Absolute best burger in Manhattan?

[NowThatsGreatFood]

I must find the best burger in Manhattan! I realize that there are literally hundreds of choices and I continue to hear the same 10 to 15 names over and over again. Can someone narrow the list to the top 5 and be bold enough to say that it's the definitive burger list for Manhattan?

[CantStopEating]

I like Corner Bistro and Lugers. Has anyone tried the "Kobe" burger @ Old Homestead?

www.inbundles.com

[Jon1856]

Two from NY Magazine:
The Burger Register: New York’s 82 Most Notable Burgers-Slide Show:
http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2009/07/the_burger_register_new_yorks_82_most_notable_burgers.html

Burger Kings
The best of the bunch in a town suddenly overrun by beef.
http://nymag.com/restaurants/cheapeat...

[imbrettjackson]

I've taken the liberty of posting the burger joints commended here all on a map.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&am...

Now you can get your burger by proximity. Enjoy.
-Brett

[serious]

Thanks..

[NowThatsGreatFood]

Wow! Thanks for taking the time to map this out. I plan on visiting a number of these places in May and you just made it a lot easier for me. Much thanks!!

[D...DF]

Westville, Westville East

[ronoc]

Say no to Kobe sliders. Say yes to Corner Bistro. And following that, in order: Shake Shack, Burger Joint, Molly's, and Old Town Tavern.
Stoned Crow is on my list to try.

[LFeinberg]

I know you all are going to roll your eyes and sigh when I say this....but...the Kobe burger sliders at The Stanton Social are the best burgers in town, IMO.

[goldbug76]

Burger Joint, Corner Bistro, Shake Shack, Rare

[ajen021]

Chumley's
Paul's Place
Burger Joint
BLT Burger
Silver Spurs

(and Shake Shack - if I could name 6)

[Kanger]

Had an awful burger at RARE and never gave it a second chance, perhaps unfairly. My burger at Union Square Cafe was OK, not great (although I did love the generous helping of fries!) My top 5 would be:

Shake Shack
JG Melon
Spotted Pig
Burger Joint
Houston's

[Popsicle81]

JG Melon's my favorite....Brasserie Julien has a good one too

[sebastianxx]

Mmm... Brasserie Julien's burger and Leffe on tap. Good times. And by way of comparison, off I go to The Burger One...

[sebastianxx]

Well... The Burger One wasn't too bad. I ordered the Burger One Special, a 7oz cheeseburger with grilled onions and diced jalapenos and was having second thoughts on the toppings. Until it was served. Then I was glad I did as the burger was thick, expertly cooked, and completely lacking in seasoning. Salt, onion powder, pepper, I dunno, it needed something. The toppings perked it up, but with an inch-thick burger, that's a lot of meat. Fries were good though. Sticking with B. Julien for now...

[christinaemcc]

i gotta say i like JG melon's burger. plain & simple. but kinda small. Shake Shack obviously. i'm dying to try Luger's burger... but i can never pass up a porterhouse for a burger :(

[tpigeon]

You don't have to, get the burger as an app and share it. Lunchtime only.

[jahnbon]

I have eaten and enjoyed burgers at almost all of the above mentioned places, and "best" wholly depends on my mood, company, and budget. My father worked at Peter Luger's for many years, but when I go to White Castle with that in mind, it's a good day as well!

For a (grilled) burger of excellent quality meat, perfect large but managable size for very low price, I have become a big fan of The Burger One on Lexington bet. 79th & 80th. It's a hole in the wall with about 8 seats, and they are one of my current "Bests."

[sushiman]

Wollensky's Grill-On the side street from the main restaurant on Third Ave.

They use Filet tips to make the burgers.

[LFeinberg]

Rare. It's amazing! Best meat quality, cooked to your preference with phenominal condiments to choose from.

[Jorg]

Corner Bistro, Donovan's, Molly's, in no particular order.

