Here are the more than 35 Memphis burgers – hamburgers, cheeseburgers, even a few veggie burgers – that you absolutely have to try. These are in no particular order. I list my personal favorites and controversial opinions at the bottom of this post.
This certainly isn’t everywhere, so leave your favorite in the comments!
– A Mr. Goodburger from Roxie’s Grocery: a greasy, gooey, beloved Memphis burger in Uptown.
– The West Coast Burger from Huey’s (Memphis’ classic burger restaurant, with locations across the Mid-South) comes with all the fixings, plus guacamole and Monterey Jack cheese.
– The BBQ Burger from Tops, a greasy griddle burger topped with pulled pork, is a local favorite.
– Get the Greek Burger from Alex’s Tavern: legendary, juicy, and served with Greek seasoning and cheese. Cash only and available very late.
– Order a Soul Burger from Earnestine & Hazel’s, a Memphis burger classic, griddle fried with all the toppings (cheese, onions, and pickles, if you like) melted all together.
– The Brass Door Burger, from the Brass Door Irish pub in downtown Memphis, comes with beer-braised onions and bleu cheese.
– Go for an Original Jerry’s Burger from Jerry’s Sno Cones. Did you know the infamous Memphis sno cone stand has more than just cold treats?
– Try the Good Night/Good Cause from Hopdoddy. Yes, it’s a chain, but $1 of proceeds for this particular burger (with cheddar, caramelized onions, caffeinated BBQ, jalapeños) are donated back to the Stax Academy.
– A Memphis Burger from EP’s Bar & Grill (inside The Guest House At Graceland) gets on the list because of its fried green tomato, bacon, crispy onion, and special sauce – and because it’s enormous.
– The Street Burger from Arepa 901’s Venezulean food truck is piled high with cabbage, smoked ham, cheese, and special sauce.
– Mojo Cheeseburger from Memphis Mojo Cafe in Bartlett is a solid choice, or you can go for one of their more adventurous burgers with all kinds of toppings.
– Find the Gourmade Burger from Gourmade Food Truck at breweries and fests around town.
– The Beetle Burger is from the Green Beetle, downtown’s oldest tavern. On Tuesdays, this Memphis burger is $7.99 with fries.
– Do the Double Double from Dyer’s – either on Beale Street or at their Collierville location. Fried in 100-year-old grease, this burger comes with two patties and two slices of cheese.
– Eat a Bibimbap Burger from Kwik Chek, which adds bibimbap veggies and a fried egg to a grilled cheeseburger.
– The Wimpy from Wimpy’s – which you can get in midtown or Southaven – is a classic grilled cheeseburger with whatever toppings you can handle. Get a side of sweet potato fries with praline sauce.
– The Whiskey Burger from the Flying Saucer downtown: it’s a chain, but Memphis is the only location with a menu of gourmet-style burgers.
– The Poutine Burger from Kooky Canuck is available at their downtown and Cordova locations, and it’s topped with Canadian-style fries + gravy + cheese curds poutine.
– The Big Deuce from the Slider Inn in midtown may not count technically as a burger even though it’s got two patties, cheese, and all the fixings, but it won’t hurt anyone to be on this list, right? (The parameters of what constitutes a Memphis burger sound like a debate we can have another time, preferably while consuming said burgers/alleged burgers.)
– The LBOE Burger, from LBOE just west of Overton Square in midtown Memphis, goes all out with Havarti, garlic cream, bacon, green chilies, and yes, corn chips! The Last-Burger-On-Earth folks took home the trophy for “Best Burger” at the World Food Championships last fall, so you know they’re for real.
– The John T. Edge Burger from Hog & Hominy is named for the famous food journalist and is included on a couple of “best burgers in the country” lists.
– The Pub Burger at Local Gastropub (Overton or Main Street) is good for $6.99 (with fries) during lunch and all day on Mondays. Nice.
