‘Best Burger’ in Seattle goes to …

Aug 23, 2019, 6:09 AM | Updated: 10:44 am

(Tom Amato, KTTH)

Former Jason Rantz Show Producer

The time has come. Over the past six-plus months, I have eaten over 30 burgers, and reviewed 24 of them. From chains, to mom-and-pop joints, to legendary burger bars, I’ve consumed multiple variations of burgers, including some that weren’t even beef. I went to these restaurants based on your recommendations. The ones that were requested more than once were prioritized, and we managed to hit every top-10 burger on Yelp.

While we can always argue over subjective taste, I ventured to these eateries to inform the public, as much as I could, of each particular burger. The ratings are important for the quest, but the goal was to provide you with the most valuable information so that the next time you’re deciding on a burger place, you know what to expect.

But this was a contest. And after long deliberation, I’ve finally figured out the best burger in the city of Seattle. And let’s be honest: You’re not going to go to the same burger joint repeatedly. So what I’ve done is divvy up the best burgers into sub categories to point you in the direction of the best option for you at any particular moment. So let’s jump into it!

Best bang for your buck

Dick’s Drive-In

The legendary Dick’s Drive-In continues to accumulate masses during the lunch-hour rush. One of the reasons for this is the price of a Deluxe. It costs just $3.65 for a burger with two quality patties and a quality combination of mayo and pickle relish. It’s always consistent and a great spot to visit when you only have a half-hour. It was the cheapest burger I tried by more-than a dollar, and definitely tastes better than some of the higher-priced burgers I had. You won’t find a better deal out there.

Best fast-food style burger

Shake Shack

My reasoning for Shake Shack being the best fast-food style burger is simple: It doesn’t resemble fast food. When one thinks about fast food, the mind often settles on processed food, quick out of the kitchen and cheap ingredients. While Shake Shack is a fast-food joint, the burger doesn’t fit the criteria. My burger was grilled, charred over intentionally and served on a fresh, dinner-roll soft bun. It felt like a lot of care went into the meal. While I’ve heard criticism of Shake Shack nationally, the Seattle spot is doing something right. And Seattleites have clearly taken to it: Another location is planned to open in University Village to go along with a planned spot in Kirkland.

Biggest burger

BRGR

If you want to get filled up, BRGR in Pioneer Square is the place to go. Throughout my expeditions, I seldom felt I was as full as I was when at BRGR. And it’s actually a worthwhile burger. As with anything else, the bigger something is, the more room for error. BRGR is a quality ‘bar burger.’ While the bar isn’t that fun of a place, the burger is worth a trip during lunch time.

Best fries in Seattle

Little

Little Big Burger was one of the first places I reviewed. And with all the spots I tried, no side of fries ever lived up to LBB. They’re called ‘truffle fries.’ They were thin cut, salted well, bathed in ‘white truffle oil’ and do their job in complimenting the burger. You also receive a TON of them. They’re very addicting, so you’ll gain some weight if you’re not paying attention.

Best atmosphere

Katsu

I took more pictures at this location than any other. Katsu is widely considered as a Japanese dish. And when you’re inside the restaurant, it sends out a retro-Japan vibe. There’s a giant mural dedicated to Godzilla that covers an entire wall. Other Japanese art stretches the paneling. There’s also a world map where you’re encouraged to place a pin on where you’re visiting from. At the location on Capitol Hill, in which I went to, there’s also a small bar. Everyone wins at Katsu Burger.

Honorable Mention

Little Big Burger

It’s not just their fries, the burger is delicious. I strongly considered them for the ‘Best Bang for your Buck’ category, but the price of their cheeseburger shot up $1.75 since I reviewed them. What was once a great $5.00 deal is now a bit pricier at $6.75. And it’s a pretty small burger. Nonetheless, there’s a reason LBB just added two more locations in Seattle (Capitol Hill and Green Lake), bringing the total to three. The beef patty is small, but very thick. The bun is an excellent compliment and the onions are second-to-none. A delicious combination of tangy and sweet. I would recommend Little Big Burger to everyone.

Best Burger

Henry’s Tavern

While there are locations in Seattle, Restaurants Unlimited invited me out to the Bellevue spot. So much care is put into the creation of this burger, and they better put a lot in because it’s costing you $15. The BBQ Bacon Burger is delicious. Here is an excerpt from my May 19 review that sums it up perfectly.

Served on a brioche bun, it’s a thick slab of season ground chuck. Along with the onions, the BBQ Bacon Burger comes with Applewood smoked bacon, their house-made BBQ sauce, and Tillamook Cheddar cheese. I wouldn’t call the meat crispy, the crunch will come from the onion straws, so your teeth should cruise right through the quality beef. The bacon is good and the BBQ sauce is spread perfectly throughout, somehow avoiding significant mess.

The crispy onion straws were incredible, the heat was insulated well and the burger will fill you up. You’ll be down for the count after consuming the whole meal. The BBQ Bacon Burger from Henry’s Tavern is the only burger I gave a 9/10. Whenever someone asks me where the best burger I’ve had is, I always tell them Henry’s Tavern.