The 101 Best Burgers In America

All-American Lower Haight restaurant RickyBobby's beef and bacon burger puts a slight spin on the standard bacon burger by grinding beef and bacon together in an act of meaty, high-calorie harmony. The mouthwatering results, served on a brioche bun with American and Cheddar cheese, and then smothered with ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise, will quickly dispel any notion you have that this all-in-one burger is any kind of food gimmick. 

Dyer's Burgers is a Memphis institution, one of the places that anyone visiting should make a point of checking out. Opened in 1912 by Elmer "Doc" Dyer, this Beale Street burger joint is famous for its cooking grease. Burgers are cooked in a large skillet — hold that, sure they're cooked, but fried by being immersed in oil is more accurate.

Make sure you sit at the counter, and keep in mind that the double cheeseburger is the suggested move here. If you try to order one patty, you'll likely get the response: "You sho, honey? Our patties are pretty small." Once you acquiesce, watch the process. The short order cook uses a spatula to lift a patty out, covers it with a slice of cheese, immerses the cheese-topped patty back in the grease to melt it, raises it up again, tops it with another fried patty, and repeats the process before laying it on a shiny bun that almost looks like it was given the same treatment but just acquires the shine from being in contact with the process. 

Locals swear it's been the same grease (strained daily) used throughout the years going back to Doc Dyer's times. That's a scary thought and doubtful, but it's a fine burger indeed.

Hunter House, a small, throwback, white porcelain diner located outside of Detroit, features slider-sized sweet-onion-infused patties that have made the establishment a local institution since 1952, and will quickly wipe the words "White Castle" out of your vocabulary. The double hamburger, with ketchup, mustard, and dill pickles on top, is a house favorite that will run you all of $2.85. However, we recommend ordering several of these a la carte mini-burgers at a time.

All you need to do is get a glimpse at the 5-8 Club's menu to realize that the Juicy Lucy is no by-the-numbers burger menu item. The establishment features their most famous menu item smack in the center in bold, noting that their Lucy has been featured on Man vs. Food and Food Wars, and won a whole host of Twin City burger accolades. So what's the secret? A mouth-watering, cooked-to-order half pound patty, stuffed with your choice of  cheese that melts in the center and mingles with the meat's natural flavors. Just one look at this molten, mammoth burger creation is enough to kick in some serious burger and cheese cravings.

Dating back to 1937, when burgers were slung from behind the counter for five cents apiece, Town Topic has since evolved into a Kansas City institution. Their 80/20 ground chuck cheeseburger served up on a soft bun is fresh, simple, and lets the greasy flavors do the talking. If you've really worked up an appetite, we suggest topping the cheeseburger off with hash browns and washing it down with a root beer float. It'll transport you back to a simpler time before we, as a nation, were preoccupied with the dangers of saturated fats.

J.M. Curley's Angus burger is a straightforward approach that steers clear of burger gimmicks — this is 9 ounces of perfectly seasoned and cooked beef topped with Cheddar, grilled onions, pickles, and house Russian dressing, known for its plate-lickable excess grease drippings. The Burger won this unpretentious dinner and after-bar eatery Best Burger honors from Boston Magazine in 2013.

With three city locations, a Fenway Park outpost, and a roving burger truck, it's fair to say that if you're in Boston, a Tasty Burger is never too far away. It's a good thing, too, considering their '50s drive-in style burgers are some of the best in Beantown. The menu has specialty options, like a Hawaiian-style teriyaki option and a "butta burger" topped with creamy butter and onion. But our pick is their succulent trademark Big Tasty, with all the classic fixin's and specialty Tasty sauce.

Chef Mitch Prensky's modern American spot delivers the upscale burger goods with their Supper Burger. The gourmet ground beef creation is a hulking 10 ounces of dry-aged LaFrieda beef on a brioche bun, kicked into another gear with crisp ham, cheddar, tomatoes, caramelized onions, and house pickles on top. This is the kind of huge, juicy patty that will leave the bottom bun saturated with burger drippings, to mouthwatering effect.

