Doobie Doo
Veteran
I have a love/hate affair with these list. On one hand I love that some writers is letting us know where the good shyt is at but I hate it cuz you know damn WELL there is some hole in the wall grease spot in the hood that would put every one of these burgers to shame but the writer and his people too shook to go to the ghetto n shyt. Well enjoy and I left the link cuz I ain't fitting to copy n paste the whole shyt.
The Best Burger in Every State in America
Posted: 03/02/2015 12:23 pm EST Updated: 03/02/2015 12:59 pm EST
By: Kevin Alexander and Liz Childers
After we tried to figure out the best pizza in every state, it was inevitable that burgers would be next. After all, we spend much of our year consuming them for our 33 best/personal satisfaction. So, over the course of the last three months, we've set about researching, eating, and fighting about everything from pork belly pastrami-covered burgers in Pennsylvania, to griddled patties in Indiana, to quite possibly the best damn bar burger in Minnesota.
Note: this was not just a list compiled from other lists which were compiled from other lists until you've reached the end of the Internet. If we didn't eat it personally, one of our other National Food/Drink editors or City editors or contributing writers did. We tried to show our work whenever possible, and give credit to others in the running. But at the end of the day, we think we've got a case for a burger you're going to love in every single state in the Union. And if you disagree, let us know in the comments. We'll happily come eat more burgers.
Alabama
Chez Fonfon (address and info)
Birmingham
The burger: Hamburger Fonfon
Alabama all-star chef Frank Stitt ditches any fancy pretenses in favor of a simple, half-pound burger that's consistently our favorite to come out of Dixie. A buttery bun nestles the holy trinity of burger toppings -- red onion, lettuce, and tomato -- into oozing Comte, a cheese whose nutty sweetness is the perfect choice to stand up to and balance out a patty that hefty.
Alaska
Tommy's Burger Stop (address and info)
Anchorage
The burger: Burger Stop cheeseburger
It's small. There are maybe two tables. During the busy eating hours you will wait in line. But that line is there for a reason. The weekly specials are famous and eclectically named -- ranging from the recent Big Poppa burger (essentially, as they put it, "a deconstructed jalapeño popper"), to the likely most famous of all Battered Husband (Swiss, Cajun-battered fried jalapeños, garlic jalapeño aioli). But stunts aside, Tommy's regular cheeseburger could likely compete for best in a lot of other, bigger states as well.
More: Who Makes the Best Fast-Food Cheeseburger?
Credit: Jennifer Bui/Thrillist
Arizona
St. Francis (address and info)
Phoenix
The burger: Chile burger
Though we're also big fans of Monkey Burger in Tucson and The Stand, our pick had to go to the uptown Phoenix eatery's chile burger. Yes, yes, New Mexico (and even Colorado) like to lay more claim to the ubiquity of green chile-topped burgers, but this one, with pickled fresno chile, sweet-and-sour onions, chipotle aioli, and Jack cheese creates a beautiful symphony of hot meat and cheese with cold crunchy veggies. Worth visiting, even from New Mexico.
Arkansas
Pig Trail Bypass Country Cafe (address and info)
Crosses
The burger: The Hooshburger
Let's start with a little geography lesson: the Ozark National Forest sits in the Northwestern corner of Arkansas, basically blocking University of Arkansas students in Fayetteville from the most direct route Southeast to Little Rock. There's a winding backroad that cuts straight through that wilderness running North to South, known as the Pig Trail Bypass. Confused? It's okay. You probably only have a relative idea of what we're talking about if you're a motorcycle enthusiast or are well versed in the downfall of former UA coach/motorcycle enthusiast Bobby Petrino's wreck.
California
4505 Burgers & BBQ (address and info)
San Francisco
The burger: The Best Damn Grass Fed Cheeseburger
How do you select the best burger in a land mass the same size as Japan or Sweden? With five major cities and countless towns waving their best in your face? This choice alone kept me up for nights. There are some serious contenders here, everyone from the beyond famous burger at LA's Father's Office, to the classic at Rocky's in SD, to the underrated Sunset Burger in Leggett, and the Squeeze Burger in Sacramento. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned the Larchmont Burger, or Trick Dog. BUT ANYWAY, after much soul searching, I went with 4505. It's been on my best burgers in the country list twice, and everything seems handmade to complement everything else, from the sesame-scallion bun, to that dry-aged beef, Gruyere, red onion, and special sauce.
Colorado
Crave (address and info)
Castle Rock
The burger: Love Stinks
Crave now boasts three locations (Castle Rock's the original), but here's what you really need to know: they recently swept the Denver Burger Battle (people's choice and judge's choice) with their Love Stinks, a garlic-bomb topped with with roasted garlic cream cheese, fried onion strings, roasted red pepper, candied bacon, and red pepper aioli. Oh, and more roasted garlic. It's one thing to conceive some crazy burgers (and they do). It's another to make them truly work (and they do).
