Patties of ground beef weighing from 1 ounce to 15 pounds, often not seasoned and cooked until gray, then served as a sandwich, usually between two halves of a compressible, flavorless untoasted bun, are this nation's leading contribution to world cuisine. In their fast-food form, burgers provide quantitative evidence for the charge, more widespread than ever, that Americans are a bunch of insensitive louts.
But all across the country there are places, almost all of them locally owned operations, that cook and sell my idea of a first-rate burger. And I've been on a hunt to find the best of them. ...
His list includes but is not limited to the following:
Primanti Bros. Address: 46 18th Street, Pittsburgh PA 15222 Phone: 412-263-2142 URL: primantibros.com The Skinny: They put fries on the burger here.
Rosebud Steakhouse Address: 192 East Walton Street, Chicago IL 60611 Phone: 312-397-1000 URL: http://www.rosebudrestaurants.com/rest4.php The Skinny: Thick 12-ounce burger served on a grilled-pretzel roll. Sokolov finds the bun an "eccentric distraction."
Louis' Lunch Address: 261-263 Crown Street, New Haven CT 06510 Phone: 203-562-5507 URL: louislunch.com The Skinny: Claims to be the birthplace of the burger. The fact that its sandwich is served between two slices of toasted bread provokes endless debate among hamburger semanticists. Don't ask for ketchup here!
Dirty Martin's Kum-Bak Place Address: 2808 Guadalupe Street, Austin TX 78705 Phone: 512-477-3173 URL: dirtymartins.com The Skinny: Didn't rate high from Mr. Sokolov (he called it "thin and lackluster"), but friend of AHT and New York magazine online food editor Josh "Mr. Cutlets" Ozersky says "The burger, broader and thinner than the Shake Shack's, gives you more salty surface area and just as much juicy beef goodness."
The Shake Shack Address: Located in New York City's Madison Square Park, 23rd Street and Madison Avenue Phone: N/A URL: shakeshacknyc.com The Skinny: Open from the first day of spring to the last day of fall, the Shake Shack has become a beloved burger institution in New York in the handful of years it's been open. Unpretentious and delicious burgers with a crunchy, salty outer crust and superb blend of meats. (More on the Shack from A Hamburger Today.)
In-N-Out Burger Address: Various locations throughout California, Nevada, and Arizona Phone: N/A URL: in-n-out.com The Skinny: Arguably the nation's best chain hamburger, albeit a chain whose reach is cruelly limited to three Western states. High-quality meat that's fresh, never-frozen along with hand-cut fries. The chain is deservedly famous for its cleanliness, efficiency, and friendly customer service. Mr. Sokolov, however, does not particularly like In-N-Out: "unspectacular — fairly thin, cautiously seasoned"
Miller's Bar Address: 23700 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn MI 48124 Phone: 313-565-2577 URL: millersbar.com The Skinny: Serving one of Sokolov's choice burgers, Miller's sandwiches are hefty, no-nonsense affairs.
Ann's Snack Bar Address: 1615 Memorial Drive, Atlanta GA 30317 Phone: 404-687-9207 URL: N/A The Skinny: A tiny diner on a grim stretch of highway, go for the Ghetto Burger, Sokolov says.
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