Philly's best burgers challenge cheesesteak's supremacy
Quick: What's the first thing you think of when you hear "Philadelphia food?"
Most likely you thought cheesesteak. The sublime sandwich has been a Philadelphia icon since Henry and Pat Oliveri cooked that first batch of thin-sliced rib-eye on a flat top and piled it into a hoagie roll.
Thing is, Philly is no one-sandwich town. Throughout the city's gastropubs, taverns and food trucks, you'll find that locals have also mastered the art of a good burger. Last May, Travel + Leisure magazine even named Philadelphia the second-best burger city in the country.
Watch out Providence—these Philly burger joints are coming for No. 1.
SUPPER
926 South St.
A favorite of the locavore crowd, chef Mitch Prensky's Supper specializes in seasonal favorites with a quirky and delicious twist. At first glance, the house burger isn't anything out of the ordinary. It starts with a 10-ounce patty made from Pat LaFrieda beef that's topped with caramelized onions, cheddar and housemade pickles. Then comes a crispy slice of country ham in place of bacon and tomatoes roasted overnight in a slow oven. The result is a magical burger.
Price: $$$
Hours: Monday, 5-9 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday, 5-11 p.m.; Friday, 5-11:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-11:30 p.m.; Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-9 p.m.
215.592.8180; supperphilly.com
VILLAGE WHISKEY
118 S. 20th St.
With dark-wood paneling, tile and carved shelves above the bar, Village Whiskey feels like a neighborhood bar from a bygone era. Its basic burger is an eight-ounce Angus beef patty, on a sesame roll with tomato, bibb lettuce and smear of housemade Thousand Island dressing. Should you be feeling more adventurous, you can get your burger topped with truffled mushrooms, Jasper Hill cheddar, or a scoop of horseradish crab salad. If you're ready for indulgence of the highest order, opt for the Whiskey King. This $26 burger is that same eight-ounce patty, topped with maple bourbon-glazed cipollini onions, Rogue bleu cheese, foie gras and applewood bacon.
Price: $$$
Hours: Sunday-Monday, 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-midnight; Friday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m.
215.665.1088; villagewhiskey.com
ALLA SPINA
1410 Mount Vernon St.
The newest restaurant from famed Philly chef Marc Vetri, Alla Spina is his take on the beer bars found across Italy. Located off North Broad Street, in the space that one housed a car dealership, it's a vibrant addition to the Fairmount neighborhood.
The focus at Alla Spina is on small plates. However, there's nothing small about the double decker burger dubbed "The Burgamo." It features two four-ounce patties made from Piedmontese beef and comes topped with cheddar, chopped lettuce and spicy housemade pickles. It's served with thick-cut potato chips (choose BBQ or salt and vinegar).
Price: $$
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 4:30 p.m.-1 a.m.; Friday-Saturday, 4:30 p.m.-2 a.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-midnight.
215.600.0017; allaspinaphilly.com
THE DANDELION PUB
124 S. 18th St.
Philadelphia restaurateur Stephen Starr is a master at setting a stage. In the Dandelion, he's created an English pub, complete with crackling fire, wood paneling and kitschy ephemera lining the walls. The burger is equally well-crafted. The patty is a blend of aged New York strip, short rib, chuck and hanger steak. Topped with bacon, sharp cheddar, Brooklyn brine pickles and churchill sauce, it's all drippy goodness. Don't miss the thick-cut fries, cooked crisp in 100 percent beef tallow.
Price: $$$
Hours: Monday–Thursday, 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m.; Friday, 11:30 a.m.–midnight; Saturday, 10 a.m.–midnight; Sunday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m.