Who says sustainable foods have to lack huge flavor, or huge calorie counts? Farmers Fishers Bakers is a green-focused eatery intent on delivering the best of what's local, fresh, and delicious, as proven by their near-perfect bacon-onion blue cheeseburger, which hits the tongue with a tangy array of flavors that help bring out the fresh patty's flavors. You can grab fresh-cut fries on the side, or go with more interesting fare, like peanut-cider slaw or pickled veggie potato salad.

This Georgetown gourmet burger establishment doesn't have a crown jewel burger, but offers one of the best customizable burger experiences in the country. A "Thunder Burger" order will give you your base, which you can customize with an endless array of add-ons, including basics like grilled red onion and jalapeño, of course. But if you're looking to go next level, get creative with toppings like pineapple salsa, triple cream brie, pulled pork, foie gras, and, well, the list goes on. 

Living up to its name, Laura's Little Burger Joint isn't much more than a standalone shack located outside of Decatur. But it also more than lives up to the "burger" portion of its name with the Chapman Burger, which features two 7-ounce patties with pepper Jack cheese, bacon, and grilled onions, topped off with ketchup, mustard, pickle, and onions. 

There are plenty of basic, let-the-meat-speak-for-itself burgers on this list. Butcher's Cut at Atlanta's Flip Burger Boutique isn't one of them. This Jengatower of a sandwich is stacked high with a juicy beef patty, crumbled blue cheese, caramelized onions, soy truffle vinaigrette, frisée, pickled shallots, and red wine jam. But even with all those fancy words involved, this melt-in-your-mouth upscale take on an American classic will only run you $8.

This popular Miami restaurant (with an outpost on the Caribbean island of Grand Cayman) serves its first-rate burger only at lunchtime, but it's beefy enough to make a substantial dinner. The beef is house-ground Black Angus from California's Harris Ranch and the bun is brioche. Optional accompaniments include house-smoked bacon and blue or Vermont white Cheddar cheese.

When food insiders see something called the John T Burger, they're likely to get both excited and skeptical. "A burger in Memphis named for the head of the Southern Foodways Alliance," you can almost hear them muse, "Hmm. This could either be really good or really bad." It's a lot of hype. Then you see the restaurant and the chefs behind it — and well, with chefs Michael Hudman and Andrew Ticer involved, you just know there's no need to worry — this is going to be awesome. And it really, really is. An Oklahoma-style onion rendition crisp-cooked on a flat-top was inspired by Edge on a visit while the duo was trying to come up with this signature menu item. Hudman and Ticer grind the meat from local rancher Claybrook Farm medium-coarse and smash it on their flat-top with pepper, salt, and garlic powder they make themselves (who makes their own garlic powder?), steaming it briefly to a medium-rare finish and layering it on a toasted Wonder Bread roll with mustard and shredded lettuce dressed in pickle juice. That's fancy talk for a supremely satisfying burger. This is the kind of unassuming burgers  whose flavors and textures are compressed into something handheld that doesn't have extra flourishes and demonstrates why it shouldn't have to have them. The meat gets all burnt-edge and crispy, but the center is still medium-rare with a perfect cheese-to-meat ratio. All that combined allows for both lip-smacking satisfaction and gooey-salty indulgence. Don't quite get it? You need to have a few drinks out on the porch and then enjoy one of these yourself before playing some bocce outside the restaurant. The complete experience is what makes it. Trust us.

Who couldn't use more cowbell? (Sorry, had to.) This New Orleans burger joint, headed up with a focus on handmade, high-quality burgers by chef Brack May, is a Big Easy favorite. Their "Locally World Famous Cowbell Burger" includes a natural beef patty on a toasted potato roll with lettuce and tomato and onion. It all sounds pretty by-the-numbers, but when you see — and more importantly, taste — the results, you'll know why Cowbell gets a name check in pretty much every New Orleans "best of" burgers list.

The Company Burger chef/owner Adam Biderman set out to create the perfect double-cheeseburger, and one bite will tell you that he hit the nail right on the head. His flagship Company Burger starts with two 3.25 ounce patties, which get a light crust on the flat-top before being topped with red onion and high-quality American-style cheese and then stacked. A couple pickle chips and a toasted white-bread bun complete it. You're left to your own devices at the expansive condiment bar, which includes Creole honey mustard, basil mayo, and pickled jalapeños. Before getting creative, though, make sure you try the burger as-is; you might be compelled not to mess with perfection. 

