Hamburgers - who serves up the best one near you?

[horses4courses]

In my area, on the south shore of Lake Tahoe, a shack named Izzy's is the best.
Popular with locals and tourists, they have great burgers and onion rings.

Who does it best near you?

It can be a hole-in-the-wall joint, a chain, or any place else.
Good value, or gourmet up-scale. Doesn't matter.

Just as long as it's good......... :ThmbUp:

[ArlJim78]

I heard a lot about the Five Guys and Fries chain, so I tried them recently. Pretty damn good, and the fries were great. kind of pricey but I don't mind paying for higher quality good tasting food.

[thaskalos]

Portillo's

[Zaf]

Five Guy's is great - Love the Shake Shack burgers :ThmbUp: :jump:

Z

[Mailman]

5 guys for me. Fries there really good also!

[elysiantraveller]

Five Guys is good. We have a place that is better though called Nisker's State Burger. The guy used to own a catering business too but now just have a couple of burger joints. What makes it better than Five Guys is they have some different toppings like giardiniera and pico. Also you can get sweet potato fries or cheese topping and other really unhealthy stuff on top. I'm not a huge burger fan though when I go out, I feel I can make a better one or 4 for the same price. I'm a bigger sandwich guy. My biggest weakness lately is a place called Jersey Giant. Amazing! Especially since they've added hot pepper relish.

[lsbets]

The Skybox Grill at the Aria in Vegas has some great burgers. Fries are extra, but the burgers are so big you don't need them. I usually order whatever their special is.

[horses4courses]

Sounds like Five Guys is the east coast's In & Out.
Out west they are one of the best chains.
There's one 30 mins from me in Carson City.

[Striker]

Kuma's Corner on Belmont in Chicago

[Tom]

There was a bar and grill called The Green Front here in town, served the best burger ever! They featured hot peppers, sauce, onions, relish, mustard, catsup....on Italian bread...the prize to get the heel. Sometimes, you would find
red pepper flakes hidden under your cheese - a birthday surprise from the bar.


People literally drove 50 miles to get one "all the way, burn me!"

After the burger was assembled, they would literally hold it over the pepper pot and squeeze the juice out so you could eat it.

They owner died and took the recipe with him. We have tried for 20 years to duplicate the pepper recipe and can't do it.

[PaceAdvantage]

My favorite fast food burger is currently the McDonald's Angus Burger. It's pretty damn good for a fast food joint.

I like Five Guys, but for some reason, not my favorite.

Nathan's actually makes a pretty decent burger for a fast food joint.

[Valuist]

Smash Burger > Five Guys

I saw a Portillo's mention earlier and they do EVERYTHING great.

[Tom]

I just saw a 5 Guys opened up a couple of mile from where I work.
Have to try them out when I go back to work next week.

What is the hot burger in Saratoga?
I was thinking of trying out that BBQ place just off the other Saratoga exit - I go by it every year after I get off on the wrong exit, and it sure smells good.

[Zaf]

Tom you must try a Shake Shack burger, Grey Gelding had a good one , they are gone, Old Bryan has a good burger. BBQSA totally renovated , food was always good there. Gonna try the Byk Pot Roast Sandwich Friday, Burger Saturday :)

Z

[ElKabong]

If you're in Arlington, go to Chapps.

Can't beat it unless you go to a Snuffers here (be sure to order the cheddar fries w/ your burger if you're visiting....trust me on this!)

The new In & Out's here are horrible. Very disappointing after the hype we heard

5 Guys is ok- to- good. Nowhere near Snuffers or Chapps tho for quality of a burger

[nijinski]

Been a while . Time to go back to Arthers Tavern . Hoboken ,
Absolutely the best Burgers.

[Steve 'StatMan']

I like 5-Guys option of Green Peppers. But for my budget, it is a rare treat as is Steak & Shake. In Chicagoland I like Charchol Delights. Foster & Kedzie on north side, and in Des Plaines on Oakton.

I do like McDonald's Angus Bacon Burger when I want to splurge, but not go far (1/2 block walk from my apt.) Of course, when I really want to eat a big burger, I still love the Triples at Wendy's. Think they did good with the recent changes like toasting the buns. And the Triple Baconator! Oh my! I know, I know, not good me, but mighty, mighty good.

