Summer screams outdoor grilling, and outdoor grilling means burgers and dogs. But what if you're not in the mood to stand out in 100 degrees over an open flame? That's when you head to your favorite burger joint. These 10 spots offer a little something for everyone, from the meaty to the veggie, the basic to the complicated, and the high-end to the everyday.
BEEF BURGERS — LTR
Stay Tuned Burgers
Located inside the Hard Hat Lounge, Stay Tuned Burgers specializes in burgers smashed right before your very eyes — yes, the kitchen is that small. The patties are made from beef, ground and seasoned in-house and single- or double-stacked on a Hawaiian roll, topped with chopped onions and house-made pickles, and drenched in golden cheese sauce. Get a side of crispy tater toast, order one of Hard Hat’s local beers, take a seat in the air-conditioned dim, and enjoy.
staytunedburgers.com, $9-$14
Joy Burgers
Joy Burgers is all about the burger, and that tight focus pays off deliciously. The restaurant itself is small, enlivened by colorful murals and cheerful staff. You can build your own burger or try one of their thoughtfully composed specialties. I recommend the Blue One, which blends blue cheese dressing and crumbles, then contrasts it with bacon sweetness and arugula sharpness; or the Freeway to Hell, with layers of pepper jack cheese, jalapeno pesto, and cayenne habanero dressing for a multi-temperature heat. Burgers are cooked to order; vegan patties and gluten-free buns are also options.
$13-$18, joyburgerstogo.com
1228 Main
The 1228 Wagyu Burger is what happens when you take the classic American cheeseburger and make every ingredient the best it can be. The patties are double-stacked and cooked juicy, the cheese sharp and creamy, the pickles homemade and, like everything else baked at 1218 Main, the sesame seed-dotted brioche bun is something special. Served alongside thick-cut, herb-dusted fries, t’s also available in an Impossible burger variation.
$20-$21, 1228mainlv.com
Bar Code
Nothing goes with a beer and a ball game like a burger, and Bar Code has all three bases covered. Their extensive burger selection ranges from traditional renditions like the Americana burger and Nickel’s smash burger to unexpected sweet-savory combinations —the Blueberry Big BBQ has blueberry barbecue sauce and bacon with crispy onion, while the Elvis is topped with bacon, peanut butter, and caramelized banana. Fries also come in variations — plain, sweet potato, elote, and Buffalo.
$16-$22, barcodeburgerbar.com
Snappy’s
Snappy’s is a drive-in where you can enjoy a free movie on the big screen as you chow down on your cheeseburger. Movie offerings run from The Wizard of Oz to Blazing Saddles to Barbie. The menu options are limited to single or double Snappyburger (as well as grilled cheese), but it’s a classic griddle burger done right with a thick patty, gooey cheese, and tangy house sauce. They also make a mean strawberry-cherry shaved ice and have a full menu of movie candy, should you want to stick around through the closing credits.
$5-$12, snappys.fun
Peter Luger’s Steakhouse
The legendary Brooklyn steakhouse’s Las Vegas location has become a carnivore’s must-visit. Available on the lunch menu only, the Luger burger is ground from the same cuts as their house-aged steaks and is an excellent option if your belly/watch/wallet can’t expand enough to accommodate the full Luger experience. The high-quality beef means that you really don’t need any more topping than a dollop of their famous tomato-based house sauce. For maximum decadence, get a side of fresh-cut French fries cooked in beef tallow or an enormous schlag-topped ice cream sundae for dessert.
$25-$33, caesars.com/caesars-palace/restaurants/peter-luger-steak-house
Whataburger
Texas’ beloved burger franchise opened its first Las Vegas outpost: That it’s adjacent to the Waldorf-Astoria is the first indication of something a notch above other fast-food joints. The Whataburger can be single, double, or triple — or you can get jalapeno and cheese, or avocado and bacon versions, as well as breakfast burgers with or without hash browns and a standout Texas toast patty melt. A Dr. Pepper milkshake may sound ick, but it’s actually an addictively delicious cherry-cream cooler (if you want to spike it, there’s a bar upstairs). For the condiment fetishist, there are over a dozen options, from spicy ketchup to honey BBQ to salsa verde. Better than In-n-Out? You be the judge.
$8-$15, whataburger.com
VEGGIE BURGERS — HK
ChagaRoot
We tried fast food-style veggie burgers from North Las Vegas to Enterprise, but we found that the best bang for our buck — by far — was made not with a Beyond or Impossible patty, like the others. Instead, it was made of mushrooms! Yeah, I was skeptical, too. But ChagaRoot’s combo of six different mushrooms processed with seasonings added up to a beefier taste and texture than any of the soy- or gluten-based alternatives. And 22 grams of protein! The Chaga Mac — with crunchy-fresh pickles-lettuce-tomato-onion garnish, classic sauce, and plant-based cheese on a gluten-free bun — placated both my inner child and my adult brain. For those who want something different and aren’t afraid of a spicy kick, the Mexicano Sombrero adds fresh habanero and Pasilla peppers, along with other spicy touches. But be warned: that two-pepper rating is for real.
$10.50-$13.75, restaurant.chagaroot.com
The Modern Vegan
The Modern Vegan’s burgers are special occasion-worthy, not only because of the price ($60 for the two burgers and fries), but also because they are the plant-based equivalent of fining dining options such as 1228 Main and Peter Luger’s. Every ingredient is the best possible version in its category: artisan, local, gourmet. With each bite of our Great American and Quapo burgers respectively, my dinner date and I were more convinced that this was the best burger we’d ever eaten — meat or no meat.
$22, tmvrestaurants.com/menu
Smash Me Baby!
The Southern Nevada outpost of this Los Angeles concept brashly declares itself home to “the best vegan fast food in Las Vegas.” I won’t go that far, but the two burgers we tried — the Single Classic and Smashed Mushroom & Swiss — were a delectable mess of sauce, cheese, and fresh garnishes on a smashed and perfectly grilled plant-based patty. The “airy vegan buns,” as the menu described them, were a bit too soft to hold it all together. But who’s complaining? Certainly not anyone who stumbles in looking for late-night nosh after a night of drinking downtown, which is when I think it would really hit the spot. (At my age, I’ll reserve this decadent treat for special occasions.) One note: Smash Me Baby’s special sauce has a spicy kick, and a single order of crunchy fries is enough for two people, at least.
$12-$17, smashmebaby.com