KANSAS CITY, Mo. (WDAF/WAVY) — Forget the $5,000 stunts and the gold leaf toppings, real burgers come from neighborhood restaurants and corner dive bars.
A new list sought out some of the best burgers on the map and ranked a top 101 from across the United States. You can find two in Virginia Beach and another in Norfolk!
The list, compiled by The Daily Meal, focused on smaller businesses that are loved by the local communities they serve. Each top contender may only have a few locations.
“While amazing burger chains abound, this list is focused on smaller establishments and local favorites that have found success branching out to a few locations,” wrote authors Aaliyah Gibson and Dan Myers.
The list stretches from Honolulu to South Florida, but it’s not weighed down by a bunch of picks from the country’s foodie capitals. Instead, it offers a broad cross-section of the country and offers up plenty of potential stops on your next cross country road trip.
The Daily Meal “used internal expertise, scoured Yelp and other review sites, looked at coverage by local journalists and gathered suggestions from readers,” to find and rank the burger joints.
Local picks
The Hunter Burger at Leaping Lizard Cafe in Virginia Beach, made with venison and beef and topped with smoked Gouda, caramelized onions and mustard aioli, made the No. 42 spot. The Lizard is well known in Hampton Roads and even got a visit from celebrity chef Guy Fieri.
At No. 59 is the large cheeseburger at Monks Place in Virginia Beach. It’s a third-pound burger with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo with a side of sliced pickles.
The No. 81 burger started just down the street from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Now Jack Browns’ Wagyu beef burgers are in multiple locations across the south, including on Granby Street in Norfolk! The Greg Brady, which is topped with mac and cheese and barbecue potato chips, is a favorite.
To read the full list, click here.
