The world's greatest burgers — from iconic American classics to innovative smash burgers and global interpretations.
Danny Meyer's Shake Shack ShackBurger — hormone-free beef patty, ShackSauce, American cheese, tomato, lettuce — brought fine dining restaurant standards to fast casual hamburger service, creating a national chain from a Madison Square Park hot dog cart that demonstrated quality could scale.
Umami Burger's application of flavor science — using specific umami-rich ingredients (parmesan crisp, roasted tomato, house-made ketchup, soy-marinated shiitake mushrooms) to maximize savory taste perception — created the most intellectually constructed major burger chain and inspired a generation of food-science-driven burger operations.
The smash burger — a small ball of high-fat beef smashed thin on a hot griddle to create maximum Maillard crust while maintaining a juicy interior — is the current zenith of American burger technique. Kenji Lopez-Alt's popularization of the method and brands like Smashburger, Five Guys, and countless craft operations have made it the dominant premium burger style.
Impossible Burger's heme-based plant protein replication of beef's flavor profile, bleeding, and texture represents the most significant food technology achievement of the 2010s — creating a plant-based burger that passes in blind tastings among casual consumers while providing dramatically lower environmental impact than conventional beef.
J.G. Melon's classic pub burger — straightforward, perfectly seasoned beef patty, soft bun, iceberg lettuce, tomato, and a side of cottage fries — has served the Upper East Side since 1972 as a benchmark of unpretentious quality. It represents the New York tavern burger at its most timeless.
Au Cheval's double cheeseburger — two beef patties, American cheese, Dijonnaise, pickles — regularly tops Best Burger in America lists for its precise fat content, careful seasoning, and execution of simple principles at the highest level. The wait of 1-2 hours is regularly cited as worth every minute.
Paris' Le Camion Qui Fume food truck and restaurant applies French culinary precision to American burger tradition — quality sourced beef, house-baked buns, and thoughtful condiment composition that introduced Parisians to a legitimate burger culture that has since flourished throughout the city.
Japanese Wagyu beef's extraordinary fat marbling — producing richness levels impossible in conventional beef — creates burgers of unprecedented luxury and flavor intensity. Blending Wagyu with a percentage of regular beef (to add textural structure that 100% Wagyu lacks) produces the most indulgent burger achievable with ethical ingredient sourcing.
In-N-Out Burger's Double-Double — two fresh-never-frozen beef patties, two slices of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and In-N-Out spread on a toasted bun — is America's most beloved regional burger chain, with its secret 'Animal Style' (mustard-fried patty, extra spread, caramelized onions) elevating an already excellent product.
Minneapolis' Juicy Lucy — a burger with molten American cheese sealed inside the beef patty rather than on top — requires the first bite to be taken with care due to the volcanic cheese interior. Matt's Bar and the 5-8 Club maintain a friendly rivalry as originators of this Minnesota invention.
Quality turkey and chicken burgers — properly seasoned, not overcooked, and served on appropriate buns — represent legitimate burger alternatives rather than inferior substitutions. Farm-to-table chicken burger restaurants and quality turkey patty preparations with bold condiments demonstrate poultry burgers can be genuinely excellent.
José Andrés' Bazaar Meat at SLS Las Vegas includes a burger featuring an entire tomahawk preparation — various premium proteins, exceptional ingredient sourcing, and the theatrical luxury of a Las Vegas fine dining context combined with the democratic appeal of hamburger form.
“Shake Shack ShackBurger (USA)”
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BurgersTop 100 burgers ranked — from smash burgers and classic double-doubles to wagyu beef creations and legendary fast food icons. Every style voted on.