GOTT’S ROADSIDE
Gott’s is a burger institution for a reason: When you see a kimchi burger (fried egg, kimchi, American cheese, Zoe’s bacon and spicy gochujang mayo on a toasted egg bun) on the menu, it’s a sign a venue takes its burgers seriously. We also love the Texas avocado burger and the green chile cheeseburger. Don’t miss the chile-dusted sweet potato fries served with housemade ranch. Multiple locations, gotts.com
KIRK’S STEAKBURGERS
Kirk’s has been a Silicon Valley staple since the ’40s. Patties are made from scratch from family recipes that have carried the eatery for decades. Standouts like the Big Kirk—a half-pound patty on the restaurant’s famous steak roll with a side of cheesy bacon fries—will have you returning for more in no time. 2680 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto; 2388 S. Bascom Ave., Campbell, kirks-steakburgers.com
KONJOE BURGER BAR
Driven by the mission to serve “a better burger for a better planet,” this Los Altos eatery dishes up some of the valley’s most environmentally and health-conscious offerings. Regenerative burgers pair perfectly with freshly baked artisan buns—sans preservatives—and local produce. Standouts include the Smokehouse burger, a savory double grass-fed cheeseburger prepared with candied jalapenos and maple bacon. 170 State St., Los Altos, 650.383.6010, konjoe.com
Variety is on the menu at the region's best burger venues. Photo by Vitor Monthay
MADERA
This kitchen team at Rosewood Sand Hill’s signature restaurant wows guests for dinner, but swing by for lunch and indulge in chef Seamus Mullen’s wagyu burger featuring Cowgirl Creamery Wagon Wheel cheese, caramelized onions, butter lettuce, pickle, perigord truffle aioli and perfectly seasoned fries. 2825 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, 650.561.1540, rosewoodhotels.com
MAIN STREET BURGERS
The favorite at this halal-American burger joint is the Main Street Lettuce Burger, which features juicy beef, tomato, red onions, pickles and house sauce on a brioche bun. Standout desserts include chocolate lava cake and Key lime pie. 20 S. Santa Cruz Ave, Los Gatos, 408.354.0163, main-street-burgers-restaurants-world.com
MAVERICK JACK’S
So many choices, so little time—that’s not the mantra here, but it should be. We love the Bacon Ultimatum (starring hickory smoked bacon) and the Beermiester (featuring Sierra Nevada Pale Ale mustard), but our go-to order is the Outlaw, accompanied by pepper jack cheese, hickory smoked bacon, crispy onion strings, jalapenos, red onions, housemade barbecue sauce and chipotle mayo. Don’t overlook the fried pickles with a side of ranch dressing. 4000 S. El Camino Real, San Mateo, 650.458.0020, maverickjacks.com
OAK + VIOLET
Dinner at this bright and innovative restaurant inside the Park James is always a treat, but don’t overlook the ambitious happy-hour menu and its new 8-ounce burger from chef Joseph Humphrey. The grass-fed beef is grilled, topped with smoked Fiscalini cheddar cheese and served on a toasted Acme bun dressed with horseradish aioli, butter lettuce and shaved spring onions. A housemade pickle graces the burger, with fries on the side. 1400 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, 650.304.3880, parkjames.com
Don't miss the happy hour burger at Oak + Violet in Menlo Park at the Park James. Courtesy of Park James
ROGER
When the Ameswell Hotel’s signature restaurant opened a few years ago, it was clear the restaurant team meant business, especially with inventive dishes like harissa cauliflower, crispy maitake and New York strip loin. The same ambitions apply to the wagyu cheeseburger, which features alpine cheese, French onion jam and kewpie mayonnaise on a housemade brioche bun. The decadent fries seal the deal. 800 Moffett Blvd., Mountain View, 650.880.1000, rogerbarandrestaurant.com
SLIDERS BURGER
This San Jose institution features burgers that evoke sighs with every bite. We adore the wagyu beef patties and New York strip sandwiches, but the bison burger is the winner, enhanced dreamily with cheese and bacon. 1645 W. San Carlos St., San Jose, 408.298.4340, slidersburger.net
THE STAND
Euro bliss prevails with the French Onion Soup burger: beef patty, double parmesan-crusted bun, double gruyere cheese, red wine onions and crispy onion strings on a gourmet brioche bun, served with French onion au jus for dipping. Decadent? Sure. But we dare you not to fall deeply in love with this one. 785 Lawrence Expressway, Santa Clara, 408.400.3374, thestand.com
