Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Washington, D.C. area by diners
Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. 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!
#28. Good Stuff Eatery
- Rating: 3.5/5 (2077 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 303 Pennsylvania Ave. Southeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#27. Thunder Burger & Bar
- Rating: 3.5/5 (889 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3056 M St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Bars, New American
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Shake Shack F Street
- Rating: 3.6/5 (872 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 800 F St. Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Char Bar
- Rating: 3.6/5 (168 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2142 L St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Kosher, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#24. DC9 Nightclub
- Rating: 3.6/5 (269 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1940 9th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Music Venues, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Ben's Chili Bowl
- Rating: 3.7/5 (4300 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1213 U St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Stoney's
- Rating: 3.7/5 (495 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1433 P St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Bars, American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#21. The Big Board
- Rating: 3.7/5 (427 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 421 H St. Northeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Tacos, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Lucky Buns
- Rating: 3.8/5 (151 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 675 Wharf St. Southwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Z-Burger
- Rating: 3.9/5 (610 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4321 Wisconsin Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Duke's Grocery
- Rating: 3.9/5 (396 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Bars, Gastropubs
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Ghostburger
- Rating: 3.9/5 (227 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1250 9th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches, American
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Good Stuff Eatery
- Rating: 3.9/5 (815 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3291 M St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Makers Union
- Rating: 4.0/5 (213 reviews)
- Address: 664 Maine Ave. Southwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: New American, Burgers, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Wingo's
- Rating: 4.0/5 (515 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3207 O St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: American, Chicken Wings, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Emmy Squared Pizza - Shaw
- Rating: 4.0/5 (324 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1924 8th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Pizza, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Lucky Buns
- Rating: 4.0/5 (596 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2000 18th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#11. 7th Street Burger
- Rating: 4.2/5 (120 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1424 Wisconsin Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Eat Brgz
- Rating: 4.2/5 (144 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1200 New Hampshire Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: New American, Bars, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Duke's Counter
- Rating: 4.2/5 (611 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3000 Connecticut Ave. Northwest Ste J Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Pubs, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Emmy Squared Pizza - Navy Yard
- Rating: 4.2/5 (409 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1300 4th St. Southeast Ste 100 Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Pizza, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#7. The Capital Burger
- Rating: 4.3/5 (1017 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1005 7th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, New American, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#6. HipCityVeg
- Rating: 4.3/5 (1185 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 712 7th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Vegetarian, Burgers, Salad
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Cracked Eggery
- Rating: 4.4/5 (190 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3420 Connecticut Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Sandwiches, Salad, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#4. PLNT Burger
- Rating: 4.4/5 (137 reviews)
- Address: 101 H St. Southeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Cracked Eggery
- Rating: 4.4/5 (137 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1921 8th St. Northwest Ste 110 Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Swizzler Crispy Chicken + Smash Burgers
- Rating: 4.4/5 (195 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1259 1st St. Southeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Hot Dogs, Chicken Shop
- Read more on Yelp
#1. FishScale
- Rating: 4.7/5 (169 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 637 Florida Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Seafood, Fish & Chips
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 304 metros.
