Best Hole-in-the-Wall Burger Joint in Every State

You can find a good burger anywhere in the United States — you just have to know where to look. Sometimes, the most unassuming joints hold the biggest secrets, and it's a given that if a restaurant has been around for decades, there's good reason. We looked to recommendations from local food writers, customer reviews on sites like Yelp and Google, and our own personal experiences to identify the top hole-in-the-wall burger joints in each state and Washington D.C. In particular, we focused on unpretentious, hidden gem restaurants that typically fly under-the-radar, especially those in small towns or out-of-the-way locations. These burger spots might not be the prettiest or most glamorous, but you're going to get an amazing, inexpensive burger at any of them.

Related: Best Hole-in-the-Wall Pizza Joints Across America

Mobile 

"It's what's between the buns that counts" is the motto at Butch Cassidy's restaurant and bar, so you know it's serious about its hamburgers. The signature Butch burger consists of a huge grilled patty with bacon, cheese, and plenty of toppings and condiments. Expect cheap beers during happy hour and occasional live music.

Related: Best Hole-in-the-Wall Diner in Every State

Kenai 

Never has there been a truer restaurant name than Burger Bus. It's just an old school bus, permanently parked and with a lean-to-like shack built onto the side offering shelter while you order. Eat your Kenai Killer burger with cheese, bacon, green chiles, and jalapeños at the one picnic table, or in your car. All the burgers come with fries.

For more great restaurant stories and dining tips, please sign up for our free newsletters.

Tempe 

The sign outside touts "over 278 sold," but The Chuckbox is likely to sell that many burgers in a day now. Watch as they grill your burger (and bun) over a mesquite charcoal barbecue. Then head to the condiment and topping bar with your paper plated burger. You'll eat it sitting on wooden crates after paying in cash only, and you'll love every bite of the chargrilled flavor.

Related: Best Hole-in-the-Wall Mexican Restaurant in Every State

Ozone 

Nestled on Highway 21 in the middle of Ozark National Forest is quirky Ozone Burger Barn. Under new ownership in 2019, the Barn is sticking with tradition. Order your huge, hand-pattied burgers at the shack's walk-up window, then take a seat in their only dining area, made up of picnic tables under an open-air shelter.

Van Nuys 

Walk up to Bill's Hamburgers and have a seat at the outdoor counter, because there is no other place to get food. Watch as your burger is made inside the kitchen — the only thing in the building — by Bill Elwell, who has wielded his spatula for decades. He can be a little grumpy, but the thin beef patties with a nice sear and copious amounts of mayo, lettuce, and tomato are worth it. Get your burgers to go while indoor eating is restricted due to the pandemic.

Related: Where to Find a Good, Cheap Burger in Every State

Denver 

Crown Burgers has been around for 29 years, though the retro interior's bright yellow molded booths suggests longer. Don't skip the Royal burger topped with a pile of thinly-sliced pastrami and whatever fixings you want. Steak fries and fat onion rings are musts on the side.

New Haven 

The holy grail of burger joints, not just hole-in-the-wall ones, is Louis Lunch. The hamburger sandwich is thought by many to have been invented here, way back in 1900, and not a whole lot has changed since. The interior is still made of well-worn (and graffitied) dark wood and the burgers are still cooked in the same vertical broilers. The beef is cooked medium, then placed on toasted white bread slices with, cheese, tomato, and onion options.

Related: 20 Historic Sandwich Shops That Changed Lunch Forever

Rehoboth Beach 

Gus & Gus has been operating since 1956 on a corner of the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk, and you can walk up to the windows in your swimsuit. Grab a respectable little burger for cheap or, if you're really hungry from your beach day, get a cheeseburger sub. Hamburger patties are cooked, chopped roughly, and layered in a sub roll with melted cheese and toppings.

This famous black-owned business has been around since 1958 and it's gotten the POTUS seal of approval: just 10 days before his inauguration, then President-elect Barack Obama visited in 2009. Though the eatery is best known for its chili, burgers (as well as hot dogs, fries, milkshakes, and salads) are offered, too. Consider getting chili on your burger for the best of both worlds.

Related: Black-Owned Stores to Support in (Almost) Every State

Miami 

Miami's contribution to the burger world is the fritas, a Cuban-inspired burger topped with a mound of crispy fried shredded potatoes. El Mago de las Fritas is a little one-counter diner with one of the best fritas in the city. The squishy hamburger bun is grilled lightly on both sides, and the potato strings are crispy and not too greasy. Try it with cheese and a fried egg on top.

