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Every summer, we rally ’round flaming grills with Golden Retriever-esque anticipation, just itching for the moment that the perfect patty comes off the flames. We sit in outdoor bistros, sipping beers, slamming fries, and savoring the chef’s best burger. We bicker over whether avo, egg, and beet belong between two buns.
So it’s a natural season to ask: Where can you find the best burgers in the country? Also, is it even possible to decide that? We’re not 100% sure. What we are sure of is that we can pinpoint our favorite burger in each of the 50 states. These are the burgers that make eight straight hours driving during a summer road trip exciting. These are the burgers you can’t leave the state without indulging in … at least once. Probably twice.
To start our burger-tastic road trip across America, we’re going to parse the absolute best burgers in the western states. We’re not going to add any caveats or rules here. These are just rad f*cking burgers that will never disappoint. Do you love mounds of gooey cheese? We’ve got you covered. Do you love heaps of crispy bacon? Oh, yeah, we’ve got that too? Looking for alternatives to beef? We’re on it. Let’s dive in.
WASHINGTON: Burger Express, Federal Way
Washington has a knack for old school “burger joints.” These are usually pitstops off Old Pacific Highway 99 or the 101. They’re often literal shacks or, sometimes, even A-Frames and they’ve all been slinging burgers, fries, and shakes for decades. One of the best — by far — is Burger Express off Highway 99, in the metro-midlands between Tacoma and Seattle.
Burger Express is one of those places that has a laser focus on everything that makes a burger shack perfect: Amazing burgers, brilliant fries, and a lot of options for making the burger your own. Warning: The patties are big by default, so getting a double may well put you into a coma. The meat is thick beef that’s cooked on a grill top (like an indoor bbq) that’s been seasoned for decades, after being given a nice dusting of seasoning salt. The butter-toasted sesame buns are a nice throwback.
Don’t sleep on the Teriyaki Burger (with local Teriyaki sauce and pineapple). And be sure to buy a local Blackberry Shake (though the Butterscotch is pretty awesome too).
OREGON: Wild Oregon Foods, Bend
Wild Oregon Foods is one of Bend’s best farm-to-table eateries — focused on supporting Pacific Northwest farms. The High Desert spot is a very new-American diner with a killer menu full of classic continental favorites and that definitely means they have an awesome burger.
The Wild Smashburger literally cannot be beaten. The standard burger comes with the special house burger sauce, melty local cheddar (Oregon kills it when it comes to the cheese game), shredded iceberg, plenty of tangy pickles, and a soft, toasty potato bun. You can get the burger with either an ethically sourced wild bison patty or the famed Impossible Burger patty.
From there you can add avo, a runny sunnyside up egg, fresh local tomatoes that taste like sunshine, and, of course, locally sourced bacon. If you order it all, you’ll get a behemoth burger that’ll leaving you dreaming of going back to Oregon for several years to come.
CALIFORNIA: In-N-Out Burger, Statewide
This a hard choice. First, California is so goddamn vast that it almost seems unfair to bundle all the regions into one entry. But, here we are. And, yes, we’re picking In-N-Out and we have reasons.
Reason one: Anthony Bourdain waxed poetic about the beauty that is the Double Double Animal Style (and he was right, btw). The In-N-Out by LAX was always his first stop when he landed on the Left Coast. In fact, it was the only restaurant he wished was in New York that wasn’t. So, you have to respect that shit.
Reason two: In-N-Out reps all of Cali. You can get it all over the state; so you don’t have to drag your ass to some random town to find a Double Double. Plus, there are few restaurants and few burgers that are more symbolic of California than In-N-Out and a Double Double Animal Style. Sh*t is iconic.
At the end of the day, In-N-Out makes a seriously delicious burger. Two umami-bomb patties are grilled to perfection (make sure to ask for them grilled with mustard). There’s plenty of melted American cheese with grilled onions piled high. Then there’s In-N-Out’s tangy burger sauce, super crispy iceberg, and bright red tomato all on a grill-top-toasted buttered bun. Grab a shake and you’ll be set.
IDAHO: The Brakeman American Grill, Victor
Grabbing a burger in Idaho is a pretty easy task. There are plenty of dive bars, burger shacks, and breweries slinging great burgers around the state. We have to go with an old-school bar in the small town of Victor that butts up against the Grand Tetons of Wyoming. This is smalltown food done supremely well.
