Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Boston area by diners
Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Boston 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 Boston 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 Boston 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!
#29. Harvard Gardens
- Rating: 3.6/5 (548 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 316 Cambridge St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: Bars, American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#28. Joe's On Newbury
- Rating: 3.7/5 (1417 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 181 Newbury St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: American, Burgers, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#27. Eagle's Deli
- Rating: 3.7/5 (490 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1918 Beacon St. Brighton, Massachusetts
- Categories: Delis, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Grateful Dedham Diner
- Rating: 3.8/5 (171 reviews)
- Address: 573 High St. Dedham, Massachusetts
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Mama's Place
- Rating: 3.8/5 (203 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 764 Huntington Ave. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: Greek, Burgers, Salad
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Boston Burger - Somerville
- Rating: 3.8/5 (1011 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 37 Davis Sq Somerville, Massachusetts
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches, American
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Tasty Burger
- Rating: 3.8/5 (1333 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 86 Van Ness St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: Burgers, Hot Dogs, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe
- Rating: 3.8/5 (383 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 429 Columbus Ave. Ste 1 Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: Sandwiches, Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Belles
- Rating: 3.8/5 (452 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 46 Arsenal St. Watertown, Massachusetts
- Categories: American, Burgers, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Josephine
- Rating: 3.9/5 (101 reviews)
- Address: 515 Somerville Ave. Somerville, Massachusetts
- Categories: Italian, Burgers, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Deluxe Town Diner
- Rating: 3.9/5 (815 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 627 Mt Auburn St. Watertown, Massachusetts
- Categories: Diners, Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Snappy Pattys
- Rating: 3.9/5 (337 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 454 High St. Medford, Massachusetts
- Categories: New American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Emmet's Irish Pub & Restaurant
- Rating: 4.0/5 (504 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6 Beacon St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: Pubs, Irish, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Bred
- Rating: 4.0/5 (299 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2255 Dorchester Ave. Dorchester, Massachusetts
- Categories: Sandwiches, Burgers, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#15. A.T. O'Keeffe's
- Rating: 4.0/5 (116 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 911 Boylston St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: Irish Pub, Sports Bars, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Boston Burger
- Rating: 4.1/5 (1324 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1100 Boylston St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: Burgers, American, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Roxy's Grilled Cheese
- Rating: 4.1/5 (173 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 292 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Categories: Sandwiches, Burgers, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Boston Kitchen Pizza
- Rating: 4.1/5 (320 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1 Stuart St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Sullivan's Castle Island
- Rating: 4.1/5 (434 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2080 Day Blvd. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: Fast food, Burgers, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Greenhouse Kitchen Italian Restaurant
- Rating: 4.2/5 (137 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 435 Faneuil St. Brighton, Massachusetts
- Categories: Pizza, Italian, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Lizard Lounge
- Rating: 4.2/5 (111 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1667 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Categories: Music Venues, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#8. The Capital Burger
- Rating: 4.2/5 (306 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 159 Newbury St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: Burgers, New American, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Renegade's Pub
- Rating: 4.2/5 (146 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1004 Bennington St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: Pubs, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Lee's Burger Place
- Rating: 4.3/5 (379 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 216 Sumner St. Newton Centre, Massachusetts
- Categories: Burgers, American, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Moon Flower House
- Rating: 4.4/5 (209 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 110 Brighton Ave. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: Burgers, Bubble Tea, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Porter Cafe
- Rating: 4.5/5 (291 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1723 Centre St. West Roxbury, Massachusetts
- Categories: Bars, Burgers, Gastropubs
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Rondo's Sub Shop
- Rating: 4.5/5 (168 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 134 West Broadway Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: Sandwiches, Cheesesteaks, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#2. The Quiet Few
- Rating: 4.6/5 (105 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 331 Sumner St. Boston, Massachusetts
- Categories: Beer, Wine & Spirits, Burgers, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Ritcey East
- Rating: 4.7/5 (186 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 208 Waverley Ave. Watertown, Massachusetts
- Categories: Burgers, Beer Bar, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 304 metros.
