Best burger ever?

[Elefantino]

The smoking ad got me thinking about burgers. (Work with me here.)

When we were in DC earlier this month for parents' weekend, our daughter took us to one of Capitol Hill's most popular staff luncheries, the Good Stuff Eatery (http://www.goodstuffeatery.com/). There, I had the "President Obama Burger," consisting of bacon, blue cheese, horseradish mayo and a sweet and sour red onion marmalade.

Un. Be. Lievable. Destroys Five Guys.

I'd have to say the only other burger that compares is the Star Burger at the Shooting Star Saloon (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shooting-Star-Saloon/378147698592) in Huntsville, Utah, outside Ogden. The oldest bar in the state (1879), it was grandfathered in and the strict Mormon alcohol laws don't apply.

What are some of your favorites?

[AngryScientist]

too many good ones to make a decision. NYC is littered with secret little burger gems. theres also a huge difference between the best gourmet burger and the best "fast" burger, both delicious in their own right.

anyway, i've been thinking about this for a while, i would like to start a "police force" that investigates and prosecutes establishments that wrongfully use "the best_________" advertising. what allows any establishment to claim they are the "best"?? a gorilla police squad to watch over this stuff would be key, IMO :D

http://www.maranausd.org/images/pages/N4174/policebadge4c.gif

[Aaron O]

Sketch in the Fishtown section of Philadelphia makes one of the best burgers I've ever had and the fries are the best I've had.

As far as chains, I think Red Robin makes a pretty edible burger, and for fast food - I do enjoy Sonic and 5 Guys. Cali people all swear by In and Out, but Cali people also swear by Masi Carlsbad, Jim Morrison and Ahhh-nold :rolleyes: I remain skeptical.

[tuscanyswe]

oh tough question.

All burgers i have eaten when visiting US have been delicious! (dont eat mcdonalds btw..) You guys know your meats imo!

Best one was a hotel in Miami that served mini burgers. 6 of these delicious little things on a big plate. Was my lunch for the entire week. Good stuff!! I belived they had bacon on em aswell.

[Wilkinson4]

Haven't had the best one yet:D Heading to Minn next and looking forward to trying a juicy lucy! Think I'll head to the Nook.

Anybody ever stopped in Salina, KS at the Cozy Inn. After a long day on the road, they are little nuggets from Heaven.

mIKE

[tele]

I'd have to say the only other burger that compares is the Star Burger at the Shooting Star Saloon (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shooting-Star-Saloon/378147698592) in Huntsville, Utah, outside Ogden. The oldest bar in the state (1879), it was grandfathered in and the strict Mormon alcohol laws don't apply.

What are some of your favorites?
Went to the Shooting star a couple of years ago, the burger was pretty tasty! So good we are going back in January!
Other than that, any grass fed beef rates high in my book.

[fourflys]

one of my favorites has always been Steak and Shake in the MidWest... BUT, if you are are ever in San Diego, you need to try Hodad's (http://hodadies.com/home/) ... the bacon cheeseburger is so awesome... they were actually featured on Diners, Dives, and Drive-Ins a couple years ago...

[FlashUNC]

In N' Out holds a special place in my probably clogged heart. I make sure to go there whenever I'm on the West Coast.

Absent that, probably Five Guys in terms of "fast" burgers.

Probably my favorite burger though is from Tap in Atlanta. Their pub burger is unbelieveably good for being as simple as it is.

[Steve in SLO]

Big Mac.
Yep. Big mac.
Now the important part: It was the first thing I ate after coming off the trail after a 2 week solo backpack trip.
I have eaten a lot of 'better' burgers, but 25 years along I can still remember how good that one tasted.

[Fixed]

http://ellasfolkartcafe.com/Site_2/Home.html
so close i can see it from my window
cheers cost 12 dollars

[gavingould]

In'N'Out - been ten years since I've had it but still remember.
Five Guys - relatively new to Chicagoland, but quite good
Kuma's Corner - great variety of burgers here, but I don't like how long the wait is. Most Chicago people know of it.

I'd have to say my current favorite is Edzo's up in Evanston. Old school, ground fresh every morning in house, cooked right. Great fries as well.