Sadly, Hardees/Carl Jr's never took off in Chicago proper nor some of the near suburbs. That double thick burger (angus) is my absolute favorite! I also loved Culver's when I had the opportunity to have them.

I've had troubles with Portillo's overcooking the outside and leaving the inside too rare, although one time they likely speeded up the cooking chain as there was a huge line. However, where the Portillo's has a Barnelli's in it, I absolutely LOVE the Ribs!

[Tom]

I'm with you Friday Zaf....been thinking about pot roast ever since Byk mentioned it last week. :p :kiss:

[PhantomOnTour]

Got a few good burger joints here in Cajunland:

Fat Pat's (never trust a skinny cook)
Judice Inn (open 35yrs and still no french fries!)....always thought this was an Asian restaurant because folks kept talking about "Judy Sinn"
Champagne's (pronounced, shom-pines)

[ldiatone]

my house

[RunForTheRoses]

Shake Shack

White Rose System

http://www.hollyeats.com/WhiteRose.htm

[BlueShoe]

Of the chains, Fatburger is the top choice. Problem is that they are pricey. Ten bucks for a burger, fries, and drink is too much imo. Same for Five Guys, good but overpriced. In-N-Out is more reasonable, but overated. Of the budget chains, my choice is Carls Jr or Wendy's. Burger King, Jack in the Box, and especially McDonalds, only when there are no other choices. A few of the places mentioned may not be familiar to everyone, may be only available in California or other western states.

[Zaf]

I'm with you Friday Zaf....been thinking about pot roast ever since Byk mentioned it last week. :p :kiss:


See you there tomorrow !!!!

Z

[wisconsin]

Chains:

Always been a Wendy's Fan, but love Culver's Butter Burgers (just had one for lunch).

Also Fuddruckers. Yum.

Local:

Would have to be DD's, aka Double D's. Yes the owner is stacked, but hey, it's a burger place by day and a biker bar by night. Only do carry outs.

[BlueShoe]

In my area, on the south shore of Lake Tahoe, a shack named Izzy's is the best.
Popular with locals and tourists, they have great burgers and onion rings.
My annual trek to SLT is coming up in October, so just might give this place a try. Pretty good reviews on the Web. Of all places, there is a Fatburger's, mentioned earlier, inside Harrah's. If my horses are clicking and in the mood to ante up a little more, that is an option if craving a good burger.

[Bettowin]

If you ever go to Canterbury Park stop by the Lion's Tap for a good old burger and fries. The whole business was grown on burgers, fries and cold beer.

Link to the menu:

http://www.lionstap.com/menu.html

[rosenowsr]

BackYard Burger is great, but then any place that serves an Angus Burger is OK by me.:)

[FiveWide]

My favorite three in the DFW area are:


1. Jakes
2. Scotty P's (unreal milkshakes too!)
3. Kincaids

All family owned I believe.

I haven't tried Five Guys but plan on it. In n Out was no better than Wendy's IMO.


-Five

[dav4463]

Denton County Independent Hamburger is my favorite. 5 Guys is too expensive but good. Whataburger is usually pretty good. Some Whataburgers are better than others...same with Dairy Queen...some are good, some are not. Fuddruckers is always good......We have another little place called Frosty's that I like too.......I like a good burger!

[Robert Fischer]

i have to go with my uncle's bbq grilled angus burger

at a fast food joint the local wendy's burgers with bacon are pretty good

[schweitz]

Denton County Independent Hamburger is my favorite. 5 Guys is too expensive but good. Whataburger is usually pretty good. Some Whataburgers are better than others...same with Dairy Queen...some are good, some are not. Fuddruckers is always good......We have another little place called Frosty's that I like too.......I like a good burger!



Try SmashBurger, a chain out of Denver---has many locations in the metroplex.

[Steve 'StatMan']

Of course, when I really want to eat a big burger, I still love the Triples at Wendy's. Think they did good with the recent changes like toasting the buns. And the Triple Baconator! Oh my! I know, I know, not good me, but mighty, mighty good.

Oh it was mighty wonderful today! :cool:

The only hard part was waiting all of last night and this morning through work before I could go!

Me eating cheeseburgers without my glasses: :D

[elysiantraveller]

Try SmashBurger, a chain out of Denver---has many locations in the metroplex.

I'm not all that high on Smash Burger but I know a lot of people who are.

I agree with many on the fast food side that Wendy's crushes the competition.

