{"id":184648,"date":"2026-02-19T14:47:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T14:47:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/184648\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T14:47:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T14:47:10","slug":"sacramento-regions-13-best-burgers-at-local-restaurants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/184648\/","title":{"rendered":"Sacramento region’s 13 best burgers at local restaurants"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Abridged version:<\/p>\n

Benjy Egel, the senior food editor at Abridged, spent seven months eating burgers around the Sacramento region.<\/p>\n

His list of the region\u2019s 13 best includes gut-stuffers in Sacramento and six of its suburbs, from Davis to Rocklin.<\/p>\n

Some of the top burgers are simple but done well, while others include premium meat blends or international flavors.<\/p>\n

Over the past seven months, I\u2019ve eaten more than 50 burgers at restaurants across the Sacramento region. These, I\u2019m convinced, are the 13 best.<\/p>\n

My list of favorites, in no particular order, spans from Davis to Rocklin. It includes excellently done fast food and premium products worth paying a little extra, classics made right and innovations meant to invoke foreign dishes.\u00a0Rather than judging high-end burgers against cheaper options, I evaluated each based on how good they were at what they were trying to be.<\/p>\n

While this list contains no inherently vegetarian burgers, several of these restaurants, particularly those dedicated to burgers as a concept, offer vegan patties as alternatives to their meaty main choices.\u00a0I\u2019ve flagged those in each entry, along with the price and address.<\/p>\n

Think I\u2019m missing something? Write it in the box at the bottom of the story. Just be sure to ID a single burger, rather than simply giving the restaurant\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

Pangaea burger at Pangaea Bier Cafe<\/p>\n

\"HamburgerPangaea Bier Cafe\u2019s Pangaea burger and fries. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n

Yes, Pangaea Bier Cafe<\/a> is closing, but you can still taste this burger until March 19.<\/a> Pangaea catalyzed Sacramento\u2019s nascent craft beer scene when it opened in 2008, debuting a chalkboard of Belgian, German and choice American brews that continues to be among the city\u2019s best 18 years later. Along the way, the Curtis Park restaurant\u2019s chefs developed a premier burger, one that won the Sacramento Burger Battle three times during the event\u2019s heyday of the mid-2010s.<\/p>\n

A half-pound Harris Ranch<\/a> patty plays host to melted Tillamook<\/a> cheddar, bacon, housemade pickle chips and a tangy sauce that\u2019s part Thousand Island, part sambal oelek. Piercing the airy, Folsom-baked Bella Bru<\/a> bun is easy; the real work comes next.\u00a0Get it before Pangaea shuts down, or cross your fingers that Rob and Kin Archie find the new location they\u2019re seeking.<\/p>\n

$22 w\/ fries or salad | 2743 Franklin Blvd., Sacramento | Vegetarian option: no<\/p>\n

Hawaiian burger at Kitchen747<\/p>\n

\"HamburgerKitchen747\u2019s Hawaiian burger. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you build it, they will come.\u201d The \u201cField of Dreams\u201d quote backs developer Juli Hilton\u2019s vision for West Roseville, where she\u2019s behind a massive housing expansion and several nearby restaurants, including Kitchen747<\/a>. The generically named New American restaurant with a lovely patio could easily be mistaken for another, were it not for burgers that make you stand up and pay attention.<\/p>\n

While many are grand, the Hawaiian burger (introduced about a year ago) edges them all out for the top spot. Piedmontese beef imported from Northern Italy is supported by two grilled pineapple rings, teriyaki sauce that\u2019s complimentary instead of cloying and aioli with a backstory: Hilton sources the garlic from Christopher Ranch<\/a>, the Gilroy farm her family founded in 1956.<\/p>\n

$19 w\/ fries | 2320 Pleasant Grove Blvd., Roseville | Vegetarian option: yes<\/p>\n