The burgers at The Brakeman are all good, so picking one is hard. The menu has great venison (elk), bison, and veggie burgers, but it’s the classic cheeseburger that really shines. The beef is all brought in fresh and processed in-house. The red onion is sliced a little on the thick side. The tomatoes are fresh and bright. The sauce is just a tangy mayo. The lettuce has a hint of bitter green freshness to it. In a nice twist, they use Colby Jack which has a great melting point and adds a nice cheesy heft.
It’s simple burger that’s done just right. If you want a little more, try the Union Pacific Burger with plenty of crispy bacon and heaps of blue cheese.
MONTANA: The Burger Dive, Billings
Billings, Montana, has a very “lost in time” feel to it. It still seems like a frontier town. Right in the middle of downtown Billings, you’ll find a little hole-in-the-wall called The Burger Dive. The unassuming joint is all atmosphere. You’ll hear the miles long trains rattle by on the tracks just a block away as you eat one of the best burgers in the country.
What makes the Burger Dive’s burgers so damn good is the attention to detail and inventiveness. Their “award-winning” I’ll Be Your Huckleberry Burger (great name) stacks local, in-house worked beef with huckleberry Hitachi chili sauce, funky goat cheese, arugula, and roasted pepper mayo. It’s an umami bomb with a wicked earthy spicy kick that just works. This burger is why we all need to be paying better attention to Montana’s food scene, especially since that scene’s biggest champion, legendary author Jim Harrison, has passed.
The menu at The Burger Dive is one of the most varied in the country (the Roast Garlic burger is fire). So, if you find yourself wandering through the great plains and hit Billings, you may want to schedule in at least two trips to eat.
WYOMING: Crowbar & Grill, Laramie
Wyoming is a massive place with a lot of open country. Finding a great burger is essential in a place so vast. The best there is in a small town called Laramie at a gastropub called The Crowbar & Grill.
The Crowbar takes risks with their burgers. The biggest surprise is the Kingbird burger with peanut butter, banana, bacon, and melted sharp cheddar. It’s delicious if you roll with it. Their vegetarian option eschews the fake meats and instead uses a tempura eggplant wedge which works amazingly well. Then there are specials like the Poutine Burger, a burger with an egg and hollandaise, and pad thai fries — which, yes, yes, and, oh f*ck yes.
The flavors are bold, the meat is locally sourced, and the atmosphere is a fun bar full of locals. What’s not to love about any of that?
ALASKA: West Rib Pub & Grill, Talkeetna
Talkeetna is one of those quirky Alaskan towns that might give you flashbacks to 90s TV highwater-mark series Northern Exposure. It’s a small town in a place that’s distinctly wild where a hippy vibe meets a survivalist will. That comes through in the food at West Rib Pub & Grill. The whole place feels like a waystation for adventurers looking to get a little lost in the Alaskan backcountry and the food is staggeringly nourishing.
Since this is Alaska, the caribou (venison) Burger is definitely the one to order. The burger comes with the standards of lettuce, tomato, and onion with a big ol’ crunchy pickle spear and beer battered fries. That’s totally large cut fries dipped in fish and chip beer batter and then deep fried. Yes, they’re amazing.
If you’re not sure about diving into a venison burger, maybe try a classic Denali burger that’s got two big ass burger patties with two slices of both American and Swiss cheese plus the usual fixings. Then, we’d recommend being a little adventurous and trying a cup of the Caribou chili on the side.
HAWAII: Burgers and Things, Honolulu
Finding a good burger in Hawaii might mean trekking out to a shack on the roadside for deliverance. And that’s 100 percent true of our pick for the Polynesian island. You’ll find Burgers and Things while heading out of Honolulu along the Pali Highway. It’s a small joint that serves some seriously delicious burgers.
The menu at this place isn’t vast, but it is varied. You can get a local venison, lamb, beef, wagyu beef, or turkey on your burger. They grill the meat and braise it in jus, which is a nice touch. The wagyu burger is cooked by braising it in a mustard grain beef jus. That’s just delectable. And the toppings are legit. Slow-cooked braised mushrooms, cranberry chipotle, bacon, apple, and maple jam, honey pesto, pineapple chutney. It’s unique and works on every level.
If you’re looking for something a little easier, try the straightforward Juicy Burger (still braised in beef jus) or the Teri Burger. That one is braised and then slathered in housemade teriyaki sauce. It’s a sweet and umami tangy mess of burger brilliance.
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