There's a great burger lurking in this sleepy Orange County town, and it has a secret ingredient: horseradish sauce. The burger patty itself is fresh-ground and a little under an inch thick, and if you're wondering what the B.B. stands for, that would be brisket and applewood-smoked bacon. Along with caramelized onions, Cheddar, and that horseradish sauce, there's an interplay of flavors that you won't soon forget. Top it off with some corn-and-bacon-studded macaroni and cheese, and you'll be ready for a very contented nap.  

There's all kinds of good stuff on the menu at Cindy Pawlcyn's ever-popular wine country bistro (crispy calamari with curried slaw, seafood tostada, Mongolian pork chop...) but the cheeseburger (Maytag Blue is an optional choice, and one well worth making) is just so big and juicy and tasty that it's hard to resist. The house-made pickles and impeccable fries don't hurt, either.

It's not because The Varsity claims to be the world's largest drive-in, or that it's one of the few restaurants in America that still employs carhops. No, neither is it The Varsity's staying power (founder Frank Gordy launched it with a $2,000 nest egg and "million dollar taste buds" in 1928) and its expansion to some eight locations in the greater Atlanta and Athens areas. Nope, it's about one of the country's most idiosyncratic burgers: the double chili cheeseburger. There's something going on with the buns 'round these parts — they get condensed and sweeter. Make no mistake, this is a greasy cheeseburger, more compact than most double cheeseburgers, but one whose sloppy, cheesy, saltiness all comes together in a solid, but proportionately fluid burger, both texturally and flavor-wise. No wonder it's one of America's best burgers (and for just $2.83). 

Open since 2008, the Hubcap Grill, which now has two locations in Houston, isn't for the faint of heart. To make their popular Decker, two deeply seared fresh-ground hand-formed burger patties (with a slice of Texas toast in the middle for good measure) get topped with American and Swiss cheese, lettuce, pickles, onions, and a mayo-based  "special sauce" perfected by owner Ricky Craig's father Richard, who runs the popular nearby Craiganale's Italian Deli.  You can pile on more patties if you like, but save the stomach space for some of their perfectly-seasoned fries. 

With two locations in San Diego and another inside Petco Park, Hodad's might very well be the most popular burger destination in San Diego, and for good reason. These are some seriously good burgers, and when two patties get stacked with mayo, mustard, ketchup, onion, pickles, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and bacon, it's burger heaven. The secret to Hodad's success may be the bacon; instead of just adding plain ol' strips to the burger, they boil the entire belly until it falls apart, then fry up a patty on the grill before adding it on. It's nothing short of brilliant. And make sure you don't miss the fries, which are more like giant battered potato slices. 

There was a big White Castle-inspired hamburger stand boom across America in the early 1920s, and Salina, Kan.' Cozy Inn is one of the last ones standing. Started as a six-seat counter in 1922, it gained local popularity for serving 1-ounce burgers griddled with chopped onions that came to be known as sliders, and to this day the grillmen are still doing it the old-fashioned way, in the same tiny room, with fluffy white buns made especially for them. A few things to know before going: you'll want yours "all the way," with ketchup, mustard, a pickle, and onions. Don't ask for it without onions; don't ask for it with cheese; don't ask for fries (just grab a bag of chips). Ask for a sack and you'll get six; expect to leave smelling like onions. 

Family-owned and operated since 1936, Solly's claim to fame is the butter burger, one of the last and finest examples in the nation. Fresh-ground sirloin is delivered daily from a local butcher, and the shakes, fries, and burgers, complete with a healthy dose of real Wisconsin butter, are prepared in full view of diners. About 15 toppings and burger varieties are available, but the trademark Original Solly Burger is the way to go. Each 3-ounce patty gets cooked on a large flattop griddle, topped with impossibly flavorful stewed onions and a pat of butter that's at least 2 or 3 tablespoons' worth, and placed into a soft white bun. The butter melts into the burger and onto the plate, and it's unlike any other burger you'll experience. 

When you're packed, and you've been around doing burgers since 1977, you must be doing something right. And they're doing at least two things right at Chris Madrid's in San Antonio: burgers and nachos.

