Custom beef blends, Maillard smash crusts, potato buns, and melted cheese.
Elena RossiFood, Drink & Culinary Editor
Winner
Au Cheval Double Cheeseburger
Overview
A great burger is a masterclass in beef fat ratio, sear crust, and bun proportions. We audited smash burgers, pub burgers, and fast-food icons for juiciness, bun integrity, and flavor balance.
Winner spotlight
№1Au Cheval in Chicago serves the undisputed king of burgers. Featuring two (or three) prime beef patties seared on a flat-top, melted American cheese, thick-cut peppered bacon, and a sunny-side-up egg on a toasted brioche bun.
At a glance
| Pick | #1 Au Cheval Double Cheeseburger Prime Beef · Brioche | #2 Minetta Tavern Black Label Dry-Aged Ribeye Blend | #3 Shake Shack ShackBurger Angus Beef · Martin's Potato Bun | #4 In-N-Out Double-Double Fresh Beef · Animal Style | #5 Gordon Ramsay Burger Short Rib & Brisket Blend | #6 Honest Burgers British Beef · Rosemary Chips | #7 Bleecker Burger Dry-Aged Smash |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 9.9 | 9.7 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 9.5 |
| Flavour | Exceptional | Outstanding | Excellent | Great | Great | Good | Good |
| Quality tier | Single origin | Premium | Specialty | Specialty | Good | Good | Everyday |
| Value | Excellent | Great | Great | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
| Availability | Widely available | Widely available | Online | Online | Online | Online | Local |
The list
Ordered by overall score across every test. The “best for” note tells you exactly who each pick is for.
1Seared prime beef patties, melted American cheese, and thick-cut peppered bacon.
Best overallWhy buy
Keep in mind
2Pat LaFrieda dry-aged ribeye beef blend topped with caramelized onions.
Dry-aged steakhouse burgerWhy buy
Keep in mind
3Custom Angus beef blend smash-seared on Martin's potato bun with ShackSauce.
Global fast-casual smashWhy buy
Keep in mind
4Cult classic fresh unfrozen beef patties served Animal Style with grilled onions.
Cult west coast valueWhy buy
Keep in mind
5Butter-basted short rib blend cooked over open hardwood flame.
Open flame bastedWhy buy
Keep in mind
6Medium-rare British beef with bacon, cheddar, and famous rosemary salted chips.
UK pub burger & chipsWhy buy
Keep in mind
7Intense dry-aged beef flavor cooked rare with simple American cheese on sesame bun.
Pure dry-aged beef flavorWhy buy
Keep in mind
Deep dive
| Feature | Au Cheval Double Cheeseburger | Minetta Tavern Black Label | Shake Shack ShackBurger | In-N-Out Double-Double | Gordon Ramsay Burger | Honest Burgers | Bleecker Burger |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single origin | |||||||
| Organic | |||||||
| Fair trade | |||||||
| Roast options | |||||||
| Freshness | |||||||
| Sustainable packaging | |||||||
| Small batch | |||||||
| Decaf option |
The verdict
Before you buy
Every entry was tasted blind across three separate rounds by our panel and scored on a 100-point scale. We retest winners quarterly, because batches, roasts and vintages change — and so do we.
Price is the worst predictor of quality in food — batch, roast date and provenance matter more. Buy from roasters that print roast dates, and trust blind tests over brand names.
The winner of our The 7 Greatest Burgers on Earth ranking is the pick that scored highest across every test — but 'best overall' isn't always 'best for you'. Use the 'Best for' note under each of the seven to match a pick to your budget, your space and your habits. Every entry on this list earned its place; the ranking simply tells you where to start.
Questions
Our panel samples each entry in identical vessels, labelled only with codes, across three rounds. Scores are averaged and any entry with a wide spread is retested.
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