Turkey b\u00e1nh m\u00ec burger at Tommy J\u2019s Grill & Catering<\/p>\n

\"HamburgerTommy J\u2019s b\u00e1nh m\u00ec burger. (Benjy Egel)<\/p>\n

Any self-respecting college town has a burger joint worth its salt. In Davis it\u2019s Tommy J\u2019s<\/a>, also known as Froggy\u2019s (the two businesses merged in 2013), a bustling corner locale that turns into a karaoke bar at night.<\/p>\n

The Firehouse (garlic blue cheese spread, Frank\u2019s RedHot<\/a> sauce, bacon, housemade guacamole and Thousand Island) and the Aggie Jam (a tongue-grabber with the same spread, Cajun mayo and bacon jam) have both won the Davis Burger Battle within the past five years, but so has the turkey b\u00e1nh m\u00ec burger, which beats them by a nose in my book. While turkey can be a bit dense, this half-pound patty holds up perfectly against a fiery Vietnamese slaw (\u0111\u1ed3 chua) and savory layers of hoisin sauce and mayo between sesame buns. Pick the golden, fluffy fries as your side.<\/p>\n

$18 w\/ fries, tots or salad | 726 2nd St., Davis | Vegetarian option: yes<\/p>\n

Double smash burger at Elixir Bar & Grill<\/p>\n

\"HamburgerElixir\u2019s double smash burger. (Benjy Egel)<\/p>\n

A crusty, 20-year-old dive bar on the fringes of Downtown Sacramento, Elixir<\/a> has less than 10 items on its food menu. All it needs are the stellar chicken wings and the single ($12) or double smash burgers, which have become local barfly lore over the past few years.<\/p>\n

Two patties are preferred in order to taste more of the pleasant char covering each scraggly slab of meat, with crunchy lettuce, white onions, American cheese and a mild house sauce all members of the supporting cast. Served in red plastic baskets with skinny, crispy fries, it\u2019s everything you want at the end of a bar tab.<\/p>\n

$14 w\/ fries | 1815 10th St., Sacramento | Vegetarian option: no<\/p>\n

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Monk\u2019s burger at The Monk\u2019s Cellar<\/p>\n

\"Monk'sMonk\u2019s burger at The Monk\u2019s Cellar. (Benjy Egel)<\/p>\n

The funky scent of fermentation greets customers as they walk into The Monk\u2019s Cellar<\/a>, a Belgian-inspired brewpub in downtown Roseville. Order a portobello mushroom cap or housemade nut patty burger to go with your beer, and you\u2019ll still be treated to sweet pickled onions, melted Gruy\u00e8re, peppery arugula and a mix of garlic aioli and Russian dressing.<\/p>\n

But eschewing meat means missing out on the best part of Monk\u2019s burger: a hefty blend of brisket, short rib and chuck, custom ground by 80-year-old Roseville Meat Market<\/a>. Duck fat fries and Belgian frites sauce can accompany your meal for an additional $2.<\/p>\n

$19 | 240 Vernon St., Roseville | Vegetarian option: yes<\/p>\n

Gami burger at Gami Burger<\/p>\n

\"GamiGami Burger at its Carmichael location. (Denis Akbari)<\/p>\n

Carmichael\u2019s best new restaurant of 2025 was a silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic. Scott Ostrander saw a buddy from his fine dining days making lockdown burgers at two-Michelin-starred Chicago restaurant Ever<\/a>; if that chef could do it, Ostrander could too, he reasoned. The first pop-up at Ostrander and Paul DiPierro\u2019s East Sacramento restaurant Origami Asian Grill<\/a> sold out within an hour, and Gami Burger\u2019s<\/a> demand hasn\u2019t slowed much since replacing community fixture Willie\u2019s Burgers<\/a> last June.<\/p>\n

In the flagship Gami burger, it\u2019s easy to see why. Gooey American cheese forms gentle skirts around two smash patties custom-made by San Francisco\u2019s Bi-Rite Market<\/a> (Gami also offers singles, triples and quadruples), with housemade sunomono pickles and secret sauce to break up the heaviness and Truckee Sourdough Co.<\/a> brioche buns holding it all together. It\u2019s the kind of burger to spur expansion: Seven months after making its Carmichael debut, Gami Burger opened a second location in Midtown Sacramento.<\/p>\n

