Thought fast food restaurants were all about new inventions? Think again. A New York City–based luncheonette is putting a fresh spin on old-school burger recipes. Founded by burger expert George Motz in 2023, Hamburger America is the result of decades of research into America’s original fast food recipes. Every month, the joint celebrates a different regional burger specialty that many have never even heard of – including the quirky and divisive loose meat sandwich (pictured).

Click or scroll on to peek inside this haven for burger purists – and discover the other fast food joints that are reviving America's lesser-known burger styles.

Burger scholar Motz (pictured here, right) has written a history book about burgers, made a documentary about them – and even taught a New York University course about them. So, if anybody can revive the old-school burger recipes that have slipped through the cracks of time, it's him. Motz opened his first restaurant, Hamburger America, in 2023 in New York City's SoHo neighborhood, and the joint quickly won rave reviews for its short menu of historically accurate burgers – including a classic smash burger and Motz's take on the Oklahoma onion burger.

According to Motz, the secret to a good burger is using as few ingredients as possible, so the beef can do the talking. That means no lettuce, no tomato, and definitely no ketchup. The burger patty itself should be at least 20% fat and smashed thin onto a grill until perfectly crisp and caramelized. The only additional ingredients on Motz's classic smash burger (pictured) at Hamburger America are mustard, diced raw onion, a dill pickle, and a slice of American cheese. With that in mind, it makes sense that Motz is currently reviving the loose meat sandwich – a burger-sandwich hybrid that uses only salt as seasoning.

A forgotten favorite, the loose meat sandwich is an Iowa specialty dating to the 1920s, and it’s rarely found outside of the Midwestern states. It’s a little like a sloppy joe (just without the saucy mess) and is made with finely crumbled hamburger beef, which is cooked on a cast-iron cooker, placed into a soft bun, and finished with mustard, pickles and/or chopped onions.

The savory dish, also known as a tavern sandwich or a Maid-Rite, has been served up at Taylor’s of Marshalltown, the third franchise of the iconic Maid-Rite restaurant chain, since 1928, and it continues to be a cherished choice for locals. This small joint, located in Marshalltown, Iowa, is one of few remaining locations where the beef is simply seasoned with salt and nothing else, a key factor that Motz loves. Thanks to this, Taylor’s loose meat sandwich is Hamburger America’s monthly burger special for April 2025, available until May 7.

Can the loose meat sandwich truly be classed as a burger, though? Well, technically no – but Motz does believe it’s 'burger adjacent.' In an episode of his YouTube show Burger Scholar Sessions, Motz said: “If your eyes are closed, you do taste hamburger. It has all of the elements of a hamburger: bun, beef, seasoning (in this case, just salt), onion, mustard, pickle.” Unlike a classic burger, the loose meat sandwich is also traditionally served with a spoon to scoop up any fallen meat.

You’ll find some of the best burgers across the US served up at hole-in-the-wall spots that have been cooking up patties the same way for decades, but there are a handful of new, buzzy joints that are taking cues from these storied favorites, offering exciting spins on classic recipes. From vibey neighborhood restaurants reviving the patty melt to retro-themed diners frying Oklahoma onion burgers, these are the best places across America to try old-school burgers like never before.  

Click or scroll through our gallery to discover more about Hamburger America and the other joints reviving America's forgotten burgers, from the patty melt to the slugburger – counting down to the best place to discover (or rediscover) these retro dishes.

We've based our ranking on the enduring popularity of each burger in its place of origin and beyond, and on the opinions of our well-traveled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.

The frita burger is a classic Cuban comfort food that has its origins in 1930s Havana; however, it was popularized by a Miami restaurant owner in the 1960s. Amelia's 1931 is a cozy Cuban diner that opened in 2017 but, initially, chef Eileen Andrade was set against putting a frita on her menu, as it seemed like the obvious choice. She wanted to defy expectations and go in another direction – until her mother convinced her otherwise. And we're glad she did, because Amelia's now serves one of the most interesting takes on the dish in Miami.

Amelia's frita features an 8oz beef and chorizo patty topped with Gruyère cheese, mayo infused with huacatay (a Peruvian herb also known as black mint), sliced plantains, and shoestring fries. All of that is stuffed into a house-made Cuban brioche bun and served with French fries on the side. It is, in short, a feast, with legions of fans flocking to the restaurant to try it.

