10. Fat Mo’s — (Nashville, TN) Fat Mo’s is an American success story. It was founded by Mo and Shiva Karimy in 1991. Fat Mo’s has been recognized not only in Nashville and Tennesse, but also nation wide. (Best of Food TV network). It has been voted the No. 1 Cheese burger by many different medias. For the ultimate American fast food meal, add an order of french fries and a shake. Then take an aspirin to clear your bloodstream. Yum!

9. In-N-Out — (Western U.S.) The atmosphere of enthusiasm for serving customers the freshest quality hamburgers and french fries is obvious. Though times have changed, little has changed at In-N-Out. The menu—burgers, fries and drinks—is still the same basic menu customers have enjoyed since 1948. Everything is still made fresh to order. There are no microwaves or freezers. Customers may observe french fries being made from hand-diced, fresh, whole potatoes. And the shakes are made from real ice cream.

The first thing I do whenever traveling to California is head straight to an In-N-Out. And now they are in Texas!

8. P. Terry’s — (Austin, TX) The patty is the foundation of a great hamburger. P. Terry’s spends a lot of time deciding what to serve. They chose fresh All-Natural Black Angus beef; hormone-free, antibiotic free while raised on an all-vegetarian diet. They then inspect and season each patty in their stores. They serve locally grown tomatoes and organic tomatoes when available. These tomatoes have true superior flavor and are delivered daily. The other produce: lettuce, onions, etc are delivered fresh every morning. They serve Mrs. Baird’s buns delivered four times a week

If you couldn’t tell already, P. Terry’s is a bit detail oriented. P. Terry’s uses Land ‘O Lakes Cheeses. They think Heinz has the best ketchup, so they use Heinz. They also use Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, French’s Mustard, real milk for their shakes and fresh lemons for their lemonade.

For years, I thought In-N-Out had the best fast food burger, but P. Terry’s now holds that distinction for me. Period.

7. Outback — (Worldwide) I am including two chain restaurants (personally, I tend to shy away from chains and patronize independent restaurants) since my readers hail from all over the world. Outback’s burgers are cooked to order and they are delicious. I prefer the burger over their many steak selections. They have three choices. Bloomin’ Burger® — topped with Bloomin’ Onion® petals, American cheese, lettuce, tomato and spicy bloom sauce. The Outbacker Burger — topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and mustard. Add cheese, at no charge. Aged Cheddar Bacon Burger (my favorite) — topped with aged Cheddar, bacon, pickles, onions, lettuce, tomato and mayo.

6. J. Alexander’s — (Throughout U.S.) J. Alexander’s is a contemporary American restaurant, known for its wood-fired cuisine. Their core philosophy is to provide you with the highest possible quality dining experience. The menu features a wide selection of American classics including prime rib of beef, steaks, and burgers made of top quality sirloin ground fresh several times daily. Because the restaurants have a full-service bar that includes an outstanding selection of wines both by the glass and bottle, they are one of the few restaurants on this list where you can enjoy a glass of red wine with your burger.

5. Grizzly Bar — (Roscoe, MT) The Grizzly Bar is known for it’s steaks and mouthwatering prime rib — but to me — the hamburger is the star. Sure, they have huge steaks, but they take second place to the monstrously delicious and fresh burgers. You also get a wonderful dining experience in a stunningly beautiful location. Years ago upon my first visit, it was a tiny, rustic bar where real cowboys gathered for a meal and beer after a long days work. Then the backpackers and skiers discovered her culinary delights and now they have been forced to expand the tiny building. While it does not have the original ambience, the burgers are still top-notch and not to be missed if you are anywhere around Red Lodge, Montana. Oh, you can also experience live poker every Thursday and Sunday.

4. Oak Bar — (Nashville, TN) At the stunning Hermitage Hotel next door to the mediocre Capitol Grille is the fabulous Oak Bar, which has been beautifully restored. It offers a private, relaxing retreat – to begin an evening or bring it to a satisfying close. The extensive wine list, fully stocked bar and unique environment have earned it many “best bar in Nashville” titles. Think a glass of Hendry Cabernet with one of the best burgers of your life while tucked into a leather couch in a private alcove enjoying one of the most beautiful settings imaginable. Perfect. Oh yeah, and don’t miss a trip to the men’s restroom (ladies can go in as well when the coast is clear).

