The ultimate guide to the best burgers in Denver

At its most basic, a burger is kind of boring. Meat. Cheese. Bun. A burger is not meant to stand out, but rather to simply satisfy and satiate with consistency and affordability. That makes it equally appropriate for both the blue-collar worker’s lunch and the rich person’s gourmet splurge. 

But within that simplicity hides a deeper strength. The burger is one of the few national dishes on the global stage that has no strict recipe or guidelines attached. Its mind-numbing simplicity is exactly what also makes it wildly customizable. Outside of the core components of meat, cheese and bun, chefs have complete freedom to create whatever they desire without the restriction of culinary or cultural dogma. 

Dare to substitute the cheese used in cacio e pepe in Italy and you’ll get death threats. But swapping out a burger bun for doughnuts or fried mac-and-cheese will make you a viral sensation here. That freedom of expression, that ability to push boundaries and sometimes even go too far over the top, is what makes the burger such an iconic symbol of America. 

So as we enter this 250th Fourth of July weekend, we’re serving up some of the best burgers across metro Denver, where you can experience the patriotic magic of the burger firsthand. 

That’s a tougher job than you might think, as the “best” burger is typically the one nearest to you at the time you decide you want one. So our list is focused on the truly craveable, exceptional outliers worth a special trip. These are the places that do the basic at a remarkably un-basic level, and challenge the very notion of what a burger can be. We’ve categorized our findings by type of establishment; it would be unfair to compare burgers in the fast-food category to those in the sit-down restaurant category, for instance.

Full disclosure — we did not eat every burger in Denver. But we did eat quite a few, and most did not make the cut. Did we miss one of your faves? Let us know at editorial@westword.com.

In the meantime, we’re bringing out our best: 

Casual Burger Joints

Burger-first trucks, windows and stands (although many offer more than burgers)  

Arty’s Burger Plus
5614 Olde Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada
Type: Smash
Price: $10.50 / $15.50 double
Also known as Arty’s Express, this burger stand from Little Arthur’s Hoagies founder AJ Shreffler can be found inside New Image Brewing in Olde Town Arvada’s pedestrian district. The American Wit is eerily reminiscent of a Philly cheesesteak, complete with Cooper Sharp American cheese and caramelized onions. The Norris is an Oklahoma-style fried onion option. The West Coast Style is more traditional, while other options include a pepperoncini relish, or toppings of corned beef and sauerkraut. Whichever you choose, all feature American Wagyu beef cooked to perfection and served on housemade potato buns. 

Big Sky Burger
1958 S. Garrison St., Lakewood
Type: Patty
Price: $12.99 (fries included)
The Big Sky Burger shack in Lakewood advertises “Burgers – Fries – Shakes” in large red letters to lure in those seeking exactly that. But it’s a trap of the best kind. The standard burger is a wonderfully thick, 7-ounce patty that bursts with beefy flavor and is covered with American cheese. The rest of the menu is far less expected, opening a gateway to Korean fare with the Bulgogi Burger, Kimchi Burger and Spicy Pork Burger. There are also ramen bowls, curry, gyoza dumplings and more dishes with Asian influences. Are they according-to-Hoyle burgers? No. But who cares? Have some fun. 

Dalton’s Cheeseburgs
3763 Wynkoop St.
Type: Smash
Price: $14 / $17.50 double (fries included)
Most smashburgers require getting a double so that you can actually taste the meat. Not so at Dalton’s Cheeseburgs, where the smashburger has all the crispy crunchiness you’d expect from the griddle-fried patty, it’s also thick enough for a meaty bite without necessitating an extra layer. The Cooper Sharp American cheese offers a compelling tang without going full-Philly on the flavor, and pickles, onion and sauce to round things out. Find these burgers at the takeout window inside the RiNo Country Club mini-golf bar, and grab a beer while you wait. 