A sophisticated brunch spot in sunny San Diego isn’t the first place you’d expect to find Oklahoma’s famously messy fried onion burger, but diners say Madi makes one of the best out there. The pride of El Reno, the fried onion burger is a regional specialty that dates back to the 1920s, when Depression-era chefs would bulk out their beef patties with caramelized onions to keep costs down. These days, restaurants all over Oklahoma have their own versions, and it seems the onion burger love is spreading all over the US.

Madi is a bright and buzzy eatery that’s known for its colorful brunch dishes, with popular items including orange cinnamon roll pancakes and loaded Greek fries. The onion burger is the only burger the restaurant serves, but locals are already hailing it as one of the best in San Diego. It comes with American cheese, pickles, and house sauce on a brioche bun, and the perfectly smashed patty is cooked to a secret recipe.

Ultra thin and extremely crispy, smash burgers have taken the nation by storm in recent years, and it’s largely thanks to patty pioneers like SMASHED. This New York City–based chain opened its first location in 2021 and has since gone on to launch two further branches. You can't go wrong with the joint's Classic Smashed, loaded with American cheese, griddled onions, raw onions, pickles, and house sauce, but the team also offers its own tasty take on the Oklahoma burger (pictured).

The wonderfully messy meal comes complete with a beef patty, thinly sliced sweet onions, grilled American cheese, and house sauce. It’s all sandwiched inside a soft potato bun and can be leveled up into a double or triple patty option. There’s an equally delicious vegan version that has plenty of fans, too.

Utah’s signature fast food isn’t much known outside of the Beehive State, but the pastrami burger is a regional delight that deserves more attention. It’s currently the most popular menu item at Patty Shack, a Salt Lake County joint that already has a following for its juicy, flavor-packed burgers. The dish was popularized in the 1980s by Salt Lake City’s various Greek-style burger joints and traditionally consists of a beef patty topped with Fry Sauce (another Utah staple), lettuce, tomato, onions, cheese, and a hefty pile of cured pastrami.

Fans say the pastrami burgers at Patty Shack really are a cut above the rest. The fresh (never frozen) beef patties are formed by hand and cooked to order, and all toppings are chopped fresh every day. The all-important pastrami is thinly sliced, perfectly seasoned, and wonderfully tender. The simple pastrami burger is the go-to order here, but you can customize it with a fried egg or extra toppings.

This Charleston joint may have only opened its doors in 2022, but it’s already established itself as a go-to spot for smash burgers. These giant patties are made with a blend of Angus short rib, brisket, and chuck roll and are a firm favorite with locals. It’s the classic patty melt, though, that keeps diners coming back for more.

Harvey’s Barburger’s take on the burger-sandwich hybrid features a burger patty, American and Swiss cheese, grilled onions, pickles, and house sauce, all squashed between slices of griddled Texas toast. Irresistibly indulgent, it's become a staple order for those who like their meals gloriously cheesy. This neighborhood spot is family run and has garnered a loyal following for its excellent burgers, lively atmosphere, and great drinks selection.

The fried onion burger rose to prominence in El Reno, but the Sun Cattle Co. has brought its own version to Oklahoma City, putting a fresh spin on the historic fast food by using only the finest Oklahoma beef. Aside from using gourmet meat, chef Brad Ackerman has left the old-school recipe essentially unchanged, believing there's no point in messing with perfection. The joint, which opened in 2023, smashes ground beef and sliced onions onto a griddle to fry them hard and fast. The signature burger is topped with American cheese and pickles for the ultimate bite.

Burgers make up the heart of Sun Cattle's menu, with other hits including variations on the chili cheeseburger and the Theta burger, another regional Oklahoma specialty, which features a beef patty topped with hickory sauce, mayonnaise, slices of dill pickle, and shredded Cheddar cheese. For those searching for something besides a burger, the menu also has Coney dogs, steaks, and desserts. It's earned plaudits from customers and critics as lofty as The New York Times.

