The Best Burgers in Washington DC

As the nation's capital, Washington, D.C.'s dining scene is dominated by international cuisines and power lunches. But locals and visitors alike sometimes just want a classic American burger, and the best places for a burger in D.C. know how to do it right. Chefs use top-quality meat, perfect cooking technique, choice buns, great toppings, and delicious sides. So, which restaurants should you go to when you’re craving one of these burgers? We used our data to find the top burger spots among diners in DC. Here’s where the locals are going when they’re wanting a good burger.

The OpenTable Team

11 Restaurants

Updated 26 February 2020

Restaurants:	The Smith – Penn Quarter, Washington, D.C, Persimmon, Teddy & The Bully Bar…
Price Range:	$$ - $$$
Cuisines:	American…
Neighborhoods:	Penn Quarter, Bethesda / Chevy Chase, Dupont Circle…

The Smith – Penn Quarter, Washington, D.C

$$$$

American

Penn Quarter

4.4

2828 reviews

The Smith in Penn Quarter is one of a small regional chain known for bistro-inspired comfort-food classics with global influences. Comprehensive menus offer two burgers for lunch, brunch and dinner alike. There's the Smith burger with bacon-shallot marmalade, white cheddar, pickles and house sauce on a brioche bun, and the fancier, European-influenced burger supreme, a pepper-crusted patty of dry-aged short rib, topped with raclette and set inside a gruyere bun with watercress, red onion and green peppercorn sauce. Both come with French fries. The Smith has a burger and beer meal deal on Mondays.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Persimmon

$$$$

American

Bethesda / Chevy Chase

4.8

2506 reviews

Somewhat off the beaten path in Bethesda, Persimmon offers a cozy-but-bright break from the bustle of D.C., along with some excellent bistro-inspired cuisine. The focus is on seafood and the thoughtful wine list, but regulars and critics love the lunchtime-only cheeseburger, along with cheesecake for dessert at any time. The burger comes with cheddar cheese, bacon, caramelized onions, barbecue sauce, lettuce, tomato and pickle, with French fries on the side. A happy hour version is a more simple affair with just lettuce, tomato and onion, and the option to add cheese or bacon. Outdoor seating is available when the weather's nice.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Teddy & The Bully Bar

$$$$

American

Dupont Circle

4.3

1705 reviews

In its decor, vibe, food and strong cocktails, Teddy & The Bully Bar takes its inspiration from Theodore Roosevelt – his personality, achievements and enthusiasm for the wilderness. In terms of cuisine, this means a focus on top-quality seasonal, local produce and meats, prepared simply but with care. The Teddy burger, which features on the lunch, bar bites and happy hour menus, capably represents the restaurant's ethos. It's a substantial patty of house-ground beef topped with Teddy sauce, grilled onions, tomato and bibb lettuce. On the side is a choice of farm greens, soup or potato chips, or an upgrade to cottage fries. There's also a French dip burger on the Sunday brunch menu.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Lincoln - DC

$$$$

American

McPherson Square

4.3

3109 reviews

Ever wondered what kind of burger Abraham Lincoln would like? The chefs at Lincoln, a restaurant inspired by the 16th President in its every facet, have pondered that question and come up with several burger options sure to satisfy contemporary tastes (and who knows about Honest Abe?). On the lunch menu there's an Amish chicken burger with cranberry dijonnaise, caramelized onions and gruyere, an all-American burger with cheddar and secret sauce, and the Lincoln burger with watercress, goat cheese and tomato jam. The all-American is available for dinner and Sunday brunch too, and there's a cheeseburger slider with chipotle aioli on the happy hour menu.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Experiences available

