clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
More Maps

14 Restaurants to Try in Downtown Crossing

14 Essential Restaurants in Provincetown

Boston’s 13 Best Sushi Restaurants

More in Boston See more maps
A burger topped with bacon, fried onions, slices of avocado, and sauce all stuffed into a yellow potato roll and set on a table.
The smashburger at Hunter’s.
Hunter’s Kitchen and Bar

Where to Eat Burgers in Boston

A meaty to-do list

by Celina Colby and Eater Staff Updated
View as Map
The smashburger at Hunter’s.
| Hunter’s Kitchen and Bar
by Celina Colby and Eater Staff Updated

Boston loves burgers — from pricey, iconic burgers to cheap, quick burgers; from burgers stacked high with multiple toppings to burgers that go virtually topping-free. This map includes solid options on all parts of the local burger spectrum, so there’s something here for everyone, whether you’re looking to drop a couple bucks on a simple fast-food burger or $20 on a limited-quantity legend.

Read More
Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Daddy Jones

Copy Link

Daddy Jones’s mostly Greek menu has plenty to explore in the gyro and skewers department, but don’t ignore the excellent burgers. There’s several options, but here’s a very good starting point: the Athena burger, made with a lamb patty stuffed with feta and herbs, red pepper feta and American cheese on top, bacon, and a fig jam all smushed between two halves of an English muffin.

525 Medford St, Somerville, MA
(617) 690-9095
(617) 690-9095

Also featured in:

Boston Burger Company

Copy Link

Boston Burger Company — now with locations in Harvard Square, Back Bay, and Salem as well as the original Somerville one and a kitchen takeover in Jamaica Plain — is the place to go for absolutely over-the-top burgers. Think stacked-tall combinations such as peanut butter, bacon, and fried cinnamon-and-sugar bananas (The King); mozzarella sticks, fried macaroni and cheese, onion rings, fries, bacon, golden barbecue sauce, and American cheese (the aptly named 420 Burger); and bacon, a stack of beer-battered onion rings, honey barbecue sauce, and American cheese (Killer Bee).

37 Davis Sq, Somerville, MA
(617) 440-7361
(617) 440-7361
A metal tray with a burger and the bun on the side to expose all of its toppings, plus potato chips and coleslaw on the side.
Boston Burger Company’s Hot Mess with bacon, sweet potato fries, and housemade Thousand Island dressing.
Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Also featured in:

Charlie's Kitchen

Copy Link

The double cheeseburger Charlie’s is famous for is unpretentiousness — flat patties topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles. It’s served with perfect shoestring french fries, and is best eaten with a cold beer or several.

10 Eliot St, Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 492-9646
(617) 492-9646

Also featured in:

Little Donkey

Copy Link

How many luxe ingredients can one burger hold? According to Central Square mainstay Little Donkey, a bunch — and somehow, it all works out well in the end. The dry-aged beef patty is coated in cheese, onion soup mayo, buffalo pickles, with a few crispy jalapeno chips tucked in, too. It’s decadent, and it’s well worth the money.

505 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 945-1008
(617) 945-1008
Two burger halves positioned so that the viewer can see a cross-section of the sandwich, including a medium rare beef patty and melty cheese on the sides.
Little Donkey’s burger.
Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Also featured in:

Neptune Oyster

Copy Link

Neptune Oyster is a North End seafood institution mostly known for its raw bar, hefty lobster roll, and clam chowder. But for a true New England twist on the burger experience, try the Neptune Burger. It’s piled high with fried oysters and then flavored with cheddar cheese, garlic mayo, and tangy relish. It’s like tailgating at a beach: the best of both worlds.

63 Salem St (at Morton St), Boston, MA 02113
(617) 742-3474
(617) 742-3474

Also featured in:

JM Curley

Copy Link

JM Curley’s award-winning burger is slathered in caramelized onions, Russian dressing, pickles, and cheddar on a sesame bun. It’s the perfect high-quality pub food to satisfy late-night cravings after a few cocktails. Best of all, it’s available until 1:30 a.m. most nights.

21 Temple Pl, Boston, MA 02125
(617) 338-5333
(617) 338-5333

Also featured in:

Shojo

Copy Link

The Shōjōnator is like an Asian-inspired Big Mac with a quarter-pound Angus beef patty, sriracha aioli, smoked BBQ sauce, bacon, “kimcheese,” and fried shallots, all squished between the two sides of a house-made sesame bao bun. For an even more indulgent experience, add an extra patty, a fried egg, or a side of duck-fat fries.

