Best burgers

Premier patties.

By Time Out editors Tue Apr 14 2009

Back Forty
The gastropub fare from chef-restaurateur Peter Hoffman (Savoy) is uniformly solid and we're particularly partial to the juicy grass-fed burger, which comes on a seeded challah bun with house-made pickles and proprietary ketchup. (Fries, farmhouse cheddar and heritage bacon can be added for an additional $2 each.) 190 Ave B between 11th and 12th Sts (212-388-1990). Average burger: $11.

Back Forty
The gastropub fare from chef-restaurateur Peter Hoffman (Savoy) is uniformly solid and we're particularly partial to the juicy grass-fed burger, which comes on a seeded challah bun with house-made pickles and proprietary ketchup. (Fries, farmhouse cheddar and heritage bacon can be added for an additional $2 each.) 190 Ave B between 11th and 12th Sts (212-388-1990). Average burger: $11.

Irving Mill
Chef Ryan Skeen's buzzed-about burger is a blend of three different kinds of meats—beef cheeks, bavette steak, fatback pork—served on a Martin's roll with russet potatoes fried in beef fat. The fixings risk upstaging the patty, with aged cheddar cheese, lettuce, red onion, house-made pickles, mayo, mustard and ketchup doing the honors. On Mondays, the $15 burger comes with a free pint of Sixpoint beer. 116 E 16th St between Park Ave South and Irving Pl (212-254-1600). Average burger: $15.

Market Table
Chef-owner Mikey Price excels with seafood, but that doesn't mean his burger doesn't rock: a proprietary Pat LaFrieda blend on a house-made bun served with spiced fries, pickles, cheddar and sweet grilled onions. 54 Carmine St at Bedford St (212-255-2100). Average burger: $16.

Petey's Burger
California's famed In-N-Out Burger hasn't made it to Gotham, but this Astoria joint hopes to deliver a similar experience, selling regular burgers alongside single, double and triple cheese options, as well as a "Cajun fire" version with chunky blue-cheese dressing. The meat is ground daily, and the shoestring fries are made from potatoes peeled on premises. 30-17 30th Ave at 31st St (718-267-6300). Average combo meal: $8.

Corner Bistro
The burgers at this dimly lit Village standby are legendary, and the New Yorkers who love them legion. You may have to wait in line for a good hour to get your hands on one (and you will need both hands). Fortunately, several $2.50 drafts (including McSorley's Ale) will help you bide your time. Go for the Bistro Burger, a fat patty of broiled beef, American cheese and smoky bacon on a sesame-seed bun for $6.75. 331 W 4th St at Jane St (212-242-9502). Average burger: $6. Cash only.

Paul's
Paul's is serious about burgers, the kind we all long for: big, beefy, juicy and weighty, but not sloppy. The Second Avenue Burger is decked out with fried onions, ham and tomatoes, while the Beef Burger Tartare is made with raw beef and a raw egg. What's even better is that most of them will run you $5 or less. 131 Second Ave between St. Marks Pl and E 7th St (212-529-3097). Average burger: $11.

Shake Shack
Danny Meyer's wildly popular Madison Square Park concession stand is mobbed during the summer; take advantage of the still-chilly weather (and the heat lamps) to get your burger fix. Sirloin and brisket are ground daily for excellent patties; worth waiting in line for, if you ask us. Madison Square Park, 23rd St at Madison Ave (212-889-6600). Average burger: $4. 366 Columbus Ave at 77th St (no phone yet)

The Spotted Pig
The burger at this hopping gastropub is a must-order: A top-secret blend of ground beef is grilled rare (unless otherwise requested), covered with a heap of Roquefort cheese and plated under a tower of rosemary- and garlic-kissed shoestring fries. What better to wash that down with than one of the Pig's two proprietary cask-drawn ales? 314 W 11th St at Greenwich St (212-620-0393). Average burger: $15.

Bonnie's Grill
Unpretentious Bonnie's could easily be overlooked among the ever-changing flash of the Slope's restaurant row. That would be a shame, for the charcoal-grilled Black Angus burger is one of the borough's best. Served on a Kaiser roll with lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapeos and pickles, it's a meal on a bun. 278 Fifth Ave between Garfield Pl and 1st St, Park Slope, Brooklyn (718-369-9527). Average burger: $9.