Forget about Dunkin’, America runs on burgers. Nearly 60% of Americans eat at least one burger a week, and McDonald’s is by far the largest restaurant chain by sales. About 50 billion burgers will be eaten in the U.S. this year.
Who sold the first burger in this country? It’s debatable. Some say it was introduced at the World’s Fair in St. Louis in 1904. Others maintain Louis’ Lunch in New Haven made the first burgers in 1895. And don’t forget Drexel’s Pure Food Restaurant in Chicago, said to have put a burger on the menu in 1917. The first White Castle came along in 1921.
Whatever its origin, the burger is one of life’s guiltiest pleasures. No backyard barbecue is complete without burgers on the grill. Nutritious? Hell no. A six-ounce burger — the meat alone — contains about 600 calories and 500 milligrams of sodium. Has all that slowed down the American love affair with hamburgers? Nope.
As May is National Burger Month — happy holiday to those who celebrate — here’s our list of the state’s 33 best burgers, ranked, drawing on my statewide burger-eating experience. Hundreds of candidates were considered; these are the best. I have eaten every burger on this list, which is an updated version of one that appeared last year. Viewing these photos may cause a sudden desire to fire up the grill. You have been warned.
33. Broski burger, Kook Burger, Brigantine
Several burger joints on this list cook their burgers medium-well or well only because they “smash” their burgers on the grill, resulting in a crispier crust. Kook Burger, which opened in March, is one of them. The Broski Burger here, with bacon, jalapeños, goat cheese and sriracha mayo, has more personality and fire than the standard Kook Burger. Try one of their crazy Shoobie Shakes; the beach bum brownie is a chocolate milkshake with caramel sauce, rimmed with Nutella and M&Ms, then topped with whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, a brownie and Twix bar. Next door is Black Turtle Coffee, highly recommended.
32. Ader’s Burger, Ader’s Tavern, Union Beach
The Ader’s burger, like the bar and town, is blue-collar and no-nonsense: a good piece of meat on a sturdy roll, with sauteed mushrooms, onions and Swiss cheese. There are 13 burgers at Ader’s, including the Gunnison burger, a naked (no-bun) burger that pays homage to the state’s only legal nude beach. They even serve breakfast on the weekend; steak and eggs, breakfast burritos, pork roll egg and cheese sandwiches and of course Bloody Marys and mimosas.
The neighborhood-bar look of Rossi’s former location in Trenton has been replaced by a suburban chain restaurant motif, but the excellent burger remains. The Rossiburger is the house classic, but you can also get a bacon and cheddar burger; mushroom and Swiss burger; and a Chambers-burger, with Case’s pork roll, lettuce, tomato and raw onion, a homage to Rossi’s former Chambersburg location.
30. Wicked blue burger, Urban Burger, Cranford
Urban Burger is a trendy burger joint with yellow sidewalk tables, orange-y walls and wood floors. The wicked blue burger — sriracha, blue cheese dressing, onion rings and celery — is the Eiffel Tower of burgers, four fat, crunchy onion rings perched atop the burger, sending the sandwich skyward. Oh, and it’s good. Other burgers include ladder 31 (provolone, spicy hot “Pikliz” slaw, jalapeño mayo) and baked brie (brie, fig jam, spring mix, bacon mayo). “Rare equals red!” the website informs. “Well done equals hockey puck and takes longer to cook!”
Barnacle Bill’s, with its scenic perch on the Navesink River, may offer the Shore’s best-known burger. They sure do cook a lot of them, about 2,500 burgers in an average week. It’s a solid 10-ounce burger, and there’s nothing like sitting at the bar with the view towards the Oceanic Bridge and watching your burger sizzle and smoke on the grill.
28. Pour House deluxe burger, Pour House, Westmont
You’ve got to love a place that proclaims burgers as its favorite food group. The Pour House is known for its beer — 20-plus drafts and nearly 40 cans and bottles appeared on a recent menu. The Pour House classic burger combines Guinness caramelized onions and Vermont white cheddar, but the choice here is the Pour House deluxe burger: a brisket, short rib and chuck blend, plus bacon marmalade, American cheese and pickles.