[johnnymossville]

This burger in it's simplicity is absolutely the best burger I've ever had. Oh I enjoy all kinds of burgers with all kinds of add-ons, but this thing is great.

http://ozersky.tv/2011/03/the-north-jersey-onion-burger/

[jchasse]

In recent memory, probably the lamb burger at Squealing Pig in P-town, MA.

[Fixed]

i know i am weird but they have to have mustard and pickles .

Pabst Blue Ribbon seems popular too now hmm i am hungry i am going to ella's back in a couple hours
cheers

[d_man16]

Big Mac.
Yep. Big mac.
Now the important part: It was the first thing I ate after coming off the trail after a 2 week solo backpack trip.
I have eaten a lot of 'better' burgers, but 25 years along I can still remember how good that one tasted.

I can still remember having a "Mayo! Mayo!" after hiking the El Camino de Santiago- Like it was yesterday (ten years later): bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato, ham a slab of beef and more bacon. :hello:

I can't remember the place or the street that it was on- I remember it tasting so good.....I don't think I've consumed anything that has been able to parallel it...... Except well a good creme brule.

~D

[CunegoFan]

I'd have to say the only other burger that compares is the Star Burger at the Shooting Star Saloon (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shooting-Star-Saloon/378147698592) in Huntsville, Utah, outside Ogden. The oldest bar in the state (1879), it was grandfathered in and the strict Mormon alcohol laws don't apply.

Ooh. Interesting. I occasionally get up that way, but I never knew about this. It sounds like a ride over Trapper's Loop, descent into Ogden Valley, stop for a burger, climb over the backside of the Odgen Divide, and back to the start to make it a loop needs to be entered into my "to do" list.

[bocarider]

This is a topic I with which I am obsessed.

In the thin burger genre, Shake Shack does it for me (first pic) and yes, I ate all 3.



I have done a pretty good job of home grinding flap meat, boneless short ribs and brisket and doing loosely packed thin patties, cooked on a steel griddle with amazing results (second pic). This was based on James Kenji Alt's burger lab recipe from seriouseats.com. The guy is a genius - check him out.

[zap]

Five Guy's...................I hate walking by 5 dudes joints.

The smell of burnt grease/meat is rather unpleasant.

Anyhow, ate at one when it first opened up. It was ok but once owners left after training staff, the burgers were just nasty.

Elevation Burgers is a better. I keep getting free food from this place....so I go back.

Also, what's up with the midget burgers at these places.

Best I had........Kobe burger from a place in Potomac, MD that's no longer in biz......owners retired. Rare only. New pub opening soon in Potomac and we are lobbying for the Kobe burger to be put on the menu.

[rnhood]

The McDonalds Angus Burger is a very decent hamburger and its available just about anywhere. Much better than one might think.

[jr59]

I don't know if ours are the best, BUT

New Orleans serves up some very,very good food!
Burgers included; Port-o-call is always listed as one of the best in the country, and that one is not the best in town.

Come on down, we will eat and ride and eat some more. :beer:

[azrider]

Booches Burgers Columbia, MO

Burgers cooked on a flat grill and served with wax paper since 1884. Place has couple snooker, and eight ball tables in the back and cold beer on tap. Place was voted top ten burger joints in 2005 i think. No fries, no onion rings, just a burger and chips (made locally).

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lPiECWVzadk/SmSw1gqzUVI/AAAAAAAAAao/RPk-tkVfDvQ/s1600/-1.jpg

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lPiECWVzadk/SmSwudD-TRI/AAAAAAAAAag/3LMo8FEnZF4/s1600/-2.jpg

[CunegoFan]

The McDonalds Angus Burger is a very decent hamburger and its available just about anywhere. Much better than one might think.
There is no way I am eating an anus burger.

Sad fact. When I finished chemotherapy and my doctor gave me the all clear, I had been nauseous for months and lost a ton of weight. On the way back from doc I stopped and got a Wendy's Big Bacon Classic (R.I.P.). I have always regretted not getting something better, but it did taste very good.

[yetitotheheady]

Sacramento, CA

When you guys come to Sacramento for nahbs next year I would say....

1. Burgers and Brew
2. Squeeze Inn (as seen on Dinners Drive-ins and Dives)
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206042_937281154137_24605184_44267383_2796541_n.jp g
The cheese "skirt" for the win.

