It took a while, but here it is. After scouring the five boroughs for over a year I can final compile this list. I’ve encountered some of the best burgers ever and some of the biggest pretenders ever. It was a tough, but pleasurable journey as well as an agonizing decision to whittle the list down to ten.

In order to make the top ten, a burger qualifies by having certain elements:

A. PRICE. Simply Scrumptious is based on being affordable food for the everyday person. Not everyone can afford a $25 burger. It’s absurd. I put the cap on the burgers at $15.

B. JUICINESS. This one speaks for itself. No one wants to eat a tough, chewy, defrosted anomaly.

C. SIZE. I’ve seen some pathetic, pint-sized burgers that have the gall to claim they are NOT sliders. Come on, I’m hungry.

D.BUN. Cannot be stale obviously. The toughness of the bread has to match the burger inside. If it’s a thick piece of meat with lots of toppings, they bun has to be thick. A looser meat burger would need a softer bun. Match it up properly.

E. OVERALL TASTE. This doesn’t necessarily mean that 625 different spices must be infused into the meat, just make sure the meat and fixins are fresh and delicious.

Without further ado, Top 10 BEST BURGERS OF NEW YORK CITY

10. “The DuMont Burger” from DuMont Burger

(8oz of beef, bibb lettuce, tomato, shaved red onion, gruyere cheese, and house made pickles on a brioche bun.)

Big bun on a big burger. Piled with massive amounts of DuMont’s house made pickles made each bite as crispy as the last. The Gruyere cheese is an extra, but is so necessary as it gives the DuMont Burger such a classy taste. Very juicy, very tasty.

9. “The Double Hamburger” from Shake Shack

(4 ounce blend of fine meat, hand-formed, topped with leaf lettuce, plum tomato, Shack Sauce, on a potato bun.)

The smallest burger on this list packs a lot of gusto with its meat blend of brisket, chuck, and short rib. Makes for a very soft and juicy hunk of burger. The lettuce and tomato toppings are simple, but surely fresh. Such a simple burger proves to be special based on the line just to get one.

8. “The Southwestern Burger” from 67 Burger

(spicy chipotle mayo, roasted peppers, scallions, and jack cheese)

In the top 10 burger list, this is the only “fast food” selection, but luckily “fast food” is only a term used for the service and not the product. Toasty bun and a whole lotta cheese makes this burger happen. It’s all packed onto a pretty big piece of beef and all the proper fixins.

7. “The Cadillac Burger” from P.J. Clarke’s

(lettuce, tomato, bacon, cheese)

Here’s a burger with the simplest of ingredients, but makes up for it was the knowledge of exactly HOW to cook a burger. As mentioned previously, one of the ways to get onto this list is with how juicy a burger is. The Cadillac Burger defines what the word ‘juicy’ means. Soft soft meat, and delicious bites makes every moment with the paddy in your hand a pleasure.

6. “The Grass Fed Burger” from Back Forty

(spicy homemade ketchup, pickle, heritage bacon, and farmhouse cheddar)

The healthy and humane burger. The crispiest and thickest piece of true bacon along with real farmhouse cheddar complements the nature of this beast perfectly. A delicious and uniquely tasting beef patty hits the spot. The exclaimation point is the ketchup having a twinge of spice making for a tremendous all around burger.

5. “The Classic Burger” from BLT Burger

(5oz. grilled certified black angus beef, lettuce, tomato, vermont cheddar, and bbq onions)

Cheese that COVERS the entire disc of meat is such a bonus to burger lovers everywhere. Every ingredients as fresh as the day it was born. BLT Burger’s own BBQ Onions punctuate the taste of every morsel and bite. A Great piece of beef here.

4. “The Blue Smoke Burger” from Blue Smoke

(Lettuce, tomato, cheese, and house-cured bacon)

This wonderful beef patty is realized by the house-cured bacon. It’s so crunchy and dripping with taste. Not to take away from the meat or bun because they both also come with a degree of awesomeness. It’s just the bacon that was spot on perfect that helped Blue Smoke get so high on this list.

3. “The Mexican Burger” from Rare Bar & Grill

(8 ounces of 100% Grade A American chuck beef, spiced black bean spread, guacamole, chipotle puree, tomato, and onion)

Chipotle puree? Yeah. Spiced black bean spread? You bet. Guacamole? Yessir! All on one burger? Yes, The Mexican Burger breaks a lot of traditional boundaries by slapping on the most unique of ingredients having this dandy stand out on the pedestal of burgers. You’ll never have another burger taste remotely close this this spectacle. Out of this world.

2. “Spiced Black Angus Sirloin Burger” from Bonnie’s Grill

(Spice black Angus sirloin, lettuce, tomato, and Swiss cheese)

So why is this number 2? It’s all in the beef. The meat here is dry rubbed in generous amounts of nature’s finest spices (Good luck finding out which ones. It’s a big secret). Yes, dry rubbed meat. Brilliant and delicious. Hands down, this has the best flavor of any burger ever. It’s the kind of burger you wake up in the middle of the night in cold sweats dreaming about.

1. “Cheese Burger Deluxe” from Paul’s Burger

(1/2 pound of 100% pure beef, lettuce, tomato, jack cheese, and grilled onions)

Bold statement: This is the number one burger in all of New York City hands down, bar none, no question! The beef is real….real big, real juicy, reallly delicious. Their method of placing the beef into metal dishes and turning them upside down onto the grill captures every ounce of moisture and flavor in the burger giving out the juiciest and softest 1/2 pound of beef you’ve ever had in your life. I can’t stress that enough.

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