Burger Meister, San Francisco, CA

May 28th is National Hamburger Day! We celebrated last night with a few drinks followed by a trip around the corner to Burger Meister on Church Street. Despite it's thinness, this 1/4 pound Niman Ranch paddy was juicy and flavorful- and just right for us, but there are plenty of options including kicking it up to a 1/2 pounder, if you're in need of a larger bite. We ordered one "double cheese" with cheddar and one burger with a generous amount of blue cheese. The buns were classic sesame seed- warm, soft and delicious. This is the kind of burger you crave late at night - a perfect post drinks burger: simple, easy, and with a satisfying amount of grease. Burger Meister has all the fixings of a fast food joint but enough patience to grille each burger to order. Our medium-rare request was well met and greatly appreciated. And everyone there manages to stay really pleasant even when the line is out the door! It must be a west coast thing. Please say hello to Andrew if you see him!

We went to the Burger Meister at 138 Church Street.
For other locations check out burgermeistersf.com

Le Tub, Hollywood Florida

I heard about Le Tub when studying Alan Richman's "20 burgers you must eat before you die." While visiting Fort Lauderdale, I decided to stop in and see what all the fuss is about. I was expecting a complete dirty dive, but found the place to be more sanitary then expected. Don't get me wrong, its a casual paper plate greasy spoon, but its the kind of place you can drag your mother to, and in fact I did.

Word of advice here, when it says 13 ounces on the menu, they mean it. For three of us, we certainly could have gone for two, not three. I normally prefer a smaller patty, somewhere in the 6-8oz range, but for one double my perfect size, this thing was pretty great.

The Grill master at Le Tub cooks those giant patties to perfection. Poppy seed bun, oozing cheese, and a waterside view make this a dive joint I will go back to.

http://www.gq.com/food-travel/alan-richman/200602/hamburger-death-eat

http://www.theletub.com/

Whataburger, Dallas Texas, Tulsa Oklahoma, and more!

What. A. Burger.

For me, in the fast food burger realm, whataburger has it.

Yes their logo is the same as the W weezer uses for their band.

Yes their name is a little funny... water-burger? what-a-burger?

But they do a fast food burger right.

Don't mess around here. Go for the double double. That would be double meat patties, and double cheese. Perfect sesame seed bun, delicious flavor, and fries with "fancy" ketchup. Not sure what they do to that ketchup, but again, they do it right.

Be sure to drive through on your next southwest road trip.

Open Late.

http://www.whataburger.com/

Cheryl's Global Soul, Brooklyn

I wasn't expecting to find a burger at what had been described to me as just "a good sandwich shop." Cheryl brings more to the table than your average sandwich. I was tempted to order the baguette stuffed generously with cured meats that the man next to me was indelicately devouring, but being in a burger mood...

There's not much to Cheryl's burger (with cheddar) but it comes out with that free-form look of having just been patted together in the kitchen rather than taken from a frozen stack. VW recently told me how much she likes burgers that are not quite in the round- this way some edges cook a little differently and you get some crispiness on the outside and a nice tenderness at the center. I think she makes a really good point and I agree wholeheartedly. This is what made Cheryl's burger pleasant. But it wasn't enough to make it great- just good. Usually I'm not a fan of the brioche bun, but Cheryl has a nice one. I added some spicy mayo to my burger and this gave it a little more interest- but you have to ask for it. The fries were delicious and there are plenty to share.

Cheryl's Global Soul
236 Underhill Ave., Brooklyn
347 529 2855

Black Iron Burger Shop, New York City

Exposed Edison bulbs and slow-drip Heinz Ketchup bottles set the stage for a good ol' fashioned burger at Black Iron Burger Shop in Manhattan's Lower East Side. I'd like to move to this quiet street between Avenues A & B just to be close to this well seasoned paddy on a grilled sesame bun. Here, the bartender really is your best friend- he'll pour your drink while grilling up your burger of choice. So be nice to him. The menu is small which is generally how we like it at weloveburgers. They have a few simple signature burgers like the "Black & Blue" (blue cheese & Cajun seasoning) or the "Black jack burger" (jack cheese, jalapenos & chili) or you can assemble your own. We went at 2:30 on a cool Friday afternoon, well after the lunch hour rush. With just a hand full of patrons there, our burgers were well attended and came out deliciously seasoned and cooked close to how we wanted them. My medium-rare was a bit more medium but still juicy and flavorful. Next time I may attempt to tip the scale with the "Iron horse", a double patty with horseradish cheddar and grilled onions. Why not?

540 East 5th Street
Blackironburger.com
t. 212 677 6067
Open late.

Snug Harbor/Port of Call, New Orleans

The burger at snug harbor took my nighttime burger cravings to an all new high.

The burger is tender and juicy, with all the perfect fixins. Of course New Orleans knows how to do a burger, and this is the best of the best.

