It should come as no surprise that Beer City USA – aka Grand Rapids, Michigan – also serves some of America’s best burgers. After all, burgers and beers are a match made in heaven. Then again, so are burgers and ciders, spirits, sodas, shakes and pretty much anything else the talented craft beverage artisans of Grand Rapids create.
We asked our burger-loving followers and friends to name their favorite local burger joints – and we got almost as many different recommendations as there are burger topping options around the city. Here are the destinations that sizzled to the top:
Local Legends
Two words: olive burger. That’s just one of the local culinary traditions reflected on many homegrown restaurant burger menus, which do a great job of balancing Grand Rapidians’ craving for both the familiar and the adventurous. These local legends tend to use fresh ingredients from the region’s family farms for an explosion of bold, juicy flavor in every bite.
Black Napkin's Le College Dropout Burger is served on a Nantucket sesame seed challah bun.
Photo by Courtesy of Black Napkin
Black Napkin
Opened in the city’s Uptown neighborhood in October 2022, Black Napkin received more than double the votes of any other burger destination in our informal poll. The menu features four different smash burgers that can be ordered as a single, double or triple. Each patty is made with Michigan Craft Beef and served on a sesame seed challah bun from Nantucket Baking Company. Vegetarian and vegan burgers are available, and you can add a side of fries rolled in “custy dust” like Kimchi and White Cheddar, Rust (sweet paprika, coriander, garlic, mustard), or Salt-N-Red Wine Vinegar. Order a house-made soda to wash it all down.
Mr. Burger
There are nine different burgers on the menu here, all of which have their fans. But the real claim to fame is the Olive Burger topped with chopped green olives and mayo. This burger variation supposedly originated in Michigan, and Mr. Burger’s version is widely acknowledged as one of the best. The are eight Mr. Burger locations around Grand Rapids – the Lake Michigan Drive site is the original Mr. Burger, opened in 1967 and still going strong.
Choo Choo Grill
The Choo Choo Grill is a cozy diner located along the railroad tracks just north of downtown Grand Rapids. (Look for the bright-red building at the corner of Plainfield Ave. and Leonard St.) The selections here are pretty straightforward – a one-pound(!) or half-pound cheeseburger, plus a handful of third-pound burgers with toppings like olives, cheese, ham and/or grilled onions. Seating is limited to 20 or so people, but you can always get takeout.
On Thursday nights, Stella's offers $5 off any burger with the purchase of a drink.
Photo by Stacy Feyer-Salo
Stella’s Lounge
GQ Magazine once hailed the Stella Burger as the best burger in all of America – and many local burger lovers agree. Stella’s Lounge uses 100% Black Angus Beef to make its half-pound burgers and complements the perfectly grilled patties with a delectable combination of ingredients, inside and out. (The Stella Burger is stuffed with blue cheese and bacon, and topped with blue cheese sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and an onion ring.) All burgers – including the veggie options – are served with your choice of fries at this downtown restaurant.
Bigfoot Burger Co.
Every burger at Bigfoot Burger Co. features a half-pound, custom-made meat blend from a local butcher, which is fresh-ground every morning at the restaurant. Choose from 15 or so different burgers with toppings such as grilled pineapple, flash-fried Brussels sprouts, peanut butter and fried banana, marinara sauce, olive spread, a variety of house-made sauces and more. Each burger comes with crispy fries. Bigfoot Burger is situated in a strip mall on the east end of Plainfield Avenue, just before it dead ends into East Beltline Avenue.
The Green Well
Long one of Uptown GR’s most popular restaurants, The Green Well serves a delectable gluten-free Smash Burger with double beef patties and all the fixings on a sesame bun from local Lucy’s Bakery. Pair it with hand-cut truffle fries for a hearty meal. Vegetarians can order a Beyond burger and kids can get a simple cheeseburger.
Nonla Burger's N.B. Double Burger has two 3.2oz beef patties topped with Nonla spread.
Photo by Courtesy of Nonla Burger
Nonla Burger
Nonla Burger opened in the Bridge Street Entertainment District in late 2022 and quickly became indispensable to local burger aficionados. There are three 100% beef burgers and a plant-based alternative always on the menu, as well as frequent daily burger specials. Try the handcut fries or Nonla Way fries – topped with cheese, grilled onions, jalapenos, cilantro and Nonla spread – as a side.
