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The best smash burgers in New York is Burger Joint in Midtown. Hidden behind a curtain in the Le Méridien hotel.

1 Burger Joint 2 J.G. Melon 3 Corner Bistro
New York, USA

Best Smash Burgers in New York

Discover the best smash burgers in New York.

Last updated: 2026-05-02
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1

Burger Joint

Midtown ★★★★½ 4.8 $$

Hidden behind a curtain in the Le Méridien hotel. Cash only, no-frills, perfect burger. NYC's worst-kept secret.

2

J.G. Melon

Upper East Side ★★★★½ 4.7 $$

Old-money UES institution. The cottage fries and a burger at the bar is a New York rite of passage.

3

Corner Bistro

West Village ★★★★½ 4.6 $

The Bistro Burger at midnight after three beers is a religious experience. Been serving since 1961.

4

Peter Luger

Williamsburg ★★★★½ 4.7 $$$

Yes, the steakhouse. The lunch burger is made from their dry-aged trimmings and costs a fraction of dinner.

5

Emmy Squared

Williamsburg ★★★★½ 4.6 $$

Detroit-style pizza place with a burger that overshadows the pizza. The Le Big Matt is a double smash masterpiece.

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6

Au Cheval NYC

TriBeCa ★★★★½ 4.5 $$$

Chicago import that lives up to the hype. The single is a double, the double is absurd. Egg on top, always.

7

Shake Shack (Madison Sq)

Flatiron ★★★★ 4.3 $$

The original location in Madison Square Park. Tourist trap? Maybe. Still a damn good ShackBurger.

8

Donovan's Pub

Woodside, Queens ★★★★½ 4.5 $$

Queens institution since 1966. No menu — just tell them how you want your burger cooked. Served on a plate, nothing else.

9

Superiority Burger

East Village ★★★★½ 4.4 $

Veggie burger that converts carnivores. Brooks Headley (former Del Posto pastry chef) makes vegetables taste like sin.

10

7th Street Burger

East Village ★★★★ 4.3 $

Smash burger upstart that's earned its spot. Crispy edges, American cheese, special sauce. No gimmicks needed.

11

Gotham Burger Social Club

Lower East Side ★★★★½ 4.7 $$

Mike Puma spent years running the most hyped burger pop-up in the city before finally opening a permanent home on the LES. The smash burger is the reason people waited. Double patty, American cheese, pickles, special sauce — classic executed to perfection. The chopped cheese taco is a bonus track that slaps.

12

Liar Liar

Gowanus ★★★★½ 4.6 $$

Wine bars don't usually make burger lists. Liar Liar doesn't care. The $18 dry-aged beef smash with herb aioli, grilled onions, and pickles has earned a cult following that shows up specifically for it — not the wine (though the wine's good too). Gowanus is worth the trip.

13

Nowon

East Village ★★★★½ 4.5 $$$

Korean-American restaurant where the burger debate is actually interesting. Go thick and un-smashed: dry-aged 8oz with kimchi mayo, kimchi, and American cheese. Steak-quality beef in a burger. The Infatuation couldn't pick between the smash and the thick cut — that's not a complaint, that's a recommendation.

14

Lion's Bar

East Village ★★★★½ 4.5 $$

Someone described this as "if Bernie's in Brooklyn was better" and that's exactly right. Martinis are serious. The bar burger is quietly excellent. No hype, no line, just a well-run neighborhood bar that happens to make one of the better burgers in the East Village.

15

Red Hook Tavern

Red Hook ★★★★½ 4.7 $$

The classic American tavern burger — dry-aged beef, American cheese, pickles, on a potato bun — executed at a level that's made this Red Hook institution a regular name on "best burger" lists since it opened. The neighborhood feels like it hasn't changed in 50 years. The burger is timeless. Come hungry.

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People Also Ask

Burger Joint in Midtown is our top-ranked smash burgers spot in New York. Hidden behind a curtain in the Le Méridien hotel. It consistently earns the #1 spot based on quality, consistency, and local reputation.
If you're near Central Park, Burger Joint is one of the most accessible top-rated options in New York. J.G. Melon is also worth the short trip — both are featured in our top 3.
Burger Joint draws the longest queues and gets the most consistent praise from locals and visitors alike. Our rankings factor in editorial scores, community upvotes, and real-world reputation.
Yes — several spots on our list offer great value. Check the price range listed on each card. Our editorial team specifically looks for quality-to-price ratio, not just prestige.
Some spots on our list stay open late, especially on weekends. Check individual restaurant pages for hours. We update our listings when opening hours change significantly.
Our rankings combine editorial scores from local food experts, community upvotes from verified visitors, and ongoing quality checks. We re-evaluate the list when new spots emerge or existing ones slip in quality.
ScoopSmash is a curated guide to the best burger and ice cream spots in cities worldwide. We rank each spot neighborhood by neighborhood, and help you find exactly where to eat — right when you need it.

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