These Are the 5 Best Burgers in New York City. Full Stop.
Last week, an editor sent an email out in our office. It posed an innocent, simple question: What's the best burger in New York City? The answers were anything but simple or innocent. Words were had. Opinions were bashed. Allegiances were formed. It got intense, and very quickly, it became apparent that we all have insanely passionate opinions about burgers.
But if you're going to have convictions about a food in New York City, a burger is a good place to start. The bun. The patty. The toppings. The cheese. There are so many things to consider, so many places to go wrong or right. And after talking through just about every imaginable detail, we landed on the five best burgers in New York City (plus a bonus for all you burger-loving fiends out there). These are the BA-certified best burgers in our city, not in a particular order:
The Happiest Hour: The Happiest Burger
"They should call this place the Happiest 3 Minutes and 47 Seconds, because that's how long this burger lasts when it's in front of me," advises video producer Matt Duckor, who has taken down quite a few of these babies. "It's the perfect restaurant take on a fast food burger—a pair of thin griddled patties, mustard-spiked Russian dressing, and shredded iceberg lettuce on a toasted Martin's Potato Roll." And that, friends is the truth. Doesn't hurt to order a frozen margarita too. You know, for the full experience.
J.G. Melon's: Cheeseburger
Just like the green checkered tablecloths and melon-covered walls, the griddle at J.G Melon's Upper East Side institution, coated in years of seasoning, is a thing of pure beauty. "That burger is a classic. When I think about a burger, the J.G. burger is what comes to mind," says editor-in-chief Adam Rapoport. "It's fried 'til crisp and perfectly greasy on that flat-top griddle and blanketed in melted American cheese, and sandwiched between squishy toasted hamburger buns. The pickles and onion it's served with are all it needs. And cottage fries. And maybe a vodka soda."
Prime Meats: The 5 oz. Burger
At lunch and brunch, you can find the 5oz. burger at Prime Meats. If you're here for dinner, you've missed it. "The thing about most burgers is that they're too much burger. A meatball-like patty, or a double-stacked one, often makes me want to crawl home and nap," admits features editor Kurt Soller. "That's why five ounces is the right amount, bar none—enough beef to satisfy my craving without overwhelming my limbic system, and a perfect proportion to condiments, cheese, and bun."
Salvation Burger: The Classic
The term "in-house" gets thrown around a lot, but the only place it really deserves to be used is when describing Salvation Burger's classic burger. The American cheese. The bun. The dry-aging, butchering, and grinding of the meat. The pickles. The sauce. All in-house. The result is a singularity. "They've mastered the art of the cheese melt," says deputy editor Andrew Knowlton. "That thing is draped in a blanket of insane cheese. Eating that burger is like doing it under the covers." Also, if someone could get in touch with April Bloomfield for that American cheese recipe, we'd sure as hell appreciate it.
4 Charles Prime Rib: American Cheeseburger
"As a Chicagoan, it was very affirming to hear New Yorkers go bananas for the burger at 4 Charles Prime Rib, which is essentially the same as the one served at Au Cheval in my hometown," says senior projects editor Julia Kramer. "The formula is simple: lightly toasted bun, pickles, onions, layers of the meltiest of all cheeses (American, obvs). The double stack of patties takes it ever-so-slightly over the top, without venturing into the territory of excess." And as tempting as excess is, we're pretty much perfect right here.
Bonus Round! Long Island Bar: The L.I. Burger
The L.I. Burger inspires passion. We want to say more, but senior food editor Andy Baraghani hits it all right here (which we've condensed because he actually wrote three paragraphs about this specific burger): "This is one of the truly great burgers anywhere. The buns have the perfect amount of squishiness. The patties are thin and doubled up. The American cheese is made in-house. The fancy sauce is perfect and the only sauce I want on my burger. The pickles have good crunch, not too thick or thin, with great tang. And if you want it, there's a bacon wheel. It's a round piece of American bacon that covers the burger perfectly. This burger is classic. It's not fussy. It's restrained perfection. The burger makes this bar."
