Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Hartford area by diners
Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Hartford 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 Hartford 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 Hartford 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!
#22. Plan b - Hartford
- Rating: 2.7/5 (62 reviews)
- Address: 35 Front St. Hartford, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Shake Shack West Hartford
- Rating: 2.9/5 (257 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1445 New Britian Ave. Suite 1385 West Hartford, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, fast food, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Roma Sports Bar & Grill
- Rating: 3.2/5 (50 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 382 Allen St. New Britain, Connecticut
- Categories: Sports Bars, American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Mickey's Oceanic Grill
- Rating: 3.4/5 (88 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 119 Pitkin St. East Hartford, Connecticut
- Categories: Seafood, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#18. The Diamond Pub & Grill
- Rating: 3.5/5 (110 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 195 Hebron Ave. Glastonbury, Connecticut
- Categories: American, Pubs, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Wood-n-Tap Bar & Grill-Rocky Hill
- Rating: 3.5/5 (279 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 12 Town Line Road Rocky Hill, Connecticut
- Categories: New American, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Plan B Simsbury
- Rating: 3.6/5 (353 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4 Railroad St. Simsbury, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, Beer Bar, American
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Tavern In The Square - West Hartford
- Rating: 3.7/5 (135 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1393 New Britain Ave. West Hartford, Connecticut
- Categories: Seafood, Tacos, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Plan B Glastonbury
- Rating: 3.8/5 (609 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 120 Hebron Ave. Glastonbury, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, Bars, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Joey's Pizza Pie
- Rating: 3.8/5 (186 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 353 Park Road West Hartford, Connecticut
- Categories: Pizza, Burgers, Pasta Shops
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Plan B - West Hartford
- Rating: 3.9/5 (712 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 138 Park Road West Hartford, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, Beer Bar, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Max Burger
- Rating: 3.9/5 (797 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 124 LaSalle Road West Hartford, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, Comfort Food, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#10. RAW
- Rating: 3.9/5 (92 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 280 Trumbull St. Hartford, Connecticut
- Categories: Seafood, Cocktail Bars, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Artisanal Burger Company
- Rating: 3.9/5 (769 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1436 Pleasant Valley Road Manchester, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, New American
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Bert's Pizzaria
- Rating: 4.1/5 (60 reviews)
- Address: 264 Park Road West Hartford, Connecticut
- Categories: Pizza, Burgers, Wraps
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Capitol Lunch
- Rating: 4.1/5 (208 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 510 Main St. New Britain, Connecticut
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Zack's Burgers & Shakes
- Rating: 4.2/5 (62 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 520 High Road Kensington, Connecticut
- Categories: American, Burgers, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Augie & Ray's Drive In
- Rating: 4.2/5 (73 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 314 Main St. East Hartford, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, New American, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Chef's Dog House
- Rating: 4.2/5 (133 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 337 Willard Ave. Newington, Connecticut
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#3. GoldBurgers
- Rating: 4.5/5 (627 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1096 Main St. Newington, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, Hot Dogs, American
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Aroma Bistro
- Rating: 4.6/5 (116 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 227 Main St. Wethersfield, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Riley's Hot Dog & Burger Gourmet
- Rating: 4.7/5 (285 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 61 Glen St. New Britain, Connecticut
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 304 metros.
