Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Milwaukee area by diners
Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee 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!
#30. AJ Bombers
- Rating: 4.0/5 (982 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1247 North Water St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Burgers, American
- Read more on Yelp
#29. Golden Nest Pancake & Cafe
- Rating: 4.0/5 (215 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 11250 West Burleigh St. Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
- Categories: Cafes, Pancakes, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#28. Sobelman's Pub & Grill
- Rating: 4.0/5 (948 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1900 West St. Paul Ave. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Pubs, American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#27. Crispy and Grill
- Rating: 4.0/5 (61 reviews)
- Address: 3100 South 60th St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: American, Chicken Shop, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Lulu Cafe and Bar
- Rating: 4.0/5 (547 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2265 South Howell Ave. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: New American, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Who's On Layton
- Rating: 4.0/5 (52 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 512 West Layton Ave. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Sports Bars, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#24. The Crooked Crow
- Rating: 4.1/5 (56 reviews)
- Address: 1309 South 60th St. West Allis, Wisconsin
- Categories: Bars, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Dr Dawg
- Rating: 4.1/5 (256 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6969 North Port Washington Road Glendale, Wisconsin
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Comfort Food, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Honeypie Cafe
- Rating: 4.1/5 (907 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2569 South Kinnickinnic Ave. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: New American, Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Merriment Social
- Rating: 4.1/5 (356 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 240 East Pittsburgh Ave. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: New American, Burgers, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp
#20. The Explorium Brewpub Third Ward
- Rating: 4.2/5 (211 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 143 West Saint Paul Ave. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: American, Brewpubs, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Oscar's Winner's Circle
- Rating: 4.2/5 (103 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3800 West Burnham St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Burgers, American, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Cudahy's Pancake House
- Rating: 4.2/5 (74 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4753 South Packard Ave. Ave Cudahy, Wisconsin
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Izzy Hops
- Rating: 4.2/5 (120 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2311 North Murray Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Burgers, Pizza, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Fred's Frozen Custard & Grill
- Rating: 4.2/5 (50 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4726 West Vliet St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Twisted Plants
- Rating: 4.3/5 (67 reviews)
- Address: 1233 East Brady St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Burgers, Vegan, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Kopp's Frozen Custard
- Rating: 4.3/5 (865 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5373 North Port Washington Road Glendale, Wisconsin
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Cloud Red
- Rating: 4.4/5 (165 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4488 North Oakland Ave. Shorewood, Wisconsin
- Categories: Bars, Burgers, Tacos
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Oscar's Pub & Grill
- Rating: 4.4/5 (887 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1712 West Pierce St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: New American, Pubs, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Double B's BBQ
- Rating: 4.4/5 (658 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7412 West Greenfield Ave. West Allis, Wisconsin
- Categories: Barbecue, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Kopp's Frozen Custard
- Rating: 4.4/5 (880 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7631 West Layton Ave. Greenfield, Wisconsin
- Categories: Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#9. The Fatty Patty
- Rating: 4.5/5 (72 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 221 East Juneau Ave. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Food Trucks, Burgers, Halal
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Pete's Pub
- Rating: 4.5/5 (85 reviews)
- Address: 1234 East Brady St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: American, Sports Bars, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Mi Casa Su Cafe
- Rating: 4.5/5 (68 reviews)
- Address: 1835 North Doctor Mlk Drive Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Tacos, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Zocalo
- Rating: 4.5/5 (99 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 636 South 6th St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Food Trucks, Tacos, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Honey Butter Cafe
- Rating: 4.5/5 (462 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7221 South 76th St. Franklin, Wisconsin
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Creperies
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Archie's Flat Top
- Rating: 4.5/5 (99 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6922 West Becher St. West Allis, Wisconsin
- Categories: Burgers, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Heirloom MKE
- Rating: 4.6/5 (86 reviews)
- Address: 2378 South Howell Ave. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Food Trucks, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Crave Cafe
- Rating: 4.6/5 (218 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3592 North Oakland Ave. Shorewood, Wisconsin
- Categories: New American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Riley's Social House & Sandwich
- Rating: 4.7/5 (107 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 411 East Menomonee St. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Categories: Sandwiches, Sports Bars, 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.
