Best Hamburgers Are at Philadelphia's Best Steakhouses
Every chef feels the need to serve hamburgers, and that’s because…people love hamburgers. No matter how high-toned the restaurant, people want the ground meat on the bun: it’s familiar, it’s delicious, and people know what they’re getting.
At Steakhouses, the choice of a hamburger is particularly well advised. A place that serves a lot of exceptional steak will be able to make their burgers with high-end trimmings from some of the best beef around. As hamburgers are usually one of the more economical dining choices, a hamburger will enable you to eat prime steak at high-value prices.
Here are six of Philadelphia’s best steakhouses. It’s no surprise that these are exactly the places to find some of Philadelphia’s finest burgers.
Eddie Merlot’s. Eddie Merlot’s Philadelphia lunch menu announces, “Prime Beef Burgers ground from our Filet Mignon, NY Strip, and Ribeye steaks.” Just what we want to hear! And these beautiful cuts are top shelf: prime, aged, and, if you want it, Wagyu. Eddie Merlot’s takes the humble burger a step further with a choice of premium cheeses like Gruyere or Gorgonzola. There’s a lot of wonderful steak at Eddie Merlot’s, and that magnificent meat finds its way into Eddie Merlot’s hamburgers.
Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse. If you stop by Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, and you crave beef but aren’t in the mood for one of their world-class steaks, consider the Prime Cheeseburger. Now, a humble burger may seem a little, um, déclassé in Del Frisco’s spectacular dining room, festooned with elegant draperies and centered around the signature three-story wine tower, but who cares? Not you. You want one of the best burgers in the city, you’ve come to the right place, and you don’t give a damn who knows about it.
The Prime Rib. Food and Wine magazine called The Prime Rib “One of the top five romantic restaurants” in the U.S. At this self-proclaimed “Civilized Steakhouse,” there is no hamburger per se. The Chopped Steak, however, is on the menu and it’s all natural Angus beef; think of it as a hamburger without a bun, so a bit more upscale for an elegant dining room…and hey, gluten-free.
The Palm. A skillful blend of short rib, chuck and brisket, the hamburgers on The Palm’s lunch menu get a section all their own, and they deserve it. There’s a lot of range here: a cheeseburger with Gouda or Danish blue; a “bunless” burger for the gluten-sensitive; and a bison burger with house-made steak sauce. As dictated by tradition, the hamburgers at The Palm come with French fries, but you can also get sweet potato fries or jicama straws. Nice.
Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse. The enduring popularity of the hamburger is dramatized at Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse where, amidst beautifully prepared antipasti, pasta and pizza, you’ll find the Steakhouse Burger. Dressed up in Vermont Cheddar, bacon and herb aioli (because…Italian), this exquisite chopped beef on a bun might be just the simple pleasure you want. If you feel you really need to get some of the more Italianate food –for which Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse is so well known – get a side of Tonino’s Spinach alla Romana to go with your steak.
Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse.. At Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse, you can enjoy the traditional cheeseburger with American cheese and “special sauce,” or you can be a little more adventurous. There’s a Dry Aged Cheeseburger, with just tomato, onion and lettuce, the better to let the full taste of the excellent beef shine through, or Bacon Gruyere Dry Aged Burger, a gob smack of full and delicious flavors. One of the hamburger’s most pleasing characteristics – and one cause for its immense popularity – is that it becomes a platform for all kinds of delicious flavors.