Duke’s Good Sandwiches and Burgers
2748 Welton St.
Type: Smash
Price: $13 / $16 double
Duke’s has made a name for itself in Five Points as the “Home of the original Denver chopped cheese,” but its Five Points Smash Burger is worthy of notice. It’s simplicity at its best, with a third-pound of black angus beef topped with American cheese, onion, lettuce…and that sauce. Nearly all smashburger sauces are a mix of mayo, ketchup and mustard, but Duke’s leans a bit more to the mustard side without going too far over. It’s delicious. 

The Galley
2927 Larimer St.
Type: Smash
Price: $14
When the hugely popular Twansburger exited its residency at Finn’s Manor (see below for where it wound up), it left a huge burger void at this RiNo beer and cocktail bar patio. Thankfully, the folks at Pit Fiend Barbecue stepped in, and are simply slaying it with their take on a smashburger that defies any chance of disappointment. The standard option comes as a double patty with cheese between each layer, caramelized onions and a sauce spiked with Thai sweet chili and dill that will restore your faith in humanity. Add $4 to can get the pitmaster’s signature brisket piled on top as well. 

Papa Friets 
2001 Chestnut Place.
Type: Smash
Price: $7.50 / $9.50 double
Chicago transplants Alex and Blake Carter brought their popular Papa Friets food truck to Denver originally as a Belgian fries-and-sausage concept, but soon added burgers to round out the menu. And boy, are we all the better for it. The savory smashburgers pop with the sweetness of caramelized onions and gooey cheese, a combo perfected during Alex’s focus on poutines. The truck now has a permanent home under the I-25 on-ramp overpass next to Coors Field, making it tough to reach during games. Even so, make it a point to pay the Carters a visit soon. 

Twansburger
2233 Larimer St. 
Type: Smash
Price: $13
Antoine “Twan” Villaume’s Twansburger food truck has become a mini cult sensation over the last five years, thanks to his laser-focused dedication to perfect execution of a simple product. For starters, he stores his burger buns in a small holding oven to keep them warm until ready to plate. The smashburgers are pressed impossibly flat as they’re cooked, making them intricately laced, crispy and meaty. Until recently, Twansburger was operating out of the Finn’s Manor courtyard; Villaume has since moved his operation to the alleyway behind La Diabla, where he offers a a three-item menu of burger, fries and fried chicken. 

Burger Adjacent Counters and Shops

Counter-service eateries where the burger is one of many options. 

Odie B’s
2651 W. 38th Ave.
1350 40th St.
Type: Smash-ish
Cost: $15.50
The burgers at both the Sunnyside and RiNo locations are sandwiched (pun intended) on the menu between the breakfast sandwiches that put this counter-service hot spot on the map, as well as more adventurous fare like green chile falafel and fried chicken chilaquiles. Although there’s just one burger option available, it’s all you need: It stands large with a double patty, a mix of both American and cheddar jack cheese, and dill-pickled onions. The “fancy sauce” is a Colorado version of Thousand Island dressing that includes green chile among the 25 other ingredients to give it a sweet/spicy kick. 

Right Cream
2423 S. Downing St.
Type: Smash
Cost: $9.75
Right Cream is an ice cream shop that got its start in the home kitchen of David Right during the pandemic, eventually moving to a small space in Rosedale and then adding smashburgers on Thursday nights. But the burgers proved too good to limit to just one night, and are now available daily in all their greasy, cheesy glory. Don’t taste and drive! Not only are these burgers next to impossible to put down, but your hands will get too slippery to grip the wheel. Give your cardiologist a heart attack and pick up some ice cream, too, while you’re there. 

Tessa Delicatessen
5724 E. Colfax Ave.
Type: Patty
Cost: $17 (fries included)
Amid the sea of cold-cut sandwiches and pastas available at this funky space smack dab in the middle of ongoing BRT construction on Colfax Avenue are a line of burgers worth seeking out. The Tessa Cheeseburger is a straightforward combination of angus beef, lettuce, tomato and pickles with a welcome swab of scallion mayo that provides an allium bite without the often harsh invasiveness of a raw onion. Another nice touch is the shredded lettuce rather than thick, slippery leaves. But it’s the housemade bun, a version of a Japanese milk bread, that really brings this burger together. 

