Happy National Hamburger Day (May 28) to all who celebrate, including those who prefer vegan or pescatarian varieties. With the holiday approaching, we toyed with the idea of a guide to where to get burgers in St. Pete. It turns out, the answer to that question is, well, everywhere.
So, instead of listing every restaurant in the city, I’m making this a personal selection of the best burgers I’ve had in St. Pete. Inevitably, your favorite will be left off. This isn’t a ranking or an all-encompassing list. These are just my favorites as someone who can’t get enough meat, cheese and bread, preferably all at the same time. Hopefully this gives you some inspiration.
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Some great spots aren’t on the list, and in some instances, that’s just because I love their other dishes so much that I’ve never strayed and tried the burger. How can I skip the grouper sandwich at the Tavern at Bayboro, or the wings at Voodoo, or the seafood at Mullet’s? I’ve heard great things about all of their burgers, but sadly, haven’t tasted them myself.
I’m also trying to inject a little variety into the options. There are some classic burger spots here, to be sure, but some are a little unexpected or unorthodox. I recommend them all, just maybe not all in one weekend. This is in purely alphabetical order, and meant as a starting point, not a be-all, end-all guide. Shoot us an email at info@ilovetheburg.com if we missed one you love. We’ll add it to our to-visit list!
Bellies Street Food
Some of the best food in St. Pete comes from trucks, and that’s truer in the burger game than maybe any other category. The Bellies smashburgers are a cardiologist’s worst nightmare and a foodie’s wildest dream.
Bier Boutique
Of course the hearty midwestern spot makes a mean cheeseburger. Pick your poison on what toppings you’d like, because it’s the handmade bison and bacon patty that makes this burger so special.
Brick & Mortar
This is my favorite burger in St. Pete. It’s the last place you would expect, given Brick & Mortar’s reputation as a fine dining establishment rather than a greasy burger joint, but man, they do burgers right. If you’ve had it before, you’re nodding your head. Don’t be embarrassed to pair it with a nice glass of red.
The Burg Bar & Grill
If you hadn’t heard, we do love The Burg here at, well, this website. And where else are you getting a Greek burger? Their house specialty, The Burg, comes topped with gyro meat, tzatziki and feta. Save your kettle chips to dip into the toppings that spill out.
El Cap
When someone says a simple burger is the best burger, they’re thinking about El Cap. It’s classic, it’s easy, and no matter how many toppings or extra patties you add, it’s still the best deal in town.
The Chattaway
This pick is as much for nostalgia as anything. We’re sad to say goodbye to a legend when it closes this summer, but there’s no better way to say farewell than the OG Chattaburger.
Dead Bob’s
Another one to add to the underrated and undervalued list, few places deliver more flavor for your dollar than Dead Bob’s. For lowkey, laid-back meals, few are better, and their burger in particular rises to the occasion. The same goes for their sister spot The Joint.
Engine No. 9
A list of the 10 best burgers in St. Pete could just be a picture of the burger list at Engine No. 9 and very few people would argue. It’s one of the few places I can’t pick a favorite, but the Black Flag (a spicy, cheesy, Cajun delight) is probably my most frequent order.
Ford’s Garage
I’m convinced that people sleep on the food at Ford’s Garage, and it’s to their own detriment. For big, salty servings of classic bar food, they’re hard to beat. My go-to is the BBQ Brisket Burger, but they’re also one of the few places that offer a peanut butter burger. It’s a lifechanging experience if A) you like peanut butter and B) haven’t tried one before.
Good Intentions
I always say that Good Intentions isn’t just great for vegan food. It’s great food, and it happens to be vegan. One bite of their Beyond beef Rodeo Burger will silence almost any doubter. I always begin my visit with the whipped ricotta, which is one of the best starters in St. Pete.
Horse & Jockey
I love a good Reuben almost as much as I love a good burger. Horse & Jockey is the rare place where I don’t have to pick. You’ll need more than a few napkins, but the Reuben burger (topped with corned beef) is worth staining any shirt in your collection.
Mary Margaret’s Olde Irish Tavern
If you either did or are about to tie one on Irish-style, the Guinness Burger at Mary’s is your hangover cure. The day after, it’s delicious recovery fuel. The day-of, it’s a strong base to keep you going. More importantly: it’s incredible. I’m not often a fan of mushrooms on burgers, but this one changed me.
Offset Sandwich Exchange
Offset has sold well over 10,000 smashburgers since setting up a permanent, every-weekend spot at Green Bench early last year, and it’s with good reason. It’s a classic smashburger that gives you exactly what you want, while they have plenty of options (including their borderline viral chicken Caesar wrap) for the non-burger eaters in the crew. My preference: add an order of cheese curds.
3 Daughters Brewing
This one will take you by surprise. It’s a half-pound, grass-fed beef patty from a farm in Sarasota, served atop a bun baked down the street in the Warehouse Arts District, and complemented by crispy bacon cooked to order. You don’t get much fresher than that, plus you have access to three dozen+ taps of beer. It won’t change your life, but it will absolutely brighten your day.
Ted Peters
The name may be “Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish,” and the fish is indeed as famous and smoked as it is delicious. But few meals are as satisfying after a day at the beach as a jumbo cheeseburger at Ted Peters. It’s no frills fuel for your sunburned body. Satisfy your smoked fish needs with the fish dip.
Tower 10 Burger
A cult favorite food truck, Tower 10 may have the most popular smashburger in Tampa Bay. They’re a mainstay almost every weekend at Golden Isles, and a line forms no matter where they end up. They take their smashburgers seriously, with crispy beef and cheese sticking out of every bun. It’s a borderline religious experience.
Trophy Fish
While this may seem like an inclusion exclusively for the pescatarian audience, it’s more than just a backup plan. The smoked shrimp burger at Trophy Fish deserves its place on this list, and I apologize if you have beef with that. It’s tasty, fall-apart goodness in a bun.