Related: Best Hole-in-the-Wall BBQ Joints Across America

Macon 

The hamburger and the cheeseburger are both under $3 at this retro eatery, but you may want to upgrade to a V burger to get fries and a drink. Fans rave about the friendly service and the tasty breakfasts, too. 

Princeville, Kauai 

You can grab groceries. get gas, and even get a grass-fed burger (or pizza, salads, chicken, or fresh-baked chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies) at North Shore General Store. While the only eating area is outside with the wandering, local chickens, you can get some unique burgers, including the kimchi teriyaki burger, a pizza burger, and a Braddah BBQ burger with bacon, cheese, and caramelized onion. .

Related: 30 Things You Didn't Know About White Castle

Coeur d'Alene 

Hudson's Hamburgers started as a tent restaurant in 1907. Five generations later, it's still owned by the Hudson family, but it's morphed into a small diner with one long counter. Have a seat and watch the cook sear your burger, which is served with pickles and raw onions on a super soft bun. Try the creamy, homemade hot sauces along with it.

Chicago 

At Illinois Bar & Grill, they don't fool around: The Famous Chicago burger weighs in at 13 ounces of beef, and the patty goes on a scale each time. It comes with two slices of cheese and condiments, but you might as well gild the lily and get the blanket of bacon as well. A burger that big fits right in with the dive bar décor.

Related: Don't Miss These Under-the-Radar Restaurants in Every State

Highland 

In operation since 1932, Miner-Dunn serves up as much nostalgia as hamburgers. Burgers are about a quarter-pound of smashed, seared beef; the Major-Dunn burger has double meat, double cheese, extra bacon, fried egg, and onion rings. Always order your burger deluxe, which comes with homemade french fries and a famous soft serve orange sherbet for dessert.

Fort Dodge 

When in doubt, try a biker bar. Rides Bar & Grill has burgers named after motorcycles and classic cars, like the Triumph double cheeseburger. A rentable party room often hosts live music.

Related: 58 Iconic Restaurants You Have to Try Before You Die

Overland Park 

Grandstand Burgers is a grand name for a tiny place: four stools at a counter and a handful of picnic tables outside. It gets crowded in a building that's mostly kitchen, so expect a line out the door at lunch. Grab a Kelly burger, which has two thick beef patties, bacon, cheese, ham, and a couple of onion rings.

Louisville 

Located on hip Baxter Avenue, Bunz Burgerz can be overlooked in a sea of popular restaurants. But while the counter-service restaurant has only a few tables, it's got amazing burgers with unlimited toppings, including creamy Bunz sauce and an olive blend. If there's enough room to eat it, stay — the employees are friendly and the graffiti art on the walls is mesmerizing.

Related:  40 Hole-in-the=Wall Bars That Have Survived the Decades

Lafayette 

The Judice Inn has been serving Lafayette residents since two brothers opened it in 1947. It's especially popular among University of Louisiana students, since it's only about a mile off campus. Burgers come wrapped in wax paper, spread with a mustard and mayo mixture, and with an onion slice on the side. Unlike other burger joints, this one doesn't serve french fries — only local Zapp's potato chips.

Falmouth 

The little roadside stand of Harmon's Lunch makes burgers as it did opening day in 1960: small and inexpensive, with thin patties and pillowy, buttered buns, so order two. Get them "loaded" with sweet red relish, mustard and fried onions. There's only about a half-dozen tables, so eat up and get back on the road after a perfect pit stop.

Related: 50 Best Old-School Italian Restaurants in America

Brookeville 

It's tucked into the back of the Sunshine General Store, and you'll be eating next to dingy shelves of convenience store goods. But you're not here for the atmosphere. The burgers have thick patties served on a squishy sesame seed bun. Like so many dives, it's cash only, so plan ahead.

Related: Exceptional Restaurants and Cafes in Your Favorite Stores

Springfield 

There's nothing fancy about White Hut — it really is just a white hut. But it's been going since 1939 with no signs of slowing, thanks mostly to its slider-like "hamburgs" and "cheesburgs." The beef is falling-apart thin, and the buns are soft and griddled lightly on top for texture. Keep these classics simple with just cheese and grilled onions.

Dearborn 

There's a dive bar in Dearborn complete with drop ceiling, stained-glass lampshades, and almost zero sunlight. Miller's kitchen and griddle is right behind the bar, so you can see cooks prepping your hefty little burger patty. There's nothing fancy here: cheese or no cheese, plus onions or pickles. The burgers are juicy, which can be a problem considering they're served on only a square of wax paper.

