Last Updated September 9, 2025

Based on crowd-sourced Twitter polling from August 2025

Best Value ($16 or under including fries): Swizzler, DC9, Good Stuff Eatery, Tune Inn, 7th Street Burger, Pastis (weekday lunch only)

Gold Tier: The Best in Town

Ranked based on Polling

1. Duke’s Grocery (Dupont, Foggy Bottom); Duke’s Counter (Woodley Park)
   • $17 (+$4 fries (+$6 in Dupont)) Proper Burger
   • two ¼ lb. Creekstone Farms angus beef patties, gouda, pickles, charred red onion, sweet chili sauce, arugula, aioli on brioche
   • 40% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 84% have eaten
2. Le Diplomate (14^th Street)
   • $29 (includes fries) Burger Americain
   • Non-local restaurant group
   • 41% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 71% have eaten
3. Lucky Buns (Adams Morgan, Union Market)
   • $16-17 (+$8-9 fries – serving for 2) 4-5 options
   • all with 2 Creekstone Farms beef patties, gouda cheese and Gordy’s Pickles on toasted sesame brioche bun
     • Lucky Bun: lucky sauce, grilled red onion, arugula
     • OG Bun: shaved lettuce, raw red onion, Chinese yellow mustard, garlic mayo
     • Other options seasonal or based on location
   • 37% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 72% have eaten
4. Swizzler (Navy Yard)
   • $9.50-$10.50 (+$5 fries)
   • all 100% grass-fed double-patty smashburgers, cooked medium on griddled, fresh-baked potato bun
     • Swizzler Signature: cheese, griddled onions, pickles, swizzler sauce
     • Classic: American cheese, shallots, pickles, ketchup, mustard
     • The American Standard: cheese, lettuce, tomato, dill pickle, shallot, house mayo
     • other options
   • 35% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 49% have eaten
5. Hill East Burger (Cap Hill)
   • $15, $13 for build your own, ($12/10 for single patty) (+$6 curly-ish fries) (even takeout orders have 20% service charge)
   • double patties recommended
   • Smoked patties
     • The Puebla: poblano relish, beefonaise, smoked cheddar, arugula, mustard
     • The Lancaster: bacon, smoked cheddar, arugula, tomato relish, pickled onion
     • The ‘OK’: griddle onions, ‘trademark’ sauce, American cheese, pickles
   • 49% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 37% have eaten
6. Joia Burger (Mt Pleasant, Glover Park)
   • $17 ($9 for single patty) (+$5 fries)
   • wagyu smash burgers (2.5oz, get the double) on potato bun with American cheese. Chef’s special sauce mixed with diced lettuce, tomato, onion & pickle (GP has a papaya salad topping option)
   • 40% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 39% have eaten

Silver Tier

• Melange (Shaw)
  • $17-19 (+$5 fries)
    • The Classic: American cheese, iceberg lettuce, tomato, pickled red onions, brown butter aioli
    • The Italian: smoked mozzarella, tomato confit, arugula, spicy basil aioli
    • The Frenchie: caramelized onions, gruyere, dijonnaise
  • Dine-in only
  • 51% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 18% have eaten
• Le Bonne Vache (Georgetown)
  • $13-15 (+$7 fries)
    • a few varieties
  • 42% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 23% have eaten
• Minetta Tavern (Union Market)
  • $29 (Minetta Burger), $36 (Black Label Burger) includes fries
    • Minetta Burger: gruyere, caramelized onions
    • Black Label Burger: selection of prime dry aged beef cuts, caramelized onions
  • Non-local restaurant group
  • 36% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 31% have eaten
• The Salt Line (Navy Yard)
  • $20 (includes fries or greens) New England Smash burger
  • 2 ground chuck patties, American cheese, LT, pickle, mayo on potato bun
  • 37% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 42% have eaten
• Bourbon Steak (Georgetown)
  • Available at lunch and on bar/lounge menu.
  • $26 or $28 (+$16 trio of duckfat fries) Prime Steak Burger
  • Aged white cheddar, red wine shallot compote, little gem slaw
  • non-local restaurant group
  • 36% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 18% have eaten
• DC9 (Shaw)
  •  $13 or $15 (including garlic fries) 8 oz burgers made with all natural beef
    • Plain Jane ($12): lettuce/tomato
    • South By: pepper jack, avocado, pickled jalapeno, garlic cilantro mayo
    • Slawter: coleslaw, bacon, BBQ sauce
    • other rotating/seasonal versions
  • 32% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 15% have eaten
• Red Apron Butchery at The Roost (Capitol Hill/The Roost)
  • $18 (including fries) Red Apron Original
  • 2 smash patties, American cheese, island sauce, red onion, house pickles, shrettuce 
  • Other options seasonal
  • 30% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 30% have eaten
• 7th Street Burger (Georgetown)
  • $9.50 (double patty), $6.50 for single patty (+$4.50 fries)
  • 100% fresh beef burger served with American cheese, grilled onions, pickles and house sauce on a Martin’s potato bun
  • spicy jalapeno option
  • non-local restaurant group (NYC chain)
  • 30% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 35% have eaten

