The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die

The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die

The hamburger is a symbol of everything that makes America great. Straightforward, egalitarian, substantial, and good-natured, it is also a little bloody at times.

It may come big and ungarnished, the East Coast ideal, tender and untroubled by bones or gristle, everything you look for in a filet mignon but seldom find. It may be the West Coast model, swelling with vegetation, brimming with health and well-being, piled high with all that a seed catalog can provide. A great burger, regardless of regional differences, instills a sense of optimism and fulfillment, that all is right at the table or the counter or the woodgrain, screwed-to-the-floor, fast-food booth.

At its best, it eliminates the need for conversation or the urge to glance up at the TV over the bar. If you find yourself eating silently, eyes closed, ignoring everything around you, even the unavoidable burger-joint din, you have come upon a burger that can be pronounced a success.

Here are the 20 best burgers in America:

20. Hamburger SandwichLouis' LunchNew Haven, CT
19. Our Famous BurgerSidetrack Bar and GrillYpsilanti, MI
18. Hamburger Poag Mahone's Carvery and Ale HouseChicago
17. Double Bacon Deluxe with CheeseRed Mill BurgersSeattle
16. Hamburger & FriesBurger JointSan Francisco
15. Build Your Own BurgerThe CounterSanta Monica
14. HamburgerJ. G. MelonNew York City
13. CheeseburgerWhite MannaHackensack, NJ
12. HamburgerBobcat BiteSante Fe
11. Grilled Bistro Burger Bistro Don Giovanni Napa, CA
10. Number FiveKeller's Drive-in Dallas
9. CheeseburgerBurger Joint, le Parker Meridien HotelNew York City
8. HamburgerMiller's BarDearborn, MI
7. Buckhorn BurgerBuckhornSan Antonio, NM
6. California BurgerHouston's Santa Monica
5. Kobe SlidersBarclay PrimePhiladelphia
4. Rouge BurgerRougePhiladelphia
3. Not Just a BurgerSpiced Pear Restaurant at the Chanler Hotel Newport, RI
2. Luger Burger Peter Luger Steak HouseBrooklyn
1. Sirloin Burger Le TubHollywood, FL