The Best Burger in Seattle
In a city with so much great food, we wanted to know: What really takes the prize? Our critics tasted dozens of the very best burgers to find out
By Chelsea Lin August 24, 2018
This article originally appeared in the September 2018 issue of Seattle magazine.
This article appears in print as the cover story of the September 2018 issue. Read more from the Best of the Best Restaurants feature story here. Click here to subscribe.
Best of the Best: Loretta’s Northwesterner
There’s a taxonomical issue when it comes to burgers: A really good fast-food-style burger and its upscale, gourmet counterparts are in classes of their own, after all.
But good taste transcends all order, and our vote here goes to a burger so perfect in its simplicity that it can stand its ground next to any of the city’s fancier burgers—despite the fact that it’s served in a dark, divey 21-and-older pub.
The double Tavern burger ($5) at this South Park gem is basically a better version of a Dick’s Deluxe—double patties and American cheese (an element of success for any burger), plus pickles, onions and special sauce—and not much more expensive.
South Park, 8617 14th Ave. S; 206.327.9649; lorettasnorthwesterner.com
OTHER FAVORITES
Bateau
Capitol Hill, 1040 E Union St.; 206.900.8699; restaurantbateau.com
TIP: It’s not on the menu, and it costs $17, more than thrice the price of our winner, but the cult favorite burger at this beautiful steak house comes by its reputation honestly. Don’t you dare order it well done, though.
Ma‘ono
West Seattle, 4437 California Ave. SW; 206.935.1075; maonoseattle.com
Li’l Woody’s
Multiple locations; lilwoodys.com
In addition to our expert picks, we put the Best of the Best to the test on social media, March Madness bracket style, to discover our readers’ favorite pizza, doughnuts and burgers. Behold the burger bracket results:
Follow Us
From the Archives: In Search Of The Best… And The Elusive
A 1970 Bigfoot feature captures Seattle’s quirky spirit and our ongoing curiosity about what might be hiding in plain sight.
In August of 1970, Seattle magazine ran a story that, by today’s standards, was gloriously unhinged. It asked, tongue fully in cheek, whether the legendary Sasquatch might be real and lamenting its own demise. Did the recent Patterson-Gimlin film, depicting an unidentified, ape-like biped walking out of the woods in Northern California, show the long-lost…
Seattle’s Best of the Best
Everyone loves a winner. And this issue is full of them.
The new issue of Seattle magazine is out—our Best of the Best edition, celebrating the city’s favorite places, spaces, and bites. Each year, Seattle magazine takes it to the people, inviting our readers to vote on their preferred picks. This time around, we did things a little differently, turning to our staff to determine, via…
2025 Readers’ Choice Results
You’ve read about our favorites, now here are the winners chosen by you, the loyal readers of Seattle magazine. See how they compare to our picks. Best New Restaurant Hawks Peak at Snoqualmie Casino & Hotel Best Outdoor Dining Dock & Drink at Hyatt Regency Lake Washington Best Pizza Pagliacci Pizza Best Burger Joint Dick’s…
Best Boutique: Woodland Mod
There is no shortage of independent shops along Ballard Avenue, but Woodland Mod is a must stop for, well, everything. Gorgeously stocked with home wares, cards, books, jewelry, skincare, fragrances, and more, this bright and airy shop focuses on handcrafted products from small-scale vendors in design-forward countries, including Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Japan, and the United…