11 Over-the-Top Las Vegas Burgers You Must Eat
Whether it gets the credit or not, Las Vegas has led America in the fussy-fancy burger trend, dating back to Michelin-starred chef Hubert Keller's Burger Bar in 2004, if not earlier. With the appearance of original fancy burger garçon Daniel Boulud at the Venetian this month, and the arrival of a Shake Shack at New York New York Hotel & Casino later this year, the beef stampede shows no signs of letting up. But house-ground meat, artisanal buns, and fancy cheeses just aren't enough to get you noticed anymore. Ten years after the opening of ____first-mocked-now-revered Burger Bar, restaurants on the Strip are pushing the envelope of burgerdom. Here are 11 patties actually deserving of that overused cliché "only in Vegas."
Dylan + Jeni1/11Le Burger, L'Atelier du Joel Robuchon
These $33 mini-burgers (ceci n'est pas un slider!) are available at Robuchon restaurants worldwide, but they originated here under chef Steve Benjamin. They're loaded with so much meltingly rich flavor that their size will deceive you. Crafted from Wagyu tenderloin and hanger cuts, the don't-call-them-sliders are piled with seared foie gras, bell pepper confit, baby onion, and watercress on a sesame-seed brioche with a ginger gastrique. On the side, perfect crinkle-cut French fries, bien sûr.
Dylan + Jeni2/11Mr. Ho's Burger, Bachi Burger
From its attention to meat grinds and cooking to the buns and culture-clash toppings, Bachi is possibly one of the most nerdy-fanatical burger spots in the country. Chef Lorin Watada cooks his 7-ounce Angus and Wagyu patties over Japanese charcoal, finishing with an array of Asian sauces and relishes. Though the Wagyu-unagi blended, foie gras–topped Shogun burger ($26) is king here, we're partial to the Mr. Ho, a blended Angus-pork patty with Chinese sausage, green onion, cilantro, ginger, garlic, sautéed mushrooms, mizuna, and hoisin mayo on—get this—a purple taro bun. If the $10 symphony of tangy, earthy, and tender result leans a little to the sweet side for you, use the table's organic bamboo salt, Ichimi red pepper, and Thai chile vinegar liberally.
Dylan + Jeni3/11Rossini, Burger Bar
No list of serious Vegas burgers can omit the original chef-driven burger joint here, powered by Alsatian wildman Hubert Keller, which has spawned two spinoffs since its 2004 opening. BB's broad array of patties, cheeses, and fresh toppings have been copied coast to coast, but the decadent crowning glory remains singular: a $60 splurge of Australian Wagyu topped with a generous slab of sautéed foie gras, shaved black Périgord truffles, and a thick sauce of the same on a hefty onion brioche. The burger is earthy, intense, and almost demanding of a fork and knife—and an assistant.
Dylan + Jeni4/11Build Your Own, KGB
Kerry Simon won a round of Iron Chef America with a burger, so it was only a matter of time before he launched a whole concept based around it. At KGB (that's Kerry's Gourmet Burgers, never mind the Soviet motifs), the Simon kills the category with his specially blended $13 Angus patties. But if you want something truly original, you'll need to build your own. So we made one with pea sprouts, smoked gouda, fried popcorn shrimp, and pesto mayo on a jalapeño-Cheddar bun. It wouldn't be a true Vegas trip without some questionable decisions (for the record, it actually worked).
Courtesy Wynn Resorts5/11Ramen Sliders, Andrea's
No, ramen burgers are not an original idea, but Andrea's executive chef Joe Elevado deserves respect for having the moxie to, uh, adapt Keizo Shimamoto's concept for his hip, luxe club-restaurant in place of the long lines. Two hand-formed Wagyu patties are topped with spicy relish sauce, oven-dried tomato, Bibb lettuce, and red onion, and wedged between fried compressed ramen cakes. The $18 slider twins are just rich enough to give you something to work off when you hit the dance floor at one of Wynn/Encore's three nightclubs afterward.