Lost Art Brewhouse
A small-batch artisan brewery in Walker, about 10 minutes from downtown GR, Lost Art Brewhouse didn’t even have a kitchen until March 2025. It made its way onto our list by virtue of the parking lot food truck that delighted patrons with an array of freshly made smash burgers – including a Polska Burger made with ground kielbasa – made with a special meat blend from Sobie Meats, just across the street. Now those food truck favorites (and a whole lot more) are available inside the brewery!
The Vestal Inn
The Vestal Inn ’s 7-oz. burgers are made fresh with a custom blend of sirloin, chuck and brisket, seasoned with a house-made seasoning blend, and served on a brioche bun from local Nantucket Baking Company. Mouthwatering thick-cut honey-cured bacon tops several burger selections, and every burger is served with beer-battered fries. About 15 minutes northwest of downtown GR in Belmont, The Vestal Inn is a friendly sports and live music bar.
O’Toole’s Public House
Another Bridge Street burger destination, O’Toole’s Public House is an Irish-inspired restaurant that serves some killer American-style burgers. All seven burger selections feature two 4-oz. beef patties along with ingredients ranging from a fried egg and Dijon aioli to crispy jalapenos and habanero cheese. Add fries, tater tots or onion rings as you see fit.
Bridge Street Burger Shack
Burger Shack is located on Bridge Street in Rockford, not in the trendy GR entertainment district. Fans say you should make the 15-minute trip from GR to savor the “old school” smash burgers made with custom-blended, freshly ground, never frozen beef. Build your own burger with a choice of one, two, three or four burgers, and a passel of optional toppings. An Impossible veggie burger is also available, along with fries and soft drinks.
The Win Tavern 33
Antibiotic- and hormone-free Angus beef is the common ingredient in all the burgers offered at The Win Tavern 33 in Jenison, a pub-style eatery about 15 minutes southwest of downtown GR. Select burgers are infused with Buffalo sauce or steak sauce, while others feature such toppings as guacamole, sauteed mushrooms, green olives or house-made mac ‘n cheese.
Blue Dog Tavern
As the name implies, Blue Dog Tavern is known for its terrific hot dogs – but it’s no slouch when it comes to burgers. All five burger selections feature Angus Beef and are served with house-made chips. Try the J-Dawg burger stuffed with onion, jalapenos, buffalo and BBQ sauce, bacon, homemade cheese sauce and garlic butter aioli, or the cheese-topped Stocking Street Burger, named for the restaurant’s address, which is a historic building just off the Bridge Street Entertainment District.
Located in Uptown GR, Vivant Brewery offers both spirits and from-scratch meals.
Photo by Experience Grand Rapids
Vivant Brewery + Spirits
A European-inspired restaurant and bar in a refurbished funeral home in Uptown GR, Vivant Brewery + Spirits boasts a from-scratch food menu to complement its handcrafted beverages. Its 6-oz. Pub Burger features a blend of locally sourced ground chuck and the Vivant Burger starts with a half-pound beef blend from Michigan’s Wernette Beef. Both burgers are served with Pomme Frites.
The Winchester
Burgers, beer, handcrafted and elevated bar eats are the drawing cards at The Winchester, another popular Uptown neighborhood gathering place. Its Classic Smash Burger is made with Michigan Craft Beef, which is primarily pasture-grazed, and topped with American cheese, lettuce, pickle, onion and either “fancy sauce” or olive may on a sesame bun. Porcini-spiced pub fries are a perfect go-with.
Schnitz Ada Grill
Schnitz Ada Grill is a deli by day and a casual fine-dining restaurant by night – and both serve some wonderful burgers. The deli menu takes a classic approach, with three fairly simple burger choices, including a build-your-own options, while the dinner menu pulls out all the stops: all five selections feature two 4-oz. Wagyu burgers. Longtime local residents adore the Mr. Fabulous Burger, with an olive spread that hearkens back to the olive burgers served at Mr. Fables, a local chain from 1963-2000.
Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill
This downtown live music and comedy venue also serves some mighty tasty pub grub, including burgers made with Angus beef from local Shagbark Farms (coincidentally the site of its own summer live music festival). Tip Top offers a delicious version of an olive burger, but our attention is usually drawn to the Traveling Plan Burger topped with thick-cut bacon, cheddar cheese and a fried egg.
Pete’s Grill & Tavern
Serving Byron Center for more than 75 years, Pete’s Grill & Tavern is a laid-back watering hole whose fairly extensive food menu includes seven half-pound burgers made with beef from Byron Center Meats, just a couple of minutes away. Standouts include the Bleu Jamison Burger, featuring a Jameson whiskey glaze and bleu cheese crumbles, and the Whiskey Tavern Burger, made with Jack Daniels BBQ sauce.
