The Ultimate Guide to Burgers (and Fries) in New York — Resy | Right This Way
Updated: Sept. 23, 2025
Burgers can be polarizing. Some people prefer them medium rare, some (who are admittedly wrong) prefer them well done. It seems we all have our opinions and preferences when it comes to smashed or thick patties, shoestring fries or steak-cut, sesame seed buns or brioche. No matter your opinion about this quintessential American delicacy, what we can guarantee is that none of the ones on this list will disappoint.
From Thai-inspired burgers and thick tavern-style creations to double patty smashburgers and vegetarian delicacies, we’ve got you covered. Extra napkins all around, please.
The Happiest Hour
- West Village
- American
- $
Sailor
- Fort Greene
- American
- $$
Little Grenjai
- Bed Stuy
- Thai
- $
Hoexters
- Upper East Side
- American
- $
Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer
- New York
- American
- $$
Bandits Burger & Dive
- West Village
- Burgers
- $
Swoony's
- Columbia Street Waterfront District
- American
- $$
Red Hook Tavern
- Red Hook
- American
- $$
Cecchi's
- Greenwich Village
- American
- $$
Peter Luger Steak House
- Williamsburg
- Steakhouse
- $$$
Employees Only
- West Village
- Cocktail Bar
- $$
The Golden Swan
- West Village
- french mediterranean
- $$$
JG Melon
- Upper East Side
Raoul's
- Soho
- French
- $$$
Long Island Bar
- Cobble Hill
Golden Diner
- Chinatown/LES
- Asian American
- $
Bernie’s
- Greenpoint
Fairfax
- West Village
- American
- $$
Superiority Burger
- East Village
- Vegetarian
- $$
Cozy Royale
- Williamsburg
- American
- $$
Rolo's
- Ridgewood
- American
- $
Gus's
- Carroll Gardens
- American
- $
Union Square Cafe
- Union Square
- American
- $$
Loring Place
- Greenwich Village
- American
- $$
Berimbau Brazilian Table – West Village
- West Village
- Brazilian
- $$
The Snail
- Greenpoint
26 venues
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The Happiest Hour
West Village
Photo courtesy of The Happiest HourThere are many, many reasons to feel happy at this aptly named spot, but the top of our list might be the Happiest burger. It’s two patties, American cheese, and a (very) special sauce for which we’d sell a small part of our soul for the recipe. There’s also a smash version, with bacon umami, a veg version with black bean and mushroom patties, and The Happiest meal, one of our fave deals in the city. For $22 (Tuesday through Thursday all night, Friday and Saturday until 7 p.m.) you can snag a regular or smash burger, fries, plus any cocktail, beer, or wine. Don’t mind if we do.
Sailor
Fort Greene
April Bloomfield’s Fort Greene bistro has been getting all of the flowers it deserves. Dinner is incredible (don’t skip the chicken), but brunch and lunch are just as exciting, plus they happen to be the only times you can get the Sailor burger. It comes on a grilled bun with gooey melted cheddar and melted onions, plus fries.
Little Grenjai
Bed Stuy
Photo by Nicholas Castle, courtesy of Little GrenjaiThis Thai American diner is an ideal spot to spend a leisurely lunch, people watching through the window and sipping on a Thai iced tea. You’ll want to order their famous Krapow smash burger (and yeah, get the duck egg), with a sesame-seeded bun, peppers, and of course, basil. If you can fit it, the crab rangoons are also worth the trip.
Hoexters
Upper East Side
This spot, a revival of the original market from the 70’s of the same name, serves up a truly timeless burger. Their double smashburger comes with American cheese (the best cheese for a burger, sorry), pickles, “special” sauce, and fries. Don’t skip the ice cream sundae, with bourbon pecan gelato and butterscotch, for dessert.
Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beer
New York
If you’re a burger lover in New York City (and beyond), you’ve probably already heard of or been to Black Tap. With locations in both Midtown and Soho, here, classics are classic for a reason, and their extremely over-the-top menu is reason enough for us. The burgers are towering, the milkshakes sometimes have entire slices of cake sticking to the side of the glass, and the beers on tap stay flowing. We’re partial to the champ, with a wagyu patty, blue cheese, arugula, and house made buttermilk dill sauce.
