The 16 Best Burger Joints in Miami

It’s surprising that more of Miami’s best barbecue joints haven’t figured out what Mel Rodriguez has: Take the scraps of your slow-smoked meats, grind them up, and put them in a burger patty to end up with something pretty spectacular. La Traila’s burgers are like eating a perfectly-formed prime brisket platter, which is then cleverly topped with pulled pork, swiss, and pickles for the Bar-b-Cuban. Or kept deliciously simple with provolone and onions.
How to book: Stop in for first-come, first-served service or order online

In the Midwest, burgers are just built a little different. Which is why something like the Juicy Lucy—two thin patties pressed together and filled with molten pimento cheese–could only come from the heartland. And though Whitman’s originated in NYC its burger stays true to its Minnesota roots, packing a punch of flavors without feeling insurmountable. The melted pimento center is obviously the star of the show, but the rest of the burger is well balanced with the normal savory burger toppings, as well as sweet grilled onions and a sesame seed bun for texture.
How to book: Stop in for first-come, first served service or order online

Swanky Bal Harbour isn’t necessarily where one would expect to find offerings as un-glamorous as a hamburger. Especially not tucked into the back of the over-the-top St. Regis. But BH Burger Bar is an upscale hidden gem, where you can slide into a red vinyl booth and enjoy decadent stuff like the Frenchie, filled with bacon, truffle aioli, Comte cheese, pickled shallots, caramelized onions, and roasted tomatoes in a butter brioche bun—if your heart wasn’t already hurting. Or opt for the Foie Gras burger, if that first one just wasn’t Bal Harbour enough for you.
How to book: Stop in for first-come, first-served seating

This beefy D.C. standout set up right on the riverfront in downtown Lauderdale, an easy walk from the Brightline station if you’re up for a train-and-burger adventure. It’s worth the trip, with hearty Angus patties dominating a menu of unusual creations. For big appetites, go for the peppercorn steakhouse burger, where gruyere, fried onion straws, and sauteed mushrooms set off a generous spread of Tellicherry peppercorn mayo. Pair it with any of Big Bun’s epic shakes, and slip into a food coma on your train ride home.
How to order: Stop in for first-come, first-served service or order online

Between your green cup-collecting frenzy and late night garlic roll binges, you may have forgotten that this South Florida stalwart still cranks out one of the straight-up best burgers in the city. The legendary Bahama burger is nothing fancy, just some flame-broiled meat topped with lettuce, tomato, and a pickle on a Kaiser roll. But ask burger-loving locals where they go when they’re in the mood, and more than a few will inevitably admit that Flanigan’s dishes up much more than nostalgia.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating or order take-out online.

Success is all about setting expectations—and as soon as you walk into this license plate-lined waterside shack, you know you're going to be there a while. That’s what happens when your sizable sirloin patty gets called out by GQ, Oprah, and other esteemed publications as one of the very best in America. But nobody minds the wait at Le Tub, because sipping cold beer by the water in anticipation of a signature burger that also exceeds expectations is never short of satisfying.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.

Operating a post office-themed anything in 2022 seems about as good an idea as modeling your business after Blockbuster. But unlike its namesake agency, United States Burger Service just keeps gaining in popularity. Maybe it’s thanks to the cleverly titled, delivery-themed menu items (Snail Mail, Carrier Pigeon, Smoke Signal), or because the burgers are served atop a row of mailboxes and bagged with logos reminiscent of Priority Mail packages. But even without all the gimmicks, the single patty smash burger with Priority Sauce and “government cheese” has the key to our P.O. box.
How to book: Stop by for counter service or order take-out via Toast.