[Canarsie]

Great burger review site. They also run slice.com with lots of good stuff.

http://aht.seriouseats.com/

[ldiatone]

my house
well after thinking about it i'll say the place between LUXOR and MANDALAY BAY casinos in the mall type walk. the place is on the right going to the BAY
there, a kobe beef burger w/ foie gras and bearnaise sauce all for 80.00 bucks.....the "ROSSINI BURGER". now this was 2005 and is the place still there?

[PaceAdvantage]

Of the not-so-known chains, I think these guys are very good:

http://cheeburger.com/locations.asp

[lamboguy]

i used to eat the hamburgs from the dumpiest of all places in New Jersey and Kentucky, White Castle. they are very small hamburgs that are steamed and the pickle makes the hamburg.

you can get them in a supermarket these days, all you have to do is microwave them and add the pickles.

[PhantomOnTour]

well after thinking about it i'll say the place between LUXOR and MANDALAY BAY casinos in the mall type walk. the place is on the right going to the BAY
there, a kobe beef burger w/ foie gras and bearnaise sauce all for 80.00 bucks.....the "ROSSINI BURGER". now this was 2005 and is the place still there?
You heard they outlawed foie gras in California about a month ago?
They weren't upset with how the duck or goose died...it was how they lived :D

And Lamboguy....white castle burgers are just disgusting.
They are the Taco Bell of the burger industry...i ate Taco Bell in 1989 and I'm good for now, thank you.

[PaceAdvantage]

I love White Castle, but try to limit myself to twice a year...lol

[johnhannibalsmith]

http://images.ookaboo.com/photo/m/KrystalTray_m.jpg

Even better yet.

[Wagergirl]

We have a place called The Giant here. it's a little place but great burgers!! I am not a big fan of Five Guys. They are spendy and greasy.

[PhantomOnTour]

If i gotta drive thru it's gonna be Wendy's, hands down.
Not many small chain drive thru joints in my neck of the woods...you get the Big 3 plus some Whataburger, Arby's and that's about it.
Heard rumors of a Five Guys, but nothin yet.

An old college buddy of mine went to work as a Wendy's manager and told me their meat is never frozen...trucked in daily. For some reason i still believe that to be true 20yrs later:lol:

[PhantomOnTour]

Y'all ever heard of Raising Cane's...chicken finger & fries place?
They are getting big in the south...some guys from LSU who had a dog named Cain started it. They were Business majors and this was a pet project for a class that became reality.
They are really kickin ass...but this LSU grad thinks they are a bit overrated :blush:

[FiveWide]

Y'all ever heard of Raising Cane's...chicken finger & fries place?
They are getting big in the south...some guys from LSU who had a dog named Cain started it. They were Business majors and this was a pet project for a class that became reality.
They are really kickin ass...but this LSU grad thinks they are a bit overrated :blush:

One just opened in my neck of the woods about a month ago and I decided to give them a try a couple weeks ago. I thought it was ok, though nothing special. I did like the story behind their restaurant.

-Five

[nijinski]

Don't bring friends or family with Peanut allergies to Five Guys.

They use only Peanut Oil .

[elysiantraveller]

Of the not-so-known chains, I think these guys are very good:

http://cheeburger.com/locations.asp

Aha!

I've eaten there in Sanibel Island several times... Did not know there were that many of them!

[rastajenk]

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4151/4978222266_218e9c7bf6.jpg
Terry's Turf Club, lower east side, Cincinnati, a few miles from River Downs.

Lots of places call their burgers "gourmet," but these really are. Toppings might be goat cheese, foie gras, lump crab meat, mushrooms in a truffle sauce, and much more. They have to be experienced to appreciate any kind of verbal description.

