Best Burgers in Manhattan, Ranked

The platonic ideal of a smash burger and the highest-scoring burger in Manhattan. Every bite of the Gotham Smash lands beefiness, acidity, sweetness and heat in balance: a lacy crust, juicy patties, grilled onions cooked into the meat, housemade pickles, jalapeños and club sauce on a bun that holds together. At $12.50 it is also one of the cheapest burgers on this list, which is the part nobody expects.

Price $12.50

The Double Wagyu Cheeseburger has one of the highest ceilings of any burger in New York: Snake River Farms Wagyu, deep beefy flavor, enormous juiciness and precise seasoning on a strong batch. Bacon and egg should wreck the balance and instead stay in a supporting role. The brioche is the weak component, and the burger has shown some variance across visits, which is why its ceiling and its repeatability are not the same thing.

Price $38.99

The Legendary Cheeseburger is the most distinctive fusion burger in the city and one of the most cohesive. Cooking the kimchi softens its pungency, so the kimchi special sauce cuts the richness instead of fighting it, and the double patties carry a proper sear underneath. Highly original without sacrificing balance.

Price $21

An exceptionally rich, beef-forward burger whose defining achievement is texture: a crisp sesame bun, crunchy onions, soft beef and Gruyère, served au jus, with a dijon chili mayonnaise cutting the richness. The catch is access. Chez Margaux is a private members' club, so this is the best burger in Manhattan most people cannot order.

Price $54

The Tavern Burger reads as overengineered on paper and eats as a flavor explosion that stays coherent: A5 Wagyu, a house-made Parmesan single, cured cabbage slaw and shishito relish on a sesame potato bun. The fermented acidity is what keeps all that richness in line. The bun runs slightly bready and flaky; that is the one nitpick.

Price $35

One of the most under-discussed elite burgers in New York. A single thick dry-aged patty with deep, nutty beef flavor and perfect seasoning, with raw onion and a horseradish aioli that supply exactly the sharpness the richness needs. Sold only as the weekday Corner Combo during Burger Hour, so it takes planning.

Price $30

A hidden-gem burger built on a chuck, brisket and short rib blend so concentrated it registers almost dry-aged in character. Gruyère deepens the richness, and balsamic onions and garlic aioli add the sweetness and sharpness that keep it from going heavy. Rich, savory, subtly bright and immediately rewarding.

Price $36

Not flashy, just quietly nails the fundamentals. House-ground dry-aged beef, American cheese, grilled onion, flaky salt and a toasted sesame bun: intensely beefy, unapologetically salty, stripped of anything unnecessary. Both brothers have received the same burger across repeat visits. Walk-in only, so prime time can mean a real wait.

Price $19

Midtown's best burger by a wide margin. The 550 Burger is beef-forward and precisely seasoned: a USDA Prime patty cooked perfectly and very juicy, peppercorn mustard and onion for sharpness, a Parmesan crisp for savory depth. The bun's chew becomes slightly too prominent in a few bites, and that is the whole complaint.

Price $38

An outstanding British-American pub burger: an incredibly juicy patty under a heavy layer of house-made Welsh rarebit, on a soft pretzel bun with raw onion. Unapologetically greasy and decadent. The onion portion ran sharp enough that both brothers removed some, and dinner access is twelve off-menu burgers a night.

Price $26

An unassuming bar burger with restaurant-level beef quality. The wagyu patty was exceptionally juicy, well cooked and well seasoned; the onions were thinly shaved, the tomato restrained, the bun well toasted, and the burger held the same balance from its first bite through its last. No sauce arrived and none was needed.

Price $25

One of the most intensely beef-forward dry-aged burgers in New York. The patty cook and meat quality were among the best we have encountered, and Spanish Mahón amplifies the dry-aged funk rather than redirecting it. Off-menu and reportedly five a night, which makes it the hardest acquisition on this list after Chez Margaux.

Price $35

An original French bistro burger that lives up to its reputation: peppercorn-crusted Pat LaFrieda brisket, St. André, watercress and cornichons on challah with au poivre sauce, each component supporting the next. The challah has slightly too much chew. At dinner it is twelve burgers at the walk-in bar only.

Price $32