The best burger in New York City? There’s no such thing. The Big Apple is a constellation of diverse patties that exist in part, unfortunately, to be compared and pitted against each other in a debate with no purpose. The reality is that many of these burgers, high and low, are great. The greatness is a tier. If there’s a huge line or reservation battle hindering access to the great one you seek, you can go get another and eat greatness nevertheless.
Below, find the Traveler edit of burgers worth planning a trip around. And that suggestion is not beyond the pale—in scouting the burger at 4 Charles Prime Rib, I met such a person and in fact shared a table with him (4 Charles being so difficult to get into that its exclusivity nearly precluded its inclusion, for what’s the point of recommending a burger you can’t get? But I have advice.)
For us, there are two categories of burgers these days: those with a classic, thick patty, and those that have been smashed on the griddle. Both scratch entirely different itches, and both are well represented here. But before we begin, let’s reiterate one thing: the point of a burger, in large part, is that it will be good no matter what. Beef, cheese, bread. It’s reliable. It can be eaten in a steakhouse, a diner, or out of a bag on the street. But it’s also true that some take the form to another level, and those are the burgers we are interested in here. Below, the best burgers NYC has to offer.
Read our complete New York City travel guide here, which includes:
This story has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
384 Broome St, Nolita, New York, NY 10012
Before there was Deux Luxe, there was Café Deux. Opened in 2023 in the Westchester town of Harrison, this all-day cafe from sisters (and NYC natives) Charlotte and Carrie Denoyer quickly took off in part due to the runaway success of the wide-ranging menu’s burger. Two patties of Wagyu beef, bun of pain au lait, cheddar cheese, garlic aioli—it’s simple, it’s perfect, it belongs in a big city brick and mortar all its own. Because it’s Wagyu, it’s wet with fat. The dry bun absorbs the myriad juices best it can, while the cheese practically liquefies in the initial heat. It’s the first burger I’ve had that feels truly like a whole rather than a combination of distinct parts. There are now several other options worth trying, but the original is where it’s at. —Charlie Hobbs, associate editor
131 Essex St, Lower East Side, New York, NY