Chef's Choice: 15 Best Burgers (Slideshow)
700 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles
Juicy, perfectly charred Kobe beef, the ripe Brandywine tomatoes topped with house-made aioli served on a homemade bun make this a treat. They just do it right every time, where the only fuss is un-compromised ingredients and precisely cooked meat. (My mouth is watering.) — Glenn Harris, executive chef and co-owner at The Smith
Husk Restaurant
76 Queen St., Charleston, S.C.
For a chef-ed up burger, my favorite is The Husk Burger in Charleston. Ground with Benton's ham, soft roll, and American cheese. So good, it's criminal. — Jamie Bissonnette, chef at Toro
Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien
119 West 56th St., New York City
Even though it's inside a luxury hotel, it's basically a divey hole-in-the-wall, though not without charm. They don't have a ton of variety so I just get the classic cheeseburger, but it's undoubtedly one of the best burgers in the city. The trouble is, it's right around the corner from Seasonal, so I find I'm there a bit too often than my doctor would like! — Wolfgang Ban, chef at Seasonal
Burger Joint at Le Parker Meridien
119 West 56th St., New York City
The burger at Le Parker Meridien is the perfect classic take on a cheeseburger. It has everything I want when I take that first bite. — Laurent Tourondel, executive chef/partner at Arlington Club
Burger & Barrel
25 West Houston St., New York City
Try as I might I cannot find a burger in New York City that tops the Bash Burger from Josh Capon at B&B. So named because of it's habit of winning the famous Rachael Ray/Food & Wine Burger Bash, it truly is the perfect burger. Josh and I love giving each other a hard time, so I'd love nothing more than to bust his chops by telling him I found something better — but it just doesn't happen. — Chris Santos, chef at Beauty & Essex
Minetta Tavern
113 MacDougal St., New York City
This thing just reeks of dry-aged beef funk, which in my opinion is the best way a burger can smell! The Black Label Burger is executed perfectly and features only the bare essentials — nothing over-the-top, no unnecessary condiments or add-ons that tend to take away from the integrity and flavoring of the meat. — Richard Blais, chef
Minetta Tavern
113 MacDougal St., New York City
Minetta Tavern's Black Label burger is still up there as my favorite burger around. I love that the burger is very simple and about the meat. It tastes like a chopped steak sandwich. It's one of those burgers that you really savor and enjoy. — Michael Ferraro, executive chef/partner at Delicatessen
Wahlburgers
19 Shipyard Dr., Hingham, Mass.
That's an easy one. Donnie Wahlberg (of NKOTB) and his brother Paul came up with this cool concept in Hingham, Mass. Great burgers that are just like the ones I would get as a kid! My favorite is called the Thanksgiving burger. It's basically your favorite Thanksgiving leftovers on a bun. — Richard Garcia, executive chef at The Boston Waterfront Hotel
Manzanilla
345 Park Ave. South, New York City
I've had a lot of burgers in my life, and I dream about the Oxtail Burger at Manzanilla. The slow-braised, melt-in-your-mouth oxtail is topped with creamy Havarti cheese, crisp sliced pickles, and a house-made oxtail mayonnaise. This burger is so special because it's not something you come across at any traditional burger joint. Just delicious! — Marc Vidal, chef at Boqueria
BLT Steak
106 East 57th St., New York City
I love the burger at BLT Steak, it's a classic. I always trust Laurent Tourondel to know how to make great a burger. — François Payard, chef at FP Patisserie
The Spotted Pig
314 West 11th St., New York City
The best burger ever is hands down the chargrilled burger from The Spotted Pig. Served with blue cheese and a side of perfect shoestring fries with garlic and rosemary... I just learned it is even better with a Bloody Mary. — Missy Robbins, chef at A Voce restaurants
Black Market
110 Ave. A, New York City
My favorite burger is from Black Market across the street from my place on Seventh Street and Avenue A. They use a custom blend of Pat LaFrieda beef and griddle it to a perfect juicy, salty, meaty perfection. Somehow they manage to make red meat taste even meatier. It comes with the proper fixings but I add a slice of tomato, some mayo and ketchup. — Spencer Rubin, chef at Melt Shop
Belmont Grill
4970 Poplar Ave., Memphis, Tenn.
The best burger in town is at Belmont Grill. It's a little too dark, a little grungy and it looks dirty — but the place is very clean, and the burgers are out of this world. It's a thick, juicy, hand-formed patty served with your choice of garnishes, which include chili, bacon, mushrooms, grilled onions or the Kitchen Sink — that's actually on the menu! — Wally Joe, chef at ACRE Restaurant
Gott's Roadside
644 First St., Napa, Calif.
While working at Tra Vigne in St. Helena, we'd sneak out of work and head to Taylor's Refresher. It was a roadside burger joint they've now turned into Gott's Roadside. It's gotten a little bigger and a little nicer, and that West Coast-style mango ketchup, bacon, and American cheeseburger will pull me in every time I drive through Napa. I still feel like I'm sneaking out of work. — Daniel Eardley, chef at Cole's Greenwich Village
Neptune Oysters
63 Salem St., Boston
The Neptune Burger has cheese, garlic, mayonnaise, fries, oysters, and relish. It's the first burger I've ever had that combines two of my favorite summertime foods: fried oysters and cheeseburgers. — Rob Picardi, head chef at Prezza Boston