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A double smash burger with a sesame seed bun. — The double smash burger at Threes Brewing in Greenpoint.

The Best Burgers in New York City

From a ‘legendary’ burger in the East Village to an off-menu special in Carroll Gardens

by Robert Sietsema and Luke Fortney Updated Aug 9, 2023, 3:04pm EDT

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The double smash burger at Threes Brewing in Greenpoint.

| Luke Fortney/Eater NY

by Robert Sietsema and Luke Fortney Updated Aug 9, 2023, 3:04pm EDT

Yes, there’s reason to believe the hamburger as we know it may have been invented in New York City in the 1820s, where it was named after a North Sea port, and sold as street food to German sailors along the docks around Chambers Street. By the mid-1800s, it was a staple of Delmonico’s and other fancy places. So it’s no surprise that New York City is a hamburger town, and we love to eat them whether expensive or budget-friendly — in every part of the city. Some options on this list are local icons, while other newfangled ones have become must-tries. From the head-turning burger at Rolo’s to the frankly weird upside-down burgers at Fairfax to one of the city’s best diner burgers, here are the ones we recommend ordering.

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JG Melon

This Upper East Side mainstay dating to 1972 is a paragon of bar food. Sure the turkey club and chef’s salad are up to par, but the burgers command the most attention, especially when they pop up enticingly at the pass of the semi-open kitchen. The ground beef is fresh and the patty arrives deeply seared from the flat top, but still pink and juicy. Rippled cottage fries are the classic accompaniment.

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1291 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10021

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A cheeseburger with pickles and purple onions in a paper boat. — JG Melon’s juicy specimen is a classic bar burger.

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Petey’s Burger

Founded 15 years ago in Astoria, with a newer branch in Dutch Kills, Petey’s was in the vanguard of the local burger revival. Its burgers explode with flavor, though they are neither too thin nor too thick, topped with lettuce and tomato of studied freshness, plain American cheese, and raw onions a bit stronger than most. This is a paradigm of the American hamburger with no frills. The price is below average, too.

30-17 30th Ave., Queens, NY 11102

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A hamburger with lettuce, tomato, and cheese peeping out. — The classic Petey’s burger.

Pig Beach BBQ

A great barbecue joint proves to be a pretty good place to look for a tasty burger. At the sprawling Astoria location of Pig Beach (the Gowanus original is closed), the modest-sized patty benefits from the wood smoke, and the cheese is applied with an unstinting hand, making for a gooey mess. Yes, the burger doesn’t look like much, but it’s delicious nevertheless.

35-37 36th St Ground Floor, Astoria, NY 11106

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A hand holds up a compact burger in a bun with melted cheese streaming. — The burger at Pig Beach BBQ.

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S&P

Many worried when the Court Street Grocers took over the old Eisenberg’s that it wouldn’t be as good. Well, it is, and that includes the burger. It has been rehabilitated like it’s a burger of long ago with a price to match — a modest patty, smothering American cheese, raw onions, plain dill pickles, and most importantly, glorious quantities of mustard.

174 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

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A hand holds a modest cheeseburger. — S&P’s retro cheeseburger — no it’s not a smash burger.

Hollywood Diner

The diner burger is making a comeback, and we’re beginning to realize it is a burger unique enough to have a category all its own. Similar to the smash burger, it’s seared, but on both sides, and the thicker patty is also cooked all the way through. While this makes it drier, it’s still great because double American cheese is annealed to both sides of the bun before the burger is assembled. Hollywood provides one of our best examples.

574 6th Ave, New York, NY 10011

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A plate with the halves of the bun side by side and the patty on one and pickles, slaw, tomatoes, lettuce on the side. — The Hollywood Diner cheeseburger.

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Fairfax

The burger at Fairfax could be mistaken for a stunt burger, one that puts more emphasis on appearance than taste. It’s anything but. Topped with smoked cheddar and barbecue mayo, the flavor is sweet and smoky, with potato sticks adding some crunch and salt. It comes on a toasted, upside-down bun.

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234 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10014

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A burger with the bun upside down and potato sticks on top. — The burger at Fairfax in the West Village.

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Threes Brewing Greenpoint

Threes Brewing in Gowanus used to make one of the city’s top burgers, a dry-aged patty served on a potato roll with pickled onions. The brewery one-upped itself at its Greenpoint location, where the kitchen is run by a different team. The patties are smashed, but substantial, with shredded lettuce, pickles, American cheese, and burger sauce on a toasted bun: It feels like fancy In-N-Out. The burger is made by Greenpoint Fish and Lobster Co., a seafood restaurant in the area, and is discounted during happy hour.

