The Best Burgers in San Jose

Varian Fresh Market Cafe and Catering

★★★★☆ 4.3 (28) • $

"This company cafeteria is convenient and has a lot of great options. A salad bar. Two soups a day that change every day of the week. Different stations for different kinds of meals. A make your own sandwich, burger, and pizza station. Desserts that change every day of the week. Lots of great options. But keep in mind this is a workplace cafeteria, so you'll see a lot of employees grabbing lunch on their break. Anyone is welcome to eat here. There is a huge Indoor seating area and plenty of outdoor seating as well."

Super Burger Drive In

★★★★☆ 4.3 (294) • $

"We found this spot based on an IG account that locates the best burger joints in the Bay Area. The family and I frequent Gilroy gardens and pass by this spot driving by. We were so happy that we dropped in because we love supporting local businesses. We also are not into paying the overpriced rates for subpar food at Gilroy Gardens. This was our second trip and it did not disappoint! The staff are friendly and efficient! They work so hard to keep it consistent and get everyone in and out quickly. The food is fresh and cooked great. You cannot go wrong with anything you choose. This has become our spot! Also side note- they have crushed ice and that alone had me sold! LOL"

Naglee Park Garage

★★★★☆ 3.8 • $$

"Absolutely love this charming restaurant! Love that they have outdoor seating and an extra star because they have the CUTEST mascot dog named Barona. She's a sweetheart and so well behaved. Let's start with the ambience... at night it's really pretty with the string lights. Their menu is simple and changes often. I stick with the burger and the fries. I've also had the salmon fettuccine and the portions were Humungous! Enough for leftovers for another meal for the next day. A great place tucked into the beautiful Naglee park neighborhood. Parking is limited and shared with House of Bagels but the hours are different so you shouldn't have to worry about parking. Just a chill place to see the cutest dog, grab a drink, and support a local business!The owner was super nice and came to check on me and Chris my server was wonderful! Will be back again to try the different menu."

Smashburger

★★☆☆☆ 2.1 (235) • $$

"So I know this is going to sound strange, but my review is for their chicken tenders and not a burger . Luckily I wasn't in the mood to eat something that would be kinda messy while waiting for my flight at SJC. I was planning to order the chicken tenders when the cashier said they only had chicken tenders and fries. No more burgers since they were close to closing. Cashier was great, food came out piping out (which I loved) and quick, but the chicken itself was bit on the salty side. But for 5 tenders for under $12 (before tax) it was a deal. And the pieces were big. I still have 2 left and content with the 3 that I ate. 4 stars only because how does a burger joint run out of burgers?"

Burger Barn

★★★★☆ 3.7 (237) • $

"I had an issue with my order they took it and fixed it no questions asked and the food is delicious. EXCELLENT customer service delicious fresh ingredients and a calm old school burger joint, with football playing on the television. Most definitely will be back and you should most definitely try for yourself."

Old Princeton Landing Public House and Grill

★★★★☆ 3.9 (359) • $$

"We came here on a semi-rainy day with our dog and sat in the large back yard! I was craving seafood so we got the fish tacos Baja style grilled (yum! The red cabbage was almost creamy) and the fish and chips were a bit more decadent but with a hell of a lot of fish. We also split a grilled cheese which was surprisingly delicious and came with a side of fries. We chose to get the vegetable of the day which was as Brussels sprouts. They were topped with Parmesan and were a good attempt although a little greasy for my liking.The woman at the counter was super nice and answered all my questions about the different fish options. You can even order a side of cod on a salad if you want something super healthy. I thought the backyard was nice and there was a fire pit. There was some seating with an overhang which is good for rain. You pick up the food yourself and get your own silverware. Overall, would come back."

St. John's Bar & Grill

★★★★☆ 4 • $$

"I cannot resist ordering the Hickory or Guaco Bacon Burger whenever we stop by. Paired with a nice cold beer and garlic fries, the whole meal is complete. Nice place to watch hang out and for sports. Order at the counter and a buzzer is given to you to let you know when your food is ready."

Pizza Plus

★★★★☆ 4.4 (7)

"Awesome service and hospitality. Walked in on their soft opening, was greeted kindly by the owner/manager. Great food....ambience is refreshing and chill with ample seating for you and some friends. Come by and help support this small business. Lots of parking.. Quick take out service. Also halal."

Macaco Spicy Chicken Sandwiches

★★★★☆ 4.1 (83) • $$

"Wow! The largest chicken sandwich I've ever seen. Cooked perfectly with coleslaw and mild spice....YUM! Parm fries too. Multiple napkins required. Great pricing for giant sandwich, fries and drink $15.We will be back."

