The Best Burger in Every NYC Neighborhood

The benchmark for the classic tavern burger and the top-ranked burger in New York. Rich, intensely beef-forward, with almost nothing on it and nothing missing. Red Hook is a destination rather than a stop, and this is worth the trip every time.

Price $34

The only ranked burger in Red Hook so far. All Red Hook burgers

The platonic ideal of a smash burger: lacy crust, juicy patties, and beefiness, acidity, sweetness and heat in comprehensive balance, at a counter-service price.

Price $12.50

Best of 5 ranked in the Lower East Side. All Lower East Side burgers

Snake River Farms Wagyu, enormous juiciness and one of the highest ceilings of any burger in New York. The West Village has more elite burgers than any neighborhood in the city, and this is the one at the top.

Price $38.99

Best of 25 ranked in the West Village. All West Village burgers · West Village guide

The most distinctive fusion burger in the city. Cooked kimchi and a kimchi special sauce cut the richness of a properly seared double smash without overwhelming it.

Price $21

Best of 7 ranked in the East Village. All East Village burgers · East Village guide

Exceptionally rich and beef-forward, with a crisp sesame bun and crunchy onions that make texture the main event. A private members' club, so nearly impossible to order without a member.

Price $54

Best of 3 ranked in Meatpacking. All Meatpacking burgers

One of Brooklyn's most complete burgers: juicy medium-rare American Wagyu under a layered Japanese-American build in which sweetness, salt, wasabi and umami all register. The milk bread bun may be the best part.

Price $34

Best of 4 ranked in Greenpoint. All Greenpoint burgers

Midtown's best burger by a wide margin. A USDA Prime patty cooked perfectly, peppercorn mustard and onion for sharpness, a Parmesan crisp for savory depth.

Price $38

Best of 9 ranked in Midtown. All Midtown burgers · Midtown guide

An incredibly juicy patty under house-made Welsh rarebit on a soft pretzel bun. Greasy, decadent, and limited to twelve off-menu burgers a night at dinner.

Price $26

Best of 8 ranked in Greenwich Village. All Greenwich Village burgers

An exceptional beef-first burger built on smoke, seasoning and unusually strong house-ground meat, with wood-fired flavor carrying through every bite. Limited nightly; go before 6pm.

Price $20

The only ranked burger in Ridgewood so far. All Ridgewood burgers

One of the most intensely beef-forward dry-aged burgers in the city, with Spanish Mahón amplifying the funk rather than redirecting it. Off-menu, five a night.

Price $35

Best of 4 ranked in Flatiron. All Flatiron burgers

A peppercorn-crusted French bistro burger with St. André, watercress, cornichons and au poivre sauce, each element supporting the next. Twelve a night at the bar at dinner, unlimited at brunch.

Price $32

Best of 4 ranked in SoHo. All SoHo burgers

A rich dry-aged Meat Hook burger with raclette, bacon jam, Calabrian chili aioli and pickled red onion, every component with a clear job. Now a Sunday-only burger.

Price $22

The only ranked burger in East Williamsburg so far. All East Williamsburg burgers

A restrained, exceptionally well-balanced dry-aged burger: Comté, Burgundy onions, black garlic and a sharp Dijon cut. The bun is slightly too prominent, and the evening is expensive.

Price $35

Best of 2 ranked in NoHo. All NoHo burgers

A fantastic dry-aged burger inside one of the city's most distinctive cocktail bars. Clothbound cheddar intensifies the beef; it could use an acidic element to cut the richness.

Price $27

Best of 2 ranked in NoMad. All NoMad burgers

An excellent diner-style double: prime beef, American cheese, dijonnaise and pickles on a soft toasted bun. Strong on its own, richer with bacon and egg, and repeatable across visits.

Price $25.99

Best of 3 ranked in Tribeca. All Tribeca burgers

A very solid French-bistro burger of dry-aged beef, Mornay sauce, raw onion and Dijon, rich but kept balanced by the sharp elements.

Price $34

The only ranked burger in Chelsea so far. All Chelsea burgers

A good, straightforward cheeseburger of grass-fed beef, white cheddar and pickled red onions on a potato roll, in one of Brooklyn's foundational restaurants. Our tasting record here is incomplete and it is due a revisit.

Price $27

Best of 4 ranked in Williamsburg. All Williamsburg burgers

A deeply meat-forward chef burger, outstanding and well charred, with cheddar, belly bacon and smoked onion aioli that reinforce the beef. The airy, dry bun takes over by the second half. Tavern room only.

Price $35

The only ranked burger in Gramercy so far. All Gramercy burgers

A Spanish-inspired burger of charcoal-grilled dry-aged ribeye, American cheese, pickled piparra peppers and a creamy house sauce. Deep dry-aged smoke; the peppers and sauce could stand to be less restrained.

Price $35

The only ranked burger in Hudson Yards so far. All Hudson Yards burgers

A polished bistro double cheeseburger with Thousand Island and pickles on a housemade English muffin that absorbs the sauce without losing structure.

Price $27

The only ranked burger in Carroll Gardens so far. All Carroll Gardens burgers

One of the most distinctive builds in the city: Wagyu, Edam, caramelized onion, fermented chili and a Caribbean-influenced sauce. The concept outran the execution on our visit, when the patty arrived overcooked, underseasoned and cold. Lunch only.

Price $32

Best of 5 ranked in the Financial District. All Financial District burgers

A well-seasoned restaurant burger with cheddar, melted onions and a grilled brioche bun whose exterior is the distinctive part. Certain bites go bread-forward. Lunch only, Wednesday to Friday.

Price $34

The only ranked burger in Fort Greene so far. All Fort Greene burgers

A distinctive French bistro burger: a custom blend, brie, shallot jam, green peppercorn aioli and caramelized onions. Rich without saturating, though it wants a brighter element between bites.

Price $28

Best of 5 ranked in the Upper East Side. All Upper East Side burgers

A Dominican smash burger built around a slab of genuinely good fried cheese over excellent Pat LaFrieda beef. Solid without fully coming together; the cheese runs a bit overwhelming.

Price $10

Best of 2 ranked in Chinatown. All Chinatown burgers

Good flavors, poor balance. Juicy, clean-tasting wagyu and a mozzarella choice that works, undone by too much sauce and no structure pulling it into one bite.

Price $28

The only ranked burger in Flushing so far. All Flushing burgers

A fat-and-umami wagyu double with garlic aioli and cheddar on a soft pain au lait bun. The construction outperforms the underseasoned meat, and nothing in the build supplies acidity.

Price $18

The only ranked burger in Nolita so far. All Nolita burgers

A no-frills dry-aged bar burger with a muddy profile: the beef's funk and the mayo's fat run into each other, and the patty carried no crust and little seasoning.

Price $18

The only ranked burger in Brooklyn Heights so far. All Brooklyn Heights burgers