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113 Franklin St, Brooklyn, NY 11222

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A double smash burger with a sesame seed bun. — The double smash burger at Threes Brewing.

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Nowon

The “legendary” burger at Nowon lives up to its name: two patties (made from a blend of chuck and short rib), pickles, onion, and a toasted sesame bun are held together with a single skewer. A decadent kimchi butter sauce is distributed throughout. It’s an actually interesting riff on the smash burger that’s managed to hold up since this restaurant opened in the East Village in 2019, and it’s just as good at the restaurant’s new location in Bushwick.

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507 E 6th St, New York, NY 10009

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Two halves of a cheeseburger covered in American cheese and an orange sauce. — The cheeseburger at Nowon.

Burger By Day

One of the few restaurants serving smash burgers in Chinatown, Burger By Day occupies a storefront that’s also home to bubble tea shop I’Milky. The smash burger comes with a pair of patties smashed to a crisp, the sear so profound that it crackles on the first bite. American cheese and the counter’s special sauce, which is pink and slightly sweet, complete the sandwich. The burger is available in a dozen sizes and preparations.

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242 Grand St, New York, NY 10002

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Two patties with cheese on top held by a hand. — The smash burger at Burger By Day.

Corner Bar

You wouldn’t expect one of the city’s great burgers to be served at a restaurant attached to a hotel — where burgers are often ho-hum due to the captive nature of their audience — but there it is, Corner Bar’s compact cheeseburger. The cheese is New York State cheddar, and the onions are caramelized to within an inch of their short lives. Not a sprawling burger, but a compact variety you can hold with one hand. From 2:30 to 6 p.m., Monday to Thursday, it’s available at the bar for $15.

60 Canal St, New York, NY 10002

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A burger on a white plate at a bar. — The burger at Corner Bar.

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Halal Diner

This distinctive red frame structure sandwiched between Briarwood and Jamaica Hills serves Bangladeshi, Indian, Afghan, and American food, and everything we’ve tried has been worth ordering. The lamb burger is particularly thick and juicy — no smash burgers here — and it’s cooked to a perfect medium, still pink in the middle. The fries are good, too.

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8447 Parsons Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11432

A hand holds a cheeseburger with fries in the background. — The lamb burger at Halal Diner.

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Le Gratin

This lush burger is a fit successor to the famous DB burger of two decades ago. Comprised of beef, it’s also mantled with a sheet of crisp pork belly to give an unexpected semi-crunch and extra richness. The mayo is laced with peppercorns and cornichons, and the cheese, quite naturally, is Gruyere in a hamburger recipe that acts like the burger was invented in Lyon.

5 Beekman St, New York, NY 10038

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A cheeseburger with fries in a cone in the background. — The hamburger at Le Gratin.

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Rolo’s

When a burger approaches $20, without fries, it’s held to a different standard: We expect better beef, a cheese that holds its own, and maybe a spoonful of jammy, caramelized onions to tie things together. Rolo’s in Ridgewood hits all the marks with its double cheeseburger, throwing a pickled hot pepper on the side like it’s an old-school Italian sandwich shop. It’s rich and meaty, the kind of sandwich you won’t want to share but will be glad you did.

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853 Onderdonk Ave, Queens, NY 11385

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A hot pepper lounges on a plate next to a burger overflowing with crisp bacon. — The Rolo’s burger comes with a long hot pepper.

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Gus's Chop House

Like other entries on this list, the burger at Gus’s is best when shared. The rich patty is made from a blend of pork, chuck, and dry-aged beef, then topped with raw and caramelized onions, aged cheddar, and cornichons for a burger that feels like a full meal. The burger is off-menu, and a limited number are available each night.

215 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

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A burger with onions and melty cheese sits on a plate at Gus’s Chop House. — The off-menu burger at Gus’s.

Also featured in:

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Red Hook Tavern

Whatever you heard about big burgers being “out” hasn’t fazed Red Hook Tavern. This restaurant from the team behind Hometown Bar-B-Que, in the same neighborhood, is known for its burger, a thick patty topped with American cheese and a couple of rings of raw onion. It’s served on a bun speckled with sesame seeds and a small mound of cottage fries.