Bandits Burger & Dive
West Village
Photo courtesy of Bandits Burger & DiveIs there any food better suited for late-night dining than a good burger? We doubt it. Bandits’ kitchen is open until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and midnight every other day of the week. Monday may be the day to come, though, when you can get their “happy meal” with a smashburger, crinkle-cut fries, and a martini for $25. When you see us there on a school night, umm, remember you didn’t.
Swoony's
Columbia Street Waterfront District
This burger is quickly becoming a cult favorite, which is no surprise if you’ve ever visited Cafe Spaghetti or Sal Tang’s from the same team. Here, the burger is of the smash variety with a double patty, thousand island, American cheese, and perfectly golden fries. Get a martini too, with blue cheese olives for good measure.
Red Hook Tavern
Red Hook
Photo by Daniel Krieger, courtesy of Red Hook Tavern
You can’t write a New York City burger guide without including Red Hook Tavern. This is a burger worth making a trip for, which, unless you live in the neighborhood, will probably include a ferry, subway, and/or walk. The bun is buttery and griddled, the burger is over an inch thick and perfectly pink, and the toppings are minimal: just good ol’ American cheese and raw white onion. Plus, the Tavern switched from their enormous steak fries to a rarely seen cottage variety (not pictured here), a move that we think only made this meal that much better. Pro tip? Skip the bacon; in our opinion, this perfection doesn’t need it.
Cecchi's
Greenwich Village
Photo courtesy of Cecchi'sIn the former Café Loup space is a scene-y bistro from a front-of-house legend, Michael Cecchi-Azzolina. There’s a lot on the menu to be interested in, but so far, the burger takes our top spot. It’s juicy, thick, and topped with pickled green tomato to keep things creative. We’ll take ours with a martini, extra dirty, extra olives, please. P.S. Here’s how to get in.
Peter Luger Steak House
Williamsburg
Photo courtesy of Peter Luger Steak House
Some of you are probably screaming at your screens right now. Not Keens? Not 4 Charles? But we stand by our assertion that Peter Luger has the best of the old-New-York steakhouse burgers. It’s a burger that launched a thousand others; numerous chefs on this list cite it as inspiration. Get potatoes, tomatoes and onions, and creamed spinach on the side.
Employees Only
West Village
Even if you can get past the crowds of tourists and local hopefuls to a table inside EO, the food menu may not be the first thing on your mind. You’re probably here for the acclaimed cocktail list, which yes, is acclaimed for a reason (go for the Cherry on Top with mezcal cristalino, cherry, cacao, and vanilla clarified with coconut milk), but the burger here is a sleeper hit. Brioche bun, melty cheese, crisp fries … you get the idea.
The Golden Swan
West Village
Photo courtesy of The Golden SwanThis French tavern in the West Village has a burger worthy of seeking out. The Brixton burger features prime cuts of meat like angus chuck, brisket, and short rib, with balsamic onions to cut the richness and creamy Gruyere to round it all out. And it’s served with crisp duck fat fries. The perfect pairing? A martini, of course. Pro tip: The burgers are only served on the first-floor Wallace Room.
JG Melon
Upper East Side
Another veteran of the New York burger scene, JG Melon has been serving up some of the city’s best since 1972. They’ve got a simple, if not wide, selection filled with classic hamburgers, bacon cheeseburgers, and even a turkey burger. While you’re here, get a cup of chili to start. Hot tip? JG Melon is cash only, so prepare accordingly.
Walk-ins only.
Raoul's
Soho
Photo courtesy of Raoul’s
If you were to look in Merriam-Webster under the entry “ New York bistro,” there would most certainly be a picture of Raoul’s staring back at you. It’s a classic for many reasons, one of which has to be the burger au poivre, once served in limited quantity (they make only 12 per night) but is now a bit more widely available, with a pepper-crust, triple-cream brie, and dressed watercress alongside a healthy heap of fries. Pro tip: At night, you can order one of the burgers by grabbing a walk-in seat for the bar; on weekends, you can order the burger for brunch at the bar or at any of the tables. P.S. Here’s info on how to get in, and stories about this NYC classic from its many regulars over the years.
Long Island Bar
Cobble Hill
On many a solo Friday night, you can find this writer (and this chef) posted up at the bar here, book in hand, martini in other, and burger always on the way. Long Island Bar has perfected the classic smashburger (go ahead, get the two patties), and their fries are of the well-done variety, both literally and in how we feel about them. Don’t mess with perfection. Bonus? Our ears on the ground tell us a veggie burger may be in the works here.
Walk-ins only.
