Best of DC: Burgers

Sir Noshalot hungers for:

1. Central Michel Richard - They probably make some other good shit here, but I wouldn't know because they serve the single most delicious cheeseburger this side of my childhood.




2. Ray's Hell-Burger - The meat is quality, and you can taste it. Options for au poivre, blackened, or straight up. A whole menu of cheeses, several hard to pronounce. Gratis sherried mushrooms and other fine toppings. Dominion root beer on tap (floats!), and Dracula's Blood (soda) in the bottle. It makes me sad when I think of all the other burgers in the world that could be Ray's burgers.
   
3. Elevation Burger - As close to In-N-Out as you can find in these benighted eastern states.

Still skeptical: Good Stuff Eatery hides dry, over-seasoned patties behind a shamelessly twee menu.


A-lo is launched into a food coma by:

1. Ray's Hell-Burger -Ray's is edged out by Central for the tastiest burger in town, but considering that a meal at Ray's will set you back by at least half as much, Ray's get the nod from my frugal self. Like Sir Noshalot, I'm partial to the "au poivre," blackened with pepper and topped with Ray's special sauce. Cut that sucker in half in order to handle it.
2. Central Michel Richard - My burger here was supremely tasty, but it had better be for $17. The patty was packed with beefy flavor, without being distracted by overpowering cheeses and sauces. My biggest complaint was the amount of meat juice which had made the otherwise excellent bun soggy. Sir Noshalot, usually sulking in the corner of the restaurant by himself, tells me that soggy buns aren't usually an issue.
3. Urban Burger - They have a lone, out of the way location in Rockville, but it's well worth stopping by, if you're in the area.
4. Busboys & Poets - The food at Busboys can be hit or miss, but the burgers are reliable and inexpensive, and the U-street location is always hopping. My favorite is the Gorgonzola burger, which also benefits from the best burger buns in town. If only Ray's used these babies...
5. Elevation Burger - I've never been to In-N-Out, but lord knows we East Coast folk are tired of hearing about it. I like these burgers for their compact size and tasty companion fries, so I don't leave the restaurant feeling like I need to run to the gym immediately (see Central and Ray's).
   
6. Honorable Mention - Call me crazy, but quite possibly the best burger I've had in DC was at the TGIFriday's in Foggy Bottom. I won't even dare suggest that TGIFriday's is an overlooked purveyor of fine American foods. Instead, there must have been a burger maestro working his magic at the grill on those two occasions years ago that I experienced such greasy bliss. I remember it was elevated by the fried onion rings within the burger that provided a contrasting but complementary crunch.