Last updated June 2026
I have eaten a lot of burgers. More than is medically advisable. My only regret is not keeping better notes from the early years.
This list is not about the trendiest burger in the city right now. It is about the ones I keep thinking about after I leave. The ones that hit differently depending on the mood, the day, and how badly the week has gone. That is the only criteria that actually matters.
This list gets updated as I eat. If something earns its way on here you will know about it.
How I Judge a Burger
It is not just the patty. The bun matters. The cheese matters. The construction matters. Whether it holds together or collapses into a pile of regret by the second bite matters. Price matters because I am not dropping $400 on a burger and pretending that is normal. And most importantly, whether I am already thinking about ordering a second one before I finish the first.
10. San Mateo Pizzeria e Cucina — Upper East Side
Why it made the list:
This one came out of nowhere at Wine and Food Fest. Pizza dough buns. Chewy, cheesy, and genuinely genius. Nobody saw it coming and nobody forgot it. Sometimes a burger earns its place on a list by doing something nobody else is doing.
What to order:
The burger on pizza dough buns. Obviously.
Best for:
The adventurous burger eater who wants something completely different.
9. Wall Street Grill — FiDi
Why it made the list:
Top quality meat, a smart avocado sauce twist, and consistent execution every single time. The only issue is it is closed on Fridays, which is peak burger craving territory and a scheduling problem I have not resolved.
What to order:
The burger with the avocado sauce. Do not skip it.
Best for:
Weekday FiDi lunches, kosher burger fans, anyone who needs a reliable downtown option.
8. Hawksmoor — Flatiron
Why it made the list:
The Notorious B.E.E.F. is a bar-only burger and that is exactly where you should be eating it. Semi-smash double patty, house-made cheese, pure juice and goo from start to finish. A sleeper favorite that most people at Hawksmoor never even order because they are too focused on the steak. Their loss.
What to order:
The Notorious B.E.E.F. at the bar. Bar only. Do not try to order it at a table.
Best for:
Solo bar visits, Hawksmoor regulars who want something different, anyone who thinks they know everything about this restaurant and does not.
7. HALL NYC — Midtown
Why it made the list:
A5 Wagyu with sansho peppercorns and tamari is not a combination anyone asked for and yet here we are. Love at first bite. Getting a reservation is a genuine challenge and the price point reflects the ingredient quality, but when you are eating A5 Wagyu on a bun you are not really having a burger anyway. You are having an experience.
What to order:
The Japanese Wagyu burger. There is no other choice.
Best for:
Special occasions, serious food people, anyone who wants to understand what wagyu does to a burger format.
6. Le Rivage — Theatre District
Why it made the list:
French onion soup burger on an English muffin. Melty cheese, onion soup richness, and an absolute mess from the first bite to the last. It should not work as well as it does and yet it is one of the most memorable burgers on this entire list. Completely different from everything else here and that is exactly why it is on here.
What to order:
The French onion soup burger. Nothing else is the point of coming.
Best for:
Pre-theatre, burger fans who want something nobody else is doing, anyone who loves French onion soup and also loves burgers and has wondered what would happen if you combined them.
Read the full review: Le Rivage NYC
5. Minetta Tavern — Greenwich Village
Why it made the list:
Old school thick and juicy 10 oz burger done correctly. People argue for the Black Label. They are wrong. The classic wins every time. Minetta Tavern has been doing this longer than most of the places on this list have been open and it shows in every single bite.
What to order:
The classic burger. Not the Black Label. Trust me on this one.
Best for:
Classic NYC burger experience, West Village nights, anyone who wants a proper old school burger without any gimmicks.
Read the full review: Minetta Tavern NYC
4. 550 Burger at Bar Chimera — Midtown
Why it made the list:
USDA Prime blend on a brioche bun with peppercorn mustard and tallow fries. Old school construction executed at a very high level. The detail that stood out was the raw onion on the bottom, a thin slice, just enough sweetness to cut through the fat without overwhelming anything else. That is the kind of small decision that separates a great burger from a good one. One of the better burgers I have had this year and it is not particularly close.
What to order:
The 550 Burger with tallow fries. Add the green peppercorn sauce on the fries, not the burger. You will understand when you get there.
Best for:
Burger fans who want steakhouse quality in a bar setting, anyone visiting Bar Chimera for the martini program who also wants to eat well.
Read the full review: Bar Chimera NYC
3. Gotham Burger Social Club — NYC
Why it made the list:
Smash patties done correctly from day one. Started as a Blackstone-top pop-up and leveled up to brick and mortar without losing a single thing that made it great in the first place. Consistency at every stage of growth is rare and Gotham Burger Social Club has it.
What to order:
The double smash patty. Get the double. Do not think about it.
Best for:
Smash burger fans, anyone who followed them from the pop-up days, anyone who has never had a proper smash burger and needs to fix that immediately.
2. Red Hook Tavern — Brooklyn
Why it made the list:
10 oz dry-aged patty on a plush brioche bun with just the right amount of onion. Perfect every single time. No exceptions. No off nights. No variations depending on who is working the grill that day. Red Hook Tavern is the most consistent burger in New York City and consistency at that quality level is the hardest thing to maintain. Brooklyn represent.
What to order:
The burger. Just the burger. It does not need help.
Best for:
Anyone who wants the best straightforward burger in Brooklyn, dry-aged beef enthusiasts, people who think Manhattan has all the best food and need to be corrected.
1. Au Cheval — NYC
Why it made the list:
Legendary diner and bar energy. Order the double-stacked single, which is two patties regardless of what the menu calls it. Runny egg, perfectly cooked bacon, melty cheese, and a soft bun soaking up every drop of everything happening on that plate. Pure burger perfection. The kind of burger that makes you question every other burger you have ever eaten and then immediately want to eat it again.
What to order:
The double-stacked single. Runny egg. Bacon. No modifications. No substitutions. No questions.
Best for:
Anyone who takes burgers seriously. First timers and regulars alike. If you can only eat one burger on this list make it this one.
Honorable Mention
The Monkey Bar — Midtown
Same ownership connection as Au Cheval. Classic burger in a classic NYC room. Worth a visit on its own terms.
Final Thoughts
This list changes. New burgers get eaten, old favorites get revisited, and the rankings shift accordingly. Check back because when something earns its way on here you will know about it.
As always, what do I know? I am just a fat guy from Brooklyn trying to survive the week, one martini at a time.
Looking for more NYC restaurant reviews? Check out my Best Steakhouses in NYC, Best Burgers in NYC, and Best Restaurants in NYC lists.