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New York has long been home to burger legends, from JG Melon to Minetta Tavern. Now the city’s case as the world’s burger capital is officially backed up: Four of the top 25 spots on the new World’s Best Burgers list go to New York restaurants—more than any other city worldwide.
Sip & Guzzle in the West Village earned the title of best burger in North America and the No. 13 spot overall. The bar only makes a dozen patties a day, grinding A5 Wagyu trimmings and binding them with cured Jidori egg yolk before searing them in a cast-iron pan and basting with beef tallow and butter. The meat is brushed with tare sauce, layered with a house-made Parmesan “Kraft single” and tucked into a potato bun from Bread’s Bakery. A shishito relish, smoked aioli and a samurai-skewered pickle finish the build. The result, according to the judges, is a burger that “feels both familiar and refined—approachable in style, yet executed with meticulous technique.”
Nowon, chef Jae Lee’s buzzing East Village restaurant, follows at No. 15. Its double-patty dry-aged burger blends American cheese, kimchi and gochujang mayo for a fiery Korean-American twist that’s become a cult favorite. The room’s energy mirrors the burger: bold, loud and impossible to forget.
Red Hook Tavern lands at No. 21 with the opposite approach: restraint. A thick dry-aged patty is topped with nothing more than American cheese and a slice of raw onion, nestled in a sesame bun. It’s minimalism that works. The tavern’s candlelit setting and tin ceilings provide a sense of timelessness, while the burger itself proves that simplicity, when done right, doesn’t need embellishment.
Rounding out the New York quartet is 4 Charles Prime Rib in the West Village, ranked No. 23. The steakhouse is already known for ceremony, and its double Wagyu cheeseburger is no exception. Two seared patties with American cheese, pickles and onions strike a balance between indulgence and comfort.
The full list spans cities from Valencia to Melbourne, but no destination can claim as many entries as New York. For once, the city’s burger swagger is officially justified.