If there is one star dish in New York, it is the hamburger. And not just any burger, because in the city you'll find burgers of all kinds and at all prices, as it is one of its most famous dishes, and in some places, they even take care of its cooking to unsuspected limits.
Fast-food chains, bars, fancy restaurants and countless other places offer a multitude of versions, but only a few can make it onto a list of the top 10 burgers in New York.
After trying quite a few on our two visits to the city of skyscrapers, visiting many of the places to visit in New York, we have made a selection, taking into account the quality/price ratio, of what are for us, the 10 best burgers in New York. Let's get started!
1. Five Guys
When you walk into a Five Guys for the first time and see all the posters with front pages of major newspapers like The New York Times designating it as the best burger in New York, you start to think you've got the right place.
Five Guys has more than 20 fast-food outlets across the city and is unmistakably red and white. But keep in mind that although there are Five Guys in other cities like Barcelona, Madrid or Washington, where Obama went with his family and where he declared that they were his favourite, the ones in New York have a special taste. We assure you!
Among its main features are that the meat and potatoes are not frozen and are of high quality; the service is very fast and attentive, and you can usually find a place to sit inside.
We recommend choosing the full-size burger to which you can add about 15 free toppings or toppings, whether sauces, vegetables or mushrooms. For drinks, you can order shakes of various flavours or soft drinks, which you can refill for free as many times as you like from the machines and add ice.
Our favourite burger is the Bacon Cheeseburger and as a bonus, we have to say that their fries are the best New York fries we have ever tasted. And as a bonus, right next to the counter, you'll find a barrel of peanuts that you can help yourself to for free, to entertain your stomach while you wait for your food.
It has to be said that the burgers are not very photogenic and the foil wrapping, the cardboard bag and the fries thrown inside don't really help the presentation, but we assure you that after trying them, this is the least important thing.
Another incentive to try one of the best burgers in New York is the price, which is usually no more than 30 dollars for two people including drink and fries.
Five Guys
2. Shake Shack
Shake Shack burgers are the most famous burgers in New York, and you won't find a single tourist who has left the city without trying them.
Another great thing about this chain is that there are many Shake Shack locations all over the city. We've found them in shopping malls, in some of New York's best outlets, in underground stations and even at JFK airport.
Be aware that in many of their restaurants, which are among the best places to eat in New York, you'll see a long queue outside, and we have to say that sometimes it's difficult to find a seat inside, so if there's more than one of you, it's best if someone gets out of the queue and waits for someone to get up to take a table.
When you finish your order at the counter and after paying, you will be given a small electronic device that vibrates and lights up when your order is ready to be picked up.
It should be noted that Shake Shack burgers are special because of their fresh, untreated, juicy Angus beef with an intense grilled flavour, which sets them apart from other fast food restaurants. The ShackBurger and Smoke Shack Burger are our favourites, served with bacon fries and melted cheese. Their milkshakes are also famous and we have to confess, they're pretty good! But if you still want to increase the calories on your menu a little more, you can always finish with one of their delicious Frozen Custard ice creams.
As an extra, they have a detail that is to be appreciated, especially in summer, and that is that in all their premises they have a free cold water dispenser with glasses.
All in all, we can say that Shake Shack is another of the best burger joints in New York and although it's unusual, all the burgers are just as good as the ones in the photos.
Shake Shack
3. Burger Joint, one of New York's best burgers.
Tucked away on the left side of the lobby of the luxury hotel Le Parker Meridien, you'll find one of the best burgers in New York City.
It's important to know that although you'll usually find people waiting, the queue moves quickly and the waiting time is not usually excessive, so don't panic if you're surprised to find that you're not alone when you arrive.
As a tip, you can take a small piece of paper with the menu in the queue, some of which are in Spanish, and use a pencil to mark down everything you want to order. That way, when you get to the counter, all you have to do is hand over the paper with your order, make the payment and wait for it to be prepared for you. The best way to pass the waiting time, don't you think?
The restaurant is very small and looks more like a music venue because the walls are full of graffiti, signatures and posters of concerts and films, and there are only a few tables, but people eat quite quickly and leave quickly. We recommend you do the same, having your after-dinner meal elsewhere, and try not to keep people waiting, eating standing up or outside.
