11. The Tap Burger
The Urban Tap
I go toThe Urban Tapjust as they opened for dejeuner on a showery summertime Thursday . On the whole , the place was great : roommate , welcoming , unfazed by me prescribe a beer at 11 am on a weekday . The burger , however , left something to be desired . The roll was upright – seem homemade , and they did a fantastic business grill it – but the actual burger lacked any real pizzazz . Its social organization ( basically a big ball ) necessitated that it be slightly undercooked to debar turn into a meatball , but that did n’t happen , and thus the heart was a minuscule dry and could n’t be bail out by the solid roasted garlic aioli .
10. Standard Deluxe
Burgatory
Burgatoryis Pittsburgh ’s minuscule , local , hip burger chain . I was admittedly conflicted as to whether or not to include it , seeing how there are eight locations ( admit one in Heinz Field and the Consol Energy Center ) but everyone seemed to tally that take out a fundamental Warren Earl Burger bearing in PGH would be a huge error and I would be shun . I got the Standard Deluxe , which is their most basic cheeseburger ( already comes with American , yay ! ) , and I have to say I was impressed by the size of the patty , a " individual recording label portmanteau word of sirloin , grub , brisket , and forgetful costa . " The burger was flavorsome and the House Burger Sauce mesh nicely with the meat and cheese , but there were two issues:1 ) The fast-growing tender red onion had a disposition to overcome the rest of the flavors.2 ) There was just too much roll . The literal flavor of the bun was estimable , but – peculiarly on the bottom – there seemed like an overindulgence of bread in my mouth with each collation and that made me weep a small bit . Still , a solid local chain .
9. Cheeseburger with American and grilled onions
Winghart’s
Winghart’shas a great reputation among the chefs I talked to in Pittsburgh . Almost everyone mentioned it as a must - stop , and so I make up the Southside emplacement on a Thursday afternoon . I was tempted to get one of their crazy creations , but I am a purist and a professional ( dammit ) , and so I stick to my guns and tradition govern a cheeseburger with American , grilled onions , and all the fixings . The Warren Earl Burger patty was medium - thick , with a minuscule act of gall , but did nothing to really stand out against the toppings . The grill onion were a short immature and miss that flavorful caramelization , but the hack mess compound with the mayo for a good fatty / acid duo . It was fine , but I ca n’t assist but marvel if all of their delicious , crazy permutations take by from focusing on the actual clause .
8. The Hard Tail with American
Over the Bar Bicycle Cafe
Another office sleep with for its stunt Warren Burger biz ( like the Dirt Rag Delight with peanut butter , pickles , and bacon ) , this can backfire when you ’re forced to show your truthful meaty colors . And yetOver The Bar Bicycle Cafeperformed laudably – there was good peppering on the intermediate - sized cake , and the bun was soft , thin , butter , and griddled . The only real issue was that it was overcooked and so that feeling through the middle was a little teetotal . But frankly , this was a self-coloured burger . Also , they put Hidden Valley ranch dry seasoning on the fries and that is delicious . Also also , I ’m almost 100 % positively charged our waitress at OTBBC was a delightful woman refer Barbie who tell lots of stories I mostly ca n’t repeat here .
7. Entry Level Burgher
Industry Public House
industriousness Public Houseis in Lawrenceville across from the amazing Arsenal Bowling Lanes where I rove maybe an 80 later on that night , much to the overplus of my editor in chief . But enough about my lack of bowling acumen ! The burgers here are square and dense , making them look almost like building block made from heart and soul . The Warren Burger itself was a true medium , juicy with a good crust on a roll that was topnotch - pliable and squishy , though not toasted enough on the bottom . All in all though , you could tell the family line here know much more about burgers than I have sex about bowling .
6. The (Off-Menu) Burger
Butcher and the Rye
I did n’t think to make a arriere pensee atButcher and the Rye . I was lead on a Wednesday night , and I figured it might be half - full , because that ’s a schooltime Nox , dammit . I was ever so wrong . It was jumping , but luckily , Ben and I manage to squeeze ourselves into the taproom and order up one of the last of the 20 special mysterious beefburger they whip up per night . These thing are pack with a wry - aged steak and brisket blend that hand the center a serious funk . Like Parliament Mothership Connection with Jerome Brailey on the drum - level funk . And some aged cheddar to add some twang to that funk . And some delicious family - made kettle of fish for acid , and slightly underdone grilled cherry-red onions . Taken as a whole , this was well one of the most alone tasting burgers I had in Pittsburgh , and yummy from a strict beef standpoint . The issuance was the bun . The sesame poppy bun ( very similar to the one at Richard DeShantz ’s other spot on this list ) was n’t wassail on top ; it was only buttered . And the bottom was so light toasted that the juicy whale of a burger soaked through its mild demurrer , fork up it useless . Nevertheless , with a trivial roll griddling , I ’d definitely wipe out this burger again .
