Best Burgers
Green Chile Cheeseburger,, Santa Fe Bite
You guys are always asking me for recommendations, and I’ve never done a “favorites list,” per se, so today I think I will.
For me, the test of a great burger, is to take it all apart, sample the individual components, with the biggest emphasis being put on the taste and texture of the beef patty. I have found no better ground beef supplier in the U.S. than Creekstone Farms or Kansas. Many of my favorite burgers dgt their blends from Creekstone.
There are a lot of great ones I have missed, but I am never gonna put one on the list that has fancy pants ingredients that bury the flavor of the beef – condiments like “fig jam,” and “merlot sauteed onions” just don’t do it for me. If you like those things, fine.
My burger list for the past 12 months is by no means all inclusive, nor are these fine meat patties in any particular order. Those disclaimers aside, let’s get to it. Click on each link to read the full review.
EPIC – a mini chain in Chicago. Creekstone beef, hand made patties with nice char crust, fresh cut fries.
TruBurger – New Orleans is another Creekstone customer. Hand pressed fresh ground beef with “TruSauce” and hand cut fries. The fries are a single stage process, so while fresh and tasty, they lack any kind of crispness.
The Company Burger – another Crreekstone customer in New Orleans. A little spendy, but a terrific burger and don’t forget a side of rings.
District Donuts, Sliders, Brew – this New Orleans bake shop offers beef and chicken slider-size burgers every day, along with a special or two. Yes another Creekstone customer in a fun size burger.
Santa Fe Bite – When I sampled their wares, this couple was making the super green chili cheeseburgers at another joint called “Bobcat Bite.” A dispute with the owners sent them packing across town in Santa Fe, and good thing, they are still cooking the burgers and in a larger place. This may be the best hamburger I have had anywhere.
Golden State – an epic burger experience, beef is from Harris Ranch in California, and adult milkshakes.
Pickwick Pub Burger – Duluth, MN. All of their burgers are done on the char-grill, giving them a nice crust and smokey flavor.
Vortex, Atlanta, when excess is not enough, these guys crank out absolutely monster burgers.
Heart Attack Grill – the original location, that I went to in suburban Phoenix is closed, but there is an outlet in Vegas. Fun experience for a guy afternoon, unlimited fries cooked in lard, Mexican cokes, and Lucky and Camel straights for sale under the counter.
Tracks – in suburban Chicago burg of Cary, Illinois, these guys get voted best burger in the county, year after year.
Much Ado About Nothing
Umami – fast growing chain out of Los Angeles, really nothing to get excited about. Overpriced and nothing special, flavor wise, despite their marketing.
Little Big Burger – Portland, OR mini chain that everybody loves ‘cept me. Yawn. After my review, the owners suggested I not return.
In N Out, Western U.S. I will never figure out the mystique and fascination with an In N Out burger; when you strip it away from the bun, condiments, and vegetables, you have a thin, unspectacular, unseasoned beef patty that clocks in at MAYBE 2 ounces. Not worth a trip. Or the hype.
Mad Greek – Baker, CA. Every driven between Los Angeles and Las Vegas? Out there in the middle of the desert, the town of Baker is a popular stop-over enroute. Home of the world’s tallest thermometer. The Mad Greek is loud (inside and out) and serves amazingly unspectacular Greek and American fare to passers-by.
Stanichs, always on the list of favorites in Portland, but who knows why. Maybe they were great forty years ago, but now it’s just not a thing, at all. Not worth a stop.
Dicks, Seattle chain. I could just cut and past the description of Stanichs, above, for Dicks. Very popular in Seattle, born about the same time as McDonalds, and offer the same type of fare, except with better fries.
Port of Call, New Orleans. Always on the favorite list in New Orleans, and nobody knows why anymore. Plus your side is a giant baked potato. No fries. So many good burgers in NOLA now, and POC is not one of them.
Best Burgers in USA
Add in that In&Out’s fries are just horrible, and I really don’t see the draw of the place.
Add in that In&Out’s fries are just horrible, and I really don’t see the draw of the place.