Last Chance Restaurant

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (275) • $$

"We too have lived around the corner for years and since it's under new ownership, we decided to give it a try. We like the pizzas. They're really good and we've been for breakfast two times, it's kind of a limited menu but they are open to substitutions or just cooking whatever you want. I highly recommend their country potatoes. They're really good so we've had the pizza the steak sandwich and breakfast. The only one negative thing happened is we went for dinner there on my birthday and there was a group of ladies who were playing pool in a separate area from the dining room and they were out of control screaming and loud laughing and nobody ever asked them to calm down. So hopefully that was just it one time event. it's very clean inside and there's lots of televisions for all the sports events."

Brew City Grill

★★★★☆ 4.4 (750) • $$

"I like the atmosphere. However, we must have visited on an off day because our entire party left food on the table. We were one of four tables, so it wasn't busy. Onion rings were greasy. Sandwich was poorly made. Steak was grisly. Pizza arrived at the table with the cheese sliding off one edge. Mushroom burger had few mushrooms. Fries were unevenly salted- one side extra salty, other side unsalted.The curds were great and the only item completely eaten. But the portion seemed less than a full portion when compared with pictures from other yelpers."

The Burger Den

★★☆☆☆ 2.3 (3)

"Yummy burgers, lots of fries, good shakesWe would eat here again. More annoyed that I have to type more than I want just to post this review."

Halal Fried Chicken

★★★★☆ 4.2 (149)

"Tried this on way home from SF with teenager son. All I can say is wow and go now. Possible the best fried chicken sandwich ever. Huge portions, super nice owner. Located in a really old strip mall in Sunnyvale but don't let that scare you away. Try it, you'll LOVE it!"

Iniburger

★★★★★ 4.5 (138) • $$

"First time here with 4 high energy kids. Got mini burgers and Bigi burger, fries, onion rings, sweet potato fries, chicken tenders. Ini sauce is really good. Amr helped us and was so patient with all our specific requests and all the asks of our kids. He made their milkshakes (freshly made) with whatever toppings they wanted. Excellent food, excellent service. Thanks for making our night more fun, Amr!!"

Hamburgers El Gordo

★★★★★ 4.8 (28)

"Makes me think of home! Burgers come with a small side of fries which was perfect sizing! They have desserts on site and it is covered with 2-3 tables, chairs and a heater. 100% I will go back again! The burgers were also done quick and it was priced good!"

Big Brothers Burgers

★★★★★ 4.6 (144) • $$

"I really enjoy Big Brothers, I think they have solid burgers and a really big menu for a burger joint. I've only gotten their burgers to go so I need to try eating there but even to go is great. I recently got their mozzarella sticks because I was craving some and they didn't disappoint!"

Konjoe Burger

★★★★☆ 3.8 (64)

"I got the basic burger which was extremely delicious. I think Konjoe has one of the best smash burgers I've ever had. The burger is cooked so well and has nice crispy edges. All the ingredients taste incredibly fresh. The konjoe special sauce is nice and tangy. I think the best part are their pickles which taste like they were made in house. The burgers take around 10 ish minutes to cook. The service is pretty quick. The restaurant is in a packing house so there is plenty of seating and other food options."

Baysider Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.9 (73) • $

"Their fish sandwich is my all time favorite!!! It's soft and juicy. Super friendly staff!"

Main Street Burgers

★★★★☆ 3.7 • $$

"Food is great. Was served a decent serving of fries. My favorites here are the sliders and the nirvana burger. The server was super nice and gave me my beverage immediately. When some customers asked to close the door because they were cold he obliged. It's spacious and clean."

Cable Car Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.7 (320) • $$

"This is just an old school diner; there isn't a single fancy or modern thing about it. And that's what makes it so perfect! The food is solidly good; the service is efficient, friendly, and motherly without being intrusive; and the prices are exactly what you'd expect. I'm so glad this place exists!"

Grillman

★★★★☆ 4.4 (5)

"9/31/23Our workplace subsidizes food trucks to come every Thursday, and so today I found this one parked outside.I was surprised to not find any entry for it on Yelp as the truck looked nice, new, and professional. Anyway, I guess this would be their first review then... and I'm happy to say they're pretty good!It was a simple menu: 2 burgers, 1 vegetable sandwich (which they erroneously called a "burger", which only cow meet would qualify to be a part of), and 1 chicken sandwich. Fries for a side. Now, again, this truck was subsidized, so I'm not sure if this would be their normal menu or if it was made just for us? Also, prices wouldn't be the same for sure, so I'll just not mention what I paid.I had...1. California Burger "1/2 lb black angus beef, American cheese, red onion, lettuce, tomato, applewood bacon, fresh avocado on fresh kaiser roll": I told them medium rare, and it came well done... normally this would be a knock against them, but it was still very juicy! So much so that holding it in my hands it continued to drip beautiful savory cow sauce for the next 1min! Mmmmmm..... and that kaiser roll is so perfect as a hamburger bun. Moist, slightly elastic, and held up quite well to the juice but yet had the right texture to still feel like a burger. And also.... cheeeeeese. It was a beautiful burger. No, it's no Eat on Monday burger, which is always cooked perfectly medium, but it's a good substitute! 9/102. Fries: I honestly can't remember how they were, but usually that means they were unremarkable.3. Buffalo Ranch (Chicken Sandwich): I didn't get this, but I saw my coworkers eating it and it looked INSANE. Made me wish I got this instead of my burger honestly. Frickin work of art. I need to get this next time.Anyway, I'd love to have this truck back again!5/5#foodtruck #santaclara #sanjose #foodtruckburger #fastfoodburger"

