Where to Find the Best Burgers in Las Vegas (2024)

By

Rob Kachelriess

The namesake restaurant of former mayor and mob lawyer Oscar Goodman is best known for steaks and martinis but also makes a burger you can't refuse. The recipe tops two 4-ounce ground ribeye patties with American cheese, lettuce, and onion strings on a Turano brioche bun with house-made pickles on the side. Tomatoes are left off altogether to avoid any chance of sogginess. Try the burger in Oscar's iconic dome-like dining room or on a new outdoor patio opening later this year.
How to order: Make a reservation online.

Here's a question for the trade show crowd: How big is your expense account? BrewDog, a new bar and brewery with a rooftop patio on the Strip, has an indulgent Wagyu Burger for $150, served in a cloud of smoke inside a black treasure chest. The 8 ounces of purebred wagyu beef is topped with caramelized onions, six-year matured cheddar, and fresh-grated Italian black truffles. The beef has a buttery flavor that's hard to beat, but if you want to save a few bucks, the Patriot Burger with Black Angus, smoked bacon, and cheddar isn't a bad alternative for $23.
How to order: Make a reservation online and request a table on the roof.

Meraki Greek Grill takes its ingredients seriously, making it one of the best homegrown fast-casual dining options in Vegas, with five locations (and counting) throughout the valley. If you've already overdosed on gyros, try the Meraki Steak Burger. Feta, red onions, tomato, arugula, and creamy tzatziki give the half-pound of American Wagyu beef a Greek spin on a brioche bun.
How to order: Everything is made fresh, so you may have a short wait when ordering at the counter.

138° is earning a reputation as one of the best new restaurants in Vegas, thanks to chef Matt Meyer's dedication to sourcing steaks and an ambitious dry-aging program. Don't overlook the burgers made with beef ground in-house. The signature 138 Burger uses a blend of dry-aged ribeye, scraps of New York Strip, and even a bit of filet, put together inside a house-baked bun with brie, shallot confit, a crisp parmesan chip, and the chef's own take on A1-style steak sauce. Fries come on the side.

Brian Howard's Half Bird is all about quality chicken–either rotisserie-roasted or deep-fried–but is now broadening its selection with the recent introduction of a new smashburger. It's made with Creekstone Farms beef with a five-to-one ratio of brisket to chuck in two 3.5-ounce patties. They blend together in one delicious bite with American cheese, shredded lettuce, bread-and-butter pickles, and a special sauce with a Martin's potato bun. The burger comes by itself for $11 or with a side of smashed rotisserie potatoes and a choice of drink for $15.
How to order: Half Bird has a cashless system with the option of entering an order on a digital tablet.

Tap is one of the better sports bars in Vegas, covered with walls of memorabilia that include championship belts, signed baseballs, and more. Whether you're watching the Golden Knights or the Raiders on one of 60 high-def TV screens, make sure to order the Captain Burger, named after the Captain Morgan rum used in the BBQ sauce. The all-beef patty comes on a brioche bun, topped with bacon, cheddar, fried onions, lettuce, tomato, and pickles with fries on the side. The burger is just $20, but you can make it a double with just three bucks more.
How to order: Book a reservation online.

The addition of a new burger is part of a recent menu revamp at Bar Zazu. Chef Nicole Brisson grinds the patty in-house with a combination of Black Angus chuck and brisket from Creekstone Farms. Just like the steaks at her other restaurant, Brezza, the beef is grilled over a flame fueled by white oak, charcoal, and olive branches. Gorgonzola mascarpone tops the patty for an intense but creamy bite with house-made potato chips on the side. Brisson is also responsible for a similar version of the burger at Eight, the cigar lounge next door.
How to order: Book a reservation online for Bar Zazu or Eight.

Yeah, Shake Shack is a chain with more than 250 locations throughout the United States, but it also has a Vegas exclusive. The Snapshot Burger pays tribute to the Vegas Golden Knights with a double patty topped with provolone, crispy pickles, onions, and house-made garlic mayo. As with all Shake Shack burgers, the beef is organic, hormone-free, and ground fresh, usually with a 24-hour turnaround. Ask for the seasonal white truffle parmesan fries on the side, featuring a sauce made with Rigalis organic white truffle oil.
How to order: Visit locations at Downtown Summerlin, the District at Green Valley Ranch, New York-New York on the Strip, the Las Vegas Premium Outlets Downtown, or Harry Reid International Airport.

Black Tap gets the most attention for its over-the-top CrazyShakes, but Executive Corporate Chef Stephen Parker is actually a health nut who takes the quality of his ingredients seriously.
The 7-ounce prime beef patties from Creekstone Farms are grilled in their own fat—no oil—and flipped just once for a nice sear. Enjoy the flavor to the fullest with the Texan Burger, loaded high with bacon, aged cheddar, a thick and crispy onion ring, mayo, and Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce.
How to order: Just walk in or call 702-414-2210 to place a takeout order.

The Butter Burger was a longtime favorite, but Carson Kitchen elevated the menu options even further with the addition of the Iron Chef Burger 2.0. It's based on the burger that led late founder Kerry Simon to victory over Cat Cora during a hamburger battle on the second season of Iron Chef America. Two patties are topped with red onion jam, fried prosciutto, and celery leaf with a slice of white cheddar and a "fancy" sauce with a bit of sriracha for subtle heat.

