From Bareburger to smaller joints, a mighty fine burger is never far in the 914. But, for the adventurous eater, sometimes it’s not all about the Kobe beef or the slow-toasted bun. Sometimes, the odd can trump the artisan. Here, we list the most creative, obscure, or downright dangerous burgers being made in Westchester today.
Bareburger
265 N Central Ave, Hartsdale; 914.949.2900
445 Main St, Mount Kisco; 914.864.0531
50 Purchase St, Rye; 914.305.4036
Bareburger’s first location opened circa 2009 in Astoria, Queens, with the goal of bringing a variety of organic burgers to the masses. How wide a variety? Take your pick of beef, bison, chicken, turkey, or multiple distinct veggie options and go from there. You can customize your own burger from patty to pickings or choose from a selection of house-made offerings like the Supreme — organic beef and Colby with smoked bacon, chopped fries, onion rings, cheddar cheese, and special sauce on brioche — or the Sweet Bison Blues — all-natural bison and blue cheese with smoked bacon, caramelized onion, and bacon jam on the bun of your choice.
There are plenty of other wild choices, too, and, with three locations in Westchester County and two more in neighboring Ridgefield and Stamford, you won’t have to travel too far to get there.
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Elevation Burger
Ridge Hill Mall, 228 Market St, Yonkers; .914.358.9400
The classic Elevation Burger doesn’t have a lot of fancy bells or whistles, and it’s not made from any obscure meat like elk or wild boar — just good, old fashioned, organic, grass-fed, free-range beef patties. A lot of them. As many as you want, truthfully; 10 just seemed like a good limit to Westchester and Rockland franchise owner Daniel Magnus. That’s why if you order the “Vertigo 10,” servers will know just what you want.
Magnus says it’s typical to see a group of three or four patrons order the towering burger; there’s a competitive eating element for some people, after all. But some prefer to go it alone.
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Little B’s Burger Bar
49 Main St, Tarrytown; 914.631.2228
Pinning down just one burger at Little B’s can be a Sisyphean task; the restaurant is known for its build-your-own program. Choose from a selection of five buns (or four greens and six dressings, if you’d like to make it a salad) and 11 patties, including Angus beef, bison, chicken, turkey, tuna, and multiple vegan/veggie options. From there, top your concoction with any of 11 cheeses, any four of 21 toppings, and two of any 20 sauces. (We’re not even getting into the sides.) By our math, that’s a little over…13.5 billion possible combinations.
Start with bison, and you’ll get a burger with a luxe, savage character that oozes gamey juice all over its nearly sweet, brioche bun. For those overwhelmed by so many options, special burgers with set toppings also typically grace the menu — think a falafel burger that’s a combination of house-made falafel with Mediterranean herbs and spices, lettuce, tomato, and tzatziki and avocado-scallion sauce.
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MOOYAH
1882 Pleasantville Rd, Briarcliff Manor; 914.226.3647
This national chain made a splash when it opened its only New York location outside of Times Square in Westchester County, and its selection of piled-high burgers, dogs, sandwiches, and accompaniments has kept it on even our typically chain-averse radar. Case in point: The “Hamburdog.” Part of the brand’s “secret” menu — can it really be a secret if you put it front and center online? — the Hamburdog is an Angus beef patty topped with a Hebrew National hot dog, cheddar cheese, bacon, jalapeños, frizzled onion strings, and ketchup on a non-GMO bun. It’s got 935 calories, 62 grams of fat, and about 106 percent of our daily recommended sodium, but wow, if it isn’t utterly delicious.
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Truck
391 Old Post Rd, Bedford; 914.234.8900
The organic, whole-wheat tortilla makes an effective and appropriate wrapper for the juicy, grass-fed Wagyu beef patty at this Southwestern cuisine restaurant off scenic Route 22. It’s not overwrought with complicated toppings; some creamy guacamole and a melty sweep of Cabot Jack do the trick. The pile of expertly salted hand-cut fries spread alongside is that much better when liberally dipped into some of the best ketchup around.
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The Urban Hamlet
124 Pondfield Rd, Bronxville; 914.652.7407
Totally vegan, the polenta and quinoa burger comes tucked into a soft herb focaccia roll, delicately dolloped with tomato red pepper jam, pickled carrots, arugula, and tomatoes. Lightly dressed, tossed salad greens are a nice touch on the side. As far as veggie burgers go, this one won’t win any points for trying to convince us it’s actually meat, but it does get points for honesty and for being truly delicious in and of itself.
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Whiskey River
38 N Division St, Peekskill; 914.293.7550
We’ve seen some crazy, massive, and intense burgers in our day, but when it comes to house-standard, “regular” orders, the Up the River Burger might as well be a life sentence. Sporting two house-blend patties with cheese and — deep breath — thick-cut candied bacon, house-made beer cheese, fried shallots, and sriracha aioli atop a toasted brioche bun and then served with a mountain of crispy, delicious house fries, this burger is a beast. It is also, we assure you, worth every penny. (There’s a reason Whiskey River was voted our Readers’ Choice Best New Restaurant of 2021. [Hint: It’s the burger.])
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The Wooden Spoon
1282 North Ave, New Rochelle; 914.278.9432
It’s no surprise that this former Westchester Magazine Burger & Beer Blast champion has more than a few choice patties on its menu. From the Classic with fried onions and pickles served with a side of chips and the Balboa with mushrooms and double Swiss on garlic bread to the intimidatingly named “Grease Truck” with beef, fried pickles, fried onions, tots, and fresh mozz on Texas toast, there’s no shortage of options.
The Grease Truck is big, it’s cheesy, it’s more carbs than we dare to think about, and it’s one of our best friends.
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Related: These Are the Best Burgers You Can Try by Westchester Town