3. Jim Denny's (as seen on Dinners Drive-ins and Dives)
4. Willies Burger

Umm

FourFlys is right about Hodads in San Diego that place is amazing.

Anyone had Thurman Cafe in Columbus, Ohio? That place was solid as well.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/222429_876425424507_24605184_43475709_7570973_n.jp g

Ham on a hamburger...sure why not I'll burn it off on the next ride right?

[Wilkinson4]

Ok, Denver burgers.

1. Bud's Bar
2. H Burger
3. City Pub
4. My Brothers Bar
5. Cherry Cricket

I heard Argyll has a great one too.

mIKE

[DRZRM]

Five Napkin's bacon cheddar is good...in NYC and at the new Boston location in the Back Bay. Not sure if it is the best, but high marks for sure.

[rcnute]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOOo7tSDCUs

[SEABREEZE]

Pretty partial to our burgers made in our kitchen, from our organic grassfed herd of beef cattle.

Watch many episodes dinner, dives and driveins and tried many of the fancy sauces, toppings and dressing...

Were ready to open our own joint.. just kidding, but we could.

We also make all beef nitrate free hot dogs from our beef, with different cheeses injected in the middle, its killer.

[martinrjensen]

Best burger lately (within the last 10 years) is the Sloop tavern in Ballard Seattle. I don't know what they do to make it so good but it's just great.
Best gut-bomb burger (or fast food burger) "bar none" is a Dick's burger. Never had a better one. Their Fries are great too, gotta have a whole quart of oil in them. Hand made shakes also, what more could you ask for?

[crownjewelwl]

Booches Burgers Columbia, MO

Burgers cooked on a flat grill and served with wax paper since 1884. Place has couple snooker, and eight ball tables in the back and cold beer on tap. Place was voted top ten burger joints in 2005 i think. No fries, no onion rings, just a burger and chips (made locally).


I thot Louis' Lunch in New Haven "invented" the hamburger in 1900...

[azrider]

WHO COOKED THAT UP?
J.J. wonders...
Hamburgers. They are everywhere. But did you ever stop to wonder who was the first to cook a hamburger? Hamburgers must have started somewhere, and perhaps you will say they started in Hamburg -- Hamburg, Germany, that is, and you would be only partly right. It is said that the Hamburgers (folks that lived in Hamburg) got the idea to tenderize beef from the Tartars several centuries back, and they would eat it either raw, the way theTartars did (Beef Tartare, get it?), or cook it with onions. An English doctor and food enthusiast adapted the dish as part of his beef-three-times-a-day food regimen. His name was Dr. J.H. Salisbury; hence Salisbury Steak. With the wave of German immigrants to the United States in the 1800's the word "Hamburg Steak" or "hamburger" began appearing on menus, but they always referred to ground beef patties served on a plate -- no bun, no pickles, no mustard, no lettuce, no mayo. To serve the "hamburger" as a sandwich, well, somebody had to think that up, or rather, cook that up.
As in most things American, there is a diversity of opinion between the northeast and the southwest, with still another opinion coming from the midwest. In the northeast, they say that the burger was first grilled by Louis Lassen of New Haven, Connecticut who ground up some scraps of beef and served it as a sandwich to a customer who was in a hurry in 1900. In Athens,Texas, they say a man named Fletcher Davis fried a beef patty and put it between two slices of bread as a sandwich in the late 1880's and took it to the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. However, there is some evidence to support the theory that the hamburger got its start at the World's Columbia Exposition in 1893 in Chicago. Other midwesterners claim that Charlie Nagreen of Seymour, Wisconsin invented it in 1885, introducing it at the Outagamie County Fair.

Most historians seem to agree that the popularization of the Hamburger as we know it today, was when Fletch Davis began selling the ground beef patty sandwich at the amusement area, known as The Pike at the St. Louis World's Fair Louisiana Purchase Exhibition in 1904. Fairgoers took their taste home with them and began experimenting with the Hamburg Steak tucked between two slices of bread. No one knows who thought up the hamburger bun, but by the time the White Castle people opened their doors in 1921 most of the country knew about hamburgers. In 1929 Elzie Crisler Segar was further popularizing hamburgers by giving his cartoon creation, Popeye, a sidekick called J. Wellington Wimpy who was rarely pictured without a burger in his hand.