Sickies Garage has more than 50 burgers on the menu at Town Square. Yet you can't go wrong with the new Black and Bleu Burger, a juicy wagyu patty seasoned with the restaurant's own Cajun spice blend. It's smothered with melted blue cheese, spicy mayo, and bourbon-glazed bacon that's crunchy, sweet, and spicy all at the same time. Choose your own side, with options ranging from sweet potato fries to baked beans. For maximum fun, add on an order of PB&J chicken wings and a spiked Trix cereal milkshake.

A great BBQ spot also makes a great, flavorful burger. SoulBelly chef Bruce Kalman grinds brisket fresh daily, using the meat to craft half-pound burger patties, which are then smoked over post oak and griddled with rendered smoked brisket fat. They arrive at the table with American cheese, special sauce, and Kalman's own BK Brinery pickles. The potato bun is buttered and toasted for a light crunch.

Slater's 50/50 has a Vegas exclusive, the Whale Burger, which is so indulgent, it was featured on Fresh, Fried & Crispy on Netflix. Don't worry. The name has nothing to do with the meat. It's a term for a casino high-roller, which is what you might have to be to order this thing at $100 a pop. The Whale Burger includes a pound of Wagyu beef, a fried lobster tail, gold-dusted bacon strips, truffle cheese, arugula, bacon jam, and roasted garlic aioli, served with fries, bacon ketchup, and a bottle of Veuve Clicquot. Other burgers on the menu cost a lot less, but are nearly as good, made with patties that are half-beef, half-bacon.

Gordon Ramsay Burger, one of six Las Vegas restaurants by the celebrity chef, gets by on more than flash and star power alone. The 30-foot-long fire decoration near the entrance suggests what's to come: thick, juicy burgers grilled over an open flame. The heat works best with the spicy kick of the Hell's Kitchen Burger, a powerful combination of asadero cheese, roasted jalapenos, roasted tomatoes, avocado, and jalapeno aioli. Go in a different direction with the 24-Hour Burger, crafted with braised short rib, white cheddar, and bacon-coated brown sugar. Either way, you'll want to drop the fries in a tangy house-made chipotle ketchup.

It's possible to skip the meat altogether and still have a great burger. Underground Burgers operates as a ghost kitchen inside Tacotarian, and both are 100% plant-based concepts. The burger patties combine Impossible meat and mushrooms with house seasoning and secret sauce. They're available as a classic In-N-Out-style burger or a BBQ version with "cheddar" and a tangy sauce. The Fire Hot Chicken, made with a cornflake-crusted Gardein patty, isn't bad either.
How to order: Underground Burgers is available for pickup at the counter of Tacotarian locations in the Downtown Arts District and Mountain's Edge on Blue Diamond Road.

DW Bistro specializes in a combination of Southwest and Jamaician flavors, and the DW Bistro NM Chile Burger is clearly inspired by New Mexico's hatch chile season. The beef patty is an intense combination of jack cheese, green hatch chiles, lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, chipotle mayo, and jalapeno bacon (which is also great on its own). Order one with a side of sweet potato fries.

Bar Code Burger Bar loves a good burger almost as much as Golden Knights viewing parties. The sports bar always has a "burger of the month" but you can't go wrong with regulars like the house Bar Code Burger (onion jam, bacon aioli, pickled onions, bell pepper, bleu cheese butter and "lemony" arugula) or the BBQ Big (smoked boston pork with blueberry BBQ sauce, applewood-smoked bacon, and Vermont white cheddar). Save the funnel cake fries for dessert.

The new Echo and Rig location inside The District at Green Valley Ranch is already off to a good start. The steaks are great, but the house burger is also worth your attention. The beef is a tasty blend of chuck, short rib, and brisket, presented simply with a subtle aioli and lettuce, onion, and pickle on the side. An order of perfectly seasoned french fries is included.
How to order: Book a reservation by calling 725-258-3246. The same house-ground patties are also available to go from the in-house butcher shop

f*ckuburger started as a popular food truck, but expanded over the years to a pair of brick-and-mortar locations: one on the edge of Chinatown and another in the growing southwest valley. A smaller counter-service version serves fans at the new Allegiant Stadium. Any option is perfect for wolfing down an ambitious lineup of Asian-inspired burger creations. A favorite is the Tamago burger, topped with a fried runny egg, crispy onion strings, teriyaki sauce, wasabi mayo, and a Japanese umami seasoning known as furikake.

If you're wondering why Block 16 Urban Food Hall doesn't have a burger counter, just look across the hallway to Holsteins, a full sit-down restaurant dedicated to the concept. Fun ingredients and variety are front and center. As the name suggests, you can't miss with the Gold Standard as your burger of choice. It takes dry-aged sirloin and tops it with smoked bacon, aged goat cheddar cheese, tomato confit, arugula, and garlic-chive aioli. Got a few more dollars to spend? The Billionaire Burger is a hearty crunch of grass-fed beef and foie gras, topped with crispy onions, truffle aioli, and shallot marmalade. The $32 price tag is quite a bit higher than anything else on the menu.