Enjoy the best burgers in the Greater New York City:
Back Forty
The gastropub fare from chef-restaurateur Peter Hoffman (Savoy) is uniformly solid and we’re particularly partial to the juicy grass-fed burger, which comes on a seeded challah bun with house-made pickles and proprietary ketchup. (Fries, farmhouse cheddar and heritage bacon can be added for an additional $2 each.) 190 Ave B between 11th and 12th Sts (212-388-1990). Average burger: $11.
Irving Mill
Chef Ryan Skeen’s buzzed-about burger is a blend of three different kinds of meats—beef cheeks, bavette steak, fatback pork—served on a Martin’s roll with russet potatoes fried in beef fat. The fixings risk upstaging the patty, with aged cheddar cheese, lettuce, red onion, house-made pickles, mayo, mustard and ketchup doing the honors. On Mondays, the $15 burger comes with a free pint of Sixpoint beer. 116 E 16th St between Park Ave South and Irving Pl (212-254-1600). Average burger: $15.
California’s famed In-N-Out Burger hasn’t made it to Gotham, but this Astoria joint hopes to deliver a similar experience, selling regular burgers alongside single, double and triple cheese options, as well as a “Cajun fire” version with chunky blue-cheese dressing. The meat is ground daily, and the shoestring fries are made from potatoes peeled on premises. 30-17 30th Ave at 31st St (718-267-6300). Average combo meal: $8.
Paul’s
Paul’s is serious about burgers, the kind we all long for: big, beefy, juicy and weighty, but not sloppy. The Second Avenue Burger is decked out with fried onions, ham and tomatoes, while the Beef Burger Tartare is made with raw beef and a raw egg. What’s even better is that most of them will run you $5 or less. 131 Second Ave between St. Marks Pl and E 7th St (212-529-3097). Average burger: $11.
The Spotted Pig
The burger at this hopping gastropub is a must-order: A top-secret blend of ground beef is grilled rare (unless otherwise requested), covered with a heap of Roquefort cheese and plated under a tower of rosemary- and garlic-kissed shoestring fries. What better to wash that down with than one of the Pig’s two proprietary cask-drawn ales? 314 W 11th St at Greenwich St (212-620-0393). Average burger: $15.
