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Adding to our list of things New York excels at—pizzas and bagels easily come to mind—the humble burger is most certainly on the docket. From the smashed burgers that started a craze to the high-end and dry-aged variety, our burger scene has everything to cull any carnivorous craving. Over the course of the past few months, we sank our teeth into everything double-stacked, greasy and gooey, just to find the best in the city. One slightly elevated cholesterol reading later, we think we’ve found the city’s best burger.
This year, we are giving the title of top NYC burger to Deux Luxe. Landing in SoHo this past May, the restaurant from sister duo Carrie and Charlotte Denoyer is an offshoot of Westchester eatery Café Deux. But, this time, the sisters honed in on their claim to fame: their Wagyu burger.
A creation that earned the title of "Best Wagyu Burger in Westchester,” from Westchester Magazine, the dish is stacked high with two Wagyu patties so juice that you'll have to deal with some spillage at every bite. Each patty is layered with a slap of American cheese and an aioli heavy on the garlic. All the extras: lettuce, tomatoes and onions are not needed or even wanted. It is a straightforward, meaty find that we think would be Ron Swanson-approved.
Second on the list is Crane Club’s eponymously named burger, the Crane Club Burger. Could its appeal also rest on the difficulty involved in securing one? Perhaps. Only twelve of these are made each night, available at the restaurant's bar only between 5:30pm and 6pm.
New Yorkers who rush over after work (or, most likely, during) will be rewarded with a thick-cut, dry-aged patty that’s perfectly pink in the middle, oozing out with white cheddar and perfectly complemented by a side of crunchy fries.
Coming in at number three is one of the best smashes in the city, Smacking Burger. The restaurant caused quite the craze when it landed last year, due in part to its location inside the last gas station under 14th Street. But this is a burger that stands up to the hype, particularly if you're focusing on the double-stacked The Big Smack. Griddled patties with that telltale skirt steak are meshed in between two buns, combo’ed with American cheese and a generous squirt of their tangy Smack sauce. It is a greasy good time if we’ve ever had one.
Here is our full list of the 16 best burgers in NYC right now.