If you are a serious hamburger cook yourself, you might enjoy the Epicurious pages devoted to grilling hamburgers at home. You can go directly there by clicking

[rpm]

My vote is for the American Kobe beef burger at the Hotel Colorado in Glenwood Springs, CO. Served on a homemade Kaiser bun. Sublime.

[SEABREEZE]

According to the Library of Congress, Louis' Lunch, in New Haven, Connecticut, is the original American Hamburger, being served since 1895

HISTORY OF HAMBURGER

15th centuryBeginning in the 15th century, minced beef was a valued delicacy throughout Europe. Hashed beef was made into sausage in several different regions of Europe.

[edit] 17th centuryShips from the German port of Hamburg, Germany began calling on Russian ports. During this period the Russian steak tartare was brought back to Germany and called "tartare steak".[citation needed]

[edit] 18th and 19th centuries[edit] Hamburg steakImmigrants to the United States from German-speaking countries brought with them some of their favorite foods. One of them was Hamburg Steak. The Germans simply flavored shredded low-grade beef with regional spices, and both cooked and raw it became a standard meal among the poorer classes. In the seaport town of Hamburg, it acquired the name Hamburg steak. Today, this hamburger patty is no longer called Hamburg Steak in Germany but rather "Frikadelle", "Frikandelle" or "Bulette", originally Italian and French words.[4]

In the late 18th century, the largest ports in Europe were in Germany. Sailors who had visited the ports of Hamburg, Germany and New York, brought this food and term "Hamburg steak" into popular usage. To attract German sailors, eating stands along the New York city harbor offered "steak cooked in the Hamburg style". The Oxford English Dictionary defined Hamburg steak as salt beef. It had little resemblance to the hamburger we know today.[clarification needed] It was a hard slab of salted minced beef, often slightly smoked, mixed with onions and breadcrumbs. The emphasis was more on durability than taste.

[Fixed]

Five Guy's...................I hate walking by 5 dudes joints.

The smell of burnt grease/meat is rather unpleasant.

Anyhow, ate at one when it first opened up. It was ok but once owners left after training staff, the burgers were just nasty.

E
i noticed that smell at the one here too . have not gone there because of it
cheers

[WeakRider]

Big Mac.
Yep. Big mac.
Now the important part: It was the first thing I ate after coming off the trail after a 2 week solo backpack trip.
I have eaten a lot of 'better' burgers, but 25 years along I can still remember how good that one tasted.

The Big Mac is probably my favorite burger. In-N-Out probably occupies the #2 slot.

[verticaldoug]

I thought hamburger was created when Chuck Norris punched a cow.

[bart998]

Baby's Bad Ass Burgers.. is a "roach coach" in the LA area that has a website and parks around LA attractions and they do private parties. Best burger I've tasted.

[pjm]

Now I'm gonna have to go out tonight and have a burger somewhere. :beer:

[Aaron O]

I thought hamburger was created when Chuck Norris punched a cow.

No - Chuck Norris was created when a cow punched a pile of dung.

[bikinchris]

Gound Pati, Lafayette, LA

Don't laugh. it has NOTHING to do with the terrible chain crap restaurant that has sprung up with the same name.

Their ground pati Sr burger is a great grilled burger that has grated cheese and has a wonderful flavor without resorting to anything other than normal condiments.

[Fixed]

we grow mustaches ,
drink scotch
to wash down
hamburgers while
we wait on a new 29er
sounds like a good winter plan
cheers

[jr59]

we grow mustaches ,
drink scotch
to wash down
hamburgers while
we wait on a new 29er
sounds like a good winter plan
cheers

Indeed it does!!!! :beer:

[troymac]

Sacramento, CA

When you guys come to Sacramento for nahbs next year I would say....

1. Burgers and Brew
2. Squeeze Inn (as seen on Dinners Drive-ins and Dives)
3. Jim Denny's (as seen on Dinners Drive-ins and Dives)
4. Willies Burger

Umm

FourFlys is right about Hodads in San Diego that place is amazing.

Anyone had Thurman Cafe in Columbus, Ohio? That place was solid as well.
Also coming soon to sacramento is Nations .. they do a great burger as well as some awesome pies

[bagochips3]

I'll give a shout out to Iron Springs Brew Pub in Fairfax, CA. They make a top notch burger (and their beers are top notch as well). They are also right on the main bike route through Marin, so you won't be the only person there wearing lycra :beer:

[frisbie]

Six pack of sliders at White Castle...easy!

