St. Louis, MOBurgers

Mac's grinds whole-animal beef, dry-ages it for 28 days and smashes it into thin patties with crisp edges. The four-patty Captain comes with shaved white onions and house bread-and-butter pickles on a Vitale's egg bun. Another order is the double pimento cheeseburger with Red Hot Riplets-seasoned fries.

Owner Jim Grindstaff built a smashburger from a blend of brisket, short rib and chuck, seasoned with his Three Kings mix and topped with American cheese in a Martin's potato roll. The Firecracker began as a rotating burger and stayed on the menu.

This Route 66 stand serves crispy-edged smashed burgers with frosty mugs of root beer made from the original IBC recipe. Sisters Kelly McFerrin and Pam Martin have each worked behind the Formica counter for nearly 30 years. Take one of the 16 red stools and order a burger with root beer.

The Cowboy Burger won the burger category at the World Food Championships. Its 2026 build pairs double smash patties with cheddar, pepper jack, bacon, onion straws and barbecue sauce on a potato bun. The kitchen also customizes an Impossible patty for vegan, kosher or halal orders; this list names the McCausland Avenue original.

O'Connell's served London broil and large burgers in Gaslight Square before moving in 1972 to a former Anheuser-Busch saloon near The Hill. Order the burger in the Shaw Avenue room, where it is cooked to the temperature requested.