After trying them, we recommend the cheeseburger, with beef that they prepare daily, and ask for it with all the ingredients "The works". We went during our 11 day trip to New York and we can assure you that it is one of the best things to do in New York.
Now they have opened a few more places in the Midtown area, but we have to admit that this place in Le Meridien is the most special and if you are near or passing through the area, it is the most recommendable.
The price is no more than 40 dollars for two people, with two full menus.
Burger Joint
4. Bareburger
For us, Bareburger has earned its place on the list of the best burgers in New York.
There are about twenty Bareburgers all over New York and they are different from the rest because they use natural and organic products throughout their menu.
Most of their locations are quite large, so you won't have trouble finding a table and the interior decoration has a special charm, with the wooden tables and walls full of little details.
The menu is quite extensive and allows you to choose a burger with various types of meat, ingredients, sauces and types of bread, as well as a selection proposed by them. We recommend the Supreme with bison meat and onion rings and sweet fries to share. The price is around 40 dollars for two people.
Bareburger
5. Five Napkin Burger
Five Napkin, not to be confused with Five Guys, as happened to us the first time, is more of a restaurant than a fast food joint. Although you have many options, we recommend ordering the Original Five Napkin Burger, with gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and rosemary aioli, really delicious!
The fresh ground beef on their burgers is spectacular and is different in flavour to the other burgers we tried. There are four Five Napkin in the Big Apple, although the original and most famous, which is the one we went to, is Hell's Kitchen.
The price is no more than $50 per couple.
Five Napkin
Travel insurance for New York
When travelling to New York, there is nothing better than having good travel insurance, especially in a destination like the United States, where health services are very expensive, with a simple visit to the doctor costing 500 dollars and any operation costing several thousand.
We always travel insured with Mondowith whom we take an insurance policy fully adapted to the needs we are going to have on the trip.
By taking out your insurance with Mondo herejust for being a Viajeros Callejeros reader, you get a 5% discount.
6. J.G Melon NYC
The JG Melon is another of the classic places where tourists from all over the world gather to try the best burger in New York.
This small, obscure restaurant, which has been open since 1972, does not take reservations, but the queues are quite fast to try their juicy beef burgers accompanied by cheese, toasted bread and crispy fries for about 20 dollars per person.
In addition to the short wait, another drawback is that they are cash-only and the tables are close together.
7. Corner Bistro
Another of New York 's best burgers can be found at the Corner Bistro, which has been open since 1961 in the heart of Greenwich Village and retains its traditional wood-panelled look.
With a retro vibe and the noise of locals, tourists and TVs, you can enjoy a fantastic Bistro Burger with American cheese and bacon for less than 15 dollars.
The best way to avoid wasting time queuing is to book a few days in advance.
8. Minetta Tavern
The Black Label Burger at the Michelin-starred Minetta Tavern in Greenwich Village is another of New York's best burgers.
Although the price is $35, which is a bit steep compared to the New York burger joint, the extreme quality of the over 200 grams of meat, accompanied by caramelised onions and fries, make it a real treat for the palate.
9. Black Tap
After a hard day of sightseeing you can quickly recover all your energy, there is nothing better than devouring the big and delicious burgers of the Black Tap accompanied by their famous and spectacular milkshakes.
If you're not too hungry we recommend ordering a burger with fries, sweet potatoes or onion rings and a huge milkshake to share. Are you up for it?
10. Jackson Hole
Although our experience wasn't the best trying these huge burgers, we want to give it another chance when we return to New York because of the number of people who have recommended it to us and the good reviews on all the websites.
In this charming place you can eat a tasty cheeseburger (Mac and cheese) in the purest American style for less than 20 dollars per person. The waiters are also very friendly and speak Spanish, another plus that can't be overlooked.
To prepare for your trip to the Big Apple and try its famous burgers, we recommend you follow this guide to New York in 7 days and this series of tips for travelling to New York.
Map of the best burgers in New York City
This map shows you the location of the best burger joints in New York, although it should be noted that chains such as Shake Shack and Five Guys have many locations and we have only included some of the most central ones.
