The 19 Best Burgers in New York City

Bobby Van’s steakhouse is a New York institution, but this tiny offshoot, located in a courtyard next to the 45^th street location and specializing in burgers and hot dogs, is somehow still less known than it should be. It shouldn’t be. Loosely-packed eight-ounce burgers are made with fresh-ground sirloin and given a deep crust on a griddle before being draped in ample cheese and tucked into a soft and squishy bun. Soft, juicy, and full of flavor.

Find more details on BV’s Burger here.

Paul’s is a bit of a downtown New York institution: They have been serving burgers to Cooper Union students and other hungry New Yorkers for over 25 years (the lines on their 25th anniversary itself were around the block). You can’t really order wrong here, but your best bet is probably the cheeseburger, which is an eight-ounce burger that’s cooked with a metal bowl over it to seal in the juicy goodness. In classic fashion, a wealth of Cheddar cheese is melted on top of the patty, and the whole thing is served open-faced with the top half of the bun, iceberg lettuce, onion, and tomato on the side.

Find more details on Paul’s here.

When it comes to DuMont Burger, 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 have been brought on by the pressures and financial difficulties behind running his three restaurants, DuMont, Dressler, and DuMont Burger. But even after Devlin’s death, the food that brought him into the spotlight can still be found at this Brooklyn burger joint. They serve a burger that satisfies newcomers and long-time fans, a burger that lives up to the expectations of locals and Lonely Planet-wielding Italian and French tourists alike. Yet it’s a simple iteration: A basic thick-patty burger that features pickles (and you’ll want to add cheese), juicy with a slight char; the sweet-smelling, buttery brioche provides just enough handle through to the last bite.

Find more details on Dumont Burger here.

A bun should never steal the burger show, but the fresh, toasted challah loaf bun at Geoffrey Zakarian's Theater District gem The Lambs Club comes pretty close. But the lunch-only burger has plenty more going for it, including Cabot sharp Cheddar, shallot, and just about the highest quality beef burger you can find. Not to mention the perfect speared pickle on top.

Find more details on The Lambs Club here.

It’s a swanky burger to be sure, served in a bar in one of Manhattan’s trendiest hotels, whose restaurant is helmed by one of the city’s (and the country’s) most well-respected chefs: Daniel Humm (also of Eleven Madison Park). And while the house burger at The NoMad Bar, which has a separate entrance and only starts serving food starting at 5:30 p.m., doesn’t come out of the same kitchen that prepares the signature $84 whole-roasted chicken with foie gras and black truffles, it’s still in the same sphere of indulgence, albeit more beefy and affordable. We’re talking a dry-aged Cheddar burger laced with bone marrow and suet, and dressed with red onion and pickles.

Find more details on The NoMad Bar here.

Frank Falcinelli and Frank Castronovo, affectionately known as “The Franks” by fans of their New York restaurants, including Frankies 457 and Frankies Spuntino, serve 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 really doesn’t even need toppings or a bun. But the house-made bun stands up to the juiciness, and the additions of lettuce, onion, pickles, and tomato elevate it all to burger glory.

Find more details on Prime Meats here.

At the East Village’s Brindle Room, chef/owner Jeremy Spector is serving a lunch-only burger that, at $12, is a certifiable steal. The reason? Dry-aged meat. Prime aged beef trimmings and deckle are brought in from his partner’s New Jersey restaurant, and give this burger a pronounced mineral-rich funk. It comes topped with caramelized onions and your choice of cheese, but honestly, would you top a dry-aged rib-eye with cheese? The soft white generic bun perfectly holds it all together.

Find more details on The Brindle Room here.