Connecticut
K. LaMay's (address and info)
Meriden
The burger: Steamed cheeseburger
As someone from New England who went to college in Connecticut, I had to ask myself a lot of questions: how do you not choose Louis' Lunch in the state that essentially invented the cheeseburger? Or the legendary Ted's, if you're going to pick in Meriden? Or hell, the cheeseburger at Shady Glen in Manchester? Or go with your favorite burger from college, at the Wood-n-Tap in Hartford? Well, first doesn't always equal best, and in this case, Kevin LaMay (who essentially apprenticed at Ted's as a teenager) has figured out the perfect ratios with his slightly bigger steamed cheeseburgers on fresh Kaiser rolls with molten hot cheddar. It also gets the vote of Meriden native/noted cheeseburger connoisseur Devin McGoldrick, so you know it's high praise.
Delaware
Redfire Grill (address and info)
Hockessin
The burger: REDfire Burger
For two years in a row, the Delaware Burger Battle recognized the REDfire Burger as one of the top in the state, probably because the Hockessin steakhouse is serious about their ingredients -- a local butcher grinds their proprietary blend of brisket, ribeye, and ground chuck daily. That patty is grilled and topped with aged cheddar, maple-pepper bacon, and a house-made, "souped up" 1000 Island dressing with a mild kick from Thai chilies.
Florida
M.E.A.T. Eatery and Tap Room (address and info)
Islamorada
The burger: Inside-Out Juicy Lucy Burger
You might expect this burger to be, uh, inside out, but it's a regular Juicy Lucy, with spicy, gooey pimento cheese inside the patty. However, geniusly, bacon gets all cozy with the pimento and -- the real kicker here -- American cheese is added on top, along with the tomato and lettuce. It's classic burger meets classic Juicy Lucy and it's a marriage we're so happy to be a part of.
Credit: Jennifer Bui/Thrillist
Georgia
Holeman & Finch (address and info)
Atlanta
The burger: The Burger
2014 was the year of the restaurant burger: they littered secret menus, drew diners for lunch-only specials, and forced diners to dinner before 6pm to grab one in nightly limited-runs. But H&F was the trendsetter, with its gold standard of a simple burger: double cheeseburger with American, red onions, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and a house-made bun only available after 10pm (limited to 24!) and at brunch. And, thankfully, the burger finally graduated to the real menu at the end of last year, so we can have it any damn time we please. That is, if you get a reservation (also now available!) or can handle the wait-time.
The Best Burger in Every State in America
Posted: 03/02/2015 12:23 pm EST Updated: 03/02/2015 12:59 pm EST
By: Kevin Alexander and Liz Childers
After we tried to figure out the best pizza in every state, it was inevitable that burgers would be next. After all, we spend much of our year consuming them for our 33 best/personal satisfaction. So, over the course of the last three months, we've set about researching, eating, and fighting about everything from pork belly pastrami-covered burgers in Pennsylvania, to griddled patties in Indiana, to quite possibly the best damn bar burger in Minnesota.
Note: this was not just a list compiled from other lists which were compiled from other lists until you've reached the end of the Internet. If we didn't eat it personally, one of our other National Food/Drink editors or City editors or contributing writers did. We tried to show our work whenever possible, and give credit to others in the running. But at the end of the day, we think we've got a case for a burger you're going to love in every single state in the Union. And if you disagree, let us know in the comments. We'll happily come eat more burgers.
Alabama
Chez Fonfon (address and info)
Birmingham
The burger: Hamburger Fonfon
Alabama all-star chef Frank Stitt ditches any fancy pretenses in favor of a simple, half-pound burger that's consistently our favorite to come out of Dixie. A buttery bun nestles the holy trinity of burger toppings -- red onion, lettuce, and tomato -- into oozing Comte, a cheese whose nutty sweetness is the perfect choice to stand up to and balance out a patty that hefty.
Alaska
Tommy's Burger Stop (address and info)
Anchorage
The burger: Burger Stop cheeseburger
It's small. There are maybe two tables. During the busy eating hours you will wait in line. But that line is there for a reason. The weekly specials are famous and eclectically named -- ranging from the recent Big Poppa burger (essentially, as they put it, "a deconstructed jalapeño popper"), to the likely most famous of all Battered Husband (Swiss, Cajun-battered fried jalapeños, garlic jalapeño aioli). But stunts aside, Tommy's regular cheeseburger could likely compete for best in a lot of other, bigger states as well.
More: Who Makes the Best Fast-Food Cheeseburger?
Credit: Jennifer Bui/Thrillist
Arizona
St. Francis (address and info)
Phoenix
The burger: Chile burger
Though we're also big fans of Monkey Burger in Tucson and The Stand, our pick had to go to the uptown Phoenix eatery's chile burger. Yes, yes, New Mexico (and even Colorado) like to lay more claim to the ubiquity of green chile-topped burgers, but this one, with pickled fresno chile, sweet-and-sour onions, chipotle aioli, and Jack cheese creates a beautiful symphony of hot meat and cheese with cold crunchy veggies. Worth visiting, even from New Mexico.
Arkansas
Pig Trail Bypass Country Cafe (address and info)
Crosses
The burger: The Hooshburger
Let's start with a little geography lesson: the Ozark National Forest sits in the Northwestern corner of Arkansas, basically blocking University of Arkansas students in Fayetteville from the most direct route Southeast to Little Rock. There's a winding backroad that cuts straight through that wilderness running North to South, known as the Pig Trail Bypass. Confused? It's okay. You probably only have a relative idea of what we're talking about if you're a motorcycle enthusiast or are well versed in the downfall of former UA coach/motorcycle enthusiast Bobby Petrino's wreck.
California
4505 Burgers & BBQ (address and info)
San Francisco
The burger: The Best Damn Grass Fed Cheeseburger
How do you select the best burger in a land mass the same size as Japan or Sweden? With five major cities and countless towns waving their best in your face? This choice alone kept me up for nights. There are some serious contenders here, everyone from the beyond famous burger at LA's Father's Office, to the classic at Rocky's in SD, to the underrated Sunset Burger in Leggett, and the Squeeze Burger in Sacramento. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned the Larchmont Burger, or Trick Dog. BUT ANYWAY, after much soul searching, I went with 4505. It's been on my best burgers in the country list twice, and everything seems handmade to complement everything else, from the sesame-scallion bun, to that dry-aged beef, Gruyere, red onion, and special sauce.
Colorado
Crave (address and info)
Castle Rock
The burger: Love Stinks
Crave now boasts three locations (Castle Rock's the original), but here's what you really need to know: they recently swept the Denver Burger Battle (people's choice and judge's choice) with their Love Stinks, a garlic-bomb topped with with roasted garlic cream cheese, fried onion strings, roasted red pepper, candied bacon, and red pepper aioli. Oh, and more roasted garlic. It's one thing to conceive some crazy burgers (and they do). It's another to make them truly work (and they do).
Connecticut
K. LaMay's (address and info)
Meriden
The burger: Steamed cheeseburger
As someone from New England who went to college in Connecticut, I had to ask myself a lot of questions: how do you not choose Louis' Lunch in the state that essentially invented the cheeseburger? Or the legendary Ted's, if you're going to pick in Meriden? Or hell, the cheeseburger at Shady Glen in Manchester? Or go with your favorite burger from college, at the Wood-n-Tap in Hartford? Well, first doesn't always equal best, and in this case, Kevin LaMay (who essentially apprenticed at Ted's as a teenager) has figured out the perfect ratios with his slightly bigger steamed cheeseburgers on fresh Kaiser rolls with molten hot cheddar. It also gets the vote of Meriden native/noted cheeseburger connoisseur Devin McGoldrick, so you know it's high praise.
Delaware
Redfire Grill (address and info)
Hockessin
The burger: REDfire Burger
For two years in a row, the Delaware Burger Battle recognized the REDfire Burger as one of the top in the state, probably because the Hockessin steakhouse is serious about their ingredients -- a local butcher grinds their proprietary blend of brisket, ribeye, and ground chuck daily. That patty is grilled and topped with aged cheddar, maple-pepper bacon, and a house-made, "souped up" 1000 Island dressing with a mild kick from Thai chilies.
Florida
M.E.A.T. Eatery and Tap Room (address and info)
Islamorada
The burger: Inside-Out Juicy Lucy Burger
You might expect this burger to be, uh, inside out, but it's a regular Juicy Lucy, with spicy, gooey pimento cheese inside the patty. However, geniusly, bacon gets all cozy with the pimento and -- the real kicker here -- American cheese is added on top, along with the tomato and lettuce. It's classic burger meets classic Juicy Lucy and it's a marriage we're so happy to be a part of.
Credit: Jennifer Bui/Thrillist
Georgia
Holeman & Finch (address and info)
Atlanta
The burger: The Burger
2014 was the year of the restaurant burger: they littered secret menus, drew diners for lunch-only specials, and forced diners to dinner before 6pm to grab one in nightly limited-runs. But H&F was the trendsetter, with its gold standard of a simple burger: double cheeseburger with American, red onions, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and a house-made bun only available after 10pm (limited to 24!) and at brunch. And, thankfully, the burger finally graduated to the real menu at the end of last year, so we can have it any damn time we please. That is, if you get a reservation (also now available!) or can handle the wait-time.
where is the rest of the list
at no chick fil a
double double animal style with hot peppers on the side