27. Galley OG burger, The Galley, Asbury Park
The Galley is one of my favorite spots in Asbury Park, the Shore’s best dining destination. Excellent pizza and wings, eclectic sandwiches — and good burgers, too. The basic cheeseburger features a hefty 10-ounce slab of Pat LaFrieda meat and aged white cheddar on a brioche, but the play here is the Galley OG Burger, another 10-ounce monster with aged white cheddar, roasted long hots, roasted red onions and garlic aioli on brioche. It looks like a big cheesy mess, but it’s damn tasty.
The Old Causeway, named after a long-gone bar down the road, is a rambling restaurant with wrap-around bar and oyster shucking station. Upend your burger world with the OC Burger, a Black Angus burger topped with fried oysters, roasted mushrooms, horseradish spread and OC steak sauce. Yes, oysters. Old Causeway is one of my favorite restaurants down the shore.
Left Bank Burger Bar opened in October 2013, on the owner’s birthday. The atmosphere is cozy and unpretentious. You can build you own burger, or order one of the standards, including the meltdown (beef, grilled onions, sauce, grilled cheese) and the M.A.C. daddy (applewood bacon, tomato, garlic herb mayo, fried mac n cheese). The best of the bunch is the GhostFace Killer, an espresso-rubbed burger with ghost pepper jam, smoked gouda, sweet bacon tots, red onions, tomato and barbecue sauce.
24. Big Schmacc Burger, Tony Beef, Galloway
Tony Beef is owned by two brothers, Anthony and Nick Della Vecchia. Anthony is the head chef, while Nick handles the accounting, marketing and management. Burgers are cooked medium-well or well only. “We’ve always done so for a consistent product but keep the standard medium-well for a juicy patty as well,” Nick Della Vecchia explained via Facebook Messenger. The Big Schmacc features two beef patties, American cheese, homemade sauce, lettuce, pickles and diced white onions. It’s a handful. There is another location in Somers Point.
New Jersey’s best chili can be found at Arthur’s Tavern, according to eatthis.com. The restaurant’s French onion soup made our list of 50 dishes you need to try in 2023. And their steaks are renowned. What, no love for Arthur’s burgers? They’re big and juicy, and for cheese you get your choice of American, Swiss, cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack or bleu. Arthur’s, which may boast the largest collection neon beer signs in the state, represented Morris Plains in our Greatest Thing About Every New Jersey Town series.
22. Rocky Hill burger, Rocky Hill Inn, Rocky Hill
The Rocky Hill Inn is a cozy retreat in one of the state’s most charming small towns. I loved the buffalo burger here, but it’s no longer on the menu. The Rocky Hill burger, with applewood-smoked bacon, grilled onion, cheddar and a Griggstown Farm sunny-side-up egg, is a worthy substitute. Don’t forget to order Chef Evan Blomgren’s awesome onion rings, made with baking powder, cayenne pepper, paprika and Old Speckled Hen English ale, among other ingredients.
21. Tavern burger, Stirling Hotel, Stirling
The Stirling Hotel, a rustic roadhouse in a little-known Morris County town, boasts indoor and outdoor bars on a 2 1/2 acre scenic lot. The tavern burger is a tasty handful with a ground short rib and brisket patty, white cheddar, applewood-smoked bacon, house steak sauce, truffle mayo, tossed greens and tomato on brioche. The restaurant and bar won the readers’ choice award in our statewide best bar showdown.
Vagabond Kitchen and Tap House in Atlantic City is in its own little waterfront world, in the city’s Chelsea Heights section. The draft beer selection is craft only, although you can get mainstream beers in bottles. The Vagabond viking burger is a hefty handful; dig the Vagabond name imprinted on the bun. Order the burger, a side of fries with the sriracha mayo dipping sauce, and a cold one, and you’re all set. Other burgers include a grilled patty melt, spicy California burger and a goat cheese burger.
19. Six-alarm burger, 30 Burgers, Branchburg
30 Burgers is housed in the former Royal Diner (I miss it so; it was part of my morning commute when I lived in Clinton). The Six-Alarm Burger packs some serious heat, with jalapeños, salsa, pepper jack and chipotle mayo on an onion bun. Other burgers include the El Paso burger (roasted poblano peppers, sauteed onions, bacon, pepper jack, guacamole, lettuce, chipotle mayo) and the Trenton burger (pork roll, melted American cheese, ketchup).
Grass-fed meat — as opposed to corn-fed, a diet loaded with antibiotics — is the key at Stuffed.