This unassuming spot on Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue is said to serve some of the city’s best burgers. At Two8Two, the patties are a simple affair to allow the flavor of the top-quality meat to shine. They’re served medium rare and made with a special blend of beef that’s ground fresh daily by historic Brooklyn butcher Los Paisanos. The simple double cheeseburger, topped with two slices of Cheddar cheese, pickles, red onion, and house-made burger sauce, is a thing of beauty, but diners also rave about the New Mexico–style Hatch green chile cheeseburger (pictured).

Founder Billy Thanopoulos first learned about New Mexico’s legendary Hatch green chile cheeseburger when reading Motz’s book Hamburger America, and he spent years perfecting his recipe. The burger features a juicy beef patty topped with Cheddar and roasted green chiles (the variety used is distinctively fresh and citrussy), all piled on a Martin’s potato roll with burger sauce. These days, it's a bestseller, and the joint has become famous for the dish, alongside other fast food favorites like chili dogs, milkshakes, and loaded sandwiches.

A fast food joint putting a modern spin on Minnesota’s iconic Juicy Lucy, Burgers & Beignets is considered a comfort food mecca in Fond Du Lac. It's famous for its huge range of innovative (and award-winning) burgers and enormous sandwiches. Here, the decadent creation (pictured) looks like a regular hamburger from the outside, but when you bite into the patty, molten Cheddar and American cheese come oozing out.

Diners rave about the signature Juicy Lucy, praising the quality of the beef and the perfectly melty combination of cheeses stuffed inside. But if you want to take things up a notch, orders at Burgers & Beignets are customizable; you can add jalapeños, extra cheese (American, Cheddar, pepper Jack, and provolone) and salad, or swap your regular bun for a pretzel one. Be sure to grab a side of the restaurant's famous cheese fries, too.

This retro spot promises ‘old school vibes and new school flavor,’ and it's certainly gone down a storm with diners in Williamsburg, Virginia since it launched in April 2024. Opened as an homage to classic mid-century Midwestern luncheonettes, the 1950s-style spot combines classic dishes with top-quality local ingredients. On the menu, you’ll find comforting dishes such as tallow fries and a classic patty melt. Cook's Burger Bar also serves its own take on another Midwest classic, the olive burger.

The olive burger is a Michigan classic, invented in 1923 at Flint’s Kewpee Hotel Hamburg – a joint that went on to spawn one of America's first fast food chains, Kewpee. It traditionally consists of a beef patty topped with Swiss cheese, chopped green olives, and mayonnaise, all crammed into a bun. At Cook's, you can have your olive burger with a single or double beef patty, topped with house-made olive mayo, aged Swiss cheese, marinated tomato, and romaine lettuce. Burgers are fried in beef tallow (a great old-school touch) for maximum flavor.

The humble patty melt is the burger fan's sandwich: a classic bite that combines the best bits of a burger and a grilled cheese to make a truly mouthwatering (and very messy) feast. While it may have been overshadowed by more outrageous, innovative burgers in recent years, the patty melt is now having a bit of a moment, with a host of restaurants and fast food joints bringing this old-school sandwich back. One of these spots is Daily Provisions, a small New York café chain serving retro eats in elegant surroundings.

Founded in 2017, Daily Provisions may look fancy, but its menu is peppered with old-school classics – think egg and cheese sandwiches, grilled cheese and tomato soup, and tuna melts. The diner introduced the patty melt as a dinner special in 2023, and it soon secured its place as a permanent item. Here, the team have given it a gourmet spin by using top-quality beef, a house-made spicy Thousand Island–style sauce, and griddled, seeded rye bread. Happily, it's still a very traditional affair, and it's won rave reviews from the likes of The New York Times.

Revelie Luncheonette is a wonderfully retro diner that opened in SoHo, New York City, in 2023. It’s the more relaxed sister restaurant of Raoul's (a Parisian-style bistro that dates back to the 1970s) and has a reputation for serving French café classics – onion tart, croque madame, and a classic jambon-beurre – as well as a stellar patty melt. Straightforward simplicity is the key to success here; golden caramelized onions, oozy American cheese, and a juicy patty are sandwiched between buttered slices of seeded sourdough rye.