When you go to a restaurant with a menu as eclectic and inventive as Pinch’s, you might feel a little like an eight-year-old sticking to a simple burger. Our advice? Don’t. Though it’s hard to put your finger on why, exactly, this particular patty is so spectacular, no one who’s ever tried it has walked away disappointed. You’re getting a custom blend of beef, topped with caramelized onions, swiss, and garlic aioli on a brioche bun. Once you’ve cleaned the whole plate—and all the fresh-cut fries that come with it—you’ll never talk smack about third-graders again.
How to book: Reserve via OpenTable, order take-out via Toast, and get delivery via Postmates, DoorDash, GrubHub, Uber Eats, and Caviar. 

You know that amaaaazing pizza place you used to hit up at three am in college? The one you later realized was only so good because you were three pitchers of margaritas deep? One might think this was the case with the Buns of Liberty burger, which is typically enjoyed sometime after two am. But belly up to the bar and order the double brisket-sirloin patties topped with American, house pickles, LTO, and Sweet Liberty Special Sauce during daylight hours, and you’ll understand just why Sweet Liberty knows how to soak up alcohol as well as they know how to mix it.
How to book: Reserve via Resy.

The most underrated burger in Miami doesn’t come from some little unknown hole in the wall. Quite the opposite—it’s hiding in plain sight at a spot better known for acres of televisions and two-for-one drink specials. While the menu at Duffy’s isn’t turning anyone’s head, the burger is an absolute gem: a half pound of Certified Angus Beef, flame-broiled with total mastery and served on a freshly baked bun. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but if a great burger needs little more than tasty meat and a good grilling, Duffy’s does it better than anyone.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating or order take-out and delivery online.

For the most inventive, creative, off-the-wall hamburgers in Miami, the only place to go is…Westchester? Yep. The father-son team behind this modern joint is whipping up burgers topped with the likes of croquetas, sweet plantains, and Blue Moon beer, all inspired by the countries whose flags dangle from our city’s collective rear view mirrors. Don’t go in expecting 109 to play the hits, but if you’re game to try meaty flavor combos you’ve never before imagined, it’s well worth the trip out west.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating or order take-out online.

Before you jump down to the comments to tell us we failed eighth-grade geography, we know: Gilbert’s is in Fort Lauderdale. But for a lot of folks that’s actually closer than Kendall, and Gilbert's eight-ounce Certified Angus beef burger, char-grilled to perfection and served up on a fresh roll by the nicest people you’ll ever meet in South Florida (far nicer than anyone slamming us in the comments), fully makes up for whatever journey you might face.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating or order delivery via Delivery Dudes.

Kind of like Pinecrest itself, the Keg burger here is straightforward, understated, and super local... but still one of the best in Miami. Expect good old-fashioned American beef grilled to perfection and smothered in cheese. It's nothing fancy, but not only does it do the trick, it also proves there is always brilliance in simplicity.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating.

If you’re in the mood for food without caloric consideration, nowhere in Miami hits the mark quite like Blue Collar. This extends to the world of hamburgers and, more specifically, to their dry-aged cheeseburger. The creation starts with dry-aged New York strip, gets the American cheese, lettuce, and tomato treatment, and finally lands between two Portuguese muffins. Because it wouldn’t be Blue Collar if it didn’t have Portuguese muffins.
How to book: Reserve via OpenTable or order via Postmates and Uber Eats.

The only way the LoKal Burger could be any more Floridian is if it came with someone’s stolen identity. The guys behind both the Wynwood original and Coconut Grove and Hialeah offshoots at Kush have taken Florida-raised grass-fed beef, grilled it up, and dressed it with local honey mustard, jack cheese, and Florida-grown avocado and tomatoes.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating and order take-out via Toast. 

OK, so the Frita from El Mago might not align with what most of America’ conceives of as a “hamburger,” but similarly to how we handle “driving” and “importation laws,” Miami defines the old beef sandwich a little differently. For us, it’s all about a traditional Cuban-seasoned patty, grilled with onions and plopped on a Cuban roll—and the best in town hail from the little old man stationed behind this retro diner counter, who slings fritas so good Obama used to stop in for one anytime he was in town.
How to book: Stop by for first come, first served seating or order delivery via Uber Eats.