Hamburgers are one of the easiest, quickest foods to consume while we’re on the go. No matter what time it is, burgers are popular for lunch, dinner … even breakfast!
What makes a hamburger delicious? The chemical reaction in our brain when salt, fat and sugar come together is irresistible. Crunch, soft, salty and sweet: these contrasts play on flavors and textures, keeping us coming back for more.
Many restaurants are known for their own unique twists on preparing the hamburger. Preparation differs from restaurant to restaurant, but most elements tend to stay the same. The utility of being cradled in an edible wrapper has allowed the hamburger to rise to the top of the fast-food chain.
Ground beef, sliced cheese, onion, lettuce, and condiments are just the beginning of the array of toppings we like to top them with. I occasionally like to eat a nice juicy burger that looks as good as it tastes. (Let’s be honest, the better it looks, the better it tastes.)
Nowadays, it’s all about over-the-top stunt burgers made solely for social-media hype. Topped with pork belly, eggs, gold leaf, or wrapped in glazed doughnuts — the sky’s the limit for attention-seeking restaurateurs.
Most of us are happy with the more common preparations: a few slices of bacon, a slice of American cheese. And don’t forget fries and a beverage to round out your quick meal of ground beef and carbs.
Who’s making the best versions of these mobile hand-held ground rounds?
Buns Burgers
Buns Burgers was recently voted Best Burger in Ulster County in a poll of 4900 members of the Ulster Eateries Unfilitered Facebook group. It’s easy to see why. Buns local grass-fed beef patties topped with house-made sauce are enough to make your lips quiver.
With Buns locations in Kingston, Saugerties and Rhinebeck, your taste buds are covered on all sides.
The Anchor
The Anchor in Kingston, always the go-to for the most unique burgers in Ulster, won the best burger in the Hudson Valley from the readers of Chronogram. Local grass-fed beef forms a formidable base, and the array of toppings from peanut butter to potato chips will have your head spinning.
The Anchor is always a culinary journey. Recently, it went through a rebrand, and now focuses on its gourmet and unique doughnut flavors and bagels. While its burger menu may have shrunk, the weekly specials are worth coming back to.
Millhouse Brewing Company
Millhouse Brewing Company in Poughkeepsie has been pumping out micro-brewed libations with top-notch nosh to go with for years. Previous winner of Best Burger in the Hudson Valley by Hudson Valley Magazine and current Winner of Best Bar Food, Millhouse has been impressing local foodies with its upscale take on small plates with a gastropub flare.
Whether charcuterie boards or buffalo brussel sprouts are your thing, Millhouse Brewing has you covered in the beef department. Its “porky” burger comes topped with pulled pork, jalapeño mayo, and house made beer-infused barbecue sauce.
Moonburger
For the vegetarians who still love to sink their teeth into something meaty, Moonburger has heard your cries. The Hudson Valley’s newest impossible-patty-only fast-food burger spot is located right off Thruway Exit 19.
Moonburger has a fast-food concept with drive-thru only (no indoor seating). Offering dairy-free milkshakes, meat-free patties, hand-cut fries, and gluten-free buns Moonburger can meet all your dietary needs.
Looking for more of the best local food? Join the Ulster Eateries Unfiltered Facebook group and vote in our next poll. You may see your favorite restaurant on these pages.
Jason Bover runs the Ulster Eateries Unfilitered group on Facebook for thousands of local foodies, and works with local restaurants to attract more customers.
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