The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die

Note: of the 20 i've had 2 of them already (#15 and #8). 18 to go!!!

from GQ Magazine

Alan Richman traveled 23,750 miles and consumed more than 150,000 calories while taking the measure of 162 burgers across the country—with one goal: to find you the best damned assemblage of ground beef and buns this country serves up

The hamburger is a symbol of everything that makes America great. Straightforward, egalitarian, substantial, and good-natured, it is also a little bloody at times.

It may come big and ungarnished, the East Coast ideal, tender and untroubled by bones or gristle, everything you look for in a filet mignon but seldom find. It may be the West Coast model, swelling with vegetation, brimming with health and well-being, piled high with all that a seed catalog can provide. A great burger, regardless of regional differences, instills a sense of optimism and fulfillment, that all is right at the table or the counter or the woodgrain, screwed-to-the-floor, fast-food booth.

At its best, it eliminates the need for conversation or the urge to glance up at the TV over the bar. If you find yourself eating silently, eyes closed, ignoring everything around you, even the unavoidable burger-joint din, you have come upon a burger that can be pronounced a success.

Here are the 20 best burgers in America

20. Hamburger Sandwich - Louis' Lunch
New Haven, CT

19. Our Famous Burger - Sidetrack Bar and Grill
Ypsilanti, MI

18. Hamburger - Poag Mahone's Carvery and Ale House
Chicago

17. Double Bacon Deluxe with Cheese - Red Mill Burgers
Seattle

16. Hamburger & Fries - Burger Joint
San Francisco

15. Build Your Own Burger - The Counter
Santa Monica

14. Hamburger -J. G. Melon
New York City

13. Cheeseburger - White Manna
Hackensack, NJ

12. Hamburger - Bobcat Bite
Sante Fe, NM

11. Grilled Bistro Burger - Bistro Don Giovanni
Napa, CA

10. Number Five - Keller's Drive-in
Dallas

9. Cheeseburger - Burger Joint, le Parker Meridien Hotel
New York City

8. Hamburger - Miller's Bar
Dearborn, MI

7. Buckhorn Burger - Buckhorn
San Antonio, NM

6. California Burger - Houston's
Santa Monica

5. Kobe Sliders - Barclay Prime
Philadelphia

4. Rouge Burger - Rouge
Philadelphia

3. Not Just a Burger - Spiced Pear Restaurant at the Chanler Hotel
Newport, RI

2. Luger Burger - Peter Luger Steak House
Brooklyn

1. Sirloin Burger - Le Tub
Hollywood, FL