Burgers—an American comfort food that’s best served with crispy fries. They’re juicy, cheesy, and taste delicious with any toppings you prefer…or all of them if you don’t mind a temporary mess.
With so many options around the city it can be hard to decipher the good from the bad, or know if it’s worth the price tag (at some pricier restaurants). However, if you’re craving a tasty hamburger we’ve made the search easier by breaking down some of the city’s best burger joints. We’ve also ranked them by price, ranging from as cheap as $5 to as expensive as $120! It’s all about the toppings and the aged meat…but personally, we’ll stick to the comfort and cost of the first half of this list most days.
1. Shake Shack – Shackburger, $5.99
Where: Multiple Locations
It may be a chain, but for about $6 it’s a staple burger for any New Yorker. A cheesy patty in a potato roll with some shack sauce…yum! You can even Get a DIY Shackburger kit delivered right to your apartment, try making your own, or splurge on double patties for $8.79.
2. Superiority Burger – Superiority Burger, $6
Where: 430 East 9th Street, New York
If you’re not feeling the chain burger but still want something cheap and delicious, superiority burger is a must-try. The cheeseburger comes with muenster cheese, lettuce, and a dill pickle. Perfectly simple. Closed on Mondays.
3. Black Tap Singles & Doubles Pop-Up – The Greg Norman, $10
Where: 529 Broome Street, New York
Known for their “CrazyShakes,” don’t over look the burger selection at this New York joint. Now operating as a limited-time takeout only pop-up at their original Soho location, you can order The Greg Norman, the 3x people’s choice award winner at NYC’s “Burger Bash,” made with wagyu beef, blue cheese, house buttermilk-dill, and arugula.
4. J.G. Melon – Cheeseburger, $12.50
Where: 1291 3rd Avenue, New York
J.G. Melon serves one of NYC’s quintessential hamburgers. Simple and classic, it’s got American cheese, pickles and raw onions. And even though it’s not fancy, it’s so popular that even Bobby Flay once said it was his favorite burger!
5. Whitmans – Juicy Lucy, $13
Where: 406 East 9th Street, New York
The Whitman’s Juicy Lucy burger is stuffed with delicious pimento cheese that oozes out when you bite into it (you may not want to cut this one in half if you’re not ready to deal with a cheesy mess on your plate). The juicy burger comes topped with caramelized onions, bibb lettuce, tomatoes, spicy pickles, special sauce, all on sesame bun.
6. Peter Luger – Luger-Burger, $14.95
Where: 178 Broadway, Brooklyn
As a steakhouse it’s only fitting that they’d also have an amazing burger. The half pound Luger-Burger is made out of the same beef as their dry ages steak. The steakhouse is even offering delivery service for the first time in its 133-year history!
7. P.J. Clarke’s – The Cadillac, $15
Where: 915 3rd Avenue, New York
This is one of the city’s most famous cheeseburgers. Nat King Cole dubbed it “the Cadillac of burgers” in the 50’s. It’s thick and juicy, and topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and double smoked country bacon.
8. Emily – Emmy Burger, $28
Where: 35 Downing Street, New York
LaFrieda dry-aged beef, EMMY sauce, caramelized onion, American cheese, & pickles on a pretzel bun – with curly fries… yeah, it’s as good as it sounds.
9. Minetta Tavern’s Black Label Burger, $36
Where: 13 Macdougal Street, New York
This is one of the most hyped burgers in the city. It consistently makes all the “best burger” lists, and it doesn’t disappoint. It’s made with prime dry-aged beef cuts, topped with caramelized onions and served on a brioche bun.
10. DB Bistro Moderne’s Royale Double Truffle Burger, $120
Where: 55 West 44th Street, New York
You can barely fit this burger in your mouth, and you can barely fit the price in your budget. The ground sirloin prime rib burger is stuffed with foie gras, short ribs, veggies, and black truffle. So much black truffle goes into this burger that you can only order it in the winter, so maybe by the time winter comes the restaurant will reopen, otherwise, for now you can order from the delivery experience “DB Kitchen.”
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featured image source: Au Cheval
Also published on Medium.