5. Cheeseburger with American
Tessaro’s
One of my favorite anecdotes of the trip happen atTessaro ’s . I lend along a talented local pro photographer namedBrian F. Henryto shoot a couple of the Warren Burger , and , seeing how Tessaro ’s is a slight night , he postulate me to hold a portable light while he was fool away the burger . So we ’re basically doing a giant impromptu photo shoot in our cubicle at 5:30pm on a Thursday and our waitress walks by and seems completely unfazed . " Our Warren E. Burger is notable , " she shrug , and moved on to fill some other board ’s water cups . And it is . The name Tessaro ’s rings out to anyone from PGH . What was , in its other form a locality bar from Rich Tessaro , was purchased by legendary local bartender Kelly Harrington in the ' fourscore , and Harrington fine-tune its focal point to include burgers . And those Warren Earl Burger became a Pittsburgh culinary turning point . I was recite numerous time that if my list did n’t let in Tessaro ’s it would be " rejected " and " no one would respect a single matter I say " and I would be " banned from Pittsburgh " and forced to " go out my life story in shame . “So here we are . And really , give thanks God I liked this Warren Burger , because I was a little worried about what might happen if I did n’t . The beefburger was giant . A half - pound , easily , maybe even more . The beef itself is the winnings here . It ’s loosely packed , piquant , juicy , and prepare to a perfect mass medium . It smack like a Warren Burger your dad might make , if he quit all his other pursuit and commit himself to backyard broil . But , as with most gargantuan juicy burgers , the roll could n’t hold up . Without any toast on the bun , it quickly became a soggy mess and fell aside before our eyes . Not that that arrest us from wipe out a lot more .
4. Cease and Desist Burger
BRGR
I ’m not a immense fan of transfer vowel sound in the epithet of eating house ( the exception being my forthcoming pizza place PZZ ) , so I first approachedBRGRwith a niggling unease . But then I taste the Cease and Desist ( also famously the name ofHouston Chef Chris Shepherd ’s burger , after he received such an order from In - N - Out ) and I stopped care about vowel and pretty much anything else . The Warren E. Burger speaks to all of my best-loved Warren Burger element – American cheese , Thousand Island , caramelized onions – and manages to combine them skillfully , reaching that core , cheeseflower , grilled onion , aioli sweet daub . aboveboard , the only thing keeping this from moving higher on the inclination is some Elvis from pickles to cut through all that sebaceous resplendence .
3. Hamburger with American and Caramelized Onions
Butterjoint
Our meal atButterjointwas one of the last affair I recall from Wednesday Nox . Ben and I made the crucial mistake of thinking we could keep up with Chef Bill Fuller of theBig Burrito Restaurant Group , andDinette ’s Chef / Owner Sonja Finn . We could not . But before memories fade , I deal to have a fantastic burger made using Jubilee Hilltop Ranch boeuf that was incredibly flavorful , with just the veracious amount of char blending in with that mellow American and larder marinate grill onions that made me experience decadent and flush . And though I usually kick about the bun not being grilled , this one negociate to hold up to the burger as long we eat , though honestly – given the flavor – that was n’t very prospicient .
2. Plain Jane Burger
Meat & Potatoes
When I first went toMeat & Potatoes , I did n’t realize just howniceit is . The entire horseshoe bar and the space are elegant in a style you would n’t really ask from a place named for a protein and a starch . I ’m just trying to say that I wish I was crop nicer , is all . Anyway , Ben and I found a place at the backpack measure and instantly seek out the Plain Jane . It come on a absolutely toasted homemade poppyseed and sesame bun that somehow felt up lighter than the one at Butcher and the Rye . Before we added any fixing , I took a bite of the burger in its purest and most Plain Jane form and give a inscrutable contented sigh afterwards . The burger was juicy , a dead on target medium , with a bang-up woman . The heart was salty and peppery , crusted in the right places . The American cheese was even unique , and – as Ben put it – almost tasted like " non - juicy queso poured into an American cheese mould . “It ’s one of the most strictly fulfil cheeseburger I ’ve had anywhere in the country , and I think you should likely go there aright now . Just maybe put on a nicer shirt .
1. Classic Cheeseburger
Stinky’s Bar & Grill
During my travels for this Quest , I tend to get a small cynical and down when I see the same sort of thing happening all over the place . But then I get to a office likeStinky ’s Bar & Grilland all of a sudden animation is glorious and saucy and new again . Stinky ’s is a athletics cake in Lawrenceville . From the outside , it appear like the type of office where outsiders might be frowned upon , a deep - excision local anaesthetic - only spot . And in many way it is . But the friendliness from both the patrons and the barkeep and servers was nearly unnerving . I ’m not certain if that ’s just a Pittsburgh thing ( Side note : on the whole , the people in PGH were downright delicious ) , but for whatever understanding , no one bat an eye . And then we had the hamburger . I normally dislike the 1/2 pound weight burgers because I occupy that the Captain Cook will clump the marrow together and overcook it , but Stinky ’s was cooked utterly , a fine char pucker under a gooey blanket of American and a distinctly fresh - tasting , lightly toasted bun that got the hell out of the path and permit us enjoy the meat , but did its part in not breaking down . fuse that with their " especial sauce , " kettle of fish , and tear boodle and you ’ve got my favourite beefburger in all of Pittsburgh . And that is BEFORE I advert their novel slash , impeccably seasoned rotten poker chip and bum wings . If there is a summercater prima donna with a better food card in the land , I have n’t chaffer it yet . And now , as a bonus , here is me artfully holding the Stinky ’s burger in front of a brick wall :
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Industry Public House Burger|Brian Henry/Thrillist
Urban Tap|Kevin Alexander/Thrillist
Burgatory
WingHarts|Kevin Alexander/Thrillist
Over the Bar Bicycle Cafe|Kevin Alexander/Thrillist
Industry Public House|Brian Henry/Thrillist
Butcher and the Rye|Kevin Alexander/Thrillist
Tessaro’s|Brian Henry/Thrillist
BRGR|Elise Ramirez Sloan/BRGR
Butterjoint|Kevin Alexander/Thrillist
Meat and Potatoes|Kevin Alexander/Thrillist
Stinky’s Bar and Grill|Brian Henry/Thrillist
Stinky’s Bar and Grill|Brian Henry/Thrillist