[biker72]

The original Adairs in Dallas on Cedar Springs was great.
http://burgerjoints.blogspot.com/2007/05/cheeseburger-at-adairs-saloon-dallas-tx.html
I've been to the Commerce Street location just a couple of times since the move. Still good burgers and similar atmosphere......dingy and dark.. :)

Quite a mixed clientele. Business suits to street laborers. Eddy Arnold, Johnny Cash and Taylor Swift on the jukebox.

[beeatnik]

The Spot in Carpinteria for a beach shack burger.
The Habit in Glendale and various locations for a small chain burger.
In n Out for a fast food restaurant burger.
The Gorbals for a trendy egg on top by a Top Chef winner burger.
Cut for mini Kobe sliders
Carl's Jr for their new steakhouse burger, remarkably good for a remarkably awful fast food joint.

[robin3mj]

Ray's hell burger Arlington va
Stirling hotel, nj

[chuckroast]

My son lives in a small town in Arkansas, Russellville (on I-40, about an hour west of Little Rock).

In this town is a Mom and Pop hamburger stand named Feltner's Whataburger. It is not to be confused with the western states chain with the same name.

It is by far the best burger I've ever had. If you ever go, make sure to have someone to share your fries with (I swear they serve them in a lunch bag). Otherwise, you'll either eat them all and feel guilty or throw half away and feel guilty.

[celeste]

This thread makes me wish I ate red meat.

[mosca]

This thread makes me wish I didn't have high cholesterol and a family history of heart disease.

[xeladragon]

Ray's hell burger Arlington va
Stirling hotel, nj

+1 ray's hell burger... best burger i've ever had for < $10.

in boston, in terms of value, it's tough to beat the big papi at uburger.

[dziehr]

The Blue Moon in Madison, WI makes a mean burger. Bob's Bad Breath Burger at the Weary Traveler is also pretty spectacular (though apparently too much so for the NYT: http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/25/my-trip-to-madison-bikes-brews-burgers-and-a-bb/).

[PSC]

In and Out Burger. Great burgers, fries and shake for the money. Big plus for me is that they treat there employees good; good wages and benefits. Everytime I go there they are packed, so they earn there money. Unfortunately they don't have one in WA state.

[Elefantino]

This thread makes me wish I ate red meat.
Good Stuff Eatery also has the "Vegetarians Are People Too 'Shroom Burger," which my daughter swears by:

"Two organic portobello tops stuffed with Muenster and cheddar, flash fried with Panko crumbs, Ruby tomato, onions, lettuce and pickle with Good Stuff sauce."

[Iowegian]

It was about 20 years ago and I had just finished a 4 day hike down the coast of N. California with my wife - so maybe you had to be there - but I had the best burger of my life at a bar in Honeydew, CA. Probably the only joint in town. Yummmmm. Nothing fancy but oh was it good.

[dumbod]

Here's one out of left field.

At L'Atelier du Joel Roubechon, I had a burger out of kobe beef and foie gras. It came with a serving of his mashed potatoes (butter and cream bound with a little potato).

My arteries are still clogged but it was worth it.

[Birddog]

One of the better burger places I've been to is Kawliga's in Eagle Nest NM. Get the green chile, cheese burger and share the home made fries with a friend. The burger is cooked on a flat top and has just the right amount of chin drippings. You won't find any fancy toppings like Bleu Cheese or shrooms, just pickles, onion, tomato, green chile and maybe bacon. The place is only open May through Sept.

[bking]

MMmm. Two simple foods i travel for, pizza, and burgers. But for me I don't abide a burger test by adding stuff--you can add stuff to hide poor beef. Salt and fresh cracked pepper, good cheese properly melted, flowing down the sides, and minimum condiments. This is how you test it. Once that's perfect, you can add whatever.
Best I've found in this categorey in a restuarant is JG Melons in New York City. He would not give me the blend he uses, but it's as close to perfect as i've had in a retail joint.
One thing many miss is how important a good bun is. You add a good fresh bun, shiny top, soft yet resiliant to falling apart, to a great burger and it goes to x 2 easily.

