Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the New Haven area by diners
Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the New Haven 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 New Haven 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 New Haven 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!
#26. Side Street Bar & Grill
- Rating: 3.3/5 (96 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 15 Dickerman St. Hamden, Connecticut
- Categories: Desserts, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Shake Shack New Haven
- Rating: 3.4/5 (334 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 986 Chapel St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Goodies
- Rating: 3.5/5 (64 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 111 Boston Post Road Orange, Connecticut
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Seafood, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Plan B Burger Bar
- Rating: 3.5/5 (594 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1638 Boston Post Road Milford, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, Beer Bar, New American
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Pizza Works
- Rating: 3.5/5 (23 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 705 Campbell Ave. West Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Pizza, Salad, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Doody's Totoket Inn
- Rating: 3.5/5 (61 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 465 Foxon Road North Branford, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Christopher Martins Restaurant
- Rating: 3.6/5 (117 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 860 State St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Pubs, New American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Glenwood Drive-In
- Rating: 3.6/5 (206 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2538 Whitney Ave. Hamden, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, Hot Dogs, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Flipside Burgers and Bar
- Rating: 3.6/5 (123 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1 Schooner Lane Milford, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, Cocktail Bars, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Eli's on Whitney
- Rating: 3.6/5 (329 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2392 Whitney Ave. Hamden, Connecticut
- Categories: American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Louis' Lunch
- Rating: 3.7/5 (1233 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 261 Crown St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Elm Diner
- Rating: 3.7/5 (98 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 111 Elm St. West Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Diners, Burgers, American
- Read more on Yelp
#14. New West Cafe
- Rating: 3.8/5 (29 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 879 Whalley Ave. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Bars, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Dive Bar & Restaurant
- Rating: 3.8/5 (188 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 24 Ocean Ave. West Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: New American, Bars, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Prime 16
- Rating: 3.9/5 (843 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 172 Temple St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, Beer Bar, Gastropubs
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Cast Iron Chef Chop House & Oyster Bar
- Rating: 4.0/5 (424 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 660 State St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Steakhouses, Burgers, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Jordan's Hot Dogs and Mac
- Rating: 4.0/5 (153 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 970 State St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Ordinary
- Rating: 4.1/5 (301 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 990 Chapel St. New Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Route 80 Cafe
- Rating: 4.1/5 (27 reviews)
- Address: 697 Foxon Road East Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Route Ten Restaurant
- Rating: 4.3/5 (38 reviews)
- Address: 3810 Whitney Ave. Hamden, Connecticut
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Salad, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Crazy Toast House
- Rating: 4.5/5 (45 reviews)
- Address: 117 Washington Ave. Unit 5 North Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Burgers, Hot Dogs, Wraps
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Transilvania Restaurant and Bar
- Rating: 4.5/5 (89 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 23 Main St. East Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Soup, Bars, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Dogtown
- Rating: 4.6/5 (166 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 664 New Haven Ave. Milford, Connecticut
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers, Food Stands
- Read more on Yelp
#3. CT Chowder
- Rating: 4.6/5 (76 reviews)
- Address: 268 Quinnipiac Ave. North Haven, Connecticut
- Categories: Seafood, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Spuds Your Way
- Rating: 4.7/5 (65 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3500 Whitney Ave. Hamden, Connecticut
- Categories: Food Trucks, Sandwiches, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#1. The Cellar on Treadwell
- Rating: 4.8/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 295 Treadwell St. Bld. H Hamden, Connecticut
- Categories: Pubs, Burgers, Music Venues
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 304 metros.