“If you eat a grass-fed burger, you can eat another one,” owner Dan Campeas told me.
The most popular burger at Stuffed is probably the bacon jam burger, stuffed with Havarti cheese, plus bacon jam, arugula and roster garlic aioli on a brioche bun, but I like the original stuffed, with cheddar cheese, leaf lettuce, tomato, pickles, red onions and a potato bun, even more.
17. B2 burger, Burger Time, Audubon
Burger Time started as a pop-up at South Philly Tap Room; co-owner Dane DeMarco opened the Audubon storefront early this year. “Puts the fun between the bun with bangin’ burgers and super glizzys, bringing crazy, over-the-top tots and ice cream floats to Audubon” proclaims the website. Glizzys, in case you’re wondering, is a slang term for hot dogs. I somehow skipped the Peter pepper burger (with fried jalapeños, bacon, ranch and Doritos) and happily attacked a cheeseburger (pretty good) and the excellent B2 burger, with bacon, Rineer Farms blackberry jam and jalapeños.
Jim’s Lunch is Millville’s heart and soul. It was founded in 1923 — 100 years ago. The burgers are legendary, and you must have them with the house “secret sauce.’’ The lightly-spiced, chili-like concoction is meant for the burgers, but regulars douse it on fries, chicken, whatever’s on hand. Millville without Jim’s Lunch — native son and baseball superstar Mike Trout knows it well — is like the Pine Barrens without trees; it made my list of the state’s greatest old-school restaurants.
15. Meat lovers burger, Dog House Saloon, Washington (Bergen Co.)
Biggest burger in New Jersey? That would be the Meat Lovers Burger at the Dog House Saloon. It starts so innocently — an eight-ounce beef patty cooked on a charcoal grill and seasoned with a secret mix of spices.
And then the nonstop meat madness begins.
Six slices of Taylor ham/pork roll.
Thirteen slices of bacon. Make that 13 slices of double-fried bacon.
Deep-fried pepperoni.
Enough cheddar cheese to coat your stomach several times over.
Trip to cardiologist optional.
The meat lovers, amazingly, is the bar’s most popular burger. I’m not sure what that says about the typical American diet, but it can’t be positive.
The burger is more than just spectacle; it actually tastes pretty good. Order it if you dare.
14. Banh mi beef burger, Juniper Hill, Annandale
Juniper Hill was once a PNC Bank; you can even dine in the vault. The banh mi beef burger, with Happy Valley beef, spicy mayo, pickles, mango, mixed herbs and thick Kennebec potato fries, is a spicy, tangy take on the mainstream American burger. Also recommended: the lusciously creamy hand-dipped ricotta; and the Black Mission figs and prosciutto salad.
“Outlaw” and burgers go together, but “outlaw” and “creamery”? No matter; the burgers at Outlaw’s Burger Barn and Creamery are eight ounces of certified Black Angus beef. The “most wanted” burger is the smokehouse, topped with onion rings, bacon and house-made barbecue sauce. Steps away is Julio’s on Main, which made both our best tacos and best empanadas lists.
Steve’s Burgers is funky roadside burger joint on Route 46 in a space once occupied by Bob’s Pit Stop and Linda’s Fried Chicken. The Willy Burger is a juicy jolt of Swiss, meat and mushrooms. Also try Steve’s special sauce, with mayo, peppers, relish, Frank’s Red Hot and sriracha.
11. Baked brie burger, Committed Pig, Morristown
Despite the name, there’s no barbecue at The Committed Pig; the cheery, casual restaurant specializes in breakfast, grilled cheese — and burgers. The baked brie burger, with fig preserves, bacon and brie, is a standout; the meat is a Pat LaFrieda mix of brisket, short rib and hanger steak. Don’t forget to get some waffle fries. There is another location in Summit.
No, it’s not on this list because of the name. The double Pete is the biggest burger at Mulligan’s, so that was one draw. Another: the combination of meat, bacon, fried onions, Swiss, cheddar, American cheese, pork roll and long hots. If that doesn’t get your juices flowing — or your heart to stop — nothing will. Mulligan’s also made my most recent N.J.’s best wings list.