Like Bocarider a page or two back, i've taken to grinding my own beef. Tried several combinations, usually with at least 3 different cuts of meat (rumor has it Melons is 5). I've tried the blend Bocarider mentioned, and while i like brisket, I don't like it as much as some other cuts in my burger. While figuring out which meats, one thing you can't look past is fat content. Gotta be at least 20, better closer to 25%. And it has to be the right fat (some fat on brisket is just too dense).
If you get it all right, there should be plenty of juice from the burger, but not so much to soak through the bottom bun--and again a good bun helps here.
Right know i'm sort of stuck on a 40/40/20 blend of tri tip, good fat cap, a good fatty chuck, and ribeye with nice marbling.
Full beef flavor when i hit it right.

all this cooked on a 5/8 griddle (barbecue you lose too much moisture), hot--400 to 450 degrees so you give each side a bit of a crust. add couple slices of cheese: swiss/chedder blend is nice and add it early enough so that it melts down and around the patty (or take the burger off and add cheese and put under the broiler for a minute or so to accomplish the same)

serve at proper temperature. I'm maniacal about this.

food is too big a part of life not to be taken seriously.

[Aaron O]

MMmm. Two simple foods i travel for, pizza, and burgers. But for me I don't abide a burger test by adding stuff--you can add stuff to hide poor beef. Salt and fresh cracked pepper, good cheese properly melted, flowing down the sides, and minimum condiments. This is how you test it. Once that's perfect, you can add whatever.
Best I've found in this categorey in a restuarant is JG Melons in New York City. He would not give me the blend he uses, but it's as close to perfect as i've had in a retail joint.
One thing many miss is how important a good bun is. You add a good fresh bun, shiny top, soft yet resiliant to falling apart, to a great burger and it goes to x 2 easily.

Like Bocarider a page or two back, i've taken to grinding my own beef. Tried several combinations, usually with at least 3 different cuts of meat (rumor has it Melons is 5). I've tried the blend Bocarider mentioned, and while i like brisket, I don't like it as much as some other cuts in my burger. While figuring out which meats, one thing you can't look past is fat content. Gotta be at least 20, better closer to 25%. And it has to be the right fat (some fat on brisket is just too dense).
If you get it all right, there should be plenty of juice from the burger, but not so much to soak through the bottom bun--and again a good bun helps here.
Right know i'm sort of stuck on a 40/40/20 blend of tri tip, good fat cap, a good fatty chuck, and ribeye with nice marbling.
Full beef flavor when i hit it right.

all this cooked on a 5/8 griddle (barbecue you lose too much moisture), hot--400 to 450 degrees so you give each side a bit of a crust. add couple slices of cheese: swiss/chedder blend is nice and add it early enough so that it melts down and around the patty (or take the burger off and add cheese and put under the broiler for a minute or so to accomplish the same)

serve at proper temperature. I'm maniacal about this.

food is too big a part of life not to be taken seriously.

+1 (infinity)!!!

I have this argument ALL OF THE TIME - people telling me about good burgers, which they've loaded with so many things they can't possibly taste anything. I have the same argument with folks about cheese steaks...they eat a steak with GOBBS of cheese wiz and give an opinion. HOW? Cheese wiz is revolting and you can't taste anything through it...the whole reason the first steak places...Pats and Genos (both of which SUCK, especially Genos) used wiz was to hide the flavor of a crappy, cheap sandwich. Put provalone on it and you'll see - or even worse, nothing.

Pizzas, for me, are different. Part of what I'm judging are the ingrediants. That being said - the absolute best pizza I've ever had, and I've had a LOT, is Difarros in Brooklyn - it just defies description. I've had a lot of good pizza...but this place is special! Pappas in Trenton is also quite good.

[Ken Robb]

i know i am weird but they have to have mustard and pickles .

Pabst Blue Ribbon seems popular too now hmm i am hungry i am going to ella's back in a couple hours
cheers
Yep, real hand-formed patty of 80/20 or 85/15 beef seared almost black on the outside and pink in the middle, good bun, grilled onions, dill pickles, mustard. Toasting and buttering the bun can be a good upgrade too.

An easy way for me to get ground beef that is consistently quite good is buying the vacuum packs at Trader Joe's. They offer 80/20, 85/15/90/10 and 97/3 and these packs keep for a week or so in the refrigerator so I can make good burgers without making a trip to the store. Trader's par-baked ciabatta rolls are really good and can be kept frozen for a long time too. I nuke them to a normal just-bought feel before finishing baking them in the oven.

