The perfect burger exists, and you can find it right here in Columbus.
I know that when it comes to food, perfection can be quite subjective. But I can make that comment safely because Columbus has so many incredible places to grab a burger, that I feel genuinely confident that everyone will fall in love with at least one burger on this list.
From hole-in-the-wall dive bars to high-end restaurants, most eateries in this city have their own take on the classic American hamburger. Luckily for us, there are some Columbus restaurants that are absolutely crushing it.
I’d just like to apologize in advance for the amount of mouthwatering yumminess that’s heading your way. That said, let’s dive right in!
Tavern Burgers
Johnnie’s Tavern
When someone first told me to check out Johnnie’s Tavern, I admit, I was skeptical. Could this little roadside joint really have one of the best burgers in the city?
Yes, they could and they did. Lunch at Johnnie’s is a no-frills experience, but trust me, you won’t need the frills.
Where: 3503 Trabue Rd, Columbus
Our visit: Johnnie’s Tavern Has Burgers The Size Of Your Head, And Yes, You Want Onion Rings With That
Thurman’s Cafe
If you ask any random person in Columbus where you should grab a burger, there’s a decent chance that they’ll suggest Thurman’s Cafe. And for good reason. Thurman’s is home to the famous Thurmanator, and it sits high on the list of Columbus restaurants known for a single menu item.
It’s an absolute beast of a burger, consisting of a “Bottom bun, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickle, banana peppers, 12 ounce burger, bacon, cheddar, another 12 ounce burger, sautéed onions & mushrooms, ham, mozzarella & American cheese, top bun served with fries and a pickle spear.”
Note: The Thurman Cafe has been closed since an electrical fire on April 12, 2026. The Suclescy family says it’ll reopen but hasn’t set a date, so check their site or Facebook before you make the trip.
Where: 183 Thurman Ave, Columbus
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O’Reilly’s
Dive bar vibes and a burger that basically has its own cult following? Sign me up! The Black Pepper Burger at O’Reilly’s is a half-pound burger encased in cracked black pepper. It’s bold and flavorful, and it pairs perfectly with a beer at the sunken bar. O’Reilly’s also made our list of under-the-radar restaurants in Columbus.
Where: 2822 N High St, Columbus
Ringside Cafe
The Ringside Café has been a part of downtown Columbus since 1897, so it’s not hard to understand how they’ve built a burger legacy. They’ve got a bunch of delightful burgers to choose from, but since we’re talking about the best, I’ve got to suggest the Buster Douglas.
Named after the iconic Columbus boxer, the burger is 1.5 pounds of Angus beef in two patties, layered with blue cheese roasted garlic aioli and bacon, then topped with sharp cheddar and cole slaw. It runs $32. Talk about a knockout. Dispatch readers crowned it central Ohio’s best burger in the paper’s 2026 bracket.
Where: 19 N Pearl St, Columbus
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Pat And Gracie’s
Dining at Pat and Gracie’s kind of feels like getting a big hug from someone you love. It’s comforting and delightful. The burgers at this restaurant are out-of-this-world, handpattied masterpieces.
It’s genuinely difficult to suggest one burger off the menu, but I think the Chimi Burger comes out on top. I mean, Monterey Jack cheese, avocado, caramelized onions, bacon, and housemade chimichurri? How do you say no to that?
Where: 138 Graceland Blvd, Columbus
More info
Our visit: Pat And Gracie’s: From Brothels To Burgers
Flavor 91 Bistro
Way back when we first launched Columbus Navigator, Flavor 91 was one of the first restaurants I reviewed. Let me just say, it set the bar very, very high. The burgers are flavorful, filling, and delicious. Plus, the burgers are made with all-natural, 100% grass-fed beef. I highly recommend the Perfect Patty. It’s your classic American cheeseburger, with a unique Ethiopian twist.
Where: 5186 East Main St, Whitehall
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Our visit: A Burger From This Whitehall Restaurant Will Change Your Life, Especially If You Get The Spicy Sauce
Stacked Burger Co.
Stacked sits in a Worthington Woods strip and builds tall burgers that still eat like burgers. The Stack starts with a third-pound patty, then caramelized onions, American cheese, house dill pickle, shredded romaine, ketchup, and garlic aioli on a brioche bun, fries included, for $13. The Beer Gut adds house chili and fried onion straws if you want the mess.