Limited-Time Burgers

King of Wings first added burgers to the menu after a fire paused its wing-making operations. But the popularity of the Snipeburger understudy proved too strong, and now the burger — featuring the tangy gold wing sauce — is a regular Wednesday special at the Golden outpost. Rosenberg Bagels is now in its third year of hosting its Rosenburgers popup on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. until 2 a.m. until Labor Day. And Marczyk’s Fine Foods hosts a similar tradition every summer in the form of Burger Night: a charcoal-grilled burger party held at its Colfax location, offering 7-ounce Niman Ranch beef patties cooked to order. 

Bar/Restaurant Burgers

Table-service restaurants where you take a seat, place an order, and shouldn’t have to ask the server for ketchup when the plate arrives. 

Briar Patch
1222 Madison St.
Type: Patty
Price: $16 (fries included)
What happens when a chef trained in Michelin-starred kitchens takes over the back of the house at a restaurant looking to simplify its menu? You get the nuanced balance of the Royale with Cheese. It doesn’t look fancy, but it doesn’t have to, with a restrained balance that delivers all the needed flavor without gussy-ing it up with bells and whistles that other places use to mask mediocrity. Looking for something with more flash? The Apple & Onion burger layers on green apple, caramelized onion with garlic aioli, cheddar and arugula. 

Bud’s Cafe & Bar
5453 Manhart Ave., Sedalia
Type: Patty
Cost: $5.25 / $7.95 double
The burgers at this no-frills, cash-only pit stop in Sedalia put the sexy back up on the shelf and replaced it with blue-collar modesty. The burger is just a steamed bun and patty with pickles and onions, ketchup and mustard, along with a bag of chips. (“No French fries, damnit” reads the tabletop menu.) Want something more? Too bad. 

Bull & Bush
4700 Cherry Creek S. Drive
Type: Patty
Cost: $18 (fries included)
It may seem a little ironic to celebrate America’s dish in a bar decked out like a rustic English hunting lodge, but the burgers here have been consistently satisfying customers since the 1970s. The practiced execution shows on every plate, where thick, half-pound steakhouse burgers boast perfect crust surrounding a pink interior so juicy you have to make sure you’re leaning over the plate to keep the drippings from ruining your clothes. Wednesdays are Burger Night, where you get a free beer with any burger order. 

Candlelight Tavern
383 S. Pearl St.
Type: Patty
Cost: $9.50 (chips included)
Meat. Cheese. Bun. That’s it, and that’s all you need at this crunchy, old-school Denver bar still kicking on South Pearl Street. You’ll get a little side cup of pickles and raw onions, a condiment caddy and a bag of chips, too, but the star is the burger patty that’s hand-shaped and cooked like your dad grilled in the backyard. It’s a time capsule on a plate. 

The Castle Sports Bar & Grill
6657 S. Broadway, Littleton
Type: Patty
Cost: $17 (fries included)
Yes, the exterior of this Littleton bar does indeed look like a castle. And you’ll eat like a king here: The burgers are thick, perfectly cooked, and come with respectable fries. Choose your cheese and your preferred topping (from BBQ sauce to green chile and beyond) and belly up to the horseshoe bar where patrons are eating burgers elbow to elbow — particularly on Tuesdays, when burgers are buy-one-get-one-half-off.

Cherry Cricket
Multiple Locations
Type: Patty
Cost: $12.25
For 80 years, the Cherry Cricket has nourished Denver with a never-ending stream of award-winning burgers, including this year’s Best of Denver Readers’ Choice. From specialty items (like the best-selling Cricket Royal, with Swiss cheese, mushroom duxelles, caramelized onions, roasted garlic and onion jam, garlic aioli, and crispy onion strings) to the straightforward Cricket Burger, there are numerous reasons why Denver diners come back to this homegrown champion again and again. It never disappoints, and we hope the Cricket never stops chirping, either. 