Considering the French leanings of Revelie Luncheonette, you might be surprised to hear that the bustling all-day spot also serves up a sensational rendition of New Mexico’s signature fast food: the green chile cheeseburger. A true culinary treasure, the burger dates back to 1940s San Antonio and is traditionally packed with green chile, a beloved native pepper that's famous for its hot, zesty, and subtly sweet character. At Revelie, the burger is a bestseller and comes piled with shredded lettuce, tomato, Hatch chile, and American cheese.

The brainchild of chef Eve Aronoff, a former Top Chef contestant, Frita Batidos specializes in Cuban-influenced frita Cubana burgers. The welcoming joint opened in Ann Arbor in 2010, with a Detroit outpost following nine years later. It serves up all kinds of Cuban comfort food, from crispy plantain to traditional tropical milkshakes, but the signature burger is a runaway favorite, frequently coming out on top in rankings of Michigan’s best burgers.

The frita dates back to the 1930s and is traditionally made with seasoned ground beef and pork (sometimes mixed with chorizo), topped with crispy shoestring potatoes and served inside a Cuban-style roll. At Frita Batidos, diners can customize their burgers, filling them with everything from traditional chorizo and beef to fish or chicken. Toppings include Muenster cheese, fried egg, tropical slaw, and more. All burgers are served in a soft bun with shoestring fries on top.

Opened in January 2024, LA-based restaurant Chain is, confusingly, not a chain restaurant. Its name refers to the fast food chains, past and present, that inspired it. So far, Chain – which started as a pop-up before getting a permanent spot in LA’s Virgil Village – has collaborated with Sonic Drive-In, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut. Chain was founded by chef Tim Hollingsworth and actor B.J. Novak, star of NBC’s The Office, whose involvement in the venture has attracted the patronage of Hollywood stars including Mindy Kaling, Chrissy Teigen, and Andy Cohen.

The restaurant holds events a few times a month, and menu items have included riffs on Taco Bell’s Crunchwrap Supreme and Outback Steakhouse’s Bloomin’ Onion. For one venture, dubbed the ‘Comeback Combo,' the restaurant asked fans on social media which discontinued fast food items they'd like back. One of four items chosen was Taco Bell’s Bell Beefer, a cult-favorite burger from the 1970s. Diners also rave about the over-the-top aesthetic of the joint, which is decked out with old-school memorabilia and life-sized statues of retro mascots.

The mission statement at Split Lip, one of Denver’s hippest fast food spots, is to ‘tell an American story through food,’ taking inspiration from historic regional dishes such as New Jersey’s pork roll (pictured), Oklahoma’s fried onion burger, and Boston’s delightfully messy roast beef sandwich. The joint puts a gourmet twist on these local favorites with top-quality meats and inventive house-made sauces and pickles, while staying faithful to the original dish. One of its signature dishes is the slugburger, a unique burger rarely seen outside of Mississippi. 

According to Split Lip’s founders (a duo of longtime fine dining pros), the menu highlights ‘hyper-regional food alongside the stories, secrets, and legends these dishes hold.’ The Depression-era slugburger was invented in Mississippi and is traditionally bulked out with a cheap ‘extender,’ such as potato flour or soy grits, to get more patties per pound. The gourmet version at Split Lip is made with a mix of ground beef and panko breadcrumbs, topped with sweetcorn butter, American cheese, and pickles, and served in a fresh potato bun.

Launched by self-described burger expert George Motz, Hamburger America is the result of years of research into America's original fast food recipes and regional burger specialties. The spot opened in 2023 in New York City's SoHo neighborhood and has been causing a stir on the fast food scene ever since, with fans saying it’s unlike any other burger restaurant. Its USP is historically accurate burgers, with a menu that currently has just two permanent options: a traditional smashburger and Motz’s signature 100-year-old Oklahoma fried onion burger.

The diner-style joint (pictured) also offers a rotating monthly burger special, focusing on different regional specialties. These have included Wisconsin’s gloriously decadent butter burger and the olive burger. For a side, customers can order oversized shoestring fries. Motz is keen to recreate the early diners that first popularized burgers, so the small menu also includes old-school favorites such as tuna salad, PB&J sandwiches, a grilled cheese, slices of pie, and chocolate chip cookies.

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Last updated by Lottie Woodrow.