Port of call and Snug Harbor have the same owners, and just so we don't mislead you, we made sure to try both burgers while in town. While port of call is the more popular choice, the food is the same and we had much better service at snug harbor (its much less crowded).

I will say though, you can get a drink to knock you out at port of call... so choose your fancy.

And the best part... the burger comes with a loaded baked potato. Be sure to ask for bacon and chives.

www.portofcallneworleans.com

www.snugjazz.com

Corner Bistro, New York City

"You have to go to Corner Bistro!"
We heard this more times than we care to admit.
Now, we're ashamed we didn't go sooner.
We avoided the usual line that snakes out the door and down the street of this west village watering hole by going on a rainy Monday afternoon. They're not lined up for the drinks here.
Ask for a booth in the back and order the Bistro burger: classic bun, raw onion, juicy 8-ounce paddy, cheese, heap of bacon, tomato, lettuce, bun- in that order. This one challenges the jaw but goes easy on the wallet (it's only 6.75! In Manhattan!).
There are no frills here. In fact, it feels a bit like time stopped ticking away long ago. But there's a friendly, convivial vibe and it seems like the guys working there would always be happy for another regular or two.
Hopefully you'll have the pleasure of being served by Luis. He'll make you feel right at home.
-Be sure to say hello.

Corner Bistro 331 West 4th Street @ Jane Street, New York City
212 242 9502
Cash only.

Section Dairy Bar, Section Alabama,

The best thing to do in section alabama, besides head down the road to unclaimed baggage, is to stop in at the section dairy bar. Step back in time to simple fare and food done right. Order at the pull up window out front, or sit inside surrounded by vintage car hop posters.

You probably won't ever find yourself in this remote corner of the world, but if you do, its definitely worth a stop. Try a milkshake while you're there.

Village Burger Bar, Dallas Texas

From our Dallas Contributor:

The best burger of my life was eaten today at the village burger bar in dallas (mckinney avenue location).

It was amazing. Paired with the sweet potato fries, spring weather, and patio dining- I was in heaven.

$7.20 for the cheddar burger with bacon. All the fixings + champagne mustard... however, I opted for ranch to dress up the burg.

Irmas Burger Shack, Oklahoma City OK

From our Oklahoma City contributor:

This is the grilled onion burger with cheddar, bacon, and chipotle ranch.

With the combo of grilled onions, melted cheese, and generous ranch- this burger can be remembered as "slimy, yet satisfying."

Other local favorites from irma's include: the black & bleu, the theta burger, and the classic, the irma.

http://www.irmasburgershack.com/

Photo by lbk

Review by Tyler

Rosie's Bar, Portland, Maine

From our favorite Mainah...
"Ah yes - The perfect New Year's Day cure. This burger was served at Rosie's Bar in Portland Maine. Accompanied by untold numbers of bloody mary's to ease into the new year, the burger was cooked to perfection with melted cheddar cheese and perfectly crispy bacon, along with crisp fresh lettuce, tomato, and onion and a lightly toasted bun. With the snow and wind piling up outside, Burgers and Bloodys at Rosies was the perfect way to start 2010."

330 Fore Street, Portland, ME

The Pikesville Store, Scottsboro Alabama

If you find yourself in Scottsboro Alabama, you may wonder where you can find the best burger they have to offer, or what else there is to do while you're in town. The answer, the pikesville store.
Worth a drive, and the effort to find the place, come on in for a home cooked burger. You can taste the years of history from the griddle, and the love these ladies put into their burgers.
I was seriously impressed. Tell them my grandma Rhodaphine sent you.

Location:

5182 County Road 21

Scottsboro, AL

Red Robin, Anchorage, AK

From our friend in Alaska...
"Ok. Red Robin is a chain, but there's no Drive-Thru(tm), the burgers are big, refills on fries are free, and they've got booze.

Like every bar in Alaska they've got Crown Royal and Alaska Amber on tap. No. just the beer is on tap. But nevermind- this is about burgers.

I ordered the Bleu Ribbon Burger. You need two hands, and it's messy, but good. Good beef, good bun, good bleu cheese. The only detractor: they put pepper on the fries. Otherwise, a completely satisfactory burger experience, worthy of some love."

Red Robin, Anchorage AK

In N Out Burger, San Francisco CA

This is the burger that inspired the blog...
We who love burgers give our heart felt thanks to In-N-Out for sustaining us while on the road and far away from home. It's the first place we go when we land in San Francisco and often the last before boarding the red-eye and heading back east. It's our "roadie" of choice. Two words: Double-double. Order it. Two paddies, two slices of cheese, tomato, lettuce, and of course, that special sauce that dribbles down the wrist if you're not careful enough. Just let it go. This is the lushest fast food burger you're ever going to find- a perfect fusion of fresh ingredients and tender beef.
Also good to know about is the "secret menu". This includes animal style, protein style, grilled cheese and oh yes, the flying dutchman...mmmmmm. You can find it at the not-so-secret in-n-out.com

We love you In-N-Out Burger, oh yes we do.