The "macho" tostado burger made George Motz's book, Hamburger America, and the author's 25 Essential U.S. Burgers Checklist. Chris Madrid reinvented the Texas beanburger (hamburger, refried beans, Fritos, and Cheese Whiz), which is said to have been created at the now-defunct Sil's Snack Shack in San Antonio, by subbing in Cheddar and housemade corn chips.

The bun is soft and toasted crisp inside, but the weight of the burger and the moisture of the patty, beans, and cheese presses down on the bottom, condensing it, making it sweet. So you have that sweetness, the juiciness of the burger, the comforting refried beans, and cheese flowing out all over. What a burger. 

When it comes to DuMont, there's a distinct sadness that locals in the know won't be able to see far beyond. It wasn't long ago that chef and owner Colin Devlin was found dead after an apparent suicide, said to be brought on by the pressures and financial difficulties behind DuMont, Dressler, and DuMont Burger. But even after Devlin's death, the food, truth, and talent that brought him the spotlight can still be found at DuMont Burger. They serve up a burger that satisfies newcomers and old, a burger that lives up to the expectations of locals and the Lonely Planet-wielding Italian and French tourists alike. Yet it's a basic thick-patty burger that features pickles (and you'll want to add cheese), juicy with a slight char, and the sweet-smelling, buttery-brioche, soft-shell crust is fresh and provides just enough handle through to the last bite. 

It's a tough call to declare an open secret like Burger Joint in New York City's decidedly upscale Le Parker Meridien Hotel an "undiscovered gem." To New York burger lovers and the tourists lining up behind the ridiculously tall curtain it's "hidden" behind, the idea that Burger Joint is a secret is well, silly. Still, you could argue it doesn't have the national renown that it should. This is a very simple burger, folks. And in a very satisfying setting: fancy hotel with a corner pocket of dive-bar. Scribbles on the wall, signs asking you not to scribble on the wall that just beg for you to do it anyway, bare and base booths, paper wrapping, servers who are rude (or demanding with good reason... depending on your perspective), and buns taken straight out of the bag, the Burger Joint's namesakes have all their components on point, which makes for one of the best total-package burgers you'll ever taste. 

A hunk of soft French bread might not come to mind as the ideal burger vessel, but at the landmark Rotier's, located a stone's throw from Vanderbilt University, it's the best way to go. The six-ounce burger patties are hand-formed every morning, and while the burger, when topped with your choice of  lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, might look challenging, the bread is so soft and squishy that it's a lot easier to plow through than you think. We're not the only ones who love this place — it's been the favorite hangout of plenty of Nashville's best musicians, and Jimmy Buffett spent so much time playing his guitar at the bar that some people claim that he wrote "Cheeseburger in Paradise" there. 

With six locations, Dick's is a Seattle institution. For nearly daily, hand-cut fries, and milkshakes, and its owners know that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The Double Deluxe is a hamburger Platonic ideal: two patties, melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, and pickle relish, on a soft, squishy bun, sold for a whopping $2.90. Want onions? That'll cost you an extra five cents, please.

Dick's is family-owned, and they treat all employees like family as well, offering full benefits, scholarships, childcare assistance, paid community service, and a starting hourly wage of $10. 

A North Jersey legend, White Manna is one of the last remaining diner-style burger joints that arose in the tradition of White Castle. What's served here is the perfect interpretation of that form, perfected over decades and decades, unchanging. You walk up to the tiny counter, place your order with the grillman, and watch as he smashes a small wad of meat onto the flattop with a handful of thin-sliced onions, keeps careful track of it as it cooks, and sandwiches it into a Martin's bun. Make it a double with cheese, and the burger that will end up on your plate next to some pickle chips won't be pretty. It's astonishingly delicious, however. Order a few — you won't regret it. 

Homer "Hut" Hutson opened the original Hut's Hamburgers in 1939, and though it's now in a different location with different owners, the spirit of the place hasn't changed a whole lot since then. As it happens, the vaguely déco style building it now occupies also opened as a restaurant — Sammie's Drive-In — in 1939. Fresh Texas-raised beef is at the heart of Hut's burgers (though, this being the 21st century, they're also all available in buffalo, grass-fed longhorn beef, boneless chicken, or vegan-friendly form). There are versions named for Ritchie Valens, Wolfman Jack, Fats Domino, and other personalities, but the classic here is Hut's Favorite, with lettuce, tomato, mayo, American cheese, and bacon. It's a little retro, but it sure is good.