Dylan + Jeni6/11King Creole Burger, Country Club at Wynn
This hidden gem overlooking the Vegas Strip's only golf course has always served a serious burger. But a few months back, chef __Carlos Guia—__formerly of New Orleans stalwart Commander's Palace—decided to kick things up with this dual tribute to the Big Easy and the Big E (i.e., Elvis). The Country Club's King Creole Burger starts with a house-ground patty of certified Angus sirloin and chuck, upon which is laden crispy Jack Daniels–and–Aleppo pepper-candied bacon, pepper jack, Creole-spiced fried tobacco onions, Creole mustard, cayenne ketchup, lettuce, and tomato on a toasted sesame brioche. Your $19 will get you a healthy lagniappe of aromatic Parmesan-truffle potato chips and a fat fresh garlic pickle.
Dylan + Jeni7/11Signature Burger, Sugar Factory American Brasserie
We'd be willing to bet Kim Kardashian's never wrapped her lips around one of these, but the$16.95 signature burger of this spin-off from the glammy candy store that Kimmy and her gal pals made famous can hold its own in the Vegas Burger Battle. This Angus chuck patty is topped with lettuce, tomato, crispy fried onions, American, and Muenster cheeses, and a secret sauce. Served on a bun made in-house with white chocolate (giving it a kind of Hawaiian roll sweet-softness), it's just big and brassy enough to distract you from the Bellagio fountains and endless parade of humanity on the popular patio.
Courtesy Caesars Entertainment8/11The Hog Burger, Gordon Ramsay BurGR
Mouthy Michelin man Gordon Ramsay's slick burger joint already had its share of rewarding details—patties blended from chuck, brisket, and short rib; apple and alderwood grilling; toppings like asadero cheese and figgy-onion jam—but this recent menu addition upped the restaurant's already big game. It's a patty made from grass- and barley-fed Mangalitsa pork, basted with maple butter, and topped with English Cheddar and arugula on BurGR's alluring black-and-white sesame brioche bun. The result is juicy, tender, salty, and just a little sweet.
Courtesy MGM Resorts9/11Surf Turf & Air Wagyu Kobe Burger, Tender Steak & Seafood
The TV-chef steakhouses get all the attention on the Strip, but K.C. Fazel may be the most obsessive grill master you've never heard of, commanding a menu of exhaustively sourced beef and game. True to form, Tender's hefty $30 burger is made from house-ground American Wagyu, topped with a generous crab-tail medallion, smoky duck bacon, watercress, roasted tomato, and horseradish pickles on a toasted potato brioche bun. On the side: crunchy seaweed artichoke slaw, truffle caviar aïoli, and sweet homemade ketchup. Kick it up—if you dare—with a side of the Smokin' Phantom Stinger sauce, made from scorpion, ghost, chipotle, and Thai chiles. Trust us, a little dab'll do ya.
Melissa Hom10/11The Vegas Burger, Bobby's Burger Palace
BBP won't seem too exotic to those east of the Mississippi, where there are 17 of them already. But at this newest, biggest outlet of the booming chain, Bobby Flay strove to create a unique burger worthy of Glitter Gulch. "I was trying to think of what the flavors of Las Vegas are," says Flay, who decided against the obvious shrimp cocktail or buffet favorite crab legs. "I'm not a fan of the surf-and-turf thing on burgers." Instead, his Vegas Burger combines Fresno chiles, white American cheese, and BBQ potato chips on a patty of certified Angus chuck—not bad for $9.50. Wash it down with a prickly-pear frozen margarita, also exclusive to BBP Vegas.
Kelly Campbell11/11The Drive-Thru, B&B Burger & Beer
It isn't hard to divine the most Mario-esque (i.e., both Italianish and gluttonish) burger on the menu at this new Batali & Bastianich tributary: the $15 Royale With Cheese, which piles grilled treviso radicchio and onions, robiola cheese, and Parmesan-mascarpone cream on a 6-ounce patty of ground Black Angus. But before you belly up to that, initiate yourself with the $9 redux of the In-N-Out double-double (pictured): two thin, tender patties cooked to order, with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and house pickle chips between soft sesame seed buns, then wrapped in paper to hold together just long enough for you to hoover it all up. Without shame.
