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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 the Food Networkto handcrafted veggie masterpieces that beat out Impossible Burgers, here are our readers’ favorite (non-chain) stops for this all-American classic.
Editor’s Note: The No. 4 best veggie burger was voted as Goose & Elder’s, which has since closed since this list was published. The following list has been updated to reflect that.
No. 10 Best Overall Burger: The Faded Cow Food Truck
Must Try: Rodeo Burger: Comes with fried onion, coleslaw, white cheddar and house BBQ sauce. Photo: facebook.com/The Faded Cow Food TruckA build-your-own burger from Turf Club. Photo: Hailey BollingerNo. 8 Best Overall Burger: Milkman
1106 Race St., Over-the-Rhine
Must Try: Cali Burger: Smashed burger with Swiss cheese, shredded lettuce, tomato, red onion, an avocado-cucumber spread and bacon. Photo: facebook.com/Milkman OTRNo. 7 Best Best Overall (Non-Chain) Burger (TIE): Sammy’s Craft Burgers and Beers
4767 Creek Road, Blue Ash Photo: Hailey BollingerNo. 7 Best Best Overall (Non-Chain) Burger (TIE): Arthur’s
3516 Edwards Road, Hyde Park; 8221 Beechmont Ave. Anderson Township Photo:No. 3 Best Best Overall (Non-Chain) Burger: Nation Kitchen & Bar
1200 Broadway St., Pendleton; 3435 Epworth Ave., Westwood; 203 Mill St., Milford Photo: Provided by Nation Kitchen & BarQuatman Cafe
2434 Quatman Ave., Norwood; 224 West Main St., Mason
Since 1966, Quatman has provided Cincinnatians with cheap burgers, soup and “the coldest beer in town.” There are canned beers as well as a draft selection and rotating seasonal brews. They’ve also got daily specials where you can get a main dish plus fries and a drink for $10. Photo: facebook.com/Quatman-CafeNo. 6 Best Best Overall (Non-Chain) Burger: Bard’s Burgers & Chili
3620 Decoursey Ave., Covington Photo: Hailey BollingerNo. 1 Best Veggie Burger: Tickle Pickle
4176 Hamilton Ave., Northside Photo: Hailey BollingerBest Neighborhood Burger Spot (East Side)
Winner: Zip’s Café
Runners-up: Arthur’s, The Turf Club Photo: Hailey BollingerVeggie 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 Kruegers, 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/MaplewoodKitchenNo. 9 Best Veggie Burger: W Bar + Bistro
3447 Epworth Ave., Westwood Photo: facebook.com/wbarbistroInside Arthur’s Hyde Park Photo: Mary LeBusNo. 5 Outdoor/Patio Dining: Dead Low Brewing
5959 Kellogg Ave., California Photo: facebook.com/DeadLowBrewingNo. 6 Best Veggie Burger: Taste of Belgium
Multiple locations including 1135 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine Photo: Hailey BollingerNo. 10 Best Brunch: Nation Kitchen & Bar
175 Joe Nuxhall Way, The Banks; 3435 Epworth Ave., Westwood & 203 Mill St., Milford Photo: Hailey BollingerNo. 10 Northern Kentucky Restaurant: Coppin’s Restaurant & Bar
368 Madison Ave., Covington Photo: Hailey BolligerNo. 3 Best Veggie Burger: Nine Giant
6095 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge
The Burger: The Vegan Black Bean Burger: A house-made black bean patty topped with salsa rustique, chimichurri and cashew “queso”, served on toasted ciabatta. Photo: facebook.com/ninegiantNo. 2 Best Veggie Burger: Krueger’s Tavern
1313 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine
The Burger: Veggie Burger: Featuring a house-made veggie patty with provolone, pesto mayo, mixed greens and pickle, all topped on a brioche bun. Photo: Hailey BollingerNo. 1 Best Veggie Burger: Tickle Pickle
4176 Hamilton Ave., Northside Photo: Provided for Cincinnati Burger Week