This burger joint has locations in Seattle, Miami Beach, Los Angeles International Airport, and far-flung Tunica, Miss. and Bossier City, La., and is the brainchild of chef Govind Armstrong, who's making a name for himself as one of the country's best. Their signature burger, appropriately called the 8oz, is a Kobe-style house blend from Niman Ranch, topped with lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, and special sauce. Its beauty lies in its simplicity: only the highest-quality ingredients are used, the bun is custom-made, and the proportions are spot-on (and a topping of a fried duck egg and Benton's bacon doesn't hurt, either).

At this fine dining restaurant inside the Terranea Resort, located right on the water, they're serving one of LA's finest burgers, but you have to be in the know to ask for it, because it's off-menu (hence the "down low"). The brioche bun is made in-house, and it's topped with two four-ounce patties made from steak scraps (clocking in at a decadent 75/25 meat/fat ratio). Then come deeply caramelized onions, aged white Cheddar, housemade pickles, and a Thousand Island made with oven-roasted tomato puree. It was inspired by In-n-Out's Double Double, but it's been given a gourmet twist, elevated to a burger that's seriously one of the best things you'll ever eat. 

What do you get when you combine a love of heavy metal and a passion for good food? A menu of some 17 burgers with names like "Napalm Death" and "Dee Snider" and topping combinations as out there as you can imagine. Peanut butter, strawberry jam, bacon, and Sriracha? Fried chicken, Cheddar, bacon, maple, and hot sauce on waffle buns? You bet. Chef Ryan Harkins and Matthew Chernus of Grill 'Em All rose to national prominence as winners of the first season of Food Network's The Great Food Truck Race. The truck is still in operation, but like a fair number of successful food truck entrepreneurs of the past five years, the crew has since settled into a brick-and-mortar location (you'll find them in Los Angeles). Grill 'Em All's crazy combinations are tasty, mostly because of their sound technique and sense of balance; if they go with an over-the-top bread, they'll be sure there's enough moisture to go with it), but there's perhaps no better example of why they deserve to be on this list than the F.T.W. It's just a big old juicy burger on a bun with cheese. And you have to respect that. When you go "For the Win," the classic should be enough.  

Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo, affectionately known as "The Franks" by fans of their handful of New York restaurants, including Frankie's 457 and Frankie's Spuntino, are serving an epic burger at their meat-centric farm to table spot Prime Meats. They start with a half-pound patty made with dry-aged Black Angus trimmings from Creekstone Farms, and it's so beefy, juicy, well-seared, and full of dry-aged funkiness that it honestly doesn't even need toppings or a bun. But the housemade bun stands up to the juiciness, and the addition of pickles, lettuce, tomato, and onion elevates it all to burger glory. 

Chef Jose Garces has won heaps of praise for the burgers he's serving at Village Whiskey, and it's well-deserved. His burgers are so lightly packed that they're almost fluffy, and come on a house-baked pan au lait bun that's similar to brioche but less eggy. The patties are well-seasoned, super-juicy, and full of beefy flavor, and if you're looking for something especially decadent, go for the Whiskey King Burger, which is topped with maple bourbon glazed cippolini, blue cheese, applewood-smoked bacon, and foie gras for good measure. It's a wonder to behold. 

The Vortex, which has two Atlanta locations, is a crazy place. First of all, just to enter the restaurant you have to walk through a giant skull with crazy eyes that also happens to be the main entrance. The menu has a full page of rules ("We maintain the right to refuse service to any person that, in our sole opinion, is a great big jerk."). They also don't allow anyone in who's under the age of 18 because of smoking laws. And while all of this kitsch and attitude might make for a great distraction from underwhelming food anywhere else, the burgers here are the real deal (and so are the sweet potato tots). The Hell's Fury burger is a gargantuan half-pound patty of Choice sirloin, topped with pepper jack cheese, something called Atomic Death Sauce, habanero relish, and a whole roasted jalapeño. Not for the faint of heart, but if you're into spicy food, this very well might be the tastiest burger you'll ever encounter. 