Bronze Tier

• Ivy & Coney (Shaw)
  • $18 (double), $14 (single) Includes service (+$4 fries)
  • American cheese, burger sauce, tomato jam, lettuce, pickle
  • 27% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 23% have eaten
• Garden District (14th/Logan)
  • $16 (includes hand-cut fries, can pay $2.50 more for fried pickles/hush puppies/onion rings) The Standard Burger
  • classic burger, topped w/ cheese, pickles, onions, tomatoes & burger sauce
  • 24% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 22% have eaten
• Emmy Squared (Shaw, Navy Yard)
  • $25 Le Big Matt (includes waffle fries)
  • single-stack grass fed beef, American cheese, sammy sauce, greens & pickles, served on toasted pretzel bun
  • non-local restaurant group
  • 23% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 22% have eaten
• The Capital Burger (Shaw)
  • $19-23 (including sea salt french fries, mixed baby greens salad, kale salad, or caesar salad; other sides available for up $3-4 upcharge) Pat LaFrieda Beef
    • Several varieties, The $23 Capital Burger is French onion-style
  • 22% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 38% have eaten
• Sovereign (Georgetown)
  • $20 The Sovereign Burger (includes fries)
  • ground beef, brown beer onion jam, gruyere mustard fondue
  • Other options seasonal
  • 22% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 16% have eaten
• Unconventional Diner (Shaw)
  • $20 (including fries) Double Cheeseburger
  • LT, caramelized onions, pickles, American Cheese, sexy sauce, on sesame-seed bun
  • 21% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 42% have eaten
• Pastis (Union Market Area)
  • $21.50 Cheeseburger ($9.99 Joy Burger at lunch M-F) (including fries)
  • 8 oz. beef, American cheese, pickles
  • non-local restaurant group
  • 21% of who’ve eaten say one of best in DC. 30% have eaten

Best of the Rest

• Tune Inn (Capitol Hill)
  • $14-17 (including fries, lots $1-4 upcharge sides) for single burgers; $17-20 for double
    • about 7 or 8 varieties
• The Commodore D.C.(Dupont)
  • $20 (including fries or salad, +$1 or $2 upcharge for mac n cheese, slaw, collard greens, B&B pickles, sprouts, or tots) 2 smash patties on brioche bun
    • Squirrel Kicker: smoked gouda, onion jam, bourbon mayo, arugula
    • Schlogan Burger: white american cheese, bacon bits, sauce, bib lettuce
• Ghostburger (Shaw)
  • $15-17 for double pattie 8oz burgers. $10-12 for 4 oz burgers. (+$5.50 crinkle cut fries, +$8 for ghost rings)  – 4 oz smash patties of custom blend of Pat LaFrieda all on a potato bun
    • Ghostburger – American Cheese, Red Onion, Dill Pickles, Spooky Sauce
    • Other rotating burgers
  • $9/$14 for plain burgers
• Boundary Stone (Bloomingdale)
  • $14 (+$4 fries, sweet potato fries, house salad, green beans, broccoli, caesar salad) Stone Burger
    • 6 oz Seven Hills Farms patty, bacon jam, bleu cheese crumbles, grilled onions, pickled beet
    • $12 option to build your own included LET
• Good Stuff Eatery (Capitol Hill, Georgetown)
  • $10.95 – $11.95 (mostly) (+$4.25/$5.50 handcut fries, $4.65/$5.90 Village fries w/ thyme, rosemary, and sea salt) Natural farm raised beef mostly on a potato bun
  • lots of varieties
  • basic burger w/o cheese $9.50
  • $16-17 combos with snack fry and soda

Rising Stars (Burgers-Wise)

These spots were all highly rated by the people who’ve eaten there but 10% of you have eaten their burgers, so it didn’t seem like large enough sample size to move up in the tiers. Will revisit them again later

• Lutece (Georgetown)
  • Sat/Sun lunch only
  • $26 (includes fries) Dry Aged Cheeseburger
  • 2 year cheddar, caramelized onions, dijon, miso
  • Only 10% have eaten burger. 28% of those say one of best in DC. 
• Buck’s Fishing & Camping (Chevy Chaseish)
  • $19 Prime Buck’s Burger (includes fries)
  • Wood-Grilled Dry-Aged Beef Burger (organic) on housemade bun
  • Only 9% have eaten burger. 24% of those say one of best in DC. 
• Moreland’s Tavern (16th St Heights)
  • $18 Double Smash Burger (includes tots, salad, or fries)
  • bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, burger sauce, brioche
  • Only 10% have eaten burger. 26% of those say one of best in DC. 

BY NEIGHBORHOOD

Shaw: DC9, Melange, Ivy & Coney, Emmy Squared, The Capital Burger, Unconventional Diner, Ghostburger

Capitol Hill: Hill East Burger, Red Apron Butchery, Tune Inn, Good Stuff Eatery

Georgetown/Glover Park: Joia, Le Bonne Vache, Bourbon Steak, 7th Street Burger, Sovereign, Good Stuff Eatery, Lutece

Union Market Area: Lucky Buns, Minetta Tavern, Pastis

Navy Yard: Swizzler, The Salt Line, Emmy Squared

Woodley Park/further north: Duke’s, Buck’s Fishing & Camping, Moreland’s Tavern

14th/U/Logan: Le Diplomate, Garden District

Dupont Circle/Foggy Bottom: Duke’s, The Commodore

Adams Morgan: Lucky Buns

Bloomingdale: Boundary Stone