[sjauch2]

The best burger at a decent price I'm going to have to go with Shake Shack, the double cheese is the way to go.

The best burger ever, Minetta Tavern's Black Label burger. It's not cheap but by far one of the best things I've eaten.

[Birddog]

I have this argument ALL OF THE TIME - people telling me about good burgers, which they've loaded with so many things they can't possibly taste anything.
Yep, couldn't agree more. A proper burger should only have pickles, onion, mustard. All other toppings are somewhat superfluous, even my beloved green chiles. Of course a cheeseburger can have cheese, but it should only be swiss, cheddar or american (barely cheese IMO). When you slather on mayo or ketchup (catsup), load with avocado, shrooms, tomato, lettuce, bacon etc, you are covering up the essence of the burger. Ok, I'll consent to one extra ingredient over the basics. I'm sure others will disagree. Pile all that crap on an inferior burger, not a quality one. One of my pet peeves is when a burger joint is skimpy with the pickles and onion. There should be enough for complete bun coverage. I also agree with bun quality being an essential. Bad buns can ruin a decent burger.

BTW, talk about pizza = thread drift.

[henry14]

Umami Burger or Pearl's Deluxe Burgers in San Francisco.

I believe Umami originated in LA.

http://umamiburger.com/

http://www.pearlsdeluxe.com/

[Rueda Tropical]

Venezuelan hamburger at Plaza's Hamburgers (in the gas station) at NW 107th Ave and NW 58th St in Doral Fl.

The "Sencillo (simple)" has 4 different mayos (cilantro, avocado, garlic and ?) + ketchup and mustard, shoestring fries, cheese, grated parmesan, tomatoes, lettuce and burger on a bun.

You can get beef burger, chicken or smoked pork chop.

The deluxe version adds a fried egg.

Genuine heart clogging street food.

[scho74]

shake shack!! even this californian has to vote for it. :confused:

[Ti Designs]

Like Bocarider a page or two back, i've taken to grinding my own beef. Tried several combinations, usually with at least 3 different cuts of meat (rumor has it Melons is 5). I've tried the blend Bocarider mentioned, and while i like brisket, I don't like it as much as some other cuts in my burger. While figuring out which meats, one thing you can't look past is fat content. Gotta be at least 20, better closer to 25%. And it has to be the right fat (some fat on brisket is just too dense).

A man who knows burgers...


xeladragon, (and any other red meat eating Bostonian forum members)

We need to take a trip to R.F. O'sullivan's in Somerville. Best burgers in the area, I'd be willing to bet a burger on it.

[bicycole]

I'm always a big fan of in 'n out, as well as a couple of places here in Portland.

caldera public house
violetta burger
and
killer burger! (anything you want and fries in a basket for 7.95. also- same burger basket is 4.50 during happy hour.)

[Lifelover]

Give me salted beef, ketchup and dill pickles and I'll be happy.

However, the No Frill Grill in Norfolk has a house burger called the Spotswood Melt that is the best I've had to date.

Bacon, grilled onions, Swiss and American cheeses on grilled sourdough. I'll get the white death on the side and be in burger bliss.


Red Robin will do in a pinch.

[Birddog]

This thread was on my mind when I stopped in at a Red Robin last night. Almost $10 for an above average (but no where near great) burger and pretty ordinary fries left me longing for something better. The bun was top notch however. It's the first time I've tried a Red Robin since they went big time and I used to frequent the original in Seattle back in the late 60's.

[jr59]

This thread just makes me hungry!

Good thing New Orleans has good food! :banana:

[xeladragon]

A man who knows burgers...


xeladragon, (and any other red meat eating Bostonian forum members)

We need to take a trip to R.F. O'sullivan's in Somerville. Best burgers in the area, I'd be willing to bet a burger on it.

I live a mile from there. I've been there once, wasn't super impressed, neither was my wife. Maybe I ordered the wrong burger, maybe the meat was overcooked, maybe it was too cramped in there, I dunno... I guess I should try it again sometime. My vote for UBurger was based purely on value. But yes, R.F. O'Sullivan's doesn't skimp on the meat... that's a thick burger from what I remember.