3. Trace — (Austin, TX) Located at the prestigious W Hotel in the historic 2nd Street district in downtown Austin, TRACE Austin is a sleek and sophisticated restaurant featuring the finest flavors of Central Texas sourced directly from the region’s surrounding farms. They feature ever-changing medlies of Texas cuisine, artisan cheeses and heritage meats from the finest and freshest seasonal fare. The ambience is perfect when the floor to ceiling doors are open to the fresh air and what other restaurant features a full-time forager who scours the region for the finest and freshest Texas beef. The Trace Butcher Burger has Tillamook cheddar, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, Dai Due yellow mustard, house made ketchup, mayo, and pickles. Simply, a restaurant hamburger second to none.

2. Black Label — (Home) All my beef is prime and sourced from Central Market. It is important to use prime grade beef because, due to its intense marbling, less external fat is required in the the blend, thus concentrating the beef flavor. I generally use fresh prime ground chuck, but if you want to go all out, have your butcher grind up a combination of dry aged ribeye, skirt steak and brisket. The beef—from grinding or chopping to the formation of the patty—is worked as little as possible. I make sure it is at room temperature, apply sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, then press a gentle circle in the middle of the patty to prevent shriveling. The result is an extremely fluffy burger that retains its juices. The cast iron skillet is not searing hot as one might assume—the Black Label produces such a thick crust that it can be difficult to achieve even a rare internal temperature without completely burning the outside when cooking on high heat.

Clarified butter, chosen for its high smoke point, is used in the skillet to prevent the patty from sticking until it develops a crust. The patty is gently placed in the skillet and pressed down with just enough pressure to ensure complete contact with the cooking surface. Clarified butter is drizzled on top of the patty and copious amounts of sea salt and ground black pepper are added throughout the cooking process. Once the patty has developed a decent crust it is gingerly turned over every 30 seconds (yes, every 30 seconds), treated more like a delicate piece of fish than a hamburger. Once it is cooked to order, it is left to rest like a steak to allow the juices to redistribute within the patty. While the burger lounges, the previously caramelized onions are griddled in the beef juices to a deep char. This only takes a moment before they are placed on the burger to rest while the bun is prepared.

Now the focus shifts to the supporting ingredients. The Black Label needed a very special bun. Central Market bakes bread fresh hourly and their version of a Challah roll is perfect.  A tan crust studded with sesame seeds adds a pleasing “nuttiness,” with a creamy, eggy interior. I buy them a day in advance so the bun can harden slightly overnight, allowing it to become more robust. It is then cut ahead of time to allow the open face to become slightly stale and better stand up to the torrents of juice that the Black Label patty gushes.

The onions remain on the burger. While I don’t usually order my burgers with cooked onions, the ones here are quite special and are far more involved that your average fried onion. They are sautéed slowly ahead of time in clarified butter to the point where they just begin to caramelize but still retain a bit of snap.

The bun is toasted in the oven until a crunchy ring is burnished onto its outer circumference. The patty and onion stack is then placed in the skillet for a minute or so to bring the exterior temperature up before being placed on the bun.

The finished burger looks so simple, completely belying the rigorous preparation involved in bringing it to table. Although the bun might appear too large, it is so light and airy that as it compresses and conforms around the plump patty, the beef—to—bun ratio is actually spot on. The acridity of the onions balances the subtle sweetness of the bun, allowing the flavor of the beef to be fully realized. The Black Label is simply ethereal—tender, succulent, and brimming with a flavor that is intoxicating.

Yes, you can do it at home! Try it. My thanks to @m_vince (Vince Marotte) for meticulously guiding me to the greatest Black Label burger experience of my life!

1. ___________________ (Question: What is your perfect burger place?)

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