My Brother’s Bar
2376 15th St.
Type: Patty
Cost: $11.75
Maybe it’s the ghost of beat-generation muse Neal Cassady, or the classical music constantly streamed through the speakers, or just the refreshing lack of TVs in the space, but My Brother’s Bar has some kind of magic touch with the burgers it serves at this historic location. While the cream cheese-based options (our favorite is the JCB) might give the uninitiated pause, taking that leap is worth it every time. Served simply wrapped in wax paper (no plate), but with a massive toppings and condiment caddy, the burger is both basic in presentation and customizable in practice. 

Steuben’s
523 E. 17th Ave.
Type: Patty
Cost: $15
This Uptown staple has been a favorite for its happy-hour burger deal and its late-night industry specials for twenty years. The standard burger is fine, the green chile cheeseburger is sublime, and there’s a Crunch Burger smash option that’s unique in that both the patty and bun are smashed and griddled inside and out. The lobster roll may get the stares, but the burger is the dependable mainstay. 

Fast-Food Burgers

Who needs the national chains? 

Crown Burgers
2192 S. Colorado Blvd.
Type: Patty
Price: $9.85 / $12.37 double
Denver’s Crown Burgers was founded in 1987 by George Brokalakis. While it carries the same name and (largely) menu as a Salt Lake City chain, it operates very much independently and has carved out a unique niche in the city. The standard burgers are griddled with a nice charred crust that allows you to taste the beef, then topped with melted cheese. The pro-tip upgrade here is the unique addition of pastrami as a topping in the Royal Burger option, or get your burger smothered with green or red chile. 

Snarfburger
1001 E. 11th Ave.
2535 Federal Blvd.
Type: Patty
Price: $7.25 / $10.25 double
Among the Denver-based fast-food chain options, Snarfburger (which originated in Boulder) is a solid and dependable choice, slinging a juicy charburger at a reasonable price without a lot of distractions. Sure, you can load it up with onion rings or Hatch chiles, but the basic Snarfburger is fine on its own without the added upgrades (but don’t sleep on the signature house hot sauce. The Federal Boulevard location boasts the retro, saddle-style stools from the original shack in Boulder, lined up against a narrow “bar” for eating outside. 

Blazing Bird
Multiple locations
Type: Smash
Price: $5.99 single / $7.99 double
We know, right? This surprised us, too. This Denver-based chain specializes in Nashville hot chicken, but it also has a praiseworthy burger. It’s a version of an Oklahoma fried onion burger, where the patty is smashed over a layer of thinly sliced onions on a flattop, allowing the onions to caramelize within the beef fat. Because it’s a hot chicken place, jalapeño peppers bring a degree of heat (it’s a hot chicken place, after all), but you can omit them on request. Optional toppings include a fried egg, macaroni and cheese (yes, as a topping), and a fried chicken tender (because… of course). 

Fancy restaurants that should be above serving burgers but do so, anyway

It’s hard to eat a burger at these restaurants and not feel a little silly. 

Ludo Lefebvre’s Chez Maggy inside the Thompson Hotel goes full-Frenchy with its Burger Á  la Française, smothered with pepper gravy, pickled mustard seed and beer-braised onions to the point where you need a knife and fork to eat it. Brasserie Brixton gets in on that action as well with a double patty dripping with a signature sauce and Gruyère cheese. And adding its own spin on the bourgeois burger fun is Bistro Vendome, which throws down a patty made from a blend of prime rib and bacon, topped with American cheese and a secret sauce, with a skewer of pickled onion and cornichon pierced through the bun. 

A few other options worth noting are the Niman Ranch burger at Jax Fishhouse and Oyster Bar (which it kind of has to offer for the non-fishy folk), Ultreia’s Jamonburguesa (featuring a Portuguese Thousand Island dressing, and the Bindery’s brunch burger options. 

Did we miss your favorite burger? Send suggestions to cafe@westword.com.