Where: 1089 Worthington Woods Blvd, Columbus (Worthington)
More info
Gahanna Grill
Gahanna Grill has been feeding Gahanna since 1939, and the Beanie Burger is a feature: a half-pound bacon cheeseburger with sautéed onions, lettuce, and tomato, topped with the homemade slaw that Beanie, the kitchen’s longtime chef, came up with. It’s $14.99, and two dollars more makes it a double.
Where: 82 Granville St, Gahanna
More info
Arch City Tavern
Arch City Tavern grinds a house blend of short rib, sirloin, chuck, and brisket for its burgers, which is more effort than most Short North bars put in. The Arch City Burger dresses it with peppered bacon, avocado, Muenster, grilled onion, cilantro, and chile aioli for $18, and Mondays bring a $10 burger special.
Where: 862 N High St, Columbus (Short North)
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The Rossi
The Rossi is a great spot for delicious cocktails, brunch, and of course, a burger. The Rossi Burger has changed since this list first ran: it’s now a Wagyu patty with white cheddar, pesto aioli, roasted red onion, and tomato, served with frites for $21.
Where: 895 N High St, Columbus
More info
Smash Burgers
Preston’s: A Burger Joint
Sometimes, hamburger cravings come in the form of needing a kind of greasy, extra yummy smash burger.
Preston’s has perfected this style of burger and I’m almost hesitant to tell you just how good it is because I’m slightly worried that you’ll become as obsessed with it as I am. But it’s just too delicious not to share.
Where: 2973 N High St, Columbus (Clintonville), plus a stall inside the Little Grand Market in Grandview
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Ritzy’s
Ritzy’s is what happens when a family refuses to let a good thing go. Graydon Webb opened the first G.D. Ritzy’s in 1980, and in 2018 his sons Corey and Brian brought the brand back to Clintonville, crispy-edged burgers, hand-dipped shakes, and all. These are old-school roadside burgers with thin patties and lacy edges, the style that existed decades before anyone said “smash burger.” Get the double and don’t you dare skip the milkshake.
Where: 4615 N High St, Columbus
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Smash Buddies
Smash Buddies started as a food truck in 2022 and moved into a Brewery District storefront in 2024, and the menu barely changed on the way in. The Original is a double with cheese and the house sauce, and soft griddled onions are the add-on to get. The Patty Melt puts the same beef on thick griddled Texas toast if you’d rather skip the bun.
Where: 460 S Front St, Columbus (Brewery District)
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Sexton’s Burger Bar
The Sexton’s Pizza owners opened this Gahanna burger bar in 2024 with former Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller, and it staked out a smash-burger lane from day one: Ohio Proud beef with crispy edges on a soft Martin’s potato roll. The Bar Burger swaps the mustard and mayo for a house sauce in the Big Mac family, which is the one to start with.
Where: 921 E Johnstown Rd, Gahanna
More info
Burger Royale
Burger Royale grew out of a food truck and now runs a Pulp Fiction-themed counter on High Street near campus. The Royale with Cheese is two smashed patties with American cheese, tomato, iceberg, and housemade thousand island on a butter-toasted brioche bun, and it costs $5. The Big Kahuna piles on grilled Spam, caramelized pineapple, jalapeños, and barbecue sauce for $10.
Where: 1758 N High St, Columbus (plus a counter inside Columbus Bowling Palace)
More info
Our visit: Burger Royale Brings Pulp Fiction Vibes To High Street
Brewery Burgers
Gemüt Biergarten
When dining at Gemüt Biergarten, I wouldn’t be shocked if your first instinct would be to order a schnitzel, pretzel, or bratwurst. But the sleeper move here is the burger.
The Gemüt Smash Burger comes with applewood smoked bacon, American cheese, dill pickles, and kraut smash sauce on a brioche bun for $16, and four dollars more makes it a double. My advice is no matter how particular you are, just order the burger the way it comes. The flavors are beautiful together and you won’t regret it.
Where: 734 Oak St, Columbus
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Goood Friends (at Jackie O’s on Fourth)
The kitchen inside Jackie O’s downtown taproom leads its menu with the Juicy Jackie, and it earns the billing: two smashed mushroom-blended patties, Cooper’s sharp American, griddled onions, dill pickle, Duke’s mayo, and their house Goood sauce on a semolina roll, $13.
Where: 171 N Fourth St, Columbus
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The Wildcard
Northstar Cafe
The Northstar Burger shouldn’t work. It’s beets, brown rice, and black beans pretending to be a burger, but it routinely beats much of the all-beef competition in local polls anyway. It’s regularly a finalist for the city’s best burger, actual meat included. Order one before you decide that can’t be true.
Where: 951 N High St, Columbus (plus four more around central Ohio)
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