Top 10 Word of Mouth Burgers
A new 10 Chairs series where our community weighs in on the spots that deserve real love. Each month, we rank a different category (this time: burgers) based on suggestions from our members and trusted food people in NYC.
1. Red Hook Tavern – Red Hook, Brooklyn
329 Van Brunt St
A neighborhood spot that quietly makes one of the best burgers in New York. Thick patty, perfect cheese melt, nothing fancy — just right. Totally worth the trip to Red Hook.
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2. Hard Times Sundaes – Brooklyn
216 Flatbush Ave
Started under the subway tracks. Still feels like the kind of burger a real New Yorker makes: smashed, salty, and hits immediately.
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3. Whitmans – East Village
406 E 9th St
Home of the Juicy Lucy. Simple room, great people, and a burger that reminds you cheese belongs inside things, not on top.
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4. K.O. Burger – Lower East Side
76 Clinton St
Small shop, big flavor. Crispy edges, soft bun, feels like someone’s been perfecting this on a backyard griddle for years.
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5. Smashed – Williamsburg
131 Driggs Ave
No gimmicks. Just smashed patties, American cheese, and fries you’ll keep snacking on long after you said you were “done.”
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6. Paul’s Da Burger Joint – East Village
131 2nd Ave
An East Village classic. The sign hasn’t changed since flip phones, and the burgers come the size of your actual head. Zero pretense, all flavor.
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7. 7th Street Burger – Multiple NYC
91 E 7th St (flagship)
Cash-only vibes but somehow still modern. Fast, messy, and iconic during late nights when decisions are questionable and burgers fix everything.
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8. Blue Collar – Williamsburg
187 Meserole Ave
Small storefront with insanely good smashed patties. If you know, you know. If you don’t, go.
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9. Veselka – East Village
144 2nd Ave (also at Williamsburg Market)
A Ukrainian diner that’s been feeding NYC forever. The burger is a sleeper hit — soft bun, great char, and open late when life demands comfort food.
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10. Harlem Shake – Harlem & Park Slope
100 W 124th St (Harlem) / 119 5th Ave (BK)
Feels like a true neighborhood burger spot. Good energy, great shakes, and a burger that never disappoints.