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

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Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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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#26. The Mecca Restaurant

- Rating: 3.7/5 (236 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 13 East Martin St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, New American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#25. Char-Grill

- Rating: 3.8/5 (142 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 618 Hillsborough St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

#24. CowBar Burgers & Fries

- Rating: 3.8/5 (54 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 411 West Morgan St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp

#23. Zest Café and Home Art

- Rating: 3.8/5 (116 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8831 Six Forks Road Six Forks Station Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Burgers, Soup
- Read more on Yelp

#22. FatBoys Kitchen

- Rating: 3.8/5 (71 reviews)
- Address: 4511 New Bern Ave. Ste 100 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Food Trucks, Seafood, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#21. Spirits Pub & Grub

- Rating: 3.8/5 (187 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 701 East Chatham St. Cary, North Carolina
- Categories: Pubs, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#20. Peri Peri Bistro

- Rating: 3.9/5 (97 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8531 Brier Creek Pkwy Ste 109 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Chicken Shop, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#19. Mellow Mushroom

- Rating: 3.9/5 (400 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 601 West Peace St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Sandwiches, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#18. Berkeley Cafe

- Rating: 3.9/5 (77 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 428 South Dawson St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

#17. Char-Grill

- Rating: 3.9/5 (53 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4621 Atlantic Ave. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp

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#16. CowBar Burgers & Fries

- Rating: 3.9/5 (167 reviews)
- Address: 411 West Morgan St. Morgan St. Food Hall Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#15. Pat Murnane's Irish Pub

- Rating: 3.9/5 (94 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2108 South Main St. Wake Forest, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Irish Pub, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

#14. Mama Crow's Burger & Salad Shop

- Rating: 3.9/5 (95 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 500 East Davie St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

#13. Barry's Cafe

- Rating: 3.9/5 (334 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2851 Jones Franklin Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Breakfast & Brunch, American
- Read more on Yelp

#12. Cloos' Coney Island

- Rating: 4.1/5 (226 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2233 Avent Ferry Road Ste 102 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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#11. Relish Craft Kitchen & Bourbon Bar

- Rating: 4.1/5 (941 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5625 Creedmoor Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Cafes, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#10. MoJoe's Burger Joint

- Rating: 4.1/5 (501 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 620 Glenwood Ave. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#9. Ole Time Barbecue

- Rating: 4.1/5 (443 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6309 Hillsborough St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Barbecue, Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#8. Sean's Shack

- Rating: 4.1/5 (90 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2840 East Millbrook Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp

#7. Clean Eatz - Raleigh

- Rating: 4.2/5 (101 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7461 Six Forks Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Wraps, New American
- Read more on Yelp

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#6. MoJo's Grill

- Rating: 4.2/5 (100 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2648 Timber Drive Garner, North Carolina
- Categories: Chicken Wings, New American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

#5. Burger Village

- Rating: 4.2/5 (59 reviews)
- Address: 510 Glenwood Ave. Ste 103 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Salad, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#4. Town Hall Burger and Beer

- Rating: 4.2/5 (96 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 13100 Falls Of Neuse Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp

#3. The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar

- Rating: 4.3/5 (2053 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4208 Six Forks Road Ste 100 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Burgers, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#2. Corbett's Burgers and Soda Bar

- Rating: 4.4/5 (643 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 126 Kilmayne Drive Cary, North Carolina
- Categories: Hot Dogs, American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

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