– Grab a Vault Cheeseburger from The Vault on South Main, which comes with bacon and spicy mayo on a Broiche bun.
– Babalu Burger from Babalu is available at their Overton Square and East Memphis locations, and people really love it.
– Get a Sidestreet Burger from Sidestreet Burgers in Olive Branch, Mississippi, perhaps paired with a beer from the MS Ale House next door.
– Order a Double Cheeseburger from Sear Shack’s several locations in Memphis and North MS, and top it any way you like, including with house-made pickles.
– Go for a Prime Burger from 117 Prime, which comes with Jarlsberg, sauteéd mushrooms, and Dijonaise. You can only get it at lunch or brunch.
– The Bomba-B Burger from Sabor Caribe in the Medical District is more than your average burger; this Memphis Venezuelan restaurant adds all kinds of stuff to their burger including but not limited to an egg, salami, avocado, and slaw.
– The Southern Gentleman from Belly Acres in Overton Square comes with greens, bacon, and sweet potato.
– Chef José’s Sirloin Burger from River Oaks in East Memphis: it’s a thick, juicy patty on a crusty bun with your choice of cheese.
– The No. 1 Farm Burger can be found in the Crosstown Concourse. It’s a chain, but they are all about that grassfed local beef, so here they are.
– The Homestyle Seasoned Burger from Young Avenue Deli goes beyond the cheese sticks and fries you love, with a half-pound patty – add cheese (or pimento cheese if you’re feeling frisky).
– Get the Stuffed Burger from Mot & Ed’s Southern Eatery – you have the choice of Angus or Turkey patty.
– Try the Pimento Cheeseburger from Sweet Grass Next Door, topped with house-made pimento cheese.
– Go for an Awesome Sauce Burger from Buon Cibo in Hernando, Miss. This burger comes topped with fried onions, bacon jam, and piquillo pepper aioli.
– Eat the Chopped Steak Burger from Off The Hook in Arlington, which Seth from Best Memphis Burger is quite fond of.
** – Try the Chipotle Sweet Potato Burger at Park + Cherry, inside the Dixon Gallery & Gardens, which is a sweet potato patty with tomatoes and mayo.
** –  Enjoy a Veggie Burger at Mama Gaia in Overton Square; they have four different versions of their veggie burger, some of which come with cheese.
** – Try the Cashew Burger from Two Vegan Sistas near Bartlett, made from a seasoned cashew mix with lettuce and tomato.
I bet 75 percent of restaurants in Memphis serve hamburgers, so this isn’t a list of every place to get a burger in Memphis. That list would take forever, and I got more stuff to write about today, y’all. I’m already thinking of several spots that have a decent burger that could (and maybe will) be added.
But, as promised, the juicy, greasy details…guaranteed to make someone mad. I know a lot of people go for Tops, and rave about Babalu and hate on various “best of” winners every year; everyone has their own passionate and perfectly valid opinions.
So here are mine: Brass Door’s classic cheeseburger has been perfectly cooked, juicy, and delicious every time. Flying Saucer downtown brought back that thick gastropub burger with the froufrou toppings and I. am. here. for. it. Back during the Foodnado of ’14 when a bunch of burger places opened, I thought LBOE had the best of the bunch- I actually loved the Fritos on it.
For a greasy griddle burger, I crave Soul Burgers from E&H, Wimpy’s, and Sear Shack. I would probably marry the Alex’s Greek Burger if I could, but Roxy’s – my other love – would get too jealous. I also really like Hopdoddy and Huey’s and eat them on a regular basis.
This post is about a) some of the well-known Memphis burgers, b) burgers endorsed by one of my trusted sources, and c) ones I have tried and think are worth you trying. Got one you adore that’s not on the list? Leave it in the comments! We’ll have the best comment section in town!
All credit for this delicious list goes to I Love Memphis. https://ilovememphisblog.com/2018/09/all-the-best-burgers-you-have-to-eat-in-memphis/
