Best Burgers in NYC: 12 Spots Worth the Hype (2026)
The best burgers in NYC range from a $7.25 smash you eat standing up to a $38 dry-aged slab you book a table for. Au Cheval griddles the double cheeseburger that turned a Tribeca alley into a pilgrimage site, Minetta Tavern’s Black Label runs on Pat LaFrieda dry-aged beef, and J.G. Melon has been flipping the same cash-only cheeseburger on the Upper East Side since 1972. These are the 12 best burgers in NYC right now — ranked by what we’d actually wait in line for, not by hype. You’ll find dry-aged steakhouse burgers, viral smash patties, classic tavern cheeseburgers, and a couple of spots hiding in plain sight. Prices, neighborhoods, and the exact move to order at each one are below.
12 burgers across Manhattan and Brooklyn. Prices run from $7.25 (Hamburger America) to $38 (Minetta’s Black Label). Most spots stay open late — J.G. Melon and Corner Bistro go past 2am. Standout pick: Au Cheval’s double cheeseburger, if you can stomach the wait.
The 12 Best Burgers in NYC Right Now
Au Cheval
Griddled diner burger, Chicago import · 33 Cortlandt Alley, Tribeca
The double cheeseburger here runs about $36 and it’s the one that launched a thousand “is it worth it” videos. Two thin griddled patties, melted American cheese, dijonnaise, and pickles on a soft bun — add the thick-cut bacon if you’re committing. The original is in Chicago, but the Tribeca outpost down Cortlandt Alley holds its own and runs a deeper menu. Expect a wait; they take some reservations, and dinner starts at 5pm daily with lunch Wednesday through Friday. It’s the rare hyped burger that mostly earns it.
Minetta Tavern
Dry-aged steakhouse burger · 113 MacDougal St, Greenwich Village
The Black Label Burger (around $38) is less a burger than a ground-up steak — a proprietary Pat LaFrieda blend built on 45-day dry-aged ribeye, topped with nothing but caramelized onions on a brioche bun. No cheese, no lettuce, no apologies. If $38 isn’t the night, the regular Minetta Burger is the same kitchen for a lot less. This Michelin-starred 1937 tavern is dark, loud, and covered in caricatures. Dinner runs daily, with lunch Wednesday through Friday and weekend brunch.
Red Hook Tavern
Dry-aged tavern burger · 329 Van Brunt St, Red Hook, Brooklyn
Billy Durney (of Hometown Bar-B-Que) makes a roughly $34 dry-aged burger that’s all restraint: a thick griddled patty, a blanket of melted American cheese, a slice of raw onion, a sesame bun, cottage fries on the side. That’s it, and it’s one of the best in the city. The line is real — so real that Durney opened Tavern Next Door, which serves the exact same burger out of the same kitchen with shorter waits. Dinner daily from 5pm, lunch Thursday through Sunday.
Emily
The Emmy Burger, pretzel bun · 35 Downing St, West Village
The Emmy Burger (about $26) is the one that changed the NYC burger game: two Pat LaFrieda dry-aged patties, Emmy sauce, caramelized onion, American cheese, and pickles stacked in a soft pretzel bun, with waffle fries. It comes cooked to medium, no substitutions, and you won’t miss them. Note that only the West Village location serves the true Emmy Burger — the other outposts run a “Le Big Matt” instead. Open daily from 11am, so it works for a late lunch or a full dinner alongside the Detroit-style pizza.
J.G. Melon
Classic cash-only cheeseburger · 1291 Third Ave at E 74th St, Upper East Side
Open since 1972, Melon’s is the platonic New York pub cheeseburger: a no-frills patty cooked on the flat-top so the juices soak the bun, around $15.25, with a side of cottage fries (essentially crinkle-cut potato chips) for a few dollars more. Cash only, green gingham tablecloths, melon art on every wall. It’s open daily until 2:30am, which makes it one of the better late dinners on the UES. Get the cheeseburger, add bacon, order a martini, and don’t overthink it.
Corner Bistro
Cheap dive-bar burger · 331 W 4th St, West Village
The Bistro Burger is an 8-ounce stack of beef, American cheese, bacon, and onions for around $16.95, eaten on a paper plate at one of the city’s last true bohemian bars. Cash only, cheap beer, neon sign out front, lines on weekend nights. It’s not chef-driven and that’s the point — a burger and a McSorley’s for under $20 is one of the better deals in the dive-bar canon. There’s now a Corner Bistro East at 94 Avenue A if the West Village line is out the door. Open daily until 2am, later on weekends.
Hamburger America
Smash burgers by a burger scholar · 51 MacDougal St, SoHo
George Motz literally wrote the book on American burgers, and he’s usually behind the counter here flipping them. A single smash is $7.25, a double $11.25, and the move is the Oklahoma-style — patties smashed onto paper-thin onions that steam into the beef. It’s an 11-stool luncheonette counter with egg creams and a $6 Miller High Life, open every day. You can do a single, fries, and a beer for under 20 bucks, which makes this one of the best cheap burgers in the city.
7th Street Burger
Viral late-night smash · 91 E 7th St, East Village
The smash burger that took over the city started on East 7th Street in 2021. Singles and doubles under $10, griddled crispy with American cheese, grilled onions, pickles, and house sauce on a Martin’s potato bun — plus a jalapeño version and an Impossible patty for vegetarians. The original location stays open until 2 to 3am, which is exactly when you want it. There are now close to 20 locations across the city, but the East Village original is still the one.
