New Jersey makes some of the best burgers around. Here are some top picks from our staff.
The Black Horse Pub
Mendham
When the Black Horse, one of New Jersey’s oldest restaurants, reopened last year after a multimillion-dollar renovation, a new menu debuted alongside sleek interior-design updates. The most talked-about item on offer, though, wasn’t even on the menu. But word soon spread about the off-menu 1742 Burger ($29), which locals had dubbed the secret burger, and the restaurant decided to make it permanent. The only topping on this no-frills burger is cheese, keeping the focus on high-quality meat; it’s made with a proprietary blend of 45-day dry-aged beef the restaurant spent months perfecting. It’s topped with cheddar, served on a sesame challah bun, and comes with a side of crispy fries. It’s simple and delicious. —Julie Gordon
1 W. Main Street; 973-543-7300
Bovine Burgers
Jamesburg
Bovine Burgers has become a happening nightlife spot in downtown Jamesburg. It has a deep menu of 100 percent Angus craft burgers in create-your-own or signature varieties, such as Yous Guys ($11.59), topped with pork roll, and the Kim-Moo-Chi ($11.79), accented with kimchi. Exquisite onion rings, cereal-infused milkshakes, and non-beef options such as chicken, fried fish, black bean and Beyond burgers are also on the menu. —Kelly-Jane Cotter
76-B W. Railroad Avenue; 732-656-1666
The Committed Pig
Morristown, Manasquan & Summit
This place is known for its burgers, and they don’t disappoint. A cheeseburger I had recently was big enough to share and came with our choice of fries. The Committed Pig cheeseburgers are double-patty creations featuring a custom Pat LaFrieda beef blend and interesting toppings, served on soft potato or specialty buns with a side of fries ($18). —Jacqueline Mroz
28 W. Park Place; 862-260-9292
Dan and Day’s Burgers and Shakes
Montclair
This beloved, casual spot is known for its grass-fed beef burgers and house-made toppings. Run by a husband-and-wife team, it evolved from their previous place, Stuffed Grassfed Burgers. The Wagyu Smash Burger ($10.50) has two, 2-ounce patties with American cheese, pickles, sautéed onions and a signature burger sauce on a potato roll and is juicy without being greasy. The milkshakes here are also delightful. —JM
508 Valley Road; 973-893-5805
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Diesel and Duke
Montclair & Princeton
Famous for its never-frozen smashburgers and hand-cut fries, Diesel and Duke’s signature smashburger ($8.50) is served with crispy seared edges and soft toasted buns. Customers also love their milkshakes and fried Oreos. Great for a quick burger on the go. —JM
20 Church Street; 973-744-0011
The Galley
Asbury Park
The Galley’s Captain Sloshed Burger ($26) inspires a double take even on a crowded menu of must-orders. A 10-ounce Pat LaFrieda burger patty comes topped with a crowning medallion of mac and cheese and bacon, all encased in a crust of semi-burnt cheese on a brioche bun. It’s nearly impossible to describe and equally impossible not to love. —Ryan Loughlin
1313 Memorial Drive; 732-775-7711
Krug’s Tavern
Newark
Old-school and comforting, Krug’s Tavern is a Newark institution (since 1932). This bar and grill-style spot serves many things, but the burger (big and juicy at 12 ounces for $14.25) is one of the most famous in North Jersey. It wins voters’ and critics’ choice best-of rankings every year and if you haven’t had it yet, well, here’s your assignment: Get the cheeseburger medium rare, with or without bacon, and onions raw or fried. Pickles and hot peppers on the side. Classic. —Georgia Kral
118 Wilson Avenue; 973-465-9795
Mabel
Holmdel
What it lacks in creative nomenclature, it makes up for in taste, as the Burger ($22) on Mabel’s dinner menu is outstanding. Its custom beef blend patty is complemented but never outshined by aged cheddar, caramelized onions, pickles and an outstanding sesame-seeded brioche bun, but the secret weapon might just be the swipe of Dijon aioli that adds just enough tang to have me ordering it again. —RL
101 Crawfords Corner Road; 732-444-8889
Madame
Jersey City
The gorgeous Madame Burger ($25) is a tantalizing, French-inspired creation; Pat LaFrieda custom-blend patties are topped with tangy petit Basque cheese, caramelized onions, and a delectable truffle aioli, served on a brioche alongside crisp truffle frites. Pair it with one of Madame’s delicious cocktails for a perfect night out. —JM
390 Fourth Street; 201-876-8800
The Saint Clair
Montclair