Fratelli’s Kitchen and Bar
Would you order a burger at an Italian restaurant? You would if the restaurant is Fratelli’s, a Bridge Street restaurant and bar whose Figgin G.O.A.T, BBQ Bastard and Really Gouda burgers are made with Angus beef and toppings ranging from fig jam and bacon to jalapenos and fried pickle chips. There’s also a Sausage Burger made with a house-made
O’Briens Deli & Burgers
The 11 burger selections at O’Briens Deli & Burgers include two olive variations, a double smash burger, a portabella mushroom burger and a homemade quinoa veggie burger. All burgers are served with fries. O’Briens Deli & Burgers also serves beer, wine and ready-to-drink cocktails, if you’re so inclined.
Z’s Restaurant & Bar
A downtown GR staple since 1982, Z’s Restaurant & Bar is the cure for late-night burger cravings. The kitchen is open until 1:00am Monday-Saturday (midnight on Sundays), and if you really need to wake up, try the spicy Inferno Burger featuring inferno seasoning, pepperjack cheese, jalapenos and baja sauce. All Z’s burgers are made with a half-pound of Angus beef.
Broadway Bar
The Broadway Bar is an old-school tavern on the city’s west side. It’s beloved for its over-the-top Christmas decorations – but there’s plenty of love to go around for its namesake burger, too. The Broadway Burger consists of two huge patties piled high with lettuce, tomato, pickle, small onion bits and creamy mayo and sandwiched between two thick slices of Texas toast. It’s served with a heaping helping of golden French fries. If your appetite isn’t quite that big, you can opt for one of the simpler burgers on the menu.
One Stop Coney Shop
This family-run venue in downtown GR takes its name from a hot dog – and there are 15+ hot dog variations on the menu – but One Stop Coney Shop burgers have their devotees, too. There are six smash burgers to choose from, including an olive burger and a breakfast burger topped with bacon, American cheese, grilled onions and a fried egg.
One Twenty Three Tavern
Appropriately located at 123 Ionia Avenue SW in downtown GR, One Twenty Three Tavern offers a choice of two burgers, each done exceptionally well. The One Twenty Three Burger features 7 oz. of custom-blend beef and the Smash Burger has two smash patties. Tuesday is Burger Night, when you can get a Smash Burger and a brew for just $14.
Food Trucks
Two local food trucks made their way onto our list, a testament to their undeniable prowess with patty. Check their social media pages to find out where these trucks will be appearing next.
Patty Matters
Voted West Michigan’s best food truck – not just best burger truck, best food truck period – Patty Matters offers a mouthwatering selection of gourmet burgers as well as fries, sweet treats and sodas. Pick your patty choice (beef, turkey, pork, fish or veggie), pick your toppings, pick your bun and enjoy!
Fat Guys Burgers
The handcrafted smash burgers from Fat Guys Burgers are made with fresh-ground beef from local Jones Farm Meats. You can order your burgers with one, two or three patties, depending on your appetite, and a choice of six topping combos. You can also add bacon to any burger.
Worth the Drive
You could eat a burger in a different Grand Rapids restaurant every day of the year, but a few of our followers also recommended these burger destinations outside Kent County:
Frank’s Restaurant
Zeeland, a picturesque small town 25 minutes from downtown GR, is the setting for Frank’s Restaurant, a 100-year-old diner offering 14 different burgers – including Frank’s “F” Bomb, featuring three patties, three cheeses, bacon, ham and your choice of other toppings.
Johnny B’s Barbeque
Johnny B’s is a casual counter-serve BBQ joint at Hudsonville Lanes, a bowling alley about 20 minutes southwest of downtown GR. There isn’t a burger on the regular menu, but occasional burger specials include a Smokehouse Burger topped with pulled pork and BBQ sauce, and a Mac-n-Cheese Burger topped with bacon and (you guessed it) mac ‘n cheese.
The Station Grill
Housed in a refashioned 1940s gas station, The Station Grill is Muskegon’s self-proclaimed “Favorite Burger Destination.” With 20 different gourmet steakburger selections on the menu, there’s something sure to satisfy every burger lover. About 40 minutes northwest of downtown GR.
Choice Chains
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention three national chains that garnered mentions in our poll. Chili’s, Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, and Steak n’ Shake each have multiple locations throughout Grand Rapids and Kent County, and all of them serve somebody’s favorite burger.
Most of the burgers mentioned above are menu mainstays and should always be available – but you can check menu websites before you go just to make sure.