329 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

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Dry-aged burger with American cheese, white onions, and wedge fries — Potato wedges have since been swapped out for cottage fries.

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JG Melon

1291 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10021

This Upper East Side mainstay dating to 1972 is a paragon of bar food. Sure the turkey club and chef’s salad are up to par, but the burgers command the most attention, especially when they pop up enticingly at the pass of the semi-open kitchen. The ground beef is fresh and the patty arrives deeply seared from the flat top, but still pink and juicy. Rippled cottage fries are the classic accompaniment.

Open in Google Maps

1291 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10021

Visit Website

A cheeseburger with pickles and purple onions in a paper boat. — JG Melon’s juicy specimen is a classic bar burger.

Petey’s Burger

30-17 30th Ave., Queens, NY 11102

Founded 15 years ago in Astoria, with a newer branch in Dutch Kills, Petey’s was in the vanguard of the local burger revival. Its burgers explode with flavor, though they are neither too thin nor too thick, topped with lettuce and tomato of studied freshness, plain American cheese, and raw onions a bit stronger than most. This is a paradigm of the American hamburger with no frills. The price is below average, too.

30-17 30th Ave., Queens, NY 11102

Visit Website

A hamburger with lettuce, tomato, and cheese peeping out. — The classic Petey’s burger.

Pig Beach BBQ

35-37 36th St Ground Floor, Astoria, NY 11106

A great barbecue joint proves to be a pretty good place to look for a tasty burger. At the sprawling Astoria location of Pig Beach (the Gowanus original is closed), the modest-sized patty benefits from the wood smoke, and the cheese is applied with an unstinting hand, making for a gooey mess. Yes, the burger doesn’t look like much, but it’s delicious nevertheless.

35-37 36th St Ground Floor, Astoria, NY 11106

Visit Website

A hand holds up a compact burger in a bun with melted cheese streaming. — The burger at Pig Beach BBQ.

S&P

174 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

Many worried when the Court Street Grocers took over the old Eisenberg’s that it wouldn’t be as good. Well, it is, and that includes the burger. It has been rehabilitated like it’s a burger of long ago with a price to match — a modest patty, smothering American cheese, raw onions, plain dill pickles, and most importantly, glorious quantities of mustard.

174 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

Visit Website

A hand holds a modest cheeseburger. — S&P’s retro cheeseburger — no it’s not a smash burger.

Hollywood Diner

574 6th Ave, New York, NY 10011

The diner burger is making a comeback, and we’re beginning to realize it is a burger unique enough to have a category all its own. Similar to the smash burger, it’s seared, but on both sides, and the thicker patty is also cooked all the way through. While this makes it drier, it’s still great because double American cheese is annealed to both sides of the bun before the burger is assembled. Hollywood provides one of our best examples.

574 6th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Visit Website

A plate with the halves of the bun side by side and the patty on one and pickles, slaw, tomatoes, lettuce on the side. — The Hollywood Diner cheeseburger.

Fairfax

234 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10014

The burger at Fairfax could be mistaken for a stunt burger, one that puts more emphasis on appearance than taste. It’s anything but. Topped with smoked cheddar and barbecue mayo, the flavor is sweet and smoky, with potato sticks adding some crunch and salt. It comes on a toasted, upside-down bun.

Open in Google Maps

234 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10014

Visit Website

A burger with the bun upside down and potato sticks on top. — The burger at Fairfax in the West Village.

Threes Brewing Greenpoint

113 Franklin St, Brooklyn, NY 11222

Threes Brewing in Gowanus used to make one of the city’s top burgers, a dry-aged patty served on a potato roll with pickled onions. The brewery one-upped itself at its Greenpoint location, where the kitchen is run by a different team. The patties are smashed, but substantial, with shredded lettuce, pickles, American cheese, and burger sauce on a toasted bun: It feels like fancy In-N-Out. The burger is made by Greenpoint Fish and Lobster Co., a seafood restaurant in the area, and is discounted during happy hour.

Open in Google Maps

113 Franklin St, Brooklyn, NY 11222

Visit Website

A double smash burger with a sesame seed bun. — The double smash burger at Threes Brewing.