There are now seven P.J. Clarke's locations, including two in São Paulo, but the Third Avenue Manhattan original is the feisty little brick building that refused to make way for the 47-story Skidmore, Owings & Merrill skyscraper that now looms over it. It is also the one that originated the terrific pub-style burger known as The Cadillac — a juicy patty on a classic bun with smoked country bacon and American cheese as well as onion, lettuce, and tomato, and pretty good shoestring fries on the side. The name, by the way, was bestowed on the thing by Nat "King" Cole, who dubbed Clarke's "the Cadillac of burgers."

This always crowded Greenwich Village institution, a semi-dive bar (no real dive bar sells a large line of branded casual clothing, or opens outposts in Long Island City), is justly famous for its big no-nonsense burgers, cooked under a salamander-like broiler, draped with American cheese (and crisscrossed with bacon for the signature Bistro Burger), and served on a classic sesame bun with the usual trimmings. Old-timers complain that it isn't what it used to be, but the burgers still taste darned good to us.

PYT is renowned for its absolutely insane burger creations, including one topped with fried beer and others that use fried mashed potato cakes, lasagna, Ellio's pizza, tacos, and even Twinkies for buns, but beneath all the gimmickry is a seriously delicious — dare we say restrained — burger: the flagship PYT burger. A house-ground patty topped with Cheddar, bacon, special sauce, lettuce onions, and tomato. When you're finished, you might even have room left over for a Birthday Cake Shake, with vanilla ice cream, real birthday cake, and cake-flavored vodka. 

Tom Perini's steakhouse, in a converted barn on his family's ranch just outside Abilene, is famed for its 22-ounce "cowboy rib-eye" and other heroic slabs of good Texas beef, but burger lovers swear by the establishment's grilled half-pound burger, laden with Cheddar or provolone, grilled mushrooms, green chiles, and onions. 

Most burger purveyors griddle, grill, or pan-sear their patties. Since 1959, Ted's, in this historic community north of New Haven, has steamed theirs. Steamed meat? Yep. Steamed Cheddar cheese, too. Cooked in custom-designed steam boxes, the burgers, served on kaiser-roll-like buns, lose very little bulk while cooking and, need we say, stay very moist. The steamed cheese is spooned over the patties and cloaks them thickly. Add lettuce and tomato (or complimentary sautéed onions and/or mushrooms) and you've got an unusual, and unusually good burger.

It looks sort of like a psychedelic preschool, all Day-Glo colors and funky signs and crowdsourced artwork, but this small Philadelphia burger joint serves up an exquisitely simple, highly flavorful 8-ounce sirloin burger, served on a doughy white bun from a nearby LeBus Bakery with sliced tomato, shredded lettuce, and a choice of sauces — among them hot mustard, BBQ, harissa aïoli, and "Caribbean Green." Sketch also serves a smashed onion burger, a truffle butter burger, and a Cyclops burger (with bacon and a fried egg), but why would you tamper with elementary success?

Bill's Bar & Burger is run by the hospitality company BR Guest, also known for upscale offerings like Dos Caminos, Strip House, and Ruby Foo's. It may be their most downscale venture, but the burgers served here get the level of care and attention they deserve. The meat blend is from Pat LaFrieda, and the six-ounce fresh-ground hand-pressed patties get a deep, crispy sear on a flat top and a slice of melty American cheese before being tucked into a soft squishy bun, served with lettuce, tomato, and pickle. The meat is loosely packed and just crumbly enough, super-juicy thanks to a high fat content, and the whole creation is simple, beefy, cheesy goodness, with a squirt of secret sauce to top it off. Hanson knew what he was doing when he opened the first location in the Meatpacking district; after a night on the town, one of these burgers just might be the most satisfying thing on earth. 

Ah, the inimitable Jucy Lucy (yes, Matt's spells it without the "i"). While the battle rages between Matt's Bar and the nearby 5-8 Club over who originally invented this brilliant burger variation, the one at Matt's Bar is a superior specimen. Legend has it that shortly after the restaurant opened in 1954 a hungry customer came in and asked for two burger patties with a slice of cheese in the middle. He took a bite, proclaimed it to be "one juicy Lucy!," and a legend was born. Only fresh-ground beef goes into each hand-formed burger, and the first bite yields a river of molten, gooey cheese. These burgers are much more difficult to make than it may appear, and the one at Matt's Bar is absolute perfection. 

