Where to Find the Best Burgers in Denver

A lifetime supply of patties. There are so many great burger joints in Mile High that it would be hard to list them all. We know it and you know it. It’s a nice problem to have because it implies that you’re never more than a short distance away from holding perfection in your hands, no matter the time of day.

We think the perfect burger has the irresistible aroma of grilled meat patties and deliciously melted cheese. Fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles, along with a zillion other crazy toppings, are crunched between the buns at these establishments.
Burger joints serving up authentic classics, innovative takes on the standard, and everything in between that makes our jaws water at the mere mention of their names are all celebrated here. Get hungry if you aren’t already. In my opinion, these are currently the top burger establishments in Denver.

1. Lucy’s Burger Bar

Set your eyes here on the Juicy Lucy, where the cult following is very, very understandable since the burgers are damn amazing. Although the “original recipe burgers” are still Lucy’s bread and butter, the “Juicy Lucy” adds fried rice and an egg to the burger recipe. Oh, and it’s great that you’re shopping with a female-owned company.

2. Illegal Burger

When it comes to toppings, Illegal Burger boldly goes where no burger joint has gone before. Of course, you may always go with the tried-and-true combination of mushrooms and Swiss cheese, or try something a little more exotic like fried onion straws. Perhaps some pineapple, grilled? Your environment is our home, and we merely inhabit it.

3. Split Lip

What’s being served up at Split Lip in Number 38 is probably quite close to your mental image of a super-crushable burger. A classic cheeseburger on a soft bun is the perfect complement to the bar’s wide selection of alcoholic beverages. A typical Split Lip burger is quite uncomplicated, with only the cheese or sauce being altered, and always, in the words of the restaurant, “too many pickles.” The Washington Goop Burger is the sole item that deviates from the “too many pickles” motif by having what the menu calls a “normal amount of pickles.” The Smoked Goop, a smokey take on the Split Lip’s sour cream, mayo, and mustard sauce, is the only thing that makes the regular quantity of pickles worthwhile. Try it out and report back to us your findings.

4. Fat Sully’s

The Lights Out Burger, however, is the restaurant’s stunning dark horse and a member of the elite “burgers only” big kids club. Only available after 4 o’clock, this double-smashed American cheeseburger is served on a toasted, garlic butter brioche bun and topped with diced onion, pickles, and a tangy house sauce inspired by Thousand Island dressing. As the young people say, “it slaps.”

5. Park Burger

The freshest, most fulfilling burgers in the Metro are now more accessible than ever, thanks to our expansion to four convenient locations. Choose from beef, buffalo, vegetable, or turkey for your patties, and pile on as many or as few of the basic toppings as you choose, including goat cheese, Brie cheese, guacamole, and crispy onions. The Scarpone, with its provolone, crispy pancetta, giardiniera, truffle garlic aioli, lettuce, and tomato atop a 1/3-pound patty, is a fan favorite, as are the Getting Figgy With It, with its fig jam and Brie, and the Classic Double.

6. Humboldt Kitchen And Bar

Humboldt may only offer one burger, but it’s a good one: a blend of short rib and brisket topped with sugar-cured bacon, red onion jam, and cracked pepper aioli. Drink a Lavender Lemonade, a craft cocktail made with vodka, and call it a day.

7. Crown Burgers

You can’t always put your faith in a restaurant just because it’s been open for a while, but this burger joint has been in the same family for 28 years. Stop in if you’re craving one of those massive, oozing-from-the-buns burgers that come in a little paper wrapper but carry a mighty sensory wallop. You may invite the whole family because burgers aren’t the only thing on the menu, though they are the most popular.

8. Annette

What was once a rare treat at award-winning chef Caroline Glover’s restaurant is now available almost every time you visit, either to eat in or to take out. Chow chow, sour pickles, and cheddar cheese top the Annette burger, which is cooked with 7x wagyu beef and served on a homemade English muffin. It’s a flawlessly executed burger, but it also serves as a tangible (and tasty) representation of Glover’s versatility as a cook.