A burger is delicious any time of year, but especially now, as the weather warms and spring eases into summer.
You can grill one up yourself, of course: A backyard burger always hits the spot. But so many of the Northeast region’s restaurants make a great burger, why bother?
Whether you prefer a thick, hearty patty, where the flavor of the meat is the star; a lacy-edged burger smashed to perfection; a burger piled with toppings or one with nothing at all, these spots deliver when it comes to this classic favorite. — Sarah Griesemer
The Gate House | Rochester, New York
Go: 274 N Goodman St., in Village Gate; (585) 473-2090, thegatehousecafe.com.
The Gate House, a longtime standby in Village Gate in Rochester, is known for its burgers and its varied sides and great beer selection. The laid-back bar and restaurant is a great place take to take visitors because it names several dishes after Rochester landmarks and its burgers after notable Rochesterians. The Duffy, named after Bob Duffy, the 65th mayor of Rochester, is topped with barbecue sauce, bacon, Cheddar cheese and fried onions. The Pandora, named after comedian and drag queen Michael Steck (aka Pandora Boxx) is a spicy number. It’s made with sauteed jalapeños, avocados, pepper Jack cheese and sriracha mayo. — Tracy Schuhmacher, Shawn Dowd, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Farmer & The Cow | Wilmington, Delaware
Details: 801 N. Market St., Wilmington; visit farmerandthecow.com or call (302) 482-3216.
Whenever a conversation about tasty burgers sprouts up, the Farmer & The Cow is usually among the top names harvested. After all, the restaurant was featured on the Food Network series “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives,” hosted by Guy Fieri, in 2019. The Farmer & The Cow’s menu includes juicy burgers (with protein options like beef, veggie, salmon, turkey or chicken). One standout offering is That’ll Do Pig, a pork lover’s dream (tots, bacon jam, lettuce, smoked cheddar, bacon, sautéed onion and bacon mayo).
Other burger stars include Morning Glory (hash brown, pork sausage, cheddar, lettuce, spiced maple and lettuce) and Farmer & the Bao (chicken skin, chili crisp, cucumber slaw, lettuce, pickled ginger and black garlic aioli.) — Andre Lamar, Delaware News Journal
Harpoon Willy’s | Manasquan, New Jersey
Details: 2655 River Road; 732-223-8880, harpoonwillys.com
Asbury Park Press readers recently named the burgers at Harpoon Willy’s the best at the Jersey Shore, and with good reason. The restaurant serves nearly half a dozen varieties made from 10-ounce patties of 80/20 Angus ground chuck blended especially for them. The most popular of the burgers, which are cooked to order and served on kaiser rolls with pickles and salted steak fries, is the “River Road,” a traditional burger topped with a diner’s choice of cheese, plus lettuce and tomato if they like. Or try the “Dockside,” topped with bacon, mushrooms, sautéed onions and Swiss, cheddar and American cheeses, or the “So Cal,” with avocado, frizzled onions, spicy mayo and roasted tomatoes. A bonus: If you order a burger at the bar, you can watch it sizzle on a grill behind the bartop. — Sarah Griesemer, Asbury Park Press
Krug’s Tavern, Newark
Details: 118 Wilson Ave.; 973-465-9795, krugstavernnj.com
Simply put, this may be the most famous burger in North Jersey, if not the whole state. That’s for good reason: It’s simple, massive and delicious. A three-quarter pound beef patty is charred on the outside on Krug’s flat-top griddle, giving it a delightful, roasty bark. The meat is unseasoned, but you won’t care — a plain burger or cheeseburger has more than enough flavor, and each bite oozes with fatty goodness. You can always order the bacon bleu or pizza burger if you need further adornment. There’s also few better environs to chow down on a burger than the scene at Krug’s. This nearly century-old pub is a good time with cold beer, good cheer and a terrific pub menu (get the bar pie and shrimp parm). — Matt Cortina, NorthJersey.com
Steve’s Burgers, Garfield
It’s been a year since Steve’s Burgers made history in North Jersey, becoming the first fast-casual restaurant in the area to make USA TODAY’S Restaurants of the Year list. A seemingly out-of-place addition, the humble roadside joint was sandwiched between fine-dining destinations, contemporary gastropubs and upscale special occasion spots with wine lists. Nonetheless, it held its own.
Critics praise Steve’s Burgers for its blend of nostalgia with innovation, from the combination of retro digs with uniquely topped burgers to the hometown hangout atmosphere with Instagram-able eats. Most recommended for devouring was the signature “Steve’s Burger,” which comes topped with American cheese, tangy Steve’s Sauce, crisp bacon and a battered onion ring. — Kara VanDooijeweert, NorthJersey.com
Deatils: 506 Route 46, Garfield; 973-772-1770, stevesburgersgarfield.com
Woosmash, Verona
Details: 648 Bloomfield Ave.; 973-433-7256, woosmash.com
Cheeseburgers may be the (unofficial) national dish of America, but that’s not stopping Korean-born culinary wizard Woosung Cho from redesigning them with delicious Asian twists. In downtown Verona, he’s “woo”-ing locals with everything from standard smash burgers to Korean barbecue-flavored ribeye burgers drowning in garlic mayo and topped with kimchi relish. As for the onions? Caramelized with miso. When Woosmash first opened, we delighted in the fact that we were the only ones who knew about it. Infatuated with Cho’s gochujang-glazed chicken sandwiches (when not in the burger mood) and spicy “Woo-Ha Smash” with Firestorm sauce, we gave it a few weeks before blowing the spot up on Instagram. Today, though, everyone knows about the place, as word spread about Cho’s “thoughtful flavors” and “unbeatable prices” faster than the cars rip down Bloomfield Avenue outside its windows. Kara VanDooijeweert, NorthJersey.com
Ben’s Fresh | Port Jervis, New York
Details: 33 E Main St.; 845-856-9760; facebook.com/p/Bens-Fresh/ and instagram.com/bensfresh_portjervis_ny/
The winner of the New York Beef Council’s Best NY Burger competition, Ben’s Fresh is a comfort food destination with two outdoor seating areas, a year-round ice cream parlor and their award-winning “The Empire State of Prime” burger on the menu. It features a prime beef patty atop a soft pretzel bun, served with aged Grand Reserve cheddar, espresso bourbon bacon jam, cherry pepper relish and maple aioli. — Nickie Hayes, Poughkeepsie Journal
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: These Northeast burger spots are worth the trip
Reporting by Sarah Griesemer, Matt Cortina, Kara VanDooijeweert, Andre Lamar, Tracy Schuhmacher, Shawn Dowd and Nickie Hayes, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