ABC Chicken

★★★★★ 4.5 (14)

"That was some yummy fried chicken. It's definitely on my go-to list for fast food if I'm in the neighborhood"

Meryenda

★★★★★ 4.9 (17) • $$

"Whether you have the munchies from smoking weed or need some carby salty goodness with a beer on a hot day, Meryenda has got you covered. Typically, a pandesal (pan de sal) is a staple bread in the Philippine culture that soaks up liquid really well. I've seen old filipino geezers eating it with their coffee at local filipino coffee shops, so when I checked out this food truck, I was curious. I went to one of their collab events at Humble Sea and after crushing several dranks, I wobbled over to Meryenda and ordered up a Longanisa w/ chips. Longanisa is like their version of a sweet chorizo. While smothered with sweet mayo, then smackled with scallions and a thin carpaccio slice of tomato, it brought this cute sammich altogether. Though I ate all these sammiches, I saw that they also served dessert too! Looked like a piping hot green colored pandan coconut bread putting made of the same pandesal bread. It might put me out if I ate that! Observing the people around me, it looked like dessert was made for sharing between two or if you're a fat a s s like me, you'll indulge in all of it!Definitely going back and recommending this to others who like trendy new spots in the bay."

The Rose & Crown

★★★★☆ 3.6 (514) • $$

"An institution in downtown Palo Alto. Service is friendly and pleasant. Food is serviceable with nothing that stands out. Lots of tables inside and out. Fills up on Stanford football game days. Great beer selection!"

The Barn

★★★★☆ 4 (845) • $$

"On a little getaway trip with our pup we decided to dine at The Barn as they offer all outdoor seating by their restaurant and have an additional "garden patio" area with additional seating.You first walk inside to order and then take your buzzer to the tables and seat yourself. They have blankets to cover the benches in case it's cold and outdoor heaters that can be turned on. We ordered the Barn Burger (classic beef burger), the What the Cluck (fried chicken sandwich - can also be served grilled if you prefer), a side of fries, and the Mac Attack (fried macaroni).The Barn Burger is your classic burger - which was thought was pretty standard. Ingredients tasted fresh and the bun kept everything together. The only downside was that the beef patty was quite small and not to the shape of the bun. At the end we found ourselves with bun + toppings, but no more beef.The What the Cluck is served on ciabatta bread and the arugula is a nice touch. Chicken was fried well and was tender inside. The portion is sizeable as well. However, if you're not a goat cheese fan, you may want to sub out the cheese as it was quite strong and overpowered the sandwich quite a bit.The Mac Attack is a nice side addition. Fried perfectly to a crunchy crisp and velvety cheesy goodness on the inside. It's served with ranch and four pieces is plenty for two people!We were surprised by the portion of a side of fries. You can definitely share between two people as they give plenty.Self serve water outside and you bus your own table when you're done!Overall, love the outdoor dining area and that it is dog friendly. Would return with our pup when in Half Moon Bay!"

O'Sullivan's Sports Pub

★★★★☆ 4.3 (675) • $$

"Lots of fun, huge place, lots of screens, nice bartenders, lots of games, bomb food! I had a burger and it was big and juicy and lots of options on fries"

Mojo Burger

★★★★☆ 3.7 (349) • $$

"Came here for lunch today with a group of friend's. You order at the counter and the menu is right above it. I decided on the single burger. I loved that you have a lot of options for toppings and condiments for your burger. I also liked that I can choose how my burger is cooked. I chose medium rare with lettuce, tomato, pickles grilled onions with ketchup and mustard. I also ordered the onion rings.The burger was ready in less than 10 minutes. It was fresh and tasty. The meat was very juicy and the vegetables were so fresh. The onion rings were piping hot and crispy and they gave a generous portion. Overall, the food was good, but pricey. I also ordered a small drink and my total bill was $19.96.I do feel that they used fresh ingredients and good quality beef. I would come here again and would like to try the chicken sandwich.I also wanted to mention that they have great customer service. The employees were really friendly and happy to help us."

