Iowa: Rides Bar & Grill
Fort Dodge
When in doubt, try a biker bar. Rides Bar & Grill has burgers named after motorcycles and classic cars, like the Triumph double cheeseburger. A rentable party room often hosts live music.
Kansas: Grandstand Burgers
Overland Park
Grandstand Burgers is a grand name for a tiny place: four stools at a counter and a handful of picnic tables outside. It gets crowded in a building that's mostly kitchen, so expect a line out the door at lunch. Grab a Kelly burger, which has two thick beef patties, bacon, cheese, ham, and a couple of onion rings.
Illinois: Illinois Bar & Grill
Chicago
At Illinois Bar & Grill, they don't fool around: The Famous Chicago burger weighs in at 13 ounces of beef, and the patty goes on a scale each time. It comes with two slices of cheese and condiments, but you might as well gild the lily and get the blanket of bacon as well. A burger that big fits right in with the dive bar décor.
Georgia: Johnny V's
Macon
The hamburger and the cheeseburger are both under $3 at this retro eatery, but you may want to upgrade to a V burger to get fries and a drink. Fans rave about the friendly service and the tasty breakfasts, too.
Florida: El Mago De Las Fritas
Miami
Miami's contribution to the burger world is the fritas, a Cuban-inspired burger topped with a mound of crispy fried shredded potatoes. El Mago de las Fritas is a little one-counter diner with one of the best fritas in the city. The squishy hamburger bun is grilled lightly on both sides, and the potato strings are crispy and not too greasy. Try it with cheese and a fried egg on top.
Colorado: Crown Burgers
Denver
Crown Burgers has been around for 29 years, though the retro interior's bright yellow molded booths suggests longer. Don't skip the Royal burger topped with a pile of thinly-sliced pastrami and whatever fixings you want. Steak fries and fat onion rings are musts on the side.
Alaska: Burger Bus
Kenai
Never has there been a truer restaurant name than Burger Bus. It's just an old school bus, permanently parked and with a lean-to-like shack built onto the side offering shelter while you order. Eat your Kenai Killer burger with cheese, bacon, green chiles, and jalapeños at the one picnic table, or in your car. All the burgers come with fries.
Minnesota: Lions Tap
Eden Prairie
The Lions Tap is what you'd expect a bar in Minnesota to look like: wood paneling, mounted fish, and a fireplace for six-month winters. It's a no-frills bar with equally simple burgers with thick patties, fresh toppings, and gooey American cheese. You won't be able to fit your mouth around a double, but get one anyway. They're served on small paper plates, but they're branded with the bar's name — talk about fancy.
Missouri: Squeeze Inn
Stockton
Head to southwest Missouri to find unique cheeseburgers at Squeeze Inn. They make their cheeseburgers — called Squeezeburgers — by piling shredded cheddar atop the patty on the griddle. It melts and forms a crispy, lacy cheese skirt that hangs out of the bun. You'll enjoy it much more than the garden gnomes staring at you in the homey dining room.
Nebraska: Bob’s Bar & Grill
Martinsburg
Like 2K's Kafe in Montana, Bob's has a burger with a thick beef patty about double the diameter of the hamburger bun, overhanging the edges by inches and making two hands a must. Don't be put off by the shaggy-looking building in desperate need of a paint job — the big red "Welcome to Bob's Bar" sign greeting you inside will make you feel instantly at home.
Oklahoma: Sid’s Diner
El Reno
Oklahomans have their own preferred style of burger called the onion burger, which has shaved onions piled on top. When it's flipped, the onions fry on the griddle and are scooped into the bun with the beef. Sid's Diner serves up a favorite version in a small, old-fashioned diner, caramelizing the onions deeply to give the burger a nice char and sweetness. Order online for pickup.
Wisconsin: Wedl’s
Jefferson
Wedl's takes "hole in the wall" to new levels — it's a seasonal, sidewalk shack that's been around for more than a century, cooking thin, smashed slider-style burgers on a griddle with lard and onions.
