Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the San Jose area by diners
Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the San Jose area by diners
There's just something about a hamburger—from the way the juices from the freshly grilled meat gently dribble down your chin as you take that first bite of the succulent patty to the way the cheese curves along the sides, melting slowly over the ground-beef goodness placed gently between two buns.
While a burger's je ne sais quoi may defy definition, one thing is certain: Americans love hamburgers. According to a 2024 YouGov survey, burgers are among the top three most popular foods in the U.S., tied with fried chicken and bested only by French fries. As further proof of hamburgers' dominance in America, chains where burgers are the star of the menu generated $110 billion in sales in 2024, according to the annual Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. Based on a Restaurant Business analysis of the Technomic report, that accounts for more than a quarter of the total sales among all Top 500 chains and more than double sales from chains where chicken is the main attraction.
The burger's origins stretch far beyond America, however. Named after Hamburg, a region in Germany known for its cattle, the Hamburg steak was the first step toward what would become the sandwich we know and love today. Served on a plate (sans buns, if you can believe it), the steak was said to have become popular during the Industrial Revolution after an influx of German immigrants into New York. To make the food easier for the workers to eat on their breaks, a now unknown cook sandwiched the steak between two pieces of bread, and the rest, as they say, is history.
While it may never be proven when and where the hamburger was first invented, the deliciously simple sandwich is here to stay. But who serves the best burger today? You'll find many restaurants around the U.S. that claim they do, from Au Cheval in Chicago and New York to The Habit Burger Grill, a California-based chain that USA Today named the #1 fast-food burger in America.
Of course, those restaurants may not be in your neck of the woods. To find the best of the best in your area, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the San Jose area based on diners' reviews on Yelp as of March 2025. Restaurants with at least 20 reviews tagged as "burgers" on Yelp within a 10-kilometer radius of San Jose were included. As a result, many restaurants featured may primarily serve other food items besides burgers. Also, to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with at least five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Keep reading to see if your favorite burger spot made the cut—or maybe you'll find your new favorite on this list!
#27. Gus' Meat & Deli
- Rating: 4.0/5 (108 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2523 Winchester Blvd. Ste B Campbell, California
- Categories: Delis, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Adam's Grub Truck
- Rating: 4.0/5 (390 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: San Francisco, California
- Categories: Burgers, Seafood, Caterers
- Read more on Yelp
#25. The Happy Hound
- Rating: 4.0/5 (689 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 15899 Los Gatos Blvd. Los Gatos, California
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Old Greenwood BBQ at The Gold Rush Saloon
- Rating: 4.1/5 (105 reviews)
- Address: 1010 South Wolfe Road Sunnyvale, California
- Categories: Barbecue, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Classic Burger of Los Gatos
- Rating: 4.1/5 (309 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 15737 Los Gatos Blvd. Los Gatos, California
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Straw Hat Pizza Grille
- Rating: 4.1/5 (176 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 300 West Calaveras Blvd. Milpitas, California
- Categories: Pizza, Burgers, Beer, Wine & Spirits
- Read more on Yelp
#21. The Stand - American Classics Redefined
- Rating: 4.1/5 (297 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 785 Lawrence Expy Santa Clara, California
- Categories: New American, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Campus Burgers
- Rating: 4.1/5 (270 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 108 Paseo De San Antonio San Jose, California
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Fred's Burger
- Rating: 4.1/5 (89 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1759 Technology Drive Ste 20 San Jose, California
- Categories: Burgers, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#18. King's Burger
- Rating: 4.2/5 (279 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 980 South King Road San Jose, California
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#17. El Bumangues
- Rating: 4.2/5 (59 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 480 Blossom Hill Road San Jose, California
- Categories: Colombian, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Paddy Wagon Sliders
- Rating: 4.2/5 (252 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: San Jose, California
- Categories: Food Trucks, Burgers, Caterers
- Read more on Yelp
#15. My-Kitchen
- Rating: 4.2/5 (234 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 445 Blossom Hill Road Ste K San Jose, California
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Halal Fried Chicken
- Rating: 4.2/5 (149 reviews)
- Address: 911 East Duane Ave. Ste A Sunnyvale, California
- Categories: Halal, Burgers, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Sliders Burger
- Rating: 4.3/5 (1361 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1645 West San Carlos St. San Jose, California
- Categories: Burgers, fast food, American
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Tayyibaat Meat & Grill
- Rating: 4.3/5 (1204 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 10 South Abbott Ave. Milpitas, California
- Categories: Mediterranean, Butcher, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Los Gatos Cafe
- Rating: 4.3/5 (2444 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 340 North Santa Cruz Ave. Los Gatos, California
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Dough Burger
- Rating: 4.3/5 (100 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1721 Old Bayshore Hwy San Jose, California
- Categories: Burgers, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Smack Burgers
- Rating: 4.3/5 (87 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 101 East Alma Ave. San Jose, California
- Categories: Burgers, Pop-up Shops
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Brew City Grill
- Rating: 4.4/5 (750 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 651 West Hamilton Ave. Ste 1070 Campbell, California
- Categories: Burgers, Pubs, Brewpubs
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Añejo Cantina & Kitchen
- Rating: 4.4/5 (494 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3132 Williams Road San Jose, California
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Mexican, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Secco Restaurant and Bar
- Rating: 4.5/5 (143 reviews)
- Address: 300 Almaden Blvd. San Jose, California
- Categories: Tacos, Burgers, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Burger Club
- Rating: 4.5/5 (84 reviews)
- Address: 519 West Capitol Expy San Jose, California
- Categories: Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Iniburger
- Rating: 4.5/5 (136 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1700 West Campbell Ave. Campbell, California
- Categories: Burgers, Halal, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Krusti Pizza & Pasta
- Rating: 4.6/5 (161 reviews)
- Address: 341 Lafayette St. Ste 104 Santa Clara, California
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#2. The Melt
- Rating: 4.7/5 (132 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3939 Rivermark Place Santa Clara, California
- Categories: Burgers, American, Salad
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Orange Bowl
- Rating: 4.8/5 (54 reviews)
- Address: 186 East Sunnyoaks Ave. Ste F Campbell, California
- Categories: Burgers, Asian Fusion, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 304 metros.