[duffyeater]

I am somewhat stunned by chowhound's lists of the best burgers in NYC because the very best burger is never even mentioned in the top ten. I don't quite understand it. What am I missing? The best burger in New York City is at the Union Square Cafe. No doubts abouts. . I've had all those burgers people rave about and some of them are very very good. But none is in the league of the USC

[jsmitty]

I shall try and report back!!

[devil]

Just had the burger at Luger's. Extremely juicy and tasty and worth the trip over the bridge.

[Ethan N]

And I never understand why the Old Town burger so rarely shows up on these lists--I'd take one of those over Corner Bistro's burger most any day.

[Peter Cuce]

Old Town burgers are amazing.

[socal boy]

I just had the USC burger and Burger Joint burger last week. USC burger is very good and has nice fries.

[bubaloo]

I gotta say Burger Joint, but this weekend I may try Shake Shack, but then I think, What if it's not up to Burger Joint par? Maybe I'll stick to BJ, why mess with perfection?

[jsmitty]

please try daddy-o on bedford street. i will go to bat, as a i have several times, for this great bar burger.
jg-melon
corner bistro
pj clarkes

[serious]

pj clarkes - yes!

[dbates]

Ditto. Twice. At 54th St. and Third Avenue.

[Bugsey34]

Daddy-O's on Bedford does have a burger that is pretty damn amazing. Comes with tater tots, too.

[jakew8]

Looking at your post history, NTGF, it would appear that you're planning on a) touring the U.S. in search of the best burger, and/or b) writing about the best burgers. Care to tell us which it is?

[Wilfrid]

Uh huh:

Absolute best burger in Manhattan?
NowThatsGreatFood in Manhattan

Absolute best burger in Chicago?
NowThatsGreatFood in Chicago Area

Absolute best burger in Texas?
NowThatsGreatFood in Texas

South Florida - The Best Burger?
NowThatsGreatFood in Florida"

In each case, what one will find is a large number of outlets offering good burgers in different styles. It's like asking for the "best sandwich": the burgers at Wolfgang's, Paul's Place, and Shake Shack - for example - are so different in composition, size, and indeed price, that there's not much point comparing them.

[NowThatsGreatFood]

That's a fair question and pretty reasonable assumptions. I'm planning an event that features burgers and I want to invite the best in the country to participate. I chose a few geographic areas which I'm sure could lay claim to being the home of the best. Realizing that personal preferences will dictate favorites, I have to imagine that those of you who take the time to reply to my inquiry are foodies and therefore your input is valuable and helpful. So I offer my thanks to you for responding.

[Andrew P.]

Being called a foodie makes me sad. I'm a chowhound.

[Sean Dell]

This is well trodden turf. And it very much depends on whether you like the burger cheap and cheerful, with guess-what meat, cold bun and no frills. Or good beef, lots of frills and a heaping of perfect fries.

burger joint at Parker Meridian
Balthazar
The Odeon
Cafe Luxembourg
Number 5 slot is ever evolving, and depends on such variables as the weather, the R in the month, level of alchohol in bloodstream, Lent, hormone level of the missus, etc etc..

- Sean

[Andrew P.]

Haha, never ever eat an oyster burger in a month without an R!

Whatever the month, I do like Paul's on 2nd and St. Mark's. The standard bun can fall apart quite easily, so your best bet is a Kaiser roll for 40 cents more.

[jza1218]

Im partial to:

Blue Smoke
Burger Joint
Molly's
Shake Shack
Paul's Place

[thievery]

shake shack
corner bistro
burger joint at le parker meridian

seem to most consistently make top lists... round out the other 2-slots depending on your preferred burger style.

[Bob Martinez]

Well, we could start here.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/373337

This recent thread also has loads of information -
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/234881

[guttergourmet]

Thanks for linking my rankings. I'd also give Royale, Good Burger and Stand honorable mention. Thumbs down to BLT except for the lamb burger.