Palm & Ember

★★★☆☆ 3.1 (21)

"The ambiance has beautiful decor and the seating area is inviting with a view of Hayes Mansion. They have a $22 breakfast buffet until 10:00 AM, but I just ordered the daily special - a breakfast burrito. For $9, I was SHOOK that they only gave me half of a burrito?? And it was from the buffet trays! I thought I would at least get a whole burrito for that price."

The Refuge

★★★★☆ 4.1 • $$

"Not too crowded on a thursday night around 630pm. Parking can be tricky but there are side streets available to park at. The reuben was good, toasty bread with melted cheese and a side of pickle and pickled red onions. The poutine was ok, the gravy and cheese was concentrated in one area. Lots of different drinks (3/4 of the menu) but didn't try any tonight. Servers were friendly and nice! Lots of decor for christmas, brewery emblems, and beer handles hanging on the walls"

Alice's Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4 • $$

"I don't know how anyone could rate this place anything other than 5/5. I've been going to Alice's for maybe a year now since moving into the area. My husband and I have tried items from each part of the menu and have never been disappointed. The service is wonderful and friendly. The atmosphere is cozy. Alice's helps take your mind off the city and rush of things, allowing you to feel peace while having a meal up in the mountains. No matter rain/ shine, it's always a beautiful day up there. They're pet friendly too!"

Bear Bitez

★★★★★ 4.5 (670) • $$

"Hearing that this place is rank 14 among the top 100 burgers in America, as a burger enjoyer, we had to stop by!They do have a unique approach to their burgers that they make in house never frozen meats and veggies. When we went, they only had take out but there were some tables outside for us to enjoy our lunch. The service was friendly and efficient.We got the:1) Beef Bear Bitez Burger:-When I saw this burger I was IMMEDIATELY reminded of a pâté chaud or as Vietnamemes would know it as, bánh pâté sô except with sesame seeds on top.-The burger meat inside was nicely seasoned and flavored. It came out piping hot and fresh. A solid burger.-My only caveat is that I can ONLY compare this to a pâté chaud and it makes me wish that the pastry part was a bit more flaky and crispy and that the meat inside was just a bit more moist.-I can see the vision and I feel like if the burger approached this pinnacle of comparison in my mind then I would have fallen head over heels in love as I love all meat carb combos like this.2) Potato Salad:-It's definitely a bit more onion tasting and a bit more liquid-y than the thick potato salad that I'm used to, but it's not bad.-Definitely added another layer of flavor to enjoy along with our burger.-Not too sour or mayo tasting. The potatoes had the perfect texture and there was a good crunch from the onions as well. I don't mind stopping by again and trying their other burgers."

Peggy Sue’s

★★★☆☆ 3 (90) • $$

"I love this place when I'm craving a good burger. This is my to go place. The customer service is always on point."

Kirk's SteakBurgers - Palo Alto

★★★★☆ 3.6 (500) • $$

"I've been to Kirk's a few times, and it's a decent spot to grab a quick burger. Ate here recently, wanted to try something new and decided to go with their chicken bacon ranch club sandwich with Cajun fries.The CBR comes on grilled sourdough bread with mayo, avocado, and bacon. The sandwich unfortunately was a bit too much bread and not enough filling. The piece of chicken was while seasoned, was paper thin. I think the meat to bread ratio for this sandwich could be better. The Cajun fries were good, but oddly sweet. For the chicken sandwich, fries, and a coke, plus tip, came out to $26. A bit steep for the amount of chicken you get but lesson learned, I'd stick with the burgers"

The Point Kitchen and Bar

★★★★☆ 4.1 (71) • $$

"It was a real surprise how good our food was last night. We were a party of 10. Half of us got steaks of different kinds. One person got a chicken dish and a couple people got fish and someone got a hamburger. Everyone loved their meal.! Personally I had the steak with blue cheese on it. I never had anything so tasty in my life. I highly recommend that it was a flat iron steak with blue cheese. We loved our waiter. She was so efficient and good looking good personality and Sweet."

Dad's Luncheonette

★★★★☆ 4.4 (839) • $$

"took a quick half day trip to HMB today with a girlfriend, and this was our first stop for a quick but yummy lunch! we came by around 1145a on a friday morning, no line with just a few people eating outside. we couldn't decide on what to get so we got an order of their homemade potato chips and one of each sandie's and split it (which was definitely the way to go).both were solid, but the mushroom was our favorite. super succulent and juicy, which made the bottom of the sandwich a bit soggy, but that is the price to pay as with in n out burgers by the time you get to the bottom. the homemade chips were good, light and crispy, topped with what i am guessing is nutritional yeast? but nothing to write home about per se.a solid little meal before we head to the coast, our tummies were happy without feeling too full or bloated or greasy, which was what we were looking for :) 10/10 would come back and support this sweet shop again!"