Keep in mind that Denver and the surrounding counties went to Level Red COVID-19 restrictions on Friday, November 20, so dining rooms are closed for at least the next thirty days. Restaurants can offer patio dining, takeout and delivery, so plan your hamburger outing accordingly.
5280 Burger Bar
500 16th Street Mall, 303-825-10204301 Main Street, Westminster, 720-887-5970
Juicy burgers, housemade buns and a variety of creative toppings make 5280 Burger Bar a great choice for gourmet burger lovers. Stick with fresh ground beef or venture into bison or lamb for something more unusual. Even the basic burger is made with Black Angus, but the 5280 Prime takes quality a step above, with 7X Ranch Prime wagyu as the base. Visit the 16th Street Mall original or mix it up a little at the newer Westminster outpost.
Bob's Atomic Burgers sits in the shadow of Table Mountain in Golden.
Mark Antonation
Bob's Atomic Burgers
1310 Ford Street, Goldenbobsatomicburgers.net
Bob's Atomic Burgers in Golden doesn't have a roster filled with goofy names and crazy ingredients. If you want a burger, it's just called a hamburger. Extras for your mountainous mouthful are either free — like tomato, onion and pickled jalapeños — or cost about a buck each for the likes of bacon, green chile, guacamole, cheese or a fried egg. Whatever you choose, it will be mounded on a six-ounce patty formed to order from fresh-ground beef. And while that beef is cooked to a pink-free medium, the fat-to-lean ratio definitely leans toward fat, so your burger will be juicy and dripping. If you insist on a burger with a name, stop by for occasional specials like the Shaq Attack (cherry peppers, cheddar and bacon), or Pastor Al's Hamburguesa (topped with pineapple-chili pork).
Carm & Gia Metropolitan
9598 East Montview Boulevard, Aurora303-747-4008
carmandgiametropolitan.com
This mid-mod joint opened in a refurbished beauty parlor last February, offering juicy burgers, hot dogs and breakfast burritos. Go classic with the Metropolitan, or choose from a list of burgers named for Denver neighborhoods. The Globeville, for example, comes loaded with chorizo, pico de gallo, lettuce, jalapeños, Monterey Jack, avocado and chipotle mayo. Whichever option you choose, be ready for bold flavors and beefy goodness from 100 percent, never-frozen Angus patties.
The Cherry Cricket
2641 East Second Avenue, 303-322-76662220 Blake Street, 303-297-3644
cherrycricket.com
Denver's oldest burger bar lets you mess around with toppings if you want, but a char-grilled Cricket Burger is all you really need. And, okay, throw on some green chiles if you must (we definitely must). The Cherry Creek original keeps getting more iconic — and more iconoclastic — as the rest of the neighborhood grows and modernizes around it. A second location that opened in spring 2018 added the restaurant's classic appeal to the Ballpark neighborhood.
Crave Real Burgers
9344 Dorchester Street, Highlands Ranch, 720-344-30063982 Limelight Avenue, Castle Rock, 303-814-2829
craverealburgers.com
If you want to get crazy, Crave is the place to do it. Sure, you can stick with the Plain Jane and be happy, but why not try the Fatty Melt, which cradles a beef patty between two grilled-cheese sandwiches, or the infamous Luther, which uses two doughnuts instead of a bun? Other outlandish toppings include whole jalapeño poppers, pulled pork, grilled pineapple and hot dogs. You'll be craving a couch after a burger at Crave.
The burger and condiment caddie at My Brother's Bar is one of Denver's most familiar sights.
Westword
My Brother's Bar
2376 15th Street303-455-9991
mybrothersbar.com
Yes, My Brother’s Bar has a fascinating history that stretches back to the 1870s and encompasses Neal Cassady and the Beat Generation. But Denver denizens come for burgers and beers — and good conversation from the bartenders and servers. Natives will argue about which is better, the JCB (that's jalapeño cream cheese to you noobs), the cheesier Johnny Burger or the original, unadulterated Steerburger. Whichever you choose, don't expect a classy presentation (not even a plate!), but be sure to include a mixed basket of fries and onion rings.
Park Burger
Mulitple Locationsparkburger.com
Park Burger is one of Denver's favorite neighborhood burger joints; from the original on South Pearl Street and the newer outposts in Highland, RiNo and Hilltop. Good value and a few fun topping combos are the signatures here, with the Royale (grilled onions, bleu cheese and bacon), the Croque (ham, Swiss and a fried egg) and the Chilango (cheddar, jalapeños and guacamole) as standouts. But the traditional Park Burger or even the quarter-pound Mini Park Burger are perfect for purists.
Snarfburger is coming to Denver from Boulder.
Westword
Snarfburger
2000 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, 303-444-77112535 Federal Boulevard, 720-535-5184
1001 East 11th Avenue, 720-573-9134
snarfburger.com
Jimmy Seidel, who founded the Snarf’s sandwich chain in 1996, says he liked to cook burgers for his employees “just for fun, and they loved them, and I kinda always wanted to give a burger place a shot.” So in 2013, he turned a former barbecue shack in Boulder into the first Snarfburger, and “now I’m in the sandwich-and-burger business,” says Seidel. Snarfburger is a casual spot that emphasizes basic burgers with the same delicious, humorous twists that have become a hallmark of Snarf’s.
Tap & Burger
Highland, 2219 West 32nd Avenue, 720-287-4493Sloan's Lake, 1565 Raleigh Street, 720-456-6779
Belleview, 4910 S Newport Street, 720-583-1367
tapandburger.com
The burgers at this trio are hefty and juicy, ranging from the classic Shroom Luvas to the slightly overboard house burger, piled with smoked pulled pork, a thick-cut onion ring and two kinds of cheese. Add-ons like a fried egg or a luxurious slab of foie gras turn the basic burger into an all-out dining experience. Tap & Burger doesn't stop at standard ground cow; for something different, go with lamb, turkey, grass-fed beef or a meatless Impossible burger. Note: The Belleview Station Tap & Burger will be temporarily closed until Level Red dining room restrictions are lifted.
The Truffle Shuffle, made with Angus beef, mushrooms, swiss cheese, truffle aioli and truffle chips, is one of the fancier creations at TAG Burger Bar.
Courtesy TAG Burger Bar
TAG Burger Bar
1222 Madison Street303-736-2260
tagburgerbar.com
If you want a chef-caliber burger, leave it to a chef. Troy Guard brought his burgers to the Congress Park neighborhood in 2012, offering a fun, modern take on beef between buns. The burgers are highly configurable, with starter sets coming in at under $10 (for the TAG Classic or the Old School) and ranging up to $13 for the Wild West bacon burger and the Magic Dragon bison burger. Don't miss the duck-fat fries and Guard's iconic fried pickles. Note: After November 22, TAG Burger Bar will be closed until December 2, and then will reopen for outdoor dining, takeout and delivery.