Related: Best Under-the-Radar Steakhouse in All 50 States

Eden Prairie 

The Lions Tap is what you'd expect a bar in Minnesota to look like: wood paneling, mounted fish, and a fireplace for six-month winters. It's a no-frills bar with equally simple burgers with thick patties, fresh toppings, and gooey American cheese. You won't be able to fit your mouth around a double, but get one anyway. They're served on small paper plates, but they're branded with the bar's name — talk about fancy.

New Albany

Latham'sused to be in a dining car across the street. Moving to the current location, Latham's brought the rail car's stools and countertop, where cooks serve doughburgers: beef that's been mixed with flour, created in the South as a way to stretch beef when times were tough. It's shallow fried in a cast-iron skillet, giving it a unique, crunchy crust you can't get on a griddle.

Related: 30 Roadside Restaurants Across America Worth a Detour

Stockton 

Head to southwest Missouri to find unique cheeseburgers at Squeeze Inn. They make their cheeseburgers — called Squeezeburgers — by piling shredded cheddar atop the patty on the griddle. It melts and forms a crispy, lacy cheese skirt that hangs out of the bun. You'll enjoy it much more than the garden gnomes staring at you in the homey dining room.

Great Falls 

2K's Kafe is "home of the big burger," and they're not fooling. The beef patty is much larger in diameter than the bun, so it sticks out almost comically on all sides, and makes the cheese slices look small in comparison. Beef that big is worth the 20-minute cook time and barebones dining room.

Related: 31 Belly-Busting Food Challenges That Offer Winners a Free Meal

Martinsburg 

Like 2K's Kafe in Montana, Bob's has a burger with a thick beef patty about double the diameter of the hamburger bun, overhanging the edges by inches and making two hands a must. Don't be put off by the shaggy-looking building in desperate need of a paint job — the big red "Welcome to Bob's Bar" sign greeting you inside will make you feel instantly at home.

Reno 

Modeled on drive-ins of the past, Scoopers has drive-up service and a small, no-frills dining area indoors with photos of classic cars and old soda pop ads. The burger beef is ground fresh daily, and toppings such as jalapeños and sliced pastrami are popular options. And then there are the milkshakes — all 48 of them.

Related: 30 Classic Drive-In Restaurants That Endure

Milford 

The burgers at Papa Joe's are almost all named after customers. The beef is hand pattied and grilled fresh for every burger. Skip's Cardiac burger is a massive concoction of Buffalo and Cajun-seasoned patties, salami, cheeses, onion rings, bacon, and Creole mayo. If that's not your style, watch for unique weekly burger specials in these humble surroundings.

Hackensack 

Founded in 1939, White Manna (not to be confused with White Mana in Jersey City) is one of the nation's original slider joints. Burgers are small — most people order three or more — but inexpensive and tasty, with thinly sliced onions fried with the beef, and potato buns steamed on top. If you're lucky enough to grab a seat at the counter, you can watch the cook work his magic on the tiny griddle.

Related: Oldest Restaurant in Every State

Cedar Crest 

In New Mexico, they put roasted green chiles on everything, including burgers. Burger Boy has one of the best versions, in an old-fashioned diner setting (though food is currently to-go only). The meat for the burgers is ground in-house and packed loosely, making these burgers extra beefy. Order a chileburger to get more diced, roasted local green chiles on top.

Johnson City 

A small, two-room diner in a nondescript building in upstate New York serves some of the best burgers in the area. The beef at Village Diner is ground daily, hand formed into patties and served simply with the usual fixings. Or shake things up a bit and get a burger stuffed with ingredients such as jalapeño and pepper jack cheese.

Related: Best Greasy Spoon in Every State

Chapel Hill 

University of North Carolina students know where to head: Al's Burger Shack, just off campus. There's room for only a few counter seats inside, so the line is often out the door, especially since TripAdvisor said Al's had the best burger in the country. Burgers get creative: The Kenny J has Cheerwine barbecue sauce and spicy pimento cheese.  

Bismarck

This funky burger joint offers everything from hot dish to doughnuts with their burgers on a long, long menu, but don't get distracted. The burgers are still worth the visit whether you opt for something outrageous like a Supercharged Jesse James burger (topped with BBQ pork and jalapeños, among other items) or just opt for a single slice of cheese. 

Akron 

Akron's first hamburger joint is still going strong. Bob's Hamburg is vintage and a little shabby, but what do you expect from a diner that's been around since 1931? Burgers are thick and cooked on a well-worn griddle until nice and browned, then served with Bob's special sauce. Wash your burger down with a frosted glass of Bob's own root beer.

El Reno 

Oklahomans have their own preferred style of burger called the onion burger, which has shaved onions piled on top. When it's flipped, the onions fry on the griddle and are scooped into the bun with the beef. Sid's Diner serves up a favorite version in a small, old-fashioned diner, caramelizing the onions deeply to give the burger a nice char and sweetness. Order online for pickup.