Golden Diner
Chinatown/LES
Photo by Aaron Richter for Resy
Sam Yoo’s Asian-inspired diner food is always worth a trip. We think the burger here is worthy of the same hype that the honey-butter pancakes and the katsu club get, with its crispy edges and mushroom gochujang sauce. Plus, the fries are your typical diner level of excellent. Don’t sleep on the Thai tea tres leches cake if it’s on the menu, too. Pro top: If you have trouble getting into Golden Diner these days, head uptown to Golden Hof where you can order the burger and fries while you’re at it. Oh, and those highly coveted pancakes, too.
Bernie’s
Greenpoint
Greenpoint’s restaurant du jour is known for their excellent comfort food, the fact that you can draw on the tables, and the extremely limited chance you’ll be able to get one of said tables without an hour-long wait. That being said, the burger here is worth whatever the host quotes you and more, with a sesame seed bun, plenty of fries, and a double patty; they’ve got both beef and veggie. Come with a group and start with the mozzarella sticks and chips and dip, and end with their nostalgic sundae.
Walk-ins only.
Fairfax
West Village
Photo courtesy of Fairfax
If you, like everyone else in this city, find yourself missing the Bar Sardine burger, you’re in luck. They serve it now at Fairfax in all its original glory: super-thin pressed buns, fried matchstick potatoes, barbecue mayo, cheddar, and red onion. While you’re here, pair it with a Black Squirrel Old Fashioned as you marvel at the endurance of all good things.
Superiority Burger
East Village
We were as happy as anyone when Superiority Burger announced its return in 2023, now on Avenue A. It’s right there in the name: This spot is serving up superior burgers. Everything on the menu here is vegetarian, including their “monster” sized eponymous burger with Muenster cheese, iceberg lettuce, and roasted tomato. Plus, order whatever soda they have in house that day and an extra serving of dessert.
Cozy Royale
Williamsburg
Photo courtesy of Cozy Royale
We trust the folks behind The Meat Hook with a lot of things, meat probably taking the No. 1 spot. The real prize here is the dry-aged burger, with raclette cheese, arugula, and bacon jam, but they only serve ten each night. Even if you couldn’t get your hands on one, the more traditional (and less-exclusive) cheeseburger is still miles above your average.
Rolo's
Ridgewood
Photo courtesy of Rolo’s
Ridgewood’s cool-kid hangout has a lot about it that we love. There’s the old-school feel, the fact that it forces our friends to come to Queens, and of course, the double cheeseburger. Here, it’s done with grilled onions, pickled long hots, and dijonnaise. Because nothing good comes for free, it’s also served in a limited quantity, so get there early.
Gus's
Carroll Gardens
Gus’s serves up enviable cuts of steak, pork chops, and classic sides, but we’re here for that burger with bread and butter pickles and caramelized onions, plus fries with malt vinegar aioli. Come for happy hour and enjoy your bounty at the bar for just $20 — don’t forget a slice of salted maple pie.
Union Square Cafe
Union Square
Photo courtesy of Union Square Café
Danny Meyer’s magnum opus, in our opinion. It’s perfect for evoking the power lunch of yore, one that’s best done while ordering the 19th Street burger with cheddar, heritage bacon, and rosemary-spiced French fries, and talking serious business.
Loring Place
Greenwich Village
Photo courtesy of Loring Place
Keep things classy (and simple) with the cheeseburger at Loring Place. It’s made here with cheese, pepper aioli, and bacon, served in their sleek and comfortable dining room on West 8th. Candlelight, greenery, and exposed brick abound. They’ve also got a lovely veggie burger on the menu (brunch only, sadly), that comes served with avocado in their housemade pita.
Berimbau Brazilian Table – West Village
West Village
There’s a lot to love at Berimbau, but the picanha burger definitely tops the list. Made from the Brazilian cut of the same name, it’s served with white cheddar, Tabasco caramelized onions, and chimichurri on a brioche bun. Don’t forget fries (or yucca fries) and a caipirinha or two.
The Snail
Greenpoint
Greenpoint’s latest hotspot, The Snail, is always hopping (and walk-ins only) — but they do use Resy for their waitlist so we’re counting it. There’s a lot to love at this American-style bistro, from the escargot to the chips and ham, but their double cheeseburger with mustard aioli, pickles, and onion has the largest portion of our heart. Order it with hand-cut fries and a house martini for good measure.
Walk-ins only.
Ellie Plass is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn. Follow her on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). Follow Resy, too.
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