Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Washington, D.C. area by diners

There's just something about a hamburger鈥攆rom the way the juices from the freshly grilled meat gently dribble down your chin as you take that first bite of the succulent patty to the way the cheese curves along the sides, melting slowly over the ground-beef goodness placed gently between two buns.

While a burger's je ne sais quoi may defy definition, one thing is certain: Americans love hamburgers. According to a 2024 YouGov survey, burgers are among the top three , tied with fried chicken and bested only by French fries. As further proof of hamburgers' dominance in America, chains where burgers are the star of the menu generated $110 billion in sales in 2024, according to the annual . Based on a of the Technomic report, that accounts for more than a quarter of the total sales among all Top 500 chains and more than double sales from chains where chicken is the main attraction.

The burger's origins stretch far beyond America, however. Named after Hamburg, a region in Germany known for its cattle, the Hamburg steak was the first step toward what would become . Served on a plate (sans buns, if you can believe it), the steak was said to have become popular during the Industrial Revolution after an . To make the food easier for the workers to eat on their breaks, a now unknown cook sandwiched the steak between two pieces of bread, and the rest, as they say, is history.

While it may never be proven when and where the hamburger was first invented, the deliciously simple sandwich is here to stay. But who serves the best burger today? You'll find many restaurants around the U.S. that claim they do, from in Chicago and New York to The Habit Burger Grill, a California-based chain that USA Today in America.

Of course, those restaurants may not be in your neck of the woods. To find the best of the best in your area, compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Washington, D.C. area based on diners' reviews on Yelp as of March 2025. Restaurants with at least 20 reviews tagged as "burgers" on Yelp within a 10-kilometer radius of Washington, D.C. were included. As a result, many restaurants featured may primarily serve other food items besides burgers. Also, to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with at least five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

Keep reading to see if your favorite burger spot made the cut鈥攐r maybe you'll find your new favorite on this list!

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#28. Good Stuff Eatery

- Rating: 3.5/5 (2077 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 303 Pennsylvania Ave. Southeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers
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#27. Thunder Burger & Bar

- Rating: 3.5/5 (889 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3056 M St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Bars, New American
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#26. Shake Shack F Street

- Rating: 3.6/5 (872 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 800 F St. Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, fast food
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#25. Char Bar

- Rating: 3.6/5 (168 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2142 L St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Kosher, Burgers, Sandwiches
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#24. DC9 Nightclub

- Rating: 3.6/5 (269 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1940 9th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Music Venues, Burgers
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#23. Ben's Chili Bowl

- Rating: 3.7/5 (4300 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1213 U St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers, Sandwiches
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#22. Stoney's

- Rating: 3.7/5 (495 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1433 P St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Bars, American, Burgers
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#21. The Big Board

- Rating: 3.7/5 (427 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 421 H St. Northeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Tacos, Cocktail Bars
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#20. Lucky Buns

- Rating: 3.8/5 (151 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 675 Wharf St. Southwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Burgers
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#19. Z-Burger

- Rating: 3.9/5 (610 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4321 Wisconsin Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers, fast food
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#18. Duke's Grocery

- Rating: 3.9/5 (396 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2000 Pennsylvania Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Bars, Gastropubs
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#17. Ghostburger

- Rating: 3.9/5 (227 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1250 9th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches, American
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#16. Good Stuff Eatery

- Rating: 3.9/5 (815 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3291 M St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: American, Burgers
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#15. Makers Union

- Rating: 4.0/5 (213 reviews)
- Address: 664 Maine Ave. Southwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: New American, Burgers, Cocktail Bars
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#14. Wingo's

- Rating: 4.0/5 (515 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3207 O St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: American, Chicken Wings, Burgers
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#13. Emmy Squared Pizza - Shaw

- Rating: 4.0/5 (324 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1924 8th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Pizza, Burgers
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#12. Lucky Buns

- Rating: 4.0/5 (596 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2000 18th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Cocktail Bars
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#11. 7th Street Burger

- Rating: 4.2/5 (120 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1424 Wisconsin Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers
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#10. Eat Brgz

- Rating: 4.2/5 (144 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1200 New Hampshire Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: New American, Bars, Burgers
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#9. Duke's Counter

- Rating: 4.2/5 (611 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3000 Connecticut Ave. Northwest Ste J Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Pubs, Sandwiches
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#8. Emmy Squared Pizza - Navy Yard

- Rating: 4.2/5 (409 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1300 4th St. Southeast Ste 100 Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Pizza, Burgers
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#7. The Capital Burger

- Rating: 4.3/5 (1017 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1005 7th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, New American, Cocktail Bars
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#6. HipCityVeg

- Rating: 4.3/5 (1185 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 712 7th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Vegetarian, Burgers, Salad
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#5. Cracked Eggery

- Rating: 4.4/5 (190 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3420 Connecticut Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Sandwiches, Salad, Burgers
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#4. PLNT Burger

- Rating: 4.4/5 (137 reviews)
- Address: 101 H St. Southeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers
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#3. Cracked Eggery

- Rating: 4.4/5 (137 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1921 8th St. Northwest Ste 110 Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Sandwiches
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#2. Swizzler Crispy Chicken + Smash Burgers

- Rating: 4.4/5 (195 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1259 1st St. Southeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Hot Dogs, Chicken Shop
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#1. FishScale

- Rating: 4.7/5 (169 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 637 Florida Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: Burgers, Seafood, Fish & Chips
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This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 304 metros.

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