Related: 30 of the Smallest Restaurants Around the World

Milwaukie 

Roadside rest stop Roake's opened in the 1930s and still has shiny steel walls reminiscent of a rail car. It's known for hot dogs and secret Coney sauce, but make a mean hamburger too. Get the Roaker burger with Coney sauce, cheese, mustard, onions, and pickles right on the burger to blend the worlds.

Girardville 

Tony's Lunch, a storefront diner, is home to a hyper regional burger variation called the Fluff Burger. A small, griddled hamburg is topped with raw onions, a pat of butter, a hefty smear of thick, spicy chili paste, and a dollop of marshmallow fluff. (Without the Fluff, it's called a Screamer.) It seems like an acquired taste, but diehards swear by the spicy-hot-sweet combo.

Related: 33 Classic Bars That Police and Firefighters Love

Narragansett 

The specialty burgers at Crazy Burger live up to the name, with ingredients such as a sesame wasabi rub, brie cheese, and a burger that's cooked in a tortilla like a quesadilla. The Wassupy Burger is coated in a wasabi, fennel, and sesame rub, and is topped with brie and onion rings. On the side is wasabi-chipotle mayo.

Greenville 

Carhops no longer operate at The Clock Drive-In like when it opened in 1954. No matter, because the burgers are just as good without the roller skates. Try a chili cheeseburger with homemade chili and onion rings prepared daily — they're better than the crinkle-cut fries, but you can get a half and half if you must.

Related: How Drive-In Restaurants Are Catering to Customers Amid the Pandemic

Deadwood 

You won't find fine dining here, but consider grabbing the Diablo burger — but only if you bring cash. But just in case, there's an ATM inside. 

Nashville 

This self-proclaimed hole-in-the-wall burger joint closes daily at 2:30 p.m. so workers can "go home to play with their kids," but the grass-fed beef and sweet potato fries keep fans coming back. Try the chili burger with a heaping helping of homemade chili

Related: The Craziest Pizzas in Every State

Dallas 

Not far from downtown, Lee Harvey's has wood paneling and beer signs so old that hipsters like them, as well as a gravel yard that's bigger than the space inside and might host crawfish boils or audiences for bands playing on the porch. The menu changes a lot, and there's always a burger — but this might be the only joint on the list where the setting outshines the beef.

Huntsville 

The Shooting Star Saloon, founded in 1879 and claiming the title of the state's "Oldest Continuously Operating Saloon," is in a building that's even older. Dollar bills cover the ceiling, left there by visitors, and Buck, the mounted head of a 298-pound Saint Bernard who died in 1957, hangs on a wall. The Star Burger is the signature, and it's a handful: two beef patties sandwiched with cheese around a grilled knackwurst sausage.

Related: 30 Historic Dive Bars Across the Country

Burlington 

The Shopping Bag is a corner grocery store with grill, and some of the best burgers in Vermont. You know everything is fresh because it's the same stuff they sell. There's no dining area, and you order at one place and pay at another, but it won't matter once you bite into one of their half-pound beauties. Online ordering for pickup is now available, too. 

Norfolk 

It's easy to drive right past the walk-up-window-only Manny's Burger, but it's worth a U-turn if you miss it. Burgers are wide and flat, kind of like the onion rings. The Manny's burger special includes sliced ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and mustard.

Related: 30 American-Themed Restaurants and Attractions Around the World

Olympia 

Eastside Big Tom is a kitschy little joint that's great for kids — a walk-up shack that doles out thin, traditional burgers with a special creamy sauce called goop. There's a covered eating area with picnic tables in the parking lot, along with crazy yard décor such as life-size dinosaurs, murals, and cartoon sharks.

West Lewisburg 

Nostalgia keeps diners coming back to Jim's Drive-In, which opened in the early 1950s and still offers curb service. The Big Jim Ranch burger is the most popular, and it comes with ham, red onion, sweet pickle, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. 

Related: 30 Classic Drive-In Restaurants Serving Customers During the Pandemic

Jefferson 

Wedl's takes "hole in the wall" to new levels — it's a seasonal, sidewalk shack that's been around for more than a century, cooking thin, smashed slider-style burgers on a griddle with lard and onions.

Rock Springs 

One semi-circular counter is all that makes up Grub's. The tiny place has been around since 1946 and serves as the town meeting point over breakfast, pie, and burgers. The Shamrock is its signature, and it's nothing fancy: beef with cheese, mustard, pickles, and onions. But when you've been around for this long, now is not the time to change things up.