Best Burgers in Denver (2025)

LoDo’s indie steakhouse turns out a wood-fired wagyu patty on a house-baked milk-bread bun with butterkäse and a zippy sauce. Named Top Burger 2025 by 5280, it’s a bar-menu legend that showcases Colorado beef with polish.

Denver’s oldest bar still draws lines for the Johnny burger, stacked with Swiss, American, jalapeño cream cheese, and grilled onions. Featured in Eater Denver’s Iconic Dishes, it’s pure Mile High nostalgia that still eats great.

A Denver institution where you build your own masterpiece from an almost comical list of toppings. Readers crowned it Best Hamburger in Westword’s 2025 awards, and locals keep it at the top for good reason.

This Sunnyside daytime hang makes a craveable double smashburger with dilly pickled onions and Colorado Fancy Sauce. Named Top Burger 2024 by 5280, it’s a neighborhood hangout that punches above its weight.

Cole’s beloved French spot dresses a double cheeseburger with Gruyère and sauce, served with textbook frites. Recognized by the Michelin Guide, it’s the refined take that still feels like a neighborhood secret.

A woman-owned Berkeley favorite channeling Minneapolis roots, Lucy’s serves a molten-cheese Juicy Lucy alongside crisp fries and local pours. Celebrated by 5280 and local media, it nails the gooey, griddled classic.

Family-run and fiercely local, Genna Rae’s jerk-spiced cheeseburger brings island warmth to Five Points. Featured by 5280’s burger roundup, it’s a juicy, sweet-smoky detour from the usual that regulars swear by.

At Union Station, chef Alex Seidel’s lunch-only burger layers a seared patty with caramelized onions and house pickles on a sesame potato bun. Lauded in 5280’s burger list, it’s precise, satisfying, and distinctly Denver.

Wash Park’s classic dive turns out the platonic ideal of a cheeseburger: griddled patty, melty American, squishy bun, chips on the side. Praised by The Infatuation in 2025 and beloved by locals for decades.

Sun Valley’s counter spot slings Mexican-style burgers stacked with ham, bacon-wrapped hot dogs, avocado, and more. Included in Westword’s 2024 burger guide, it’s a joyful, maximalist expression of Denver’s cross-cultural scene.