$11 | 5093 Fair Oaks Blvd., Carmichael, and 2301 K St., Sacramento | Vegetarian option: no<\/p>\n

Chapli kebab burger at House of Shah Afghan Urban Eats<\/p>\n

\"Hamburger\"House of Shah\u2019s chapli kebab burger. (Benjy Egel)<\/p>\n

One way to stand out in a sea of burgers: Start with something that\u2019s not a burger. House of Shah\u2019s<\/a> chapli kebab patty tastes more like its namesake skewer than a simply salted ground beef puck. An aromatic mix of cumin, coriander, ground red pepper and cilantro in halal beef gives Selymon Shahsamand and Juliana Garcia Shahsamand\u2019s Cali-Afghan restaurant a patty like no one else.<\/p>\n

The burger\u2019s housemade garlic-yogurt sauce and a tabbouleh-like salad offered in place of shoestring fries fold in additional Middle Eastern elements, while eggy brioche buns, crunchy iceberg lettuce and choice of American, Swiss or pepper jack cheese are more traditionally Californian.\u00a0<\/p>\n

$15.50 w\/ fries or salad | 538 Main St., Woodland | Vegetarian option: no<\/p>\n

Ngo burger at Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine<\/p>\n

\"Hamburger\"Kru\u2019s Ngo burger. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n

Kru<\/a> is the cr\u00e8me de la cr\u00e8me of Sacramento\u2019s sushi scene. But ask owner Billy Ngo, a 2024 James Beard Award finalist for \u201cBest Chef \u2014 California,\u201d what restaurant dish he\u2019d wish for on a desert island, and he\u2019ll name the burger.<\/p>\n

The Ngo Burger is the fast food-loving fine dining chef\u2019s version of comfort food, a blend of chuck and A5 Wagyu topped with red leaf lettuce, an heirloom tomato slice (when in season), roe-infused aioli, pickles and American cheese on a Hokkaido-style milk bun. It\u2019s relatively light and served without fries or a drink, keeping it at $20 even in Kru\u2019s upscale East Sacramento dining room. Order one per two people as another shareable alongside your sushi, or keep the whole thing for yourself.<\/p>\n

$20 | 3135 Folsom Blvd., Sacramento | Vegetarian option: no<\/p>\n

Whitey\u2019s special burger at Whitey\u2019s Jolly Kone\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"PatronsPatrons at Whitey\u2019s Jolly Kone. (Tyler Bastine)<\/p>\n

Everything is more expensive today than in 1963, when Emile \u201cWhitey\u201d Boisclair opened his roadside burger stand along Jefferson Boulevard. But Whitey\u2019s Jolly Kone\u2019s<\/a> signature burger remains one of the best deals around at $7.65, with an even more pared-down version available for a mere $4.50.<\/p>\n

A pair of smashed patties, smoky bacon, mayo and American cheese smack the taste buds with nostalgic bliss, celebrated by the confetti of iceberg lettuce that\u2019s impossible to keep in the paper wrapper. The founder\u2019s grandkids and their spouses took the reins in 2023 but keep the modernity over at Emile\u2019s Cafe<\/a>, the West Sacramento coffeehouse they opened in July. Whitey\u2019s is for classics \u2014 including this burger, ideally paired with the famous summer peach milkshake.\u00a0<\/p>\n

$7.65 | 1300 Jefferson Blvd., West Sacramento | Vegetarian option: yes<\/p>\n

Flannery Beef burger at Historic Star Lounge<\/p>\n

\"HamburgerHistoric Star Lounge\u2019s Flannery Beef burger. (Benjy Egel)<\/p>\n

With a dark, swanky hotel dining room and cocktail bar overlooking Sutter\u2019s Fort, the Historic Star Lounge<\/a> could have settled for a nice-but-forgettable burger on its menu. Instead, chef Galice Ryan reimagined French onion soup.<\/p>\n