Dry-aged beef delivers a deep, rich flavor to this burger at the Saint Clair, a chic spot on Montclair’s restaurant row. This is the burger ($29) you order when you’re out on the town wearing a dress and sipping wine, but you really just love a good patty on a bun. Here, the patty features some high/low accompaniments: slow-roasted sweet onions, truffle aioli and Cooper Sharp, a melty, American-style cheese that tastes like cheddar. —GK
32 Church Street; 973-867-8387
Sergeantsville Inn
Sergeantsville
The Sergeantsville Inn, beloved for its Blue Plate Special fried chicken and pretty much everything else chef Sean Gray commits to a plate, keeps its burger ($20) simple. A house-ground combo of short rib, chuck and brisket, cooked medium, arrives on a toasted potato roll with just cheese, onion and mustard. Humble? Sure. Worth abandoning your smashburger addiction for? Yep. Quality and execution steal the show here. —Tammy LaGorce
601 Rosemont Ringoes Road; 609-397-3700
Steve’s Burgers
Garfield
This proverbial greasy spoon may look like a roadside drive-by, but hit your brakes. Owner Steve Chrisomalis’s 16-year-old, cash-only spot is known for its hand-formed burgers, but the eponymous cheeseburger is the chart topper. Steve’s cheeseburger ($10) crams bacon, lettuce, tomato, a signature sauce, and an oversized, golden onion ring on a bun—make it a double ($14), and it’s a challenge to hold. Mostly takeout, the menu includes cheesesteaks, dogs and more. —Deborah P. Carter
506 US-46; 973-772-1770
Tailgaters
Galloway
There are lots of creative burgers at Tailgaters. Bypass them all and order the Classic American Burger ($13.99) with applewood bacon, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, ketchup and mayo. This is one of the few spots that always nails a perfect medium rare. If I could only eat one burger for the rest of my life, this would be it. —RL
337 White Horse Pike; 609-804-9000
Tierney’s Tavern
Montclair
This iconic burger ($8.25) has been thrilling tavern-goers for years, and it goes well with a cold draft beer. It’s a simple, thin patty classic pub burger; juicy, but not too greasy, with a soft white hamburger bun and cheese. If you’re in the know, order the off-menu Buddy Burger, a combination of cheese, bacon and caramelized onions. —JM
138 Valley Road; 862-596-5986
Tony Beef
Somers Point, Brigantine & Galloway
Possibly the best cover version of a hit sandwich I have come across, the Big Schmacc ($13.24), is exactly what you think it is—an elevated take on the McDonald’s Big Mac. A triple stack of buttery housemade buns gets interspersed with a half-pound of fresh beef, American cheese, lettuce, pickles and their own “Schmacc sauce.” It’s bigger, beefier and better than anything a creepy, out-of-work clown mascot might offer you.—RL
195 S. New York Road; 609-377-5744
Vagabond Kitchen + Tap House
Atlantic City
A little sting of jalapeno is nice on a burger, but that simple concept gets dolled-up all fancy-like on the Mexican Hottie ($18), as the typical sliced jalapenos are swapped for full peppers, each hollowed, stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon. It seems gimmicky and Instagrammy, but any judgy side-eye you were throwing vanishes instantly upon first bite. —RL
672 N Trenton Avenue; 609-350-6721
White Mana Diner
Jersey City
Smashed, slider-style burgers cooked on a flat top can be found at the original White Mana on Highway 1 and 9. They’re small and squishy so definitely order 2 or 3 (or more!) with cheese and pickles for a better than fast-food style experience that is impossible to replicate ($2.75). This place oozes historic vibes—and melted cheese. —GK
470 Tonnelle Avenue; 201-963-1441
White Manna
Hackensack
Every food influencer since Anthony Bourdain has made a big deal about it, but if there was ever a spot that lived up to the hype, it’s White Manna in Hackensack. Slider-sized burgers ($2.15) spatula-smacked with paper thin onions and American cheese get cooked on an impossibly small grill in an impossibly small restaurant. Every aspect works flawlessly. —RL
358 River Street
Woodies Drive-In
Ship Bottom
You’ll recognize Woodies by the blue VW bus parked out front like a mascot, matching the umbrellas on the picnic tables, or by the crowds waiting for what this drive-in promises are “LBI’s Best Burgers.” Live music entertains you while you wait for your order. Woodies gets its chopped meat from Okie’s, a popular butcher on LBI. Patty melts, pizza burgers and other classics share space on the menu with innovations like the Mac Daddy Patty ($12.50), a burger topped with fried mac and cheese. An extensive hot dog menu, fried seafood, and the ability to swap out beef for turkey, chicken, veggie, or black bean burgers makes the choice even more difficult. Woodies accepts cash only. —KJC
509 Long Beach Boulevard; 609-361-7300