Nowon

507 E 6th St, New York, NY 10009

The “legendary” burger at Nowon lives up to its name: two patties (made from a blend of chuck and short rib), pickles, onion, and a toasted sesame bun are held together with a single skewer. A decadent kimchi butter sauce is distributed throughout. It’s an actually interesting riff on the smash burger that’s managed to hold up since this restaurant opened in the East Village in 2019, and it’s just as good at the restaurant’s new location in Bushwick.

Open in Google Maps

507 E 6th St, New York, NY 10009

Visit Website

Two halves of a cheeseburger covered in American cheese and an orange sauce. — The cheeseburger at Nowon.

Burger By Day

242 Grand St, New York, NY 10002

One of the few restaurants serving smash burgers in Chinatown, Burger By Day occupies a storefront that’s also home to bubble tea shop I’Milky. The smash burger comes with a pair of patties smashed to a crisp, the sear so profound that it crackles on the first bite. American cheese and the counter’s special sauce, which is pink and slightly sweet, complete the sandwich. The burger is available in a dozen sizes and preparations.

Open in Google Maps

242 Grand St, New York, NY 10002

Visit Website

Two patties with cheese on top held by a hand. — The smash burger at Burger By Day.

Corner Bar

60 Canal St, New York, NY 10002

You wouldn’t expect one of the city’s great burgers to be served at a restaurant attached to a hotel — where burgers are often ho-hum due to the captive nature of their audience — but there it is, Corner Bar’s compact cheeseburger. The cheese is New York State cheddar, and the onions are caramelized to within an inch of their short lives. Not a sprawling burger, but a compact variety you can hold with one hand. From 2:30 to 6 p.m., Monday to Thursday, it’s available at the bar for $15.

60 Canal St, New York, NY 10002

Visit Website

A burger on a white plate at a bar. — The burger at Corner Bar.

Halal Diner

8447 Parsons Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11432

This distinctive red frame structure sandwiched between Briarwood and Jamaica Hills serves Bangladeshi, Indian, Afghan, and American food, and everything we’ve tried has been worth ordering. The lamb burger is particularly thick and juicy — no smash burgers here — and it’s cooked to a perfect medium, still pink in the middle. The fries are good, too.

Open in Google Maps

8447 Parsons Blvd, Jamaica, NY 11432

A hand holds a cheeseburger with fries in the background. — The lamb burger at Halal Diner.

Le Gratin

5 Beekman St, New York, NY 10038

This lush burger is a fit successor to the famous DB burger of two decades ago. Comprised of beef, it’s also mantled with a sheet of crisp pork belly to give an unexpected semi-crunch and extra richness. The mayo is laced with peppercorns and cornichons, and the cheese, quite naturally, is Gruyere in a hamburger recipe that acts like the burger was invented in Lyon.

5 Beekman St, New York, NY 10038

Visit Website

A cheeseburger with fries in a cone in the background. — The hamburger at Le Gratin.

Rolo’s

853 Onderdonk Ave, Queens, NY 11385

When a burger approaches $20, without fries, it’s held to a different standard: We expect better beef, a cheese that holds its own, and maybe a spoonful of jammy, caramelized onions to tie things together. Rolo’s in Ridgewood hits all the marks with its double cheeseburger, throwing a pickled hot pepper on the side like it’s an old-school Italian sandwich shop. It’s rich and meaty, the kind of sandwich you won’t want to share but will be glad you did.

Open in Google Maps

853 Onderdonk Ave, Queens, NY 11385

Visit Website

A hot pepper lounges on a plate next to a burger overflowing with crisp bacon. — The Rolo’s burger comes with a long hot pepper.

Gus's Chop House

215 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Like other entries on this list, the burger at Gus’s is best when shared. The rich patty is made from a blend of pork, chuck, and dry-aged beef, then topped with raw and caramelized onions, aged cheddar, and cornichons for a burger that feels like a full meal. The burger is off-menu, and a limited number are available each night.

215 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Visit Website

A burger with onions and melty cheese sits on a plate at Gus’s Chop House. — The off-menu burger at Gus’s.

Red Hook Tavern

329 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Whatever you heard about big burgers being “out” hasn’t fazed Red Hook Tavern. This restaurant from the team behind Hometown Bar-B-Que, in the same neighborhood, is known for its burger, a thick patty topped with American cheese and a couple of rings of raw onion. It’s served on a bun speckled with sesame seeds and a small mound of cottage fries.

329 Van Brunt St, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Visit Website

Dry-aged burger with American cheese, white onions, and wedge fries — Potato wedges have since been swapped out for cottage fries.

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