Best Burgers in America (2026): One Pick From Every City

The best burgers in America for 2026 range from century-old sliders and butter burgers to modern smash burgers and chef-driven gourmet stacks. Every pick below comes straight from PlanetBurger's city guides: one standout per city, chosen to show off the burger style each place does best, with links to each restaurant's page and the full city guide.

This isn't a numbered ranking. Burgers are too regional and too personal for that. Instead, think of it as a road map: if you only have time for one burger in a city, start here, then use the city guide to find the rest. Always check a restaurant's current hours before you go.

Northeast

• Hamburger America, New York City: a SoHo burger shop run by burger historian George Motz that focuses on regional American styles, including an Oklahoma-style fried onion burger and smash burgers. More in our New York City guide.
• Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage, Cambridge, MA: a Harvard Square classic with a huge menu of burgers named after famous people. See the Boston guide.
• Royal Tavern, Philadelphia: a Bella Vista bar whose Royal Burger comes loaded with smoked gouda, chili mayo, caramelized onions, bacon and a pickled long hot. See the Philadelphia guide.
• Duke's Grocery, Washington, DC: a London-inspired Dupont Circle bar serving the Proper Burger with gouda, garlic aioli, pickles, sweet peppers and arugula on brioche. See the Washington, DC guide.

Midwest

• Au Cheval, Chicago: the West Loop burger people travel for, with stacked thin patties, American cheese, pickles and dijonnaise on a buttery bun. Expect a wait. See the Chicago guide.
• Matt's Bar, Minneapolis: home of the "Jucy Lucy," the cheese-stuffed burger it says it invented. See the Minneapolis guide.
• Solly's Grille, Glendale, WI: the classic place to try a Wisconsin butter burger, served at a counter since 1936. See the Milwaukee guide.
• Motz's Burgers, Detroit: a Southwest Detroit slider spot tracing its roots to 1929, still pressing fresh onions into each patty on the griddle. See the Detroit guide.
• Ringside Cafe, Columbus, OH: a downtown bar in an alley off Broad Street, dating to 1897, with boxing-themed burgers like the Buster Douglas. See the Columbus guide.
• Town Topic Hamburgers, Kansas City: a tiny Crossroads diner, open since 1937, griddling thin burgers right at the counter. See the Kansas City guide.

South

• Brown's Diner, Nashville: the city's best-known old-school burger joint, where the 1927 comes with American cheese, Duke's mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles. See the Nashville guide.
• Little's Food Store, Atlanta: a Cabbagetown grocery store operating since the 1920s, with a grill turning out small, juicy burgers on fluffy buns. See the Atlanta guide.
• United States Burger Service, Miami: smashed patties under runny cheese on a soft housemade potato bun in Little Haiti. See the Miami guide.
• Port of Call, New Orleans: an Esplanade Avenue burger bar grinding half-pound patties fresh daily and serving them with a baked potato instead of fries. See the New Orleans guide.
• South 21 Drive-In, Charlotte: an old-school curb-service drive-in on Independence Boulevard, open since 1959 and known for the Super Boy. See the Charlotte guide.

Texas and Oklahoma

• Top Notch Hamburgers, Austin: a Burnet Road drive-in that has been charcoal-broiling burgers since the early 1970s. See the Austin guide.
• Lankford Grocery, Houston: a former Midtown grocery store known for big, messy burgers piled with toppings. See the Houston guide.
• Keller's Drive-In, Dallas: a classic Northwest Highway drive-in known for very affordable cheeseburgers and tater tots, where you can eat in your car. See the Dallas guide.
• Sid's Diner, El Reno, OK: one of three famous fried onion burger spots in El Reno, opened in 1990 by a former Johnnie's cook. See the Oklahoma City guide and our fried onion burger guide.

Mountain West and Southwest

• Cherry Cricket, Denver: a longtime Cherry Creek institution where you build your own cheeseburger from a long list of patties, cheeses and toppings. See the Denver guide.
• Hires Big H, Salt Lake City: a family-owned spot open since 1959, famous for the Big H burger and fry sauce. See the Salt Lake City guide.
• 66 Diner, Albuquerque: a neon-lit Route 66 diner since 1987, with a green chile cheeseburger you can follow with green chile apple pie. See the Albuquerque guide and our green chile cheeseburger guide.
• Harvey's Wineburger, Phoenix: a dim, loud 16th Street dive bar serving thick, juicy patties cooked with red wine. See the Phoenix guide.
• Holsteins Shakes and Buns, Las Vegas: creative, over-the-top burgers, now on South Main Street in the Downtown Arts District after moving from the Cosmopolitan in 2025. See the Las Vegas guide.

West Coast and Pacific Northwest

• The Apple Pan, Los Angeles: a West LA landmark counter on Pico Boulevard, where the Hickory Burger is the signature. See the Los Angeles guide.
• Hodad's, San Diego: an Ocean Beach institution known for oversized burgers, homemade fries and a surf-grunge setting. See the San Diego guide.
• Pearl's Deluxe Burgers, San Francisco: a Lower Nob Hill spot known for over-the-top specialty burgers. See the San Francisco guide.
• Canard, Portland: chef Gabriel Rucker's East Burnside restaurant, whose small steam burger with pickles, onions, mustard and American cheese has a devoted following. See the Portland guide.
• Loretta's Northwesterner, Seattle: a South Park tavern known for a charred burger with special sauce, pickles, American cheese and onions. See the Seattle guide.

How we chose these picks

Every restaurant here already appears in one of PlanetBurger's city guides. For this list, we picked one spot per city that represents a burger style or tradition that city does especially well, from Detroit sliders to New Mexico green chile. That means plenty of great burgers didn't make this page, so use each city guide for the full picture. You can also browse by style on our best smash burgers and best classic burgers pages, or read up on American burger styles.

Know a spot we should add? Suggest a spot.

FAQ

Are these burgers ranked?

No. Each pick is our featured choice from that city's guide, organized by region. There are no scores or numbered rankings.

How often is this list updated?

We update it as our city guides change. Restaurants open, close and change menus, so check hours and details before visiting.

Why isn't my favorite burger on the list?

This page features one burger per city. Your favorite may be in the full city guide, and if it isn't, you can suggest it.

Which American burger styles are on this list?

You'll find sliders, butter burgers, the Jucy Lucy, fried onion burgers, green chile cheeseburgers, smash burgers, drive-in classics and chef-driven gourmet burgers.