Fort Dodge
When in doubt, try a biker bar. Rides Bar & Grill has burgers named after motorcycles and classic cars, like the Triumph double cheeseburger. A rentable party room often hosts live music.
Kansas: Grandstand Burgers
Overland Park
Grandstand Burgers is a grand name for a tiny place: four stools at a counter and a handful of picnic tables outside. It gets crowded in a building that's mostly kitchen, so expect a line out the door at lunch. Grab a Kelly burger, which has two thick beef patties, bacon, cheese, ham, and a couple of onion rings.
Illinois: Illinois Bar & Grill
Chicago
At Illinois Bar & Grill, they don't fool around: The Famous Chicago burger weighs in at 13 ounces of beef, and the patty goes on a scale each time. It comes with two slices of cheese and condiments, but you might as well gild the lily and get the blanket of bacon as well. A burger that big fits right in with the dive bar décor.
Georgia: Johnny V's
Macon
The hamburger and the cheeseburger are both under $3 at this retro eatery, but you may want to upgrade to a V burger to get fries and a drink. Fans rave about the friendly service and the tasty breakfasts, too.
Florida: El Mago De Las Fritas
Miami
Miami's contribution to the burger world is the fritas, a Cuban-inspired burger topped with a mound of crispy fried shredded potatoes. El Mago de las Fritas is a little one-counter diner with one of the best fritas in the city. The squishy hamburger bun is grilled lightly on both sides, and the potato strings are crispy and not too greasy. Try it with cheese and a fried egg on top.
Colorado: Crown Burgers
Denver
Crown Burgers has been around for 29 years, though the retro interior's bright yellow molded booths suggests longer. Don't skip the Royal burger topped with a pile of thinly-sliced pastrami and whatever fixings you want. Steak fries and fat onion rings are musts on the side.
Alaska: Burger Bus
Kenai
Never has there been a truer restaurant name than Burger Bus. It's just an old school bus, permanently parked and with a lean-to-like shack built onto the side offering shelter while you order. Eat your Kenai Killer burger with cheese, bacon, green chiles, and jalapeños at the one picnic table, or in your car. All the burgers come with fries.
Minnesota: Lions Tap
Eden Prairie
The Lions Tap is what you'd expect a bar in Minnesota to look like: wood paneling, mounted fish, and a fireplace for six-month winters. It's a no-frills bar with equally simple burgers with thick patties, fresh toppings, and gooey American cheese. You won't be able to fit your mouth around a double, but get one anyway. They're served on small paper plates, but they're branded with the bar's name — talk about fancy.
Missouri: Squeeze Inn
Stockton
Head to southwest Missouri to find unique cheeseburgers at Squeeze Inn. They make their cheeseburgers — called Squeezeburgers — by piling shredded cheddar atop the patty on the griddle. It melts and forms a crispy, lacy cheese skirt that hangs out of the bun. You'll enjoy it much more than the garden gnomes staring at you in the homey dining room.
Nebraska: Bob’s Bar & Grill
Martinsburg
Like 2K's Kafe in Montana, Bob's has a burger with a thick beef patty about double the diameter of the hamburger bun, overhanging the edges by inches and making two hands a must. Don't be put off by the shaggy-looking building in desperate need of a paint job — the big red "Welcome to Bob's Bar" sign greeting you inside will make you feel instantly at home.
Oklahoma: Sid’s Diner
El Reno
Oklahomans have their own preferred style of burger called the onion burger, which has shaved onions piled on top. When it's flipped, the onions fry on the griddle and are scooped into the bun with the beef. Sid's Diner serves up a favorite version in a small, old-fashioned diner, caramelizing the onions deeply to give the burger a nice char and sweetness. Order online for pickup.
Wisconsin: Wedl’s
Jefferson
Wedl's takes "hole in the wall" to new levels — it's a seasonal, sidewalk shack that's been around for more than a century, cooking thin, smashed slider-style burgers on a griddle with lard and onions.
