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Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Chicago area by diners

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siamionau pavel // Shutterstock
siamionau pavel // Shutterstock
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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 Chicago 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 Chicago 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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#30. Bluebird

- Rating: 4.2/5 (399 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2863 North Clark St. Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Sandwiches, Burgers, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

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#29. Red Hot Ranch

- Rating: 4.2/5 (380 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3057 North Ashland Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#28. Small Cheval- Riverside

- Rating: 4.2/5 (266 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 150 North Riverside Plz Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Burgers, fast food, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#27. Jubilee Juice & Grill

- Rating: 4.2/5 (582 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 140 North Halsted St. Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Juice Bars & Smoothies, Burgers, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

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#25. The Garage Bar & Sandwiches

- Rating: 4.3/5 (472 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6154 North Milwaukee Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Sandwiches, Burgers, Sports Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#24. Johnny's Beef & Gyros - Lincoln Park

- Rating: 4.3/5 (218 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2300 North Lincoln Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Burgers, Hot Dogs, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#23. Small Cheval- Wicker Park

- Rating: 4.3/5 (1464 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1732 North Milwaukee Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Burgers, American
- Read more on Yelp

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#22. Budacki's Drive In

- Rating: 4.3/5 (302 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4739 North Damen Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Fast food, Burgers, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

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#20. Nick's On North

- Rating: 4.3/5 (122 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3323 West North Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Burgers, Greek, Comfort Food
- Read more on Yelp

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#19. Ken's Diner & Grill

- Rating: 4.3/5 (146 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3353 Dempster St. Skokie, Illinois
- Categories: American, Kosher, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#18. Ed Debevic's

- Rating: 4.3/5 (355 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 159 East Ohio St. Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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#17. BRGRBELLY

- Rating: 4.3/5 (684 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5739 West Irving Park Road Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#15. Jeff's Red Hots

- Rating: 4.4/5 (208 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3901 North Cicero Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#14. Jr's Red Hots

- Rating: 4.4/5 (102 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2345 West Armitage Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

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#13. Bust Outs

- Rating: 4.4/5 (113 reviews)
- Address: 5200 North Elston Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#12. Flame On Peri Peri Grill

- Rating: 4.4/5 (118 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7041 North Milwaukee Ave. Niles, Illinois
- Categories: Burgers, Wraps, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

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#10. The StopAlong

- Rating: 4.4/5 (361 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1812 North Milwaukee Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Pizza, Burgers, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

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#9. Lawn Craft Hamburger

- Rating: 4.4/5 (158 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1141 North Ashland Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Burgers, Bars, Wraps
- Read more on Yelp

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#8. Bitter Pops

- Rating: 4.5/5 (172 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3357 North Lincoln Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Beer, Wine & Spirits, Beer Bar, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#7. Flub A Dub Chub's

- Rating: 4.5/5 (780 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3021 North Broadway Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#5. Hangry's

- Rating: 4.5/5 (234 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5000 West Fullerton Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Burgers, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

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#4. Lola's Coney Island

- Rating: 4.6/5 (155 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2858 West Chicago Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Salad, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#3. Mr D's Shish Kabobs

- Rating: 4.7/5 (261 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6656 West Diversey Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp

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#2. Charly's Burgers

- Rating: 4.7/5 (114 reviews)
- Address: 2320 North Cicero Ave. Chicago, Illinois
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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