Best Burger in Each State

[Glenn_L_e_v_i_n_e]

Father’s Office a worthy winner.

[Robert_Oertel]

In n out is great for what it is, a consistent and cheap high quality burger. It is not the best burger.

[CFu]

@Glenn L e v i n e

Father’s Office a worthy winner.

yep. I have no disagreements on that one. Probably the first “gourmet” burger I can think of outside of the DB burger. Doing it before almost anyone else was 15 plus years ago. Definitely the first Gastropub burger I can think of.

100% dry aged chuck. Some arugala, caramelized onions and melted blue cheese. Haven’t had one in awhile. Drool

[Jeannean_Ryman]

SO many better burgers in Texas than Chesters. That doesn’t even make most “best burgers in Texas” lists I’ve seen.

[SeanHarding]

@Nolan E

When I tell people I live in California they always assume I’m in LA.

It’s the center of the universe, after all.

When I tell people I live in California, they assume I’m in SF. A side effect of working in tech, I guess…

I like the Father’s Office burger, but I’m not sure it’s the best in the state. I do like it better than Umami Burger, which I find to be hugely overrated.

The Tennessee pick surprises me, but I’ve never been to Burger Republic, so I guess I don’t have standing to truly object.

[Lou_Kessler]

Very good burger at Bistro Don Giovanni here in the Napa valley. I don’t believe there is such a thing as a great burger, there are limits on certain dishes IMHO.

[Matt_Thomas]

@Brad B a l l i n g e r

No argument from me about Minnesota.

Better than Matt’s? I haven’t had Revival’s burger, but Matt’s is still top of the list for me. Second would be the burger at Haute Dish.

[Matt_Thomas]

@MBerto

@Chris Blum

@Brad B a l l i n g e r

No argument from me about Minnesota.

Glad to see the juicy Lucy was not automatically thrown on the list.

112 is much better. OK haven’t had Revival’s but haven’t found anything that compares. Vincent’s was nothing special.

Wouldn’t even put 112 as the best in the North Loop. Good, but not as good as Haute Dish.

I am moving back to the Twin Cities in August. Once I get settled in, I’ll have to organize a North Loop burger crawl (Haute Dish, Borough, 112, Red Cow).

[M.Kaplan]

@Ed Kurtzman

The only one I’ve tried on this list isn’t even on the list, it just got an honorable mention. Minetta Tavern, best burger I’ve ever had.

I’m so glad In N Out didn’t get the vote for California. It’s decent, but way over-hyped.

Minetta Tavern’s Black Label Burger is truly great, as is the DB burger at Bistro Moderne. My favorite restaurant burger was served at Comme Ça in West Hollywood. Unfortunately, both the burger and the restaurant are gone. I hope that David Myers and his burger reappear some time, sooner rather than later.

[Linda_Baehr]

We need to start a Best Bay Area Burger thread. I’m still looking.

[Nolan_E]

@Nick Gangas

@David K o l i n

They got Illinois right

I have to respectively disagree. Thin griddled patties can never hold their own juice. Slather enough shitty cheese and mayo on anything and people will eat it up. They are, on the other hand, the masters of PR.

How juicy does a burger need to be? Do you want your bun disintegrating into a greasy pulp in your hand?

I don’t think raw ground meat has much flavor. Caramelized crust on patties do, so I think maximizing surface area contributes to a tasty burger.

[Brad_B_a_l_l_i_n_g_e_r]

@Matt Thomas

@Brad B a l l i n g e r

No argument from me about Minnesota.

Better than Matt’s? I haven’t had Revival’s burger, but Matt’s is still top of the list for me. Second would be the burger at Haute Dish.

You just like Matt’s for the name. That one is too greasy for me. Had a good burger at St. Dinette over the weekend.

[johngonzales]

Washington D.C. isn’t a state. But if Five Guys is their best burger, perhaps this list is a testament to the fact that they aren’t big enough to be considered for statehood. There HAVE TO be burgers better than Five Guys.

I like the look of the Nebraska and New Jersey burgers but, in a way, adding pastrami or corned beef is kind of a trick. Though I guess they fall in the same category as bacon.

Re. California. I don’t think the naming of Father’s Office as the best burger displays any sort of bias, even though SoCal is the epicenter of California . Who knows, maybe NoCal has three of the next five? I am sure that similar is happening across the country, but trumped up burgers have exploded as a menu item here in L.A. The Father’s Office burger is damned good. Even so, I’ll rarely go because of their ban on ketchup with fries, even refusing to let us bring our own packets. That’s as much irritating, and reminiscent of the soup-Nazi, as anything.

Mark, that Comme Ca burger was definitely one of the best. Though wonder if the presence of coleslaw on it doesn’t defend the slaw on sandwich practice

Well before that, back into the 80s, Hampton’s was doing some trumped up burgers. Terrine has a decadent burger that’s really meaty, has some truffle butter, wild shrooms, available with foie. Animal has that gooey mess, but delicious, Boner Burger, named not for the condition it induces but for the fact that they mix in some bone marrow. Both of those burgers are of the meat-fest, absent any fresh onion,tomato, or lettuce. There are times when I love the mostly meat burger, and at times when I definitely want some lettuce and tomato.

Golden State, Ledlow, Plan Check and Hole-in-the-Wall are a couple of my other favorites. I’ve yet to try Slater’s 50/50 or Pono Burger. The thing about In-n-Out is that if one has considers value as a major consideration it is strong. IIRC the double-double is still less than $4. Along those lines, the Steak’n’Shake that they opened here is a massive disappointment.

[John_Davis]

@Nick Gangas

@David K o l i n

They got Illinois right

I have to respectively disagree. Thin griddled patties can never hold their own juice. Slather enough shitty cheese and mayo on anything and people will eat it up. They are, on the other hand, the masters of PR.

I respectfully disagree with your respectfully disagreeing. Though, to be fair, I don’t have a ton of experience in Chicago’s burgers-much less the entire state.

[JPWilley]

Five Guys? FIVE GUYS?

[M.Kaplan]

@johngonzales

…
Mark, that Comme Ca burger was definitely one of the best. Though wonder if the presence of coleslaw on it doesn’t defend the slaw on sandwich practice
…

Onion slaw is perfectly acceptable on a burger (not on a pickled meat sandwich, however). NO KETCHUP on the Comme Ca or on the FO burger. Ha!

[Glenn_L_e_v_i_n_e]

In So-Cal Hotel Bel-Air used to have a killa burger.

[ERPark]

@Linda Baehr

We need to start a Best Bay Area Burger thread. I’m still looking.

Wayfare Tavern (Tyler Florence’s place in San Francisco that was formerly Rubicon back in the day) does a solid burger with fries. It isn’t cheap, though. With the sunny side egg option, it’s $24 now. Cheddar, bacon and onion marmalade come standard with it.

[Jorge_Henriquez]

@c fu

@Glenn L e v i n e

Father’s Office a worthy winner.

yep. I have no disagreements on that one. Probably the first “gourmet” burger I can think of outside of the DB burger. Doing it before almost anyone else was 15 plus years ago. Definitely the first Gastropub burger I can think of.

100% dry aged chuck. Some arugala, caramelized onions and melted blue cheese. Haven’t had one in awhile. Drool

+2 double drool.

[Bob_Sherwood]

Per the list, the Best Burger in New Mexico is a Green Chile Cheeseburger at a place in Hatch, New Mexico called Sparky’s. Can’t quarrel with that since I’ve never had one.

In Santa Fe, The Bite (previously Bobcat Bite) has a 10 ounce Green Chile Cheeseburger with house made chips that is excellent. Had one yesterday.