P.J. Clarke’s
The 1884 saloon burger · 915 Third Ave at E 55th St, Midtown East
One of the oldest continuously operating restaurants in NYC, P.J. Clarke’s has been serving its burgers since 1884. The Cadillac — a bacon cheeseburger Nat King Cole nicknamed “the Cadillac of burgers” — is the signature, with a thick-cut white onion tucked under the bun. Prefer it simpler? The 1884 is the same patty without the bacon. There’s a full raw bar too, so a burger and a half-dozen oysters is a very New York move. Open daily from 11:30am into the night, with seating tightest (and best) at the original Third Avenue location.
Burger Joint
The burger behind the curtain · 119 W 56th St, Midtown West
Tucked behind a velvet curtain in the lobby of the Thompson Central Park hotel (the old Le Parker Meridien), Burger Joint is a graffiti-covered, wood-paneled shack serving little besides burgers and fries. Order the cheeseburger “with the works” — lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, mustard, mayo, ketchup — for around $10 to $12, cash strongly preferred. The only sign it exists is a small neon hamburger. It opened in 2002, two years before a certain Madison Square Park stand, and it’s open daily 11am to 11pm. Go off-hours or expect a line.
Shake Shack
The NYC-born fast-casual icon · Madison Square Park, E 23rd St & Madison Ave
Shake Shack started as a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park in 2001, and the original Shack is still in the park. The ShackBurger (single around $7.99, double around $9.99) is 100% Angus beef with lettuce, tomato, and ShackSauce on a toasted potato bun — get the SmokeShack if you want bacon and cherry peppers, and always get crinkle-cut fries and a frozen custard shake. Expect the longest lines at the flagship; use the app to skip ahead. It’s the most reliable good burger in the city, full stop.
Bareburger
Organic, with options for everyone · Multiple locations (Chelsea: 184 8th Ave)
Born in Astoria, Bareburger is the spot when your table can’t agree on diets. Organic grass-fed beef is the base, but you can swap in bison, elk, turkey, a black-bean patty, or a plant-based one, on a brioche, sprout, or gluten-free bun. Builds run roughly $11 to $16 — the Supreme stacks two patties with bacon, fries, and onion rings. Locations are all over Manhattan and the boroughs, most open daily until 10 or 11pm. Not the cheapest, but the easiest crowd-pleaser if someone’s vegetarian or gluten-free.
The Best Cheap Burgers in NYC
You don’t need $38 for a great burger. The best cheap burgers in NYC start at Hamburger America, where a single smash is $7.25 and a beer is $6. 7th Street Burger keeps singles and doubles under $10 and stays open until the small hours. Shake Shack’s ShackBurger lands around $7.99 and is everywhere. And Burger Joint’s “with the works” cheeseburger runs about $10 to $12 behind its hidden curtain in Midtown. None of these will leave you with a $60 dinner bill for two — closer to a $20 one, fries included.
The Best Dry-Aged Burgers in NYC
The high end of the NYC burger world is all about dry-aged beef, and three spots own it. Minetta Tavern’s Black Label is the benchmark — a Pat LaFrieda dry-aged ribeye blend that eats like a steak. Red Hook Tavern’s roughly $34 burger is the Brooklyn answer: dry-aged, melty American, raw onion, nothing else. And Emily’s Emmy Burger stacks two dry-aged LaFrieda patties in a pretzel bun with that cult Emmy sauce. These are the burgers worth a reservation and a real budget.
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The Best Late-Night Burgers in NYC
NYC rewards the late-night burger run. J.G. Melon serves its classic cheeseburger until 2:30am on the Upper East Side. Corner Bistro pours cheap beer and flips the Bistro Burger until 2am most nights and 4am Thursday through Saturday in the West Village. And 7th Street Burger’s East Village original goes until 2 to 3am, smash burger ready when you are. If you’ve been out and need beef before bed, those three are the safe bets — and they’re all the kind of bar-and-a-burger spots New Yorkers actually keep in rotation.
Best Burgers in NYC: FAQ
What is the best burger in NYC?
It depends what you want. For a dry-aged steakhouse burger, Minetta Tavern’s Black Label is the long-standing benchmark. For the most-hyped griddled double, it’s Au Cheval in Tribeca. For a classic cash-only cheeseburger, J.G. Melon has held the title on the Upper East Side since 1972. All three are on this list of the best burgers in NYC for good reason.
What is the best cheap burger in NYC?
Hamburger America in SoHo has a $7.25 single smash, and 7th Street Burger keeps singles and doubles under $10. Shake Shack’s ShackBurger lands around $7.99. Burger Joint’s cheeseburger “with the works” runs about $10 to $12. Any of these gets you a great burger for the price of a cocktail.
Where can I get a late-night burger in NYC?
J.G. Melon (Upper East Side) serves until 2:30am, Corner Bistro (West Village) goes until 2am — 4am on weekends — and 7th Street Burger’s East Village original stays open until 2 to 3am. All three are reliable for a post-drinks burger.
Which NYC burgers are worth waiting in line for?
Au Cheval in Tribeca and Red Hook Tavern in Brooklyn both draw long lines and both earn them. If the Red Hook Tavern wait is brutal, Tavern Next Door serves the identical burger from the same kitchen with shorter waits. For Au Cheval, go off-peak or grab a reservation when you can.
Last updated: June 2026. Deals, prices, and hours are subject to change. Confirm with the venue before visiting.
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Also worth a look: Black Tap is the SoHo original behind the craft-burger-and-CrazyShake craze, with a Wed–Sat 4–10pm happy hour.