It was featured on Foodie TV's Diners, Dumps, and Dives

http://aht.seriouseats.com/images/20101222-129796-terrys-foie-split.jpg

[ldiatone]

You heard they outlawed foie gras in California about a month ago?
They weren't upset with how the duck or goose died...it was how they lived :D

And Lamboguy....white castle burgers are just disgusting.
They are the Taco Bell of the burger industry...i ate Taco Bell in 1989 and I'm good for now, thank you.
france has been doing this for foie since.... what the f*^k des calf. know about foie. is veal served in the state? chicken? turkey? lets make calf. an ALL vegentarian state! whats next truffles? the dogs(pigs) what "get high" from smiffing out truffles! good GD think they don't do "duck Press".
and little link sausage is ok.... or calves liver is ok....force feeding the calves.
if one has not seen a whole calves liver before slicing and then view a calves which is breed to grow...big difference.
obtw i guess i won't be eating at Aqua in frisco as their signature dish used to be tuna fillet w/ foie and a pinot noir demi.that was seveal years ago

[Tom]

I stopped at a McDonald's drive thru on the thruway on my home today - ordered a #2 - Quarter-pounder, fries and a coke.......$9.12 !!!! :eek:

Trust me, it was NOT one of the top fifty or sixty billion they ever served.
I feel like Baby Mario should have kissed me when it was over.

[Steve 'StatMan']

I earned my Triple Baconator (plain-cheese & bacon, no fries) tonight. Walked the 3 miles round trip to my closest Wendy's instead of taking the bus. Weahter wes actually nice a couple days this week, including tonight. :)

[Robert Fischer]

I earned my Triple Baconator (plain-cheese & bacon, no fries) tonight. Walked the 3 miles round trip to my closest Wendy's instead of taking the bus. Weahter wes actually nice a couple days this week, including tonight. :)

Life is Good :)

[Actor]

I loved hamburgers as a kid so much that my father used to call me Wimpy, after the Popeye character who was always eating a burger.

My aunt owned a restaurant. Her burgers are my idea of what a burger should be. Must have had a quarter pound of meat and it cost a quarter. It came with a handful of chips. For another nickel you could substitute fries. Yet another nickel got you a coke in a glass bottle. I haven't seen a coke in a glass bottle for years. The restaurant closed years ago.

In Las Vegas in 1997 I paid what I thought was an outrageous price for a burger but when it came it was ten inches in diameter and served on a plate. I could not pick it up and had to eat it with a knife and fork. I think the place was either Planet Hollywood or the Hard Rock Cafe.

White Castles are great if you don't go too often. Heart attack in a sack. I got a sackful about a month ago where the bottom half of the bun was almost pure lard. Yuck! Sackful I got the day before yesterday was back to normal.

I don't know of any place nearby that serves a really great burger. Most nice restaurants seem to treat hamburgers as an afterthought. Something for the kids while the adults have steak. BW3 serves a fairly good burger but not what I used to get at my aunt's.

Day to day the closest to my place are Wendy's and Mickey Dee's. Lately Wendy's seems to be getting saltier, like they're putting too much salt on the burger. Why put salt on a burger in the first place? Mickey Dee's is open 24/7 but they stop serving burgers at 1:30 a.m. and go to the breakfast menu. Since the movie Super SIze Me came out Mickey Dee's has taken a lot of flack so now their burgers have a minimum of grease, which has a negative impact on taste IMHO. I used to avoid them like the plague but lately I've developed a taste for Big Mack's.

Burger King is a little bit better than Wendy's or Mickey Dee's but also a little bit pricier and about two miles further away.

I don't know if it qualifies as a burger but Steak 'n Shake's Frisco Melt served on sourdough bread is just great.

[precocity]

the opened a Five Guys about 15 min from the house and just because of this thread went and tried out a double bacon and cheeseburger yesterday.MUST SAY PRETTY DAM GOOD BURGER!!!!!! :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp:

[MrBaseball]

FATBURGER :10: :ThmbUp:

[so.cal.fan]

Burger Shack in Monrovia and Pasadena
Tops Burgers in Arcadia

[dav4463]

Try SmashBurger, a chain out of Denver---has many locations in the metroplex.

SmashBurger is on my list. Searching the web to find location closest to me.

[Mike at A+]

We have a local pub/restaurant here in PA called P.J. Whelihan's that makes a great barbeque bacon cheeseburger. They also have a few other restaurants in New Jersey. But my "go to" place when we're in the Saratoga area as we were this past weekend is in Lake Placid and called The Great Adirondack Steak And Seafood Company. Their beef is sourced locally, ground daily and never frozen. The rolls in my opinion are a very important component of a good burger and theirs are perfect with just enough bite. And they brew some excellent ales. You get to keep the glass when you order a beer and they feature some colorful Olympic scenes. I probably have close to a dozen in my collection. From Saratoga it's about a 2 hour drive but Lake Placid is absolutely beautiful and we love going up Whiteface Mountain for some awesome photography. Some nice little shops on the strip and a few wine tasting rooms. One in particular (Goose Watch of the Finger Lakes region) gives you 5 generous tastes and a very nice glass for 5 bucks.

