7 Best Restaurants in New York City, New York

This perennially packed Hell's Kitchen brasserie has been a magnet for burger lovers since day one. Though the menu offers a mix of flavors—including matzo ball soup, shrimp tempura, and salad bowls—the main attractions are the juicy patties, like the original 10-ounce patty melt with a tangle of onions, Gruyère cheese, and rosemary aioli. There's an option for everyone, including vegan options and a "Cali Reuben" turkey burger. For dessert, have an über-thick black-and-white malted milk shake.

This one-of-a-kind, college-style burger bar, clad in wood paneling and looking like a rec room straight out of Happy Days, is tucked away in the lobby of the Thompson Central Park luxury hotel. Look for a neon burger marking entry into this delicious hideaway, up some stairs and behind a curtain. Inside you can find semi-surly, all-business cooks dispensing fresh shakes, crispy fries, and paper-wrapped cheeseburgers. These burgers are straightforward, cheap, and delicious—just be ready to order once you're at the counter, or they'll send you back to the start of the line. (There are two more locations, one inside Moynihan Train Hall, the other in Brooklyn's Industry City.)

Mike Puma was a burger blogger with a dream: to open his own burger joint. That dream came true in early 2024 when this corner burger shop fired up its burners, grilling thin smash burgers with a nicely charred exterior. There are also fries, onion rings, hot dogs, fried pickles, and a surprisingly good chopped cheese taco, a riff on the sandwich that originated in East Harlem bodegas. The spot is ideally located for a quick bite during a Lower East Side bar crawl. 

George Motz is a well-known historian of the American hamburger and in late 2023, he fulfilled a dream by opening up his own burger joint. Grab a stool at the counter and watch Motz, the burger-flipper-in-chief, go to work. The casual and affordable spot serves up single and double-patty smash burgers, as well as a regional special burger that changes every few months. Crispy fries, grilled cheese sandwiches, and flavored milk round out the menu. 

Although there are other locations of Danny Meyer's burger joint around town and around the world, Madison Square Park is where it all began (as a hot dog cart!); there's no indoor seating—just outdoor lines (go early or late to avoid a wait). The Angus beef burgers are ground daily, making them some of the freshest and tastiest in the city. For a couple more bucks you can order a double, a stack, or a vegetarian 'Shroom Burger—a melty, Muenster-and-cheddar-stuffed fried portobello. The menu also offers chicken, hot dogs, French fries, frozen custard, and—of course—shakes.

Burgers, beers, and fries: that's what you'll get at this low-key joint. Among stroller-toting parents and neighborhood regulars, sidle up to the bar (or grab a table in back) and sink your teeth into a patty that was ground that morning by local butcher Los Paisanos. The headliner is the two8two burger, topped with roasted poblano chilies, cheddar cheese, and two8two sauce (mayo, ketchup, and spices), but there's also a lettuce wrap burger for the gluten-free or merely carb-phobic. The bar features craft beers on tap, including a couple of local selections, as well as the chipotle-habanero Bloody Mary—it's as hot as it sounds.