215.558.2500; thedandelionpub.com
SOUTH PHILLY TAP ROOM
1509 Mifflin St.
When the South Philly Tap Room opened in 2003, it was the first of its kind in a blighted neighborhood. Now the area is solidly hip and features a number of new restaurants, but the SPTR remains a local favorite. The burger is a big reason why this is a beloved outpost (the beer selection is another). It's a six-ounce patty, hand-shaped from local, grass-fed beef and topped with beer-braised bacon, Lancaster County smoked cheddar, thinly shaved red onions and a secret sauce.
Price: $$
Hours: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m.; Saturday-Sunday 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
215.271.7787; southphiladelphiataproom.com
ROYAL TAVERN
937 E. Passyunk Ave.
The Royal Tavern is a comfortable neighborhood bar. The lights are dim, the walls are festooned with Christmas lights and the jukebox is forever eclectic. It's unremarkable except for the fact that it serves truly exceptional food. Hand-formed out of Angus beef, the "Royal" burger is served in a brioche bun and topped with bacon, caramelized onions, smoked gouda, pickled long-hots and chile-spiked mayonnaise. Priced at $10, it's an excellent deal.
Price: $$
Hours: Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.- 2 a.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 a.m.
215.389.6694; royaltavern.com
SPOT BURGER
33rd and Arch Streets
Since February 2012, one of Philly's best burgers has been served out of a bright yellow truck parked on the Drexel University campus. Owned by South Philly native Josh Kim, SPOT specializes in hand-shaped burgers made from freshly ground sirloin. Kim's philosophy is that if you make something ordinary, you have to do it extraordinarily well. Spot on, Chef Kim. Most popular is the eponymous SPOT burger, which features bacon, cheddar, homemade slaw, pickles and the nine-ingredient SPOT sauce. The fries are cut fresh daily and double fried, with the second fry done when ordered.
Price: $
Hours: Monday-Friday, 11:30 (ish) a.m.-6:30 (ish) p.m.
484.620.6901; Twitter: @Spotburgers
RITTENHOUSE TAVERN
251 S. 18th St.
During the Colonial era, a tavern was an establishment where drink came first and food was secondary. However, at the Rittenhouse Tavern, the food is most definitely the star. Located in a 1906 Italianate palazzo, this place features a menu that's all edible elegance. That refinement includes the burger. It's a well-seasoned patty of dry-aged beef, served on a tender brioche roll and topped with sharp provolone and gently wilted watercress. It's a delectably juicy burger.
Price: $$$
Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 5-11 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Sunday, 5-9 p.m.
215.732.2412; rittenhousetavern.com
PUB AND KITCHEN
1946 Lombard St.
Five years back, chef Jonathan McDonald transformed an aging neighborhood bar into Pub and Kitchen. The community grumbled about the loss during construction, but once P&K opened, nary a peep was heard. A large part of why P&K was so readily accepted? Seriously great food. They've gone through a half-dozen burger incarnations since those early days, but the one currently on the menu is a winner. It's made from Creekstone Farms dry-aged beef and topped with double-cut bacon, pickled red onions and Shropshire blue cheese.
Price: $$$
Hours: Monday-Sunday, 4 p.m.-1 a.m.; Saturday and Sunday brunch, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
215.545.0350; thepubandkitchen.com
HICKORY LANE BISTRO
2025 Fairmount Ave.
Chef Matt Zagorski is known in the greater Philadelphia region as something of a burger god. Before moving north to open Hickory Lane, he ran the kitchen at Rouge, an iconic Rittenhouse Square eatery that's known almost exclusively for its burger. And while this new venture serves more than burgers, he also appears to believe in giving people what they want. In this case, it's 10 ounces of freshly ground brisket, filet and deckle, layered in a challah bun with garlic aioli, bibb lettuce, tomato, pickles and cheddar cheese.
Price: $$
Hours: Monday, Wednesday-Friday, 4:30-10 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and 4:30-10 p.m. Closed Tuesdays.
215.769.2420; hickorylanebistro.com
This article is from USA TODAY's Best of Philadelphia guide, available in Philadelphia metropolitan area stores and at bestofphilly.usatoday.com.