[racko]

Hodads- Pacific Beach or is it Ocean Beach
The Landing- restaurant in the Carlsbad Airport
Bentleys- Encinitas. and for the every day burger
In and Out.....these are in the San Diego area.

[Valuist]

In Vegas recently and I missed out on a chance to try In and Out burger. My question is, is the hype worth it? I've heard more people say overrated than the hype is justified.

Here's my list:
1. Smashburger
2. Five Guys
3. Jack in the Box
4. Culvers

Have never had In and Out burger or Shake Shack.

[dartman51]

I have a good selection, all within 15 minutes of my house.

Mickey D.s (will do in a pinch)
Krystal (the wife loves them, just not for me)
Fat Mo's (a pretty good burger, but a little too greasy for me)
Smashburger (Got a lot of hype when they opened, didn't live up to the hype, IMHO)
Culver's (much like Smashburger, didn't live up to the hype for me.)
Red Robin (Gourmet burgers, way too pricey.)
Jack In The Box (Not bad, a cut above Mickey D's)
Wendy's (Never been a big fan of Wendy's burgers, but they do have other things that I like.)
Steak N Shake (Definitely in my Top 3, burger is a little small, so I always get a double. Really love their fries.

Top 2 faves. If I want a standard burger, with onion, pickle, lettuce, mustard & ketchup, it's 5 Guys
Sam's Sports Bar and Grill, has a Hickory burger, that will have you coming back again and again. It's a huge Angus burger with Canadian Bacon and Bar-B-Q sauce.

Damn, now i'm hungry. :D Gotta go get a burger. :ThmbUp:

[TBred17Roan]

We have a local pub/restaurant here in PA called P.J. Whelihan's that makes a great barbeque bacon cheeseburger. They also have a few other restaurants in New Jersey. But my "go to" place when we're in the Saratoga area as we were this past weekend is in Lake Placid and called The Great Adirondack Steak And Seafood Company. Their beef is sourced locally, ground daily and never frozen. The rolls in my opinion are a very important component of a good burger and theirs are perfect with just enough bite. And they brew some excellent ales. You get to keep the glass when you order a beer and they feature some colorful Olympic scenes. I probably have close to a dozen in my collection. From Saratoga it's about a 2 hour drive but Lake Placid is absolutely beautiful and we love going up Whiteface Mountain for some awesome photography. Some nice little shops on the strip and a few wine tasting rooms. One in particular (Goose Watch of the Finger Lakes region) gives you 5 generous tastes and a very nice glass for 5 bucks.

This is why I endorse A+.....they provide the best information <grin>.

[PhantomOnTour]

For me, burgers are like pizza.
90% of them are just burgers or pizza...5% really suck and 5% are really good.
Anything in between the two 5%'s is just ordinary.

Five Guys recently opened here in Cajunland...just another burger to me.

[Valuist]

In Vegas recently and I missed out on a chance to try In and Out burger. My question is, is the hype worth it? I've heard more people say overrated than the hype is justified.

Here's my list:
1. Smashburger
2. Five Guys
3. Jack in the Box
4. Culvers

Have never had In and Out burger or Shake Shack.

Forgot about Portillos. Have to put Portillos ahead of Five Guys.

[davew]

Have to include Hardee's / Carl's Jr. on this list, especially for fast food

[chrisl]

Red Mill Burgers Seattle WA

[ldiatone]

again, the burgers i make....

[fast4522]

All the burger joints also sell icecream, the better question who has the best soft serve?

http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2014/04/08/Topless-Chick-Goes-Crazy-in-McDonalds

[JustRalph]

My wife and I grind our own and it makes a huge difference

But I am a fan of Five Guys

[RunForTheRoses]

Great thread.

Ate this for lunch today, it was really, really good but way overpriced for a small burger @9.75 w/cheese. Will only go back when I'm flush with money from a score at the track.

https://www.facebook.com/RamenBurger

http://ny.eater.com/archives/2014/04/ramen_co_is_soft_open_quietly_serving_ramen_burger s.php

[mostpost]

My wife and I grind our own and it makes a huge difference

But I am a fan of Five Guys
Soylent Green :eek: