Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Grand Rapids area by diners
Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids 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!
#25. The Cheesecake Factory
- Rating: 3.1/5 (427 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3195 28th St. Southeast Kentwood, Michigan
- Categories: Seafood, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#24. New York Fried Chicken
- Rating: 3.4/5 (79 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 743 Division Ave. South Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: Chicken Wings, Burgers, Cheesesteaks
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Mr. Burger
- Rating: 3.4/5 (54 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2101 Lake Michigan Drive Northwest Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Big E's Sports Grill
- Rating: 3.5/5 (92 reviews)
- Address: 710 Monroe Ave. Northwest Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: New American, Sports Bars, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Leo's Coney Island
- Rating: 3.6/5 (87 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6080 28th St. Southeast Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp
#20. The Score Restaurant & Sports Bar
- Rating: 3.6/5 (375 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5301 Northland Drive Northeast Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: Sports Bars, Pizza, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Chubby's
- Rating: 3.7/5 (73 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5751 Byron Center Ave. Southwest Wyoming, Michigan
- Categories: Bars, Sandwiches, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Bud & Stanley's Restaurant
- Rating: 3.8/5 (95 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1701 4 Mile Road Northeast Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: American, Pubs, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#17. O'Toole's Public House
- Rating: 3.8/5 (98 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 448 Bridge St. Northwest Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: Bars, American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#16. HopCat East Beltline
- Rating: 3.8/5 (293 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2183 East Beltline Ave. Northeast Grand Rapids-Knapps Corner, Michigan
- Categories: Burgers, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Real Food Cafe
- Rating: 3.9/5 (96 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3514 Plainfield Ave. Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Rainbow Grill
- Rating: 3.9/5 (60 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4158 Chicago Drive Southwest Ste 1265 Grandville, Michigan
- Categories: American, Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Garage Bar and Grill
- Rating: 3.9/5 (164 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 819 Ottawa Ave. Northwest Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: American, Dive Bars, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Stella's Lounge
- Rating: 3.9/5 (934 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 53 Commerce Ave. Southwest Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: Burgers, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp
#11. The Electric Cheetah
- Rating: 4.0/5 (793 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1015 Wealthy St. Southeast Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: New American, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Blue Dog Tavern
- Rating: 4.1/5 (215 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 638 Stocking Ave. Northwest Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: Burgers, Pubs
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Choo Choo Grill
- Rating: 4.2/5 (104 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1209 Plainfield Ave. Northeast Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: Burgers, New American, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Railtown Brewing Company
- Rating: 4.3/5 (160 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3595 68th St. Southeast Caledonia, Michigan
- Categories: Breweries, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#7. The Green Well
- Rating: 4.3/5 (797 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 924 Cherry St. Southeast Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: New American, Gastropubs, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Turnstiles
- Rating: 4.3/5 (69 reviews)
- Address: 526 Stocking Ave. Northwest Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Brunch House
- Rating: 4.5/5 (141 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 820 Forest Hill Ave. Southeast Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Juice Bars & Smoothies, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#4. One Stop Coney Shop
- Rating: 4.6/5 (117 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 154 East Fulton St. Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Desserts, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Nonla Burger
- Rating: 4.6/5 (91 reviews)
- Address: 449 Bridge St. Northwest Ste 102 Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Tasty Gyro Coney Island
- Rating: 4.7/5 (73 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2269 44th St. Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: Burgers, Greek, American
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Black Napkin Takeout
- Rating: 4.8/5 (103 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 966 Fulton St. East Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Categories: Chicken Shop, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 304 metros.