9a Tyler Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111
(617) 482-8887
(617) 482-8887

Also featured in:

Tasty Burger

Copy Link

Boston’s essential burger scene tends to skew towards big, pricey, meaty burgers, but there are a few inexpensive options holding their own. Tasty Burger is the local answer to Shake Shack — thin patties, squishy buns, quick service, and relatively low prices. Founded by local chefs, it combines the price point and pleasure of fast food with grass-fed beef and fresh produce.

145 Dartmouth St (Columbus Avenue), Boston, MA 02116
Hands hold onto a cheeseburger from Tasty Burger, held aloft above more burgers and onion rings Tasty Burger

Also featured in:

Hojoko

Copy Link

At this Japanese izakaya in Fenway, save room between bites of sushi and sashimi for the burger. Made with chuck and wagyu short rib and topped with cheese, dashi pickles, red onion, and a secret sauce, it’s been a local favorite for years.

1271 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02215
(617) 670-0507
(617) 670-0507

Also featured in:

Moonshine 152

Copy Link

Moonshine 152 has a luxe burger that changes monthly, but it’s always a hit. Not into the monthly special? There’s also a grass-fed burger with sharp cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion, and aioli, served with shoestring fries, and a similarly dressed vegetarian mushroom tofu burger (that can be made vegan).

152 Dorchester Ave, Boston, MA
(617) 752-4191
(617) 752-4191

Hunter's Kitchen and Bar

Copy Link

There’s a lot of tall, beefy burgers on this list, but its crispier cousin, the smashburger, also deserves a spotlight here. At Southern-style comfort food hangout Hunter’s, the smashburger is bursting with crispy onions, strips of bacon, slices of avocado, sharp cheddar cheese, and a squirt of spicy serrano aioli, all layered on a puffy potato roll.

110 Dorchester St, Boston, MA 02127
(617) 221-4200
(617) 221-4200

Nubian Markets

Copy Link

Just shy of a smashburger, the butcher’s burger at Nubian Markets boasts wonderfully charred edges and comes slicked with both a berbere citrus mayo and savory bacon tomato jam. Lettuce and onion round out each bite, and the burger is tucked in a sturdy golden pita bun baked on the premises.

2565 Washington St, Boston, MA 02119
(617) 608-4940
(617) 608-4940
Two burger halves stacked on top of each other and laid on a piece of tin foil.
The butcher’s burger at Nubian Markets.
Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Also featured in:

Bred Gourmet

Copy Link

Located in Dorchester’s Lower Mills neighborhood, this cozy burger joint serves beef burgers and plenty of alternatives (jerk salmon, and veggie, for example) on brioche and potato buns. Try the Parisian, a grass-fed beef burger on brioche with caramelized onions, bacon, brie, sauteed mushrooms, truffle aioli, and a fried egg.

2255 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester, MA
(617) 698-0103
(617) 698-0103

Also featured in:

More in Maps

© 2024 Vox Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Link copied to the clipboard.

Daddy Jones

525 Medford St, Somerville, MA

Daddy Jones’s mostly Greek menu has plenty to explore in the gyro and skewers department, but don’t ignore the excellent burgers. There’s several options, but here’s a very good starting point: the Athena burger, made with a lamb patty stuffed with feta and herbs, red pepper feta and American cheese on top, bacon, and a fig jam all smushed between two halves of an English muffin.

525 Medford St, Somerville, MA
(617) 690-9095
(617) 690-9095

Boston Burger Company

37 Davis Sq, Somerville, MA

Boston Burger Company — now with locations in Harvard Square, Back Bay, and Salem as well as the original Somerville one and a kitchen takeover in Jamaica Plain — is the place to go for absolutely over-the-top burgers. Think stacked-tall combinations such as peanut butter, bacon, and fried cinnamon-and-sugar bananas (The King); mozzarella sticks, fried macaroni and cheese, onion rings, fries, bacon, golden barbecue sauce, and American cheese (the aptly named 420 Burger); and bacon, a stack of beer-battered onion rings, honey barbecue sauce, and American cheese (Killer Bee).

37 Davis Sq, Somerville, MA
(617) 440-7361
(617) 440-7361
A metal tray with a burger and the bun on the side to expose all of its toppings, plus potato chips and coleslaw on the side.
Boston Burger Company’s Hot Mess with bacon, sweet potato fries, and housemade Thousand Island dressing.
Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Charlie's Kitchen

10 Eliot St, Cambridge, MA 02138

The double cheeseburger Charlie’s is famous for is unpretentiousness — flat patties topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles. It’s served with perfect shoestring french fries, and is best eaten with a cold beer or several.

10 Eliot St, Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 492-9646
(617) 492-9646

Little Donkey

505 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139

How many luxe ingredients can one burger hold? According to Central Square mainstay Little Donkey, a bunch — and somehow, it all works out well in the end. The dry-aged beef patty is coated in cheese, onion soup mayo, buffalo pickles, with a few crispy jalapeno chips tucked in, too. It’s decadent, and it’s well worth the money.

505 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 945-1008
(617) 945-1008
Two burger halves positioned so that the viewer can see a cross-section of the sandwich, including a medium rare beef patty and melty cheese on the sides.
Little Donkey’s burger.
Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Neptune Oyster

63 Salem St (at Morton St), Boston, MA 02113

Neptune Oyster is a North End seafood institution mostly known for its raw bar, hefty lobster roll, and clam chowder. But for a true New England twist on the burger experience, try the Neptune Burger. It’s piled high with fried oysters and then flavored with cheddar cheese, garlic mayo, and tangy relish. It’s like tailgating at a beach: the best of both worlds.

63 Salem St (at Morton St), Boston, MA 02113
(617) 742-3474
(617) 742-3474

JM Curley

21 Temple Pl, Boston, MA 02125

JM Curley’s award-winning burger is slathered in caramelized onions, Russian dressing, pickles, and cheddar on a sesame bun. It’s the perfect high-quality pub food to satisfy late-night cravings after a few cocktails. Best of all, it’s available until 1:30 a.m. most nights.

21 Temple Pl, Boston, MA 02125
(617) 338-5333
(617) 338-5333

Shojo

9a Tyler Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111

The Shōjōnator is like an Asian-inspired Big Mac with a quarter-pound Angus beef patty, sriracha aioli, smoked BBQ sauce, bacon, “kimcheese,” and fried shallots, all squished between the two sides of a house-made sesame bao bun. For an even more indulgent experience, add an extra patty, a fried egg, or a side of duck-fat fries.

9a Tyler Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111
(617) 482-8887
(617) 482-8887

Tasty Burger

145 Dartmouth St (Columbus Avenue), Boston, MA 02116

Boston’s essential burger scene tends to skew towards big, pricey, meaty burgers, but there are a few inexpensive options holding their own. Tasty Burger is the local answer to Shake Shack — thin patties, squishy buns, quick service, and relatively low prices. Founded by local chefs, it combines the price point and pleasure of fast food with grass-fed beef and fresh produce.

145 Dartmouth St (Columbus Avenue), Boston, MA 02116
Hands hold onto a cheeseburger from Tasty Burger, held aloft above more burgers and onion rings Tasty Burger

Hojoko

1271 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02215

At this Japanese izakaya in Fenway, save room between bites of sushi and sashimi for the burger. Made with chuck and wagyu short rib and topped with cheese, dashi pickles, red onion, and a secret sauce, it’s been a local favorite for years.

1271 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02215
(617) 670-0507
(617) 670-0507

Moonshine 152

152 Dorchester Ave, Boston, MA

Moonshine 152 has a luxe burger that changes monthly, but it’s always a hit. Not into the monthly special? There’s also a grass-fed burger with sharp cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion, and aioli, served with shoestring fries, and a similarly dressed vegetarian mushroom tofu burger (that can be made vegan).

152 Dorchester Ave, Boston, MA
(617) 752-4191
(617) 752-4191

Hunter's Kitchen and Bar

110 Dorchester St, Boston, MA 02127

There’s a lot of tall, beefy burgers on this list, but its crispier cousin, the smashburger, also deserves a spotlight here. At Southern-style comfort food hangout Hunter’s, the smashburger is bursting with crispy onions, strips of bacon, slices of avocado, sharp cheddar cheese, and a squirt of spicy serrano aioli, all layered on a puffy potato roll.

110 Dorchester St, Boston, MA 02127
(617) 221-4200
(617) 221-4200

Nubian Markets

2565 Washington St, Boston, MA 02119

Just shy of a smashburger, the butcher’s burger at Nubian Markets boasts wonderfully charred edges and comes slicked with both a berbere citrus mayo and savory bacon tomato jam. Lettuce and onion round out each bite, and the burger is tucked in a sturdy golden pita bun baked on the premises.

2565 Washington St, Boston, MA 02119
(617) 608-4940
(617) 608-4940
Two burger halves stacked on top of each other and laid on a piece of tin foil.
The butcher’s burger at Nubian Markets.
Erika Adams/Eater Boston

Bred Gourmet

2255 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester, MA

Located in Dorchester’s Lower Mills neighborhood, this cozy burger joint serves beef burgers and plenty of alternatives (jerk salmon, and veggie, for example) on brioche and potato buns. Try the Parisian, a grass-fed beef burger on brioche with caramelized onions, bacon, brie, sauteed mushrooms, truffle aioli, and a fried egg.

2255 Dorchester Ave, Dorchester, MA
(617) 698-0103
(617) 698-0103

Related Maps