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Takeout available

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Barcode

$$$$

American

Downtown

3.8

867 reviews

Barcode, a 200-seat sports bar, restaurant and lounge that's open late, claims the honor of the Washington Post's best happy hour. Diners in the mood for a burger can get a deal on a happy hour cheeseburger on Mondays only, but there are several enticing options on the all-day menu too. Along with a baby cheeseburger trio under shared plates, there are three burger options: a classic cheeseburger with cheddar, a turkey burger with spicy mayo, and a house-made veggie burger. All three come on a potato bun, with the option to add bacon, avocado, a portobello mushroom and a fried egg.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Summer House - North Bethesda

$$$$

American

Bethesda / Chevy Chase

4.3

2828 reviews

Summer House Santa Monica takes its inspiration from a sunny beach house in Southern California, a theme that's revealed by its light- and plant-filled decor along with the produce-forward cuisine. With a wood-fire grill and in-house bakery, burgers are a stand-out section of the dinner menu, which features three: the prime Brandt beef burger, the double-patty Frisco melt, and the peppercorn-crusted prime burger topped with Point Reyes blue cheese. The latter two are on the lunch menu as well. Weekday happy hours include great deals on four different hand-size griddle burgers.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Farmers Fishers Bakers

$$$$

American

Georgetown

4.3

11958 reviews

Farmers Fishers Bakers, part of a farmer-owned restaurant group, offers casual, all-day dining in Georgetown's Washington Harbour area. The focus is on sustainable fare, with made-from-scratch culinary creations driven by seasonal meats, fish and produce. Along with an interesting array of sushi, mussel pots, shared plates and larger entrees are numerous burgers, which all come on house-baked buns with a choice of fries, peanut-cider slaw or pickled veggie potato salad. There's an all-American double burger, a grilled cheese bacon burger, a bacon onion blue cheeseburger and an IMPOSSIBLE burger that's made only from plants but tastes like meat. All are available for lunch and dinner.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Experiences available

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The Columbia Firehouse

$$$$

American

Alexandria

4.1

2065 reviews

Diners hungry for a burger can order one any time of day at The Columbia Firehouse, a casual restaurant offering classic American cuisine in Alexandria. The signature Firehouse burger features on the lunch, dinner, happy hour, barroom and weekend brunch menus. The burger, made from local beef, comes topped with crispy bacon, cheddar and garlic aioli, with a side of fries or a salad. A fried egg, mushrooms, caramelized onions and Firehouse chili are available add-ons. At lunchtime there's a good deal for a burger plus a bowl of soup and house greens, optionally with French fries too.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Lahinch Tavern and Grill

$$$$

American

Potomac

4.2

406 reviews

The concept of Irish-American fusion defines Lahinch Tavern and Grill's menu and overall vibe, which is equal parts upscale American restaurant and casual Irish tavern. The Potomac, Maryland-area establishment hosts live music, open mic and trivia nights, but regulars come back for the intriguing menu. Along with Irish specialties are items from the hardwood-burning grill, among them the Aspen Ridge all-natural hamburger on a challah roll. As-is, it comes with red onion, shaved lettuce, tomato and house sauce with a side of fries, but diners can opt to add cheese, caramelized onions, mushrooms or roasted jalapenos. A Guinness to wash it down fits nicely with the theme.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Seasons 52 - North Bethesda

$$$$

American

Bethesda / Chevy Chase

4.7

5806 reviews

Seasons 52 in North Bethesda is one of over 35 national locations of the popular fresh food-focused restaurant. While the focus of the menus is salads, flatbreads and seafood, the lunch menu offers three versions of its burger, a blend of grass-fed beef and mushrooms. The signature cheeseburger is topped with cage-aged gruyere, with butter lettuce and roasted tomatoes; the brunch burger has an egg, crispy shiitake mushrooms and hollandaise; and the guacamole burger comes with pico de gallo. All come with a choice from a list of interesting sides, among them warm beets with toasted almonds and mint tabouli along with the more typical soup, greens and potato salad.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Blackwall Hitch - Alexandria

$$$$

American

Alexandria

4.2

3413 reviews

A breezy, scenic riverfront setting in Alexandria, seasonal outdoor seating, regular live music and a seafood-centric menu fit nicely with Blackwall Hitch's maritime theme. Diners in the mood for a burger instead of seafood (although oysters are always a good way to start) have a choice of two burgers on the dinner menu and a customize-your-own burger option at lunch. For dinner, there's the Blackwall bbq bacon burger with cheddar and crispy onion straws, served on an onion-poppy seed bun spread with roasted garlic mayonnaise, and a California burger with melted havarti-dill cheese, avocado and fresh spinach on challah. All come with sea salt and cracked black pepper fries.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

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