There are hyped-up dishes and chefs that win so many awards, whose praises are sung so widely and so often, that you feel sure they can't possibly live up to the hype.. Those rules just don't apply to Iron Chef Michael Symon. He's won too many burger contests to recall, and with good reason — the man gets good food, he gets meat, and more importantly, he gets how to make a great burger. The Lola, Symon's burger with a sunny-side up egg, bacon, pickled red onions, and Cheddar, has the height of an Alfred Portale dish at Gotham Bar & Grill and the expressive flavors to match the vibrant personality and hearty laugh that are so characteristic of the chef. It's going to be on the rarer side, the saltier side, and the gooey-dripping side, and if you're really into burgers, and really know the way chefs like to make them, well... you'll be into that. If you're not? There's always McDonald's.

This standalone counter-only burger-and-pie place in West Los Angeles hasn't changed since it opened in 1947 (well, except for the prices). The Apple Pan's signature Hickoryburger is a juicy round of hickory-smoke-infused ground beef on a reasonably standard bun anointed with mayonnaise and a secret sauce that tastes like slightly spiced-up ketchup. Pickles and lettuce complete the package, with Tillamook Cheddar melted on top for an extra 50 cents.

"Bash Style," for the uninitiated, means onion and bacon jam, pickles, American cheese, special sauce, and most importantly, a killer blend of meat cooked medium-rare by chef Josh Capon and his team. These are the foundation of what you could argue has become unparalleled burger greatness: Capon's clubby SoHo spot is a veteran winner of Burger Bash, the marquee event of the South Beach and New York City Wine & Food Festivals, having claimed the title four times in five years.

Known as "the other Keller" (besides Thomas, obviously) to fine-dining enthusiasts who have long enjoyed his exquisitely crafted modern French food at Fleur de Lys in San Francisco and to the Las Vegas dining public for having created a $5,000 hamburger at his Fleur in the Mandalay Bay Hotel, Hubert Keller is an accomplished Alsatian-born chef who has lately established a reputation for producing sensibly priced burgers of great quality at his Burger Bar (with additional locations in San Francisco and Beijing). The basic burger here is certified Angus beef on a plump bun with tomatoes, onions, lettuce, and dill pickle, but the menu allows extravagant customization, offering roughly 50 accoutrements including such diverse add-ons as coleslaw, black truffles, smoked Gouda, jalapeño bacon, guacamole, and shrimp.

What do you get when you go to Father's Office, chef Sang Yoon's gastropub in Los Angeles (now in both Santa Monica and Culver City)? No table service. And no pretention. There's a wood-paneled, comfortable vibe of a great local lived-in spot, but it's clean, to the point, and one of The Daily Meal's 101 Best Restaurants of 2012. There are great craft beers and small bites (think smoked eel, sobrasada, Spanish mushrooms, and white anchovies). You can also "Eat Big" and opt for the spicy oatmeal stout ribs or the bistro steak. But let's face it, you're there for the Office Burger, which many people in LA refer to as the city's best burger. There's nothing bougie or frou-frou about it, just caramelized onion, bacon, Gruyère, Maytag Blue, and arugula. It's a very, very juicy burger with funk, freshness, and great flavor. Checklist item? You bet.

Because of this burger's location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and its lunch-only appearance on the menu, out-of-town visitors are likely to have an easier time than New Yorkers experiencing New York City's best burger. There are no bells and whistles, but Peter Luger has been handling meat since 1887 and its rich, ½-pound Luger Burger made from porterhouse and prime chuck roll trimmings is worth New Yorkers figuring out how to sneak out of the office for a long lunch. Burgers are molded into a coffee cup, emptied onto the high-temperature broilers used for the restaurant's steaks until they develop a dark crust, and then settled into a sesame-studded bun. For a few dollars more you can have cheese and thick-cut bacon, a bit more of a chewy affair, but either way, if the famed gruff waitstaff unsettled you when you sat down, you'll have forgotten them after the first bite. Just make sure to arrive before 3:45 p.m. when they stop serving it.