Whenever you bring up ‘best burger’ in a conversation, you are bound to get 10 different answers from 10 different people.
However there are a few burger places in Orange County that stand head and shoulders above the rest and which we can all objectively agree deserved to be placed on a list of best burgers. Here are the 8 best burger places that Orange County has to offer.
TK Burgers is an institution of Orange County. When you survey residents of who offers the best burger, TK Burger will inevitably come up in 8/10 answers.
There is nothing revolutionary about their burgers. There aren’t reinventing anything. It’s nothing fancy, it is just a simple burger that’s extremely tasty and conjures up memories of a backyard barbecue.
Oh and whenever you can leave a restaurant with a burger and fries for under $10, that’s a huge plus in my book!
Vegan burgers have come a long way! Gone are the days when the closet thing you could get to a real burger was a garden patty.
Impossible and Beyond really changed the game with their plant based burgers and Nice Burgers are utilizing them to its full potential.
The burgers here are indistinguishable from real burgers. You could blind taste test 10 hardcore meat eaters and they couldn’t tell the difference. It’s that good.
The ‘Big Guy’ burger is their version of the McDonald”s ‘Big Mac’ and it is incredibly similar in taste. Although the taste is similar, the Big Guy burger is way better. It has more heft and feels more substantial than a Big Mac. It just feels like a way better version of a Big Mac.
All the other burgers are delicious too, even the ‘chicken’ burger.
615 W. 19th St, Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Peter’s Gourmade Grill
Peter’s Gourmade Grill occupies the corner space of a non-descript strip mall in Tustin and a cursory glance of the outside of the restaurant, you would never suspect that it is home to one of the best burgers in Orange County.
The ABC Burger (avocado, bacon cheeseburger) is the star attraction of the menu. It’s angus beef patty is notably thick and sandwiched between a toasted sesame bun, layered with thick bacon slices, fresh avocado and blanketed with a gooey layer of cheddar cheese. This burger is absolutely delicious and hefty and will keep you full well past dinner and possibly into breakfast.
14311 Newport Ave, Tustin, CA 92780
BUNZ
With inflation running amok, its really nice when you come across a restaurant where you can still get an entire meal for under $10. At BUNZ, a burger, fries and a drink will only set you back $8-10.
There is no wrong order here, all the burgers are amazing and if you want pure decadence, get a Pastrami Cheez Burger, throw a fried egg in there and add Chili Cheez Totz for your side. You might hate yourself afterwards, but for the 15-20 minutes that it takes you to consume all your food, your tastebuds will be in pure bliss.
If you are looking for something more health conscious, they have some less artery clogging alternatives including a Veggie Burger, Turkey Burger and Chicken Burger.
7491 Center Ave, Huntington Beach, CA 92647
The Cut
The Cut was launched into existence in 2014 as a food truck with the sole intention of delivering simple, straightforward and delicious burgers to the public. Their success on the food truck circuit led them to create their brick and mortar restaurant in 2017 at Westpark Plaza in Irvine.
When it comes to burgers, you got 9 options to choose from. Our favorite is The Savory, which is forged from Wagyu beef brisket & their signature chuck blend. It’s topped with bacon relish, Swiss cheese, aioli and their 3,000 Island Sauce. This is the perfect combination of sweet, salty, and savory. It’s a perfect burger that we’d happily eat once a week.
Oh and we forget to mention, you can add an extra layer of gluttony to your burger with the option of slathering bone marrow all over your burger!
3831 Alton Pkwy Irvine, CA 92606
Grinderz
Located in Old World Village in Huntington Beach, Grinderz is a small burger joint that offers up hefty, Instagram-photogenic burgers, that not only looks good but also delivers on taste as well.
Their Spicy Grind burger is my go to order and is stacked with two beef patties and layered with lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, chopped chilies, chipotle mayo and blanketed liberally with a layer of pepperjack cheese. Throw a fried egg in there too, you’ve already come this far, why not go all the way? The only problem with this burger is trying to figure out how to maneuver this behemoth into your mouth.
7561 Center Ave Ste 53 Huntington Beach, CA 92647
Hop Doddy’s
Hop Doddy’s is a chain burger bar that started in 2010 in Texas and has successfully migrated west with four locations in Southern California.
They have a creative menu with offerings like the Bacon Jam Double, which is two beef patties topped with white & yellow American cheeses, tomato bacon jam, grilled onions & pickled mayo.
The Good Night/Good Cause is topped with cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, jalapeños, caffeinated BBQ sauce, Doddy Mayo, lettuce & tomato. And a portion of the proceeds of this burger are donated to local charities.
Their fries selection is on point too with offerings like BBQ Ranch Fries, Hot Honey And Sage Sweet Potato Fries and Nacho Fries.
3030 El Camino Real, Tustin, CA 92782
In-N-Out
Everyone knows about In-N-Out and I was debating on whether or not I should put them on the list, but In-N-Out has always been there for me. A trusted and true friend, through the good times and the bad.
In-N-Out is the shit. What else needs to be said???
Whenever someone mentions In-N-Out in a conversation, everyone’s face lights up and custom orders come from every direction.
A Double-Double with chopped chilies can go toe to toe with any burger on this list. Factor in animal-styles fries and the fact that you can get all this and a drink for around $10, the winner is clear!
Mariska is a recovering attorney who gave up her professional job to discover new perspectives of life while traveling in a 2009 Ford Transit.
She has been living the van life for 3 years and has not looked back since.
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