Highest-rated Restaurants for Burgers in the Gainesville Area by Diners

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Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Gainesville 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 Gainesville 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 Gainesville 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!

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#18. Dagwood's Food Truck

- Rating: 2.5/5 (26 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 10550 Deerwood Park Blvd. Jacksonville, Florida
- Categories: Food Trucks, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#17. HURRICANE BTW

- Rating: 3.3/5 (97 reviews)
- Address: 8181 Northwest 39th Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Chicken Wings, Tacos, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#16. Relish Big Tasty Burger - Newberry

- Rating: 3.4/5 (64 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3822 West Newberry Road Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#15. Relish Big Tasty Burgers - Midtown

- Rating: 3.5/5 (140 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1702 West University Ave. Ste D Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#14. Ford's Garage Gainesville

- Rating: 3.5/5 (164 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3650 Southwest 32nd Court Ste 20 Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Burgers, Comfort Food, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#13. Relish

- Rating: 3.6/5 (80 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 201 Southeast 1st St. Ste 106 Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#12. Local Provisions

- Rating: 3.7/5 (111 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 13005 Southwest 1st Road Ste 129 Newberry, Florida
- Categories: Salad, Burgers, Soup
- Read more on Yelp

#11. Gators Den Sports Grill

- Rating: 3.8/5 (95 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4200 Northwest 97th Blvd. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: American, Sports Bars, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#10. Swamp Religion

- Rating: 3.9/5 (32 reviews)
- Address: 904 East University Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Burgers, Chicken Wings, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

#9. Relish Big Tasty Burgers - Archer Road

- Rating: 3.9/5 (142 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3841 Southwest Archer Road Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Burgers, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp

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#8. Loosey's

- Rating: 4.1/5 (196 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 120 Southwest 1st Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Pubs, Karaoke, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#7. Goldie's Burgers

- Rating: 4.2/5 (48 reviews)
- Address: 201 Southeast Depot Ave. The Depot Station Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Salad, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

#6. Dick Mondell's Burgers & Fries

- Rating: 4.3/5 (176 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 412 Southwest 4th Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

#5. Mac's Drive Thru

- Rating: 4.4/5 (116 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 129 Northwest 10th Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Burgers, fast food, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

#4. The Spot

- Rating: 4.5/5 (184 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 16 Northwest 18th St. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Greek, Sandwiches, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#3. Vegan Gator

- Rating: 4.6/5 (28 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 220 Northwest 8th Ave. Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Vegan, Food Trucks, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#2. Germain's

- Rating: 4.7/5 (147 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 220 Northwest 8th Ave. Ste 10 Gainesville, Florida
- Categories: Chicken Shop, Food Trucks, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp