Isaac Torres
Audio By Carbonatix
When you’re craving a burger, nothing else will satisfy. The meaty, cheesy, sauce-dripping-down-your-chin fun of smashing a burger, or a smash burger, can’t be beat. And the next time you find a burger calling your name, there are 10 Phoenix restaurants making them better than the rest.
The Valley’s best burgers come in all shapes and sizes, from crispy thin smashed patties to burgers the shape of meatballs. Opt for traditional toppings or get a little wild. Whichever style you’re craving, these spots have you covered.
Sara Crocker
Bad Jimmy’s
Multiple locations
In the mood for a classic, nostalgic smash burger with American cheese, pickles, a grilled onion and a fluffy potato bun? Or maybe you’re feeling a spicy fried fish sandwich topped with caviar? Either way, Bad Jimmy’s has you covered. The four locations of this local, rapidly growing chain are collectively a scene. It started in downtown Phoenix, when the former Bread Fruit & Rum Bar traded tropical tipples for red neon, white tiles and an old school letter board menu. Locations in Scottsdale, Uptown and Tempe followed, each providing a spot for hipsters to sip craft cocktails and chow down on smash burgers. Whether you’re in the mood for classic or creative, everything we’ve tried here has been a winner.
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Culinary Gangster
Culinary Gangster
513 E. Roosevelt St.
14891 N. Northsight Blvd., Scottsdale
In a city flush with razor-thin smash burgers, Culinary Gangster makes its patties thick. The restaurant originally began as a food truck in Chicago in 2018. Since then, father and son Ricky and Rocco Raschillo have opened Culinary Gangster as an all-day restaurant in north Scottsdale and downtown’s Roosevelt Row. Those wide-mouth, half-pound burgers are a big draw. There are both classic and more adventurous burgers on the menu, from a savory mushroom-and-Swiss sando to a fiery version topped with jalapenos, fried onions and sweet chile and habanero sauces. We also love that diners can swap beef for turkey or vegan patties, making this casual restaurant a fit for more than red meat-eaters.
Jackie Mercandetti Photo
Harvey’s Wineburger
4812 N. 16th St.
If Bad Jimmy’s is where cool kids chow down on thin smash burgers, Harvey’s Wineburger takes a different approach altogether. At this uptown staple, a crowd of regular barflies digs in to almost impossibly thick patties. The burgers, which really are almost meatballs, are cooked with a splash of red wine, hence the name. This technique keeps them juicy and plump. Toppings include barbecue sauce, jalapenos, bacon and onion rings in the Rodeo, or blue cheese and hot sauce in the Buffalo Bleu. We’re partial to the Mushroom Burger, topped with grilled mushrooms, onions and Swiss cheese, and doused in a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Grab one of the few high-top tables or a seat at the bar in this dark, loud dive and eat enough beef to last a week.
Sara Crocker
Main Burgers
161 W. Main St., Mesa
Main Burgers is a downtown Mesa counter-service joint from the team behind neighboring Espiritu and Tacos Chiwas. Roberto Centeno, Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin have fused their Mexican heritage with an American dining staple, creating craveable burgers in a casual setting with retro touches. At Main Burgers, there are just three semi-smashed burgers on the menu, all served in bubble-gum pink baskets. You can go with the Classic and keep your burger the same with American cheese, pickles and caramelized onions. For a kick of spice, try the Sonora, topped with a crisp chiltepin and a cheese crust, bacon, caramelized onions, house sauce and lettuce, or go savory with the Chiwas, smothered in queso asadero, ham, roasted green chiles, caramelized onions, sauce and lettuce. Each is executed flawlessly from an open kitchen that patrons can watch while waiting to order.
Sara Crocker
Paradise Valley Burger Co.
15689 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale
815 E. Baseline Road, Tempe
The menu at Paradise Valley Burger Co. can be a head-scratcher to the uninitiated. The burger shop’s owner, Bret Shapiro, applies a slightly stoned chef’s gastronomic touch to everyday burgers and shakes. Torched sugar on burger buns, like creme brulee? Yep. Burger patties that are battered and fried? You bet. Blueberry-habanero compote? Buckle up and hold onto your taste buds. These techniques and toppings may not seem like they’ll work, but Shapiro always manages to surprise and impress us with layers of flavor piled high on every burger at his Scottsdale and Tempe restaurants. It’s not just us he’s wowed. In Scottsdale, you’ll see Shapiro’s wall-of-fame, which includes local accolades and memorabilia from visits by Food Network chef Guy Fieri. Try the Brulee Burger that put PVBC on the map, or order our favorite, The Fritter. It’s two burger patties, a corn-muffin fritter, guacamole, a roasted green chile, cumin ranch and that aforementioned compote. It’s a spicy-sweet, sloppy burger that’s well worth swaddling yourself in napkins to enjoy.
Stoop Kid
Stoop Kid
901 N. First St., #107
Many know Stoop Kid as a breakfast destination that serves stacked bagel sandwiches. And these creative combos are a fantastic way to start the day. But we tend to visit Stoop Kid in the afternoon, when the tiny kitchen switches gears from bagels to burgers. The counter-service spot is located within The Churchill, downtown Phoenix’s collection of shipping containers. There, the staff sling crispy smash burgers elevated with delectable toppings such as homemade dill pickles and melty Gruyere cheese. Go all out with a Sunny, which comes loaded with a fried egg, or opt for the Decaf, a veggie burger topped with avocado, tomato, sprouts, diced pickles and onions. Complete your meal with your choice of potatoes – Curlies or Tots and then head next door to the Brill Line for a beer. Once you’re name is called, snag a table to chow down in the Churchill’s shaded courtyard.
Jacob Tyler Dunn
The Chuckbox
202 E. University Drive, Tempe
If you’ve never been to The Chuckbox, it’s time to go. Eating at this little Tempe joint is an essential Valley experience. Somewhere between a diner and a log cabin, the no-frills Valley staple first opened in 1972. Inside, customers line up alongside the mesquite burning grill to place their orders as burgers sizzle and crisp. Many of the menu options depend on your level of hunger. Peckish? Order the Little One, a ⅕ pound burger. Extra ravenous? Try the Double Great Big One, which comes with a whole pound of meat. Our favorite is the Tijuana Torpedo, a stuffed beef patty with melted jalapeno jack cheese inside. Round out your meal with some classic fries or opt for the old-school deep-fried zucchini or mushrooms. Add your own toppings at the condiment table and make sure to plan ahead for this cash-only eatery.
Tirion Boan
The Stand
3538 E. Indian School Road
The Stand doesn’t have any indoor seating, and requires customers to pick up their orders via their drive-thru. But compared to any other burgers coming from a drive-thru joint, and really any other burgers from anywhere in town, these are some of the best. We love the Arcadia Burger, named for the neighborhood and topped with cheese, grilled onions, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, pickles and Stand sauce. The burgers come double-stacked and are juicy and oh so satisfying. Pair them with a side of fries and make sure to leave room for a milkshake. Flavors can be ordered solo, or combined into your own sweet creation. We love mixing the banana and dulce de leche flavors for a sweet, salty cravable treat. Try not to drink the whole thing on your drive home.
Tirion Boan
UniQ Burger
7730 E. McDowell Road
The name of this Scottsdale burger shop makes perfect sense. While the burgers look and taste like your favorite, nostalgic burger, they are indeed unique. The casual, counter-service restaurant, located in a shopping plaza off McDowell and Hayden roads, is entirely plant-based. The meaty burger patties are 100% vegan, as is the gooey, melty cheese and fluffy buns. Go with the classic Uniq Burger, or elevate your meal with the jalapeno-topped Southwest or grilled pineapple-adorned Paradise Burger. Bring any meat-loving friend and watch as they demolish these delectable plant-based burgers. Add even more spice to the party with an order of Southwest Fully Loaded Fries, topped with melty vegan cheese, jalapenos, chipotle aioli and crispy onion strings.
Sara Crocker
Wally Burger
10222 N. 43rd Ave., #7, Glendale
Glendale’s Wally Burger has the trappings of a typical counter-service spot. The menu of burgers, gyros and other diner-style bites hangs on the wall. You can hear the sizzle of ground meat hitting the flat-top and fries meeting hot oil in the kitchen, which is just behind the counter where a cashier hollers back orders. The burgers are served on sliced clusters of sweet King’s Hawaiian rolls and are loaded with decadent toppings like gooey mac and cheese, pastrami or Swiss and mushrooms. Once you step through to the dining room, it’s clear Wally Burger is more than a mild-mannered restaurant. It’s a full-blown superhero-themed experience. There are life-sized statues of heroes like Spider-Man and Iron Man placed around the restaurant’s perimeter. Movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe play on TVs. Kids work joysticks and buttons at free arcade games. It’s the kind of place that adds a layer of fun to the typical dinner out.
