In Mayfair and looking for the perfect burger? May we point you in the direction of Dover Street Counter, one of our new favourite restaurants in London . We've just reviewed this slick new diner, which comes from the same team as The Dover, the New York-style Italian restaurant which opened in 2023, and which we loved so much that it made our list of the best restaurants in London .
On a recent Friday night, around 150 people lined up around the block to get into DC's newest hotspot. They weren't seeking out some trendy cuisine or buzzy chef. They were waiting for Eebee's, which is, basically, just a neighborhood bar. Vintage beer signs and family photos give the Shaw corner joint a dive-y unpretentiousness. You can get a Miller High Life for $6 or a martini for $13. And the cheeseburger is better than you might expect.
Guy Fieri is a connoisseur of America's food scene. At the time of writing, there are 43 seasons of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," which means he has visited a heck of a lot of restaurants in the U.S., including plenty of joints in the Midwest. He has sampled burgers and Costa Rican sandwiches in Illinois, chowed down on spicy chickpea miser key wot in South Dakota, and even nibbled on gizzards in Michigan.
Culver's and Steak 'n Shake are two sides of the same buttered bun. As far as fast food chains go, the two have plenty in common. Both chains take pride in having Midwestern roots (Culver's from Wisconsin and Steak 'n Shake from Illinois), and lean into that old-school diner-like appeal. Both cook the burger patties using a proper, hot-off-the-griddle smash technique, and yes, butter the buns.
The team continues to grow their Hayes Valley footprint with a casual offshoot called RT Bistro. It'll be right next door to their original Rich Table and is their third concept after nearby RT Rotisserie (with another location in NoPa). Expect wood-fired vegetables, icebox pies with roasted fruit, and a burger topped with toma cheese and bacon jam.
While there are countless ways to dress up a burger, sometimes less is more - especially according to Anthony Bourdain. The late celebrity chef, TV host, author, and food adventurer was vocal about not overcomplicating a burger. And when it came to adding tomatoes as a topping, he had a golden rule for doing so with grace: Just add one slice, and make it thin.
Owner Radi Od, who won our 'Best of Coffee' contest in 2024, opened The Buttery to pursue his passion for burgers, stating, 'I opened up because this is something I really wanted to do.' The Buttery features 100% halal meat with a menu that blends classic and trendy burger recipes, alongside cheesesteaks and homemade drinks.
I will literally go to a drive-thru, In-N-Out, and I'll wind the window down, and I'll ask for a Double-Double animal style, and they recognize me and they give me lots of extras. So I just stack them, jump in the backseat, and eat them all.
In my quest for the cheapest cheeseburgers, I found that all options at Applebee's, Chili's, and TGI Fridays were cooked properly and served with ample fries.