drunk on milkshakes and packing on calories from hamburgers, the turkey…More >>

Denver

Bud’s Cafe & Bar
The winner and still the chomp. Bud’s Bar in Sedalia has seen a lot of changes over the years, including a new owner, but this classic roadhouse remains dedicated to the noble art of burger-makin’. In fact, for decades it’s made nothing but burgers: hamburgers, cheeseburgers, double hamburgers,…More >>

Smashburger (Best Strip-Mall Burger)
Meat candy. That’s the only way to describe the thin, crispy, lacy rind of caramelized beef juice that fries up around the edges of a perfectly smashed smashburger at Smashburger — the new, homegrown chain that actually came up with a different way to do burgers, smashing them down on a…More >>

Houston

105 Grocery & Deli
The 105 Grocery & Deli is located in the rural hamlet of Washington, not far from Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park. Inside, there are a lot of cold drink cases and about six tables scattered around the interior. The burgers are made on a griddle behind the cash register. They come wrapped…More >>

The Hill Bar & Grill
J’s Special at The Hill Bar & Grill in Waller is a cheeseburger served on Texas toast. Swapping out a bun for two double-thick slices of toasted white bread sounds like a pretty minor change. But the effect that-aggressively griddled Texas toast has on this cheeseburger is quite…More >>

J’s Special at The Hill Bar & Grill

Kansas City

Blanc Burgers + Bottles
Burgers are a big deal in meat-and-potato-lovin’ KC. Barbecue and steaks may be this town’s signature dishes, but a perfectly cooked all-beef patty evokes almost as much reverence. None of the beauties at the new restaurants in the Power & Light District has the incandescence of the “Classic…More >>

Uncle Bill’s Mini Cheeseburgers (Best Sliders)
There are hamburger purists who won’t accept the use of the word slider to describe just any miniburger. Essentially, their argument is correct. A miniature burger is just like a regular hamburger but shrunk down to not-quite-Lilliputian dimensions. A slider has to resemble the classic White…More >>

Los Angeles

Comme Ça
There are a lot of things to admire about Comme Ça. The selection of ripe cheese is among the best in the city, and the braised beef shoulder is exemplary. I love the mussels steamed in cream and Pernod, the hand-chopped steak tartare and what at the moment may be the only serious coq au… More >>

Minneapolis

Casper & Runyon’s Nook
If you can’t get in, it must be good, right? Okay, so the masses don’t always recognize quality (is American Idol still on?), but in the case of Casper & Runyon’s Nook, the crowds are correct. Sometimes it seems that the most coveted seat in town is one in this small, narrow joint near the…More >>

Nashville

PM Cafe
We usually have to make an educated guess about the supreme sammy, but this year we conducted an exhaustive–if not scientific–survey of burger-and-bun stacks. PM’s eight-ounce flame-kissed patty–infused with minced onions sautéed in butter and licked with a glaze of…More >>