Every year, CityBeat publishes the Best Of Cincinnati®, wherein readers and staffers alike pick which bars are the booziest, which people are the coolest and which shops are your best bet for dropping a pretty penny. When you’re craving a juicy, delicious burger (or veggie burger for our vegetarian and vegan friends), there are so many places in Cincinnati where you can’t go wrong. From eateries with monster burgers that were featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives to handcrafted veggie masterpieces that beat out Impossible Burgers, here are our readers’ favorite (non-chain) stops for this all-American classic.

No. 10 Best Overall (Non-Chain) Burger: Delwood 3204 Linwood Ave., Mt. Lookout Photo: Brittany Thornton
Photo: Maija Zummo Photo: Maija Zummo
No. 8 Best Best Overall (Non-Chain) Burger: W Bar + Bistro 3447 Epworth Ave., Westwood Photo: facebook.com/wbarbistro
Overall Burger (Non-Chain)2. Photo:
No. 7 Best Best Overall (Non-Chain) Burger (TIE): Sammy’s Craft Burgers and Beers 4767 Creek Road, Blue Ash Photo: Hailey Bollinger
No. 8 Overall Burger: Bard’s Burgers & Chili 3620 Decoursey Ave., Latonia So, you like burgers but do you really love burgers? Located in a former chili parlor in Latonia, Bard’s specializes in both burgers and Cincinnati-style chili (hence the name). Burgers are made with fresh, never-frozen ground chuck, infused with spices, seared on a flattop and served on a toasted bun. Their Chili Cheese Burger is made with their own Cincinnati-style chili and topped with American cheese, lettuce, pickle and mayo; the Purist strips it down to just beef and the bun; and the Donut Burger comes topped with American cheese, lettuce, pickle and mayo on a donut bun from neighboring Moonrise Doughnuts (add bacon and make it a 5.0 Burger). But if you want to go big, like really big — and we’re not just talking deep-fried Twinkie big (also on the menu) — Bard’s offers the Bardzilla Challenge. For this food feat, diners must eat an 11-patty Bardzilla burger (each topped with cheese and weighing in at one-third of a pound), plus two pounds of fries in 60 minutes or less. Also voted one of the Top 3 Best Neighborhood Burger Spots (NKY). Bardzilla Challenge | Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
No. 5 Best Best Overall (Non-Chain) Burger: Quatman Cafe 2434 Quatman Ave., Norwood Photo: Savana Willhoite
No. 4 Best Best Overall (Non-Chain) Burger: Turf Club 4618 Eastern Ave., Linwood Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Nation Kitchen & Bar 1200 Broadway St., Pendleton; 3435 Epworth Ave., Westwood; 203 Mill St., Milford. Queen City Burger: Two beef patties, Cincy-style chili, diced onions, mustard and shredded cheddar on a Sixteen Bricks Artisan Bakehouse Challah Bun. Photo: Provided by Nation Kitchen & Bar
Best Neighborhood Burger Spot (Central) Winner: Tickle Pickle Runners-up: Quatman Cafe, Nine Giant Photo: Mary LeBus
No. 1 Overall Best Burger (Non-Chain): Zip’s Cafe 1036 Delta Ave., Mt. Lookout Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Veggie Burger: 8. (TIE) Maplewood Kitchen & Bar 5065 Deerfield Blvd., Mason; 525 Race St., Downtown Maplewood serves up dishes and ingredients that would be right at home on the West Coast: cold-pressed juices, superfood salads, egg-white omelets and somewhat nutritious cocktails. Helmed by Thunderdome, the same team behind the No. 4 veggie burger at Krueger’s, the Maplewood veggie burger offers a different, non-fried take on a meatless sandwich. A housemade black-bean patty is topped with Havarti cheese, avocado, lemon- caper Dijonnaise and mixed greens on a Sixteen Bricks sesame bun. Note: Maplewood is keeping the doors closed at its downtown location for the time being, but has reopened its Deerfield Township restaurant for dine-in and carry-out. Photo via Facebook.com/MaplewoodKitchen Photo: facebook.com/MaplewoodKitchen
No. 9 Best Veggie Burger: W Bar + Bistro 3447 Epworth Ave., Westwood Photo: facebook.com/wbarbistro
No. 6 Best Veggie Burger: Taste of Belgium Multiple locations including 1135 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine Photo: Hailey Bollinger
No. 7 Best Veggie Burger: Goose & Elder 1800 Race St., Over-the-Rhine Photo: Hailey Bollinger
No. 5 Outdoor/Patio Dining: Dead Low Brewing 5959 Kellogg Ave., California Photo: facebook.com/DeadLowBrewing
No. 5 Best Veggie Burger: Arthur’s 3516 Edwards Road, Hyde Park; 8221 Beechmont Ave. Anderson Township Photo: Mary LeBus
1. Nation Kitchen & Bar 1200 Broadway St., Pendleton Photo via Facebook.com/nationkitchenandbar Photo: Facebook.com/nationkitchenandbar
No. 3 Best Veggie Burger: Nine Giant 6095 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge Photo: facebook.com/ninegiant
Veggie Burger 1. Krueger’s Tavern, kruegerstavern.com 2. Tickle Pickle, ordertickle.com 3. S.W. Clyborne Co., clybornes.com 4. Arthur’s, arthurscincinnati.com 5. Sleepy Bee Café, sleepybeecafe.com 6. Flipdaddy’s Burgers & Beers, flipdaddys.com 7. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar, maplewoodkitchenandbar.com 8. Arnold’s Bar & Grill, arnoldsbarandgrill.com 9. Harvest Pizzeria, harvestpizzeria.com 10. Bones’ Burgers, bones-burgers.com Photo: Hailey Bollinger Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Tickle Pickle: Buns N’ Roses 4176 Hamilton Ave., Northside *Not pictured* Our house-made vegan black bean burger with spicy ketchup, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. Photo: Provided for Cincinnati Burger Week