Dark, quiet, inviting interior; good food on a tiny grill; killer jukebox — Johnny Cash, The Band, Stones, early Bruce and more — the New Park Tavern is a welcome retreat from downtown’s clamor. Eight-ounce burger on a Pechter’s roll, with a beer: what more do you need? Slip a dollar in the jukebox, and escape from the outside world for as long as necessary. There’s an outdoor patio, too.
8. Blue monkey burger, Blue Monkey Tavern, Merchantville
The former Collins House in Merchantville is now the Blue Monkey Tavern, a local hotspot with an excellent craft beer selection and great burgers. The 80/20 meat mix is a blend of short rib, brisket and chuck. The blue monkey burger is one of those burgers that need no ketchup or other condiment to be appreciated.
7. Matador burger, Bareburger, Hoboken
Bareburger was my pick for top N.J. burger chain; the hip-but-not-insufferably-so restaurant offers high-end burgers in casual, cozy surroundings. I’ve tried a half dozen different burgers here; I loved the blazin’ cattle, with pepper jack, fried pickles, spicy fermented slaw, pickled jalapeños, green leaf, sriracha mayo and topped with near-perfect onion rings, but it’s no longer on the menu. The matador, with organic beef, pepper jack, avocado, organic green leaf, organic red onions, pickled jalapeños, organic tomatoes, brioche bun, is just as good. The matador was one of ten finalists in our search for N.J.’s best burger. There are other locations in Edgewater, Montclair, Westfield, Ridgewood, Closter and Woodcliff Lake.
6. Stage Left burger, Stage Left Steak, New Brunswick
They once called it “the world’s best cheeseburger.” Now the cheeseburger at acclaimed Stage Left Steak is merely the “Stage Left burger.” It’s still great. The meat’s from DeBragga and Spitler, and the burgers are cooked on a wood-burning grill. You can taste the difference. Stage Left was also the pick for best restaurant in Middlesex County in our greatest restaurant in each of N.J.’s 21 counties list.
5. Double cheeseburger, White Mana Diner, Jersey City
The flying saucer-shaped White Mana, said to have originally been at the 1939 New York World’s Fair, is an essential Jersey food experience, as is the White Manna in Hackensack, also on this list. The sliders, cooked on a tiny grill, exude fatty greasy goodness.
The secret behind Tierney Tavern’s legendary burgers?
A tin can. Specifically, a No. 10 tin can.
“I’ll tell you the secret,” co-owner Billy Tierney once told me. “Once the hand-made patty is formed, we smash it with a No. 10 tin can. When it cooks, the fat, the juices, stay in the burger.”
Tierney’s actually started during Prohibition as a candy shop across the street. The tavern itself opened in 1934. It was built by a group of Swedish boatbuilders who also built the Great Notch Inn in Little Falls. The Buddy Burger is a winning combo of bacon, cheese and caramelized onions.
3. Burger with onions, White Manna, Hackensack
The burgers at the White Manna — NJ’s cutest diner — are tiny, but the smell of the grease and onions on the telephone-book-sized grill, and the diner’s retro cuteness, make the Manna a must stop for any burger buff. It’s the smallest and least complicated burger on this list, but something about those onions, roll, meat and one-of-a-kind atmosphere says Jersey, and burger bliss. There’s a McDonald’s right across the street. Talk about choices.
2. Bacon cheeseburger, Krug’s Tavern, Newark
The winner of our N.J.’s best burger showdown naturally must be on this list. The burger at Krug’s Tavern in Newark is simplicity supreme: a 12-ounce, 80/20 mix from a local wholesaler cooked on a tiny grill. It’ll take 15 to 20 minutes for your burger to be ready; pull up a seat and drink in the abundant atmosphere. Krug’s (pronounced Kroogs), an Ironbound legend open since 1938, is one of those places you hope lasts forever.
There’s fresh and then there is the fresh you get at the Burger Barr. The blend, a combination of ground chuck and brisket, could not have been tastier, juicier (I had it cooked medium rare, as usual) or fresher. Choose from nine cheeses, including Vermont aged cheddar, gorgonzola, Jarlsberg and smoked gouda. The cooper sharp on my burger lent it a marvelously melty, tangy twist. You heard it here first: The Blend is the best burger in New Jersey.
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Peter Genovese may be reached at [email protected]. On Twitter, @petegenovese. On Instagram, @peteknowsjersey and @themunchmobile.