His rendition neatly packs 6 ounces of dry-aged Flannery Beef<\/a>, caramelized onions cooked in veal jus and melted Gruy\u00e8re cheese between potato buns, with two skewered cornichons rising out of the top and salty fries on the side. It\u2019s soupy but not sloppy, a creative concept expertly executed by the former Hook & Ladder Manufacturing Co.<\/a> chef. You\u2019ll see it on the happy hour menu from 3-6 on weekdays, but it\u2019s available off-menu during dinner as well.<\/p>\n

$22 w\/ fries | 2719 K St., Sacramento | Vegetarian option: no<\/p>\n

Venison cafe burger at Flaming Grill Cafe<\/p>\n

\"Hamburger\"Flaming Grill Cafe\u2019s venison burger. (Benjy Egel)<\/p>\n

Country Club Plaza has been hollowed out and transformed, but Flaming Grill<\/a> is still firing. Jose Silva\u2019s sports bar has survived 18 years inside the old mall thanks to 1) a terrific tap list and 2) burgers made with out-there meats such as alligator tail, wild boar and frog legs. Some are mostly offered for shock-and-awe, but the venison burger can stand on its four hooves.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s gamey but not enough to drive away first-timers, simple but easily upgradable if one wants more than spring mix, tomato, onions, meat and a house pink sauce between brioche buns. Be warned, though: The more accoutrements one adds, the more difficult this deer is to taste.<\/p>\n

$14 | 2380 Watt Ave., Suite 150, Sacramento | Vegetarian option: yes<\/p>\n

Natomas burger at Monsoon Burger<\/p>\n

\"MonsoonMonsoon Burger\u2019s mural. (Benjy Egel)<\/p>\n

Half the credit for this burger can go to Monsoon\u2019s cooks, who lather the patty in a Cajun rub, cook it to exact specified doneness on a lampshade-shaped rotating grill and slide it onto buttery buns toasted to a delicate crisp. The rest is up to the customer, who selects the cheese (pick cheddar or pepper jack for something mild, or the off-menu ghost pepper jack to amp up the spice even further) and all other condiments from a salad bar. <\/p>\n

To my tongue, the ideal add-ons include hot pickle chips, lettuce, tomato, red onions and \u201ckick sauce,\u201d the North Natomas restaurant\u2019s version of spicy mayo. I\u2019m not mad at anyone who wants to add a glob of guacamole ($2 extra), though, or kimchi fermented by owner Jim Hsu\u2019s father. You can also tack on half a hot link for another dollar, thus making it the NoLa Burger.<\/p>\n

$13.50 (6-ounce patty) or $14.70 (8-ounce) w\/ fries, carrot sticks or mixed greens | 4740 Natomas Blvd., Suite 130, Sacramento | Vegetarian option: yes<\/p>\n

Peanut butter burger at The Chef\u2019s Table<\/p>\n

\"Hamburger\"The Chef\u2019s Table\u2019s off-menu peanut butter burger. (Benjy Egel)<\/p>\n

A relatively upscale restaurant in Rocklin West shopping center, The Chef\u2019s Table<\/a> rotates an ever-changing burger through its menu \u2014 sometimes made to mimic In-N-Out\u2019s \u201canimal style,\u201d other times laden with Brie cheese, whole grain mustard and bacon fig jam. The off-menu peanut butter burger, though, is always available.<\/p>\n

Liquified peanut butter is infused with Sriracha to create a Thai-like blend of flavors, then spread across torched buns with grape jelly, sharp cheddar and applewood-smoked bacon atop a brisket\/short rib\/chuck patty. A steak knife with half a dill pickle pierces the burger in a valiant effort to hold it together, but there\u2019s no stopping a mess here. No wonder it comes with wet wipes.<\/p>\n

$21 | 6843 Lonetree Blvd., Suite 103, Rocklin | Vegetarian option: no<\/p>\n

Benjy Egel\u00a0is the senior food editor at Abridged. Born and raised in the Sacramento region, he has covered its local restaurants and bars since 2018. He also writes and edits Abridged\u2019s weekly food and drink newsletter,\u00a0City of Treats.\u00a0<\/p>\n