Top Burger Spots in the US

Au Cheval (Chicago)

Style: diner-style burger

Don’t let the name fool you — Au Cheval’s “single” is anything but. The Single Cheeseburger arrives as a double by default, and is built with thin, crisp-edged patties, American cheese, house dijonnaise, and thick-cut pickles on a soft, toasted bun.

Optional add-ons like a fried egg or thick-cut bacon push it even further, though the original build already leans rich. Despite the name, the single comes stacked with two patties, and the double brings three — turning a diner classic into something more indulgent, but no less deliberate. It’s the kind of burger that doesn’t rush, and doesn’t hold back.

Bar Audrey (Nashville, Tennessee)

Style: Hickory-Smoked Burger (Mondays only)

At Bar Audrey in Nashville, chef Sean Brock’s Monday-only Hickory-Smoked Burger is more than a weekly special — it’s a showcase of Southern technique and layered flavor. Built with an 8-ounce blend of Bear Creek beef and hickory-smoked bacon, the patty is grilled over open embers and served on a benne-seed buttermilk brioche bun.

Colby Jack, Vidalia onion, and ripe tomato cut through the richness. In contrast, a trio of house sauces: hickory-nut oil mayo, tomato concentrate, and beef garum, adds complexity without overwhelming the beef. Paired with beef-fat fries, it’s not just a meal — it’s a moment built around fire, fat, and intention.

Chris Madrid’s (San Antonio, Texas)

Style: tostada burger

Since 1977, Chris Madrid’s has been serving up one of San Antonio’s most recognizable burgers: the Tostada Burger, stacked with Mama Madrid’s homemade refried beans, diced onions, crumbled tortilla chips, and a thick spread of melted cheddar that spills just over the sides.

The foundation of this burger is a thick beef patty and served on a soft, slightly flattened bun, it’s as messy as it is satisfying — crunchy, cheesy, and unmistakably Texan. Just add a side of salsa and a cold Shiner, and you’ve got a burger that’s more than a meal, it’s a local ritual.

Dyer’s Burgers (Memphis, Tennessee)

Style: deep-fried burger

The magic of a deep-fried burger at Dyer’s in Memphis — and now, Dyer’s Cafe in Collierville — isn’t in a secret sauce; it’s in the grease. Since 1912, this local landmark has been deep-frying its patties in the same strained and seasoned beef tallow, carried forward from the original cast-iron skillet. The result is a burger with a crisp, golden sear and unmistakable depth of flavor.

Each burger starts as a 3-inch ball of ground beef. It’s flattened on a worn marble slab using a custom-made spatula and a wooden mallet — tools the restaurant still uses more than a century. Next, the patty is then flash-fried in a cast-iron skillet filled with beef tallow that’s been strained and carried forward since the restaurant’s earliest days. The Dyer’s Cheeseburger, topped with American cheese, mustard, onions, and pickles, delivers a crisp-edged, deeply savory bite that leans all the way into its signature process. Call it an OG smashburger — or just Memphis doing what it does best.

Hodad’s (San Diego)

Style: bacon cheeseburger

At Hodad’s in San Diego’s Ocean Beach, the Bacon Cheeseburger comes fully loaded — and then some. Instead of using bacon strips, the kitchen presses chopped bacon into its own patty, grills it until crisp, and stacks it on top of a beef patty already cloaked in melted American cheese.

Lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles round out the build, all tucked into a sesame seed bun that barely holds it together. The late Byron “Hodad” Hardin opened the original location in the 1960s, and the vibe still feels equal parts surf shack and local institution. It’s big, messy, and exactly what a beach burger should be.

Louis’ Lunch (New Haven, Connecticut)

Style: original hamburger sandwich

Tradition runs deep at Louis’ Lunch, where four generations of the Lassen family still run one of the oldest family-owned restaurants in the country. While several cities lay claim to the invention of the hamburger, Louis’ Lunch is cited by the Library of Congress as the home of the hamburger sandwich. The shop is known for doing things one way — and only one way.

Their signature order, The Original Burger, is made with a proprietary blend of five fresh-ground beef cuts, cooked vertically in original cast-iron grills dating back to 1898. It’s served on toasted white bread with tomato, onion, and cheese spread as “the only acceptable garnish,” according to the family. The rules are simple: no ketchup, and no custom orders. Pair your burger sandwich with a local Foxon Park soda, and you’ve got a burger that hasn’t changed in over a century.

Matt’s Bar (Minneapolis)

Style: Jucy Lucy (cheese-stuffed burger)

Matt’s Bar & Grill, a Minneapolis staple since 1954, is the birthplace of the Jucy Lucy — a molten cheese–filled burger with serious staying power. The story goes that a local customer asked for two patties with cheese in the middle, took one bite, and declared it “one juicy Lucy.” The spelling stuck, and so did the burger.

Each Jucy Lucy is still handmade with fresh beef and sealed around a slice of American cheese that melts from the inside out. There are no toppings — just grilled onions and pickles on a toasted bun. Let it cool before you dig in: the cheese center stays lava-hot, and that’s part of the point.

NADC Burger (Chicago)

Style: Wagyu cheeseburger

NADC, short for Not a Damn Chance, started as a passion project between Michelin-starred chef Phillip Frankland Lee and professional skateboarder Neen Williams, who bonded over skate sessions and a shared goal: to build the perfect cheeseburger. The result is a single-item menu centered on their signature burger — made with two six-ounce patties of 100% American Wagyu, American cheese, secret sauce, onions, pickles, and tamed jalapeños.

Every element, from the cheese to the peppers, was tested to balance the richness of the meat with just enough acidity and crunch. It’s a throwback-style burger with a serious culinary pedigree, served fast, with nothing extra needed.

Ox Burger (Seattle)

Style: Lao-style burger

Ox Burger, located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, brings Lao flavors to the smashburger format in a way that feels both grounded and new. Chef Khampaeng Panyathong draws on family recipes for the Lao Burger, a stacked build featuring double-smashed beef patties, house-cured pork belly, provolone, and a generous swipe of housemade jaew bong mayo.

Pickled red onions, taro stem, fresh cilantro, and a spoonful of tomato jaew add brightness, texture, and tang. It’s a burger shaped by its surroundings — layered, assertive, and fully rooted in the Pacific Northwest.

Toad Style (New York City)

Style: vegan veggie burger

The Vegan Cheeseburger at Toad Style in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood doesn’t try to pass for meat, and doesn’t have to. The patty, made in-house from lentils, mushrooms, and oats, is crisp-edged and deeply savory, layered with vegan cheese, arugula, avocado, and sweet chili mustard on a pretzel bun.

Even the ketchup, pickles, and cheese are made from scratch, giving the burger a fully DIY feel that’s earned it a loyal local following. It’s a staple for Brooklyn vegans — and for Manhattanites, Superiority Burger in the East Village offers a grain-and-bean patty that takes a different route to the same outcome: flavor-first, no meat required.