With National Hamburger Day just around the corner (May 28), it's a good time to offer a list of the best burgers in Palm Beach County.
While there's no right or wrong when it comes to burgers, there are favorites. Meat or plant-based. Cheese or no cheese. Wheat bun or gluten-free bun. And toppings dictated by your fancies.
Your “best burger” list might read very differently than the list that follows, which was compiled by burger-loving Palm Beach Post staffers. These are our local favorites:
Tropical Smokehouse's Old Fashioned Hamburger
3815 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach; eattropical.com
The Old Fashioned Hamburger ($12 single, $15 double before add-ons) at Tropical Smokehouse might sound like your average check-the-boxes burger, with pickles, red onion and a house sauce, but that's where you'd be wrong. So wrong.
Those patties are made with chef Rick Mace's ground-in-house blend of brisket and short rib, the pickles are also made in-house using a recipe perfected by Mace's aunt and then there's secret sauce that's, well, that's actually a secret. The patties are seared to absolute perfection (with that tiniest amount of crunch on the edge), then combined with American cheese (optional), pickles, onions and secret sauce before be placed on a toasted Martin's Potato Roll. It is then wrapped in a classic, diner-style sleeve before being brought to your table.
Plenty molten cheese and the perfect amount of crunch from the pickles and onions have this juicy burger bursting with flavor. Though it's definitely hearty, this burger is not one of those get your elbows up in the air, hunch over and unhinge your jaw — it's much more manageable, and enjoyable in my opinion. — Reporter Eddie Ritz
Dixie Grill & Bar's Black & Bleu Burger
5101 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach; dixiegrillandbar.com
My go-to fave is the Black & Bleu Burger ($20) at the Dixie Grill & Bar in West Palm Beach. The impressive half-pounder is full of flavor and always seems to be cooked right when ordered medium-rare. Nothing beats blue cheese on a burger, and topping it off with bacon, mushrooms and onions is a decadent but satisfying selection.
Dixie Grill brews its own beers, so I usually accompany it with one of their home-grown IPAs, plus a side of seasoned green beans for rationalization purposes. — Reporter Andrew Marra
Five Guys' Cheeseburger
Locations in Palm Beach Gardens, Wellington and Boynton Beach; fiveguys.com
When it comes to a fresh, homemade burger, nothing beats Five Guys in my book.
My favorite on the menu is the cheeseburger (two patties) with bacon, mushroom, pickles, lettuce, tomato, mayo, mustard and ketchup. Complete with a side of seasoned fries.
This is the kind of burger meal that you want to eat while watching a good action or suspense movie ... The juices dripping down your hand as you hold it to take a bite while staring at the screen. It's messy, but that's why they make napkins.
My wife and I will usually get our own burgers (hers much smaller than mine, of course), but share a large order of seasoned fries that overflows from the container cup. It ain't pretty, but it is a thing of beauty. — Executive Editor Rick Christie
Brass Ring Pub’s Cheeseburger
200 U.S. Hwy 1, North Palm Beach; BrassRingPubFl.com
Follow the smoky aroma of beef patties on the grill to this neighborhood favorite and you’ll be rewarded by half-pound burgers that are as simple as they are delicious. The secret ingredient? It’s not seasoning or sauce, but quality beef that’s cooked over lava rocks on a char-rock grill for tons of flavor.
I like my burgers on the not-overly-fancy side. I usually order the Brass Ring cheeseburger ($11), cooked to a pink and juicy medium and topped with American cheese, tomato, pickles and a little mayo. You can customize that burger with bacon or mushrooms for $1.25. But why upstage a tasty, smoky patty?
The crispy crinkle-cut fries are a must. Add a cold draft beer, and you get it served in a frosted mug.
The family-owned, family-friendly Brass Ring family of pubs has locations in Jupiter and Royal Palm Beach, but the North Palm Beach pub is the original, founded in February 1986 and steeped in local history. — Food and dining writer Liz Balmaseda
Stormhouse Brewing's Black and Blue Burger
1201 US-1, North Palm Beach; stormhousebrewing.com
While I never met a burger I didn't like — yes, I'll take any burger from Duffy’s, to Grease on Clematis, to Habit Burgers, to BurgerFi, to Five Guys — I just can't get Stormhouse Brewery ’s Black and Blue burger ($15) off my mind.
It's an 8-ounce Angus beef patty (I get it on the well-done side) and it drips with gorgonzola cheese, bacon, blackened seasoning and Cajun ranch dressing.
It comes with a boatload of tasty fries that are just greasy and salty enough to complement the burger.
The brewpub is at Crystal Cove Commons off U.S. 1 in North Palm Beach, and the place's ambiance adds to the meal, with its dark wood and metal furnishings paired with full glass walls that let in the light. It's the kind of setting that makes you want to dig into some solid food. OK, my keyboard is now damp from drooling. Not good. — Managing Editor John Bisogna no
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: The 5 best burgers in Palm Beach County are juicy, sometimes saucy, with so many toppings
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