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! From finely smashed patties to thick wagyu beef, we’ve rounded up a list of the best burgers in NYC that you need to be devouring. So sit back, relax, and get your tastebuds ready.
1. 7th Street Burger, Multiple Locations
Starting off our list is 7th Street Burger, who might just have the best smash burgers in NYC. It’s a great spot for cheap eats, and their menu is as simple and compact as it gets. Come for their simple, yet classic cheeseburger for $6.50 and and stay for their mouth-watering loaded beef fries! They’re also open late at night (we’re talking 3 am), so you can grab a smash burger at any time.
Where: Find your location here
2. 4 Charles Prime Rib, West Village
4 Charles Prime Rib is deemed to many as thee best burger in NYC, and it’s definitely for great reason. This fancy steakhouse serves up a 10 oz Double Wagyu Cheeseburger (griddled and pressed snake river farms wagyu with American cheese, pickles, and dijonnaise) for $36.95. We even suggest adding an egg on top to complete the one-of-a-kind burger. The owners of this restaurant are the same group responsible for Chicago’s most famous burger joint, Au Cheval, so it makes sense why it’s just so damn good.
Where: 4 Charles St #3004
3. Emily, West Village & Clinton Hill
The Emmy Burger at Emily has won multiple awards over the years for best burger in NYC, and that’s why it sits so high on our list. The Emmy Double Stack Burger consists of dry-aged grass fed beef, EMMY sauce, caramelized onion, American cheese, and pickles on a pretzel bun – with waffle fries…yeah, it’s as good as it sounds.
Where:
West Village – 35 Downing St
Clinton Hill – 919 Fulton St, Brooklyn
4. Minetta Tavern, West Village
This Black Label Burger at Minetta Tavern 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 a selection of prime dry-aged beef cuts, topped with caramelized onions, and served on a fluffy brioche bun that Balthazar Bakery made specifically for the masterpiece.
Where: 113 MacDougal St
5. Red Hook Tavern, Red Hook
From the team behind Hometown Bar-B-Que is Red Hook Tavern, a Brooklyn establishment who serves a juicy thick patty smothered in cheesy greatness. The Dry Aged Red Hook Tavern Burger (American cheese, white onion) will run you $29, but it’s worth every penny since the beef is such great quality. It comes with steak fries on the side too, which is a nice touch.
Where: 329 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn
6. Jerrell’s BETR BRGR, SoHo
Jerrell’s BETR BRGR got our Secret NYC stamp of approval, and it’s because of their flavorful plant-based burgers! Everything at this burger joint is vegan, including the O.G. BETR BRGR, which is our favorite! It’s made up of two Impossible™ patties, vegan cheese, lettuce & tomato, grilled onions, pickles & Jerrell’s special sauce. You can also try out the Supr BETR BRGR too, which adds their “bacon” and vegan chili on top…need we say more?!
Where: 116 6th Ave
7. Raoul’s, SoHo
This burger is an if you know you know kind of deal! Raoul’s only serves 12 of their tasty burgers an evening so you got to try to catch them at a good and early time. The beefy patty comes on a challah roll with creamy cheese, watercress and cornichons, and you can only order it at the bar. It comes with a side of their authentic au poivre sauce, which we advise dipping your burger into as you devour. Take yourself on a solo dining date and enjoy all the flavors this burger has to offer…it’s worth it.
Where: 180 Prince St
8. Peter Luger Steak House, Williamsburg
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-aged steak, and we suggest adding cheese to kick up its tastiness even more. The steakhouse is even offering delivery service for the first time in its 133-year history!
Where: 178 Broadway, Broadway
9. J.G. Melon, Upper East Side
J.G. Melon serves one of NYC’s quintessential hamburgers. This “saloon with food” on the Upper East Side keeps their burgers 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!
Where: 1291 3rd Ave
10. Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer, SoHo & 35th St
Known for their “CrazyShakes,” don’t overlook the burger selection at this New York joint. The Greg Norman is the 3x people’s choice award winner at NYC’s “Burger Bash,” and it’s made with wagyu beef, blue cheese, house buttermilk-dill, and arugula. And, as true to the restaurant’s name, you can order it as a single or a double for an extra $3.
Where:
SoHo – 529 Broome St
35th St – 45 W 35th St
11. Harlem Shake, Harlem & Park Slope
The Hot Mess from Harlem Shake is changing the game of smash burgers. This patty has the crispiest edges ever that pair flawlessly with its toppings of pickled cherry pepper and bacon relish, American cheese, and smoky chipotle mayo. It’s leaps above fast food chains while still being totally affordable.
Where:
Harlem – 100 W 124th St
Park Slope – 119 5th Ave (at Sterling Place), Brooklyn
12. Whitman’s, East Village & Hudson Yards
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, and special sauce, all on sesame bun.
Where:
East Village – 406 E 9th St
Hudson Yards – 331 10th Ave
13. P.J. Clarke’s, Multiple Locations
The “Cadillac” at PJ Clarke’s 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.
Where:
Midtown – 915 3rd Ave
Lincoln Square – 44 W 63rd St
On the Hudson 250 Vesey St
14. SMASHED, LES & West Village
As you can probably guess, SMASHED specializes in different combinations of delightful smash burgers. You can opt for their classic The Big Schmacc (Double Burger, Double Cheese, Lettuce, Pickles, SMASHED Sauce on a Potato Roll), or get a little fancier with their concoctions like the BBQ Burger (BBQ Sauce, Beef Patty, Onion Rings, Bacon, Jalapeno, American Cheese on a Potato Roll.) or Truffle Burger (Double Burger, Tartufo Shepard Cheese, Onion Jam, Truffle Aioli, Shaved Black Truffles, Crispy Onions on a Brioche Bun. Seasoned With Truffle Butter and Truffle Salt), plus many more.
Where:
LES – 177 Orchard St
West Villages – 516 Hudson St
15. Shake Shack, Multiple Locations
It may be a chain, but for about $7 the ShackBurger is perfect 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 $9.09.
Where: Multiple Locations
Also published on Medium.