The Crew’s 2011 Burgers of the Year
2011
We’ve eaten a lot of burgers this year.
A whole shit ton of burgers.
We’ve grubbed on all types from expensive-as-all-hell burgs to the cheap beef. We’ve dined on fancy-ass, aioli-topped creations one day and scarfed down paper-wrapped grease bombs the next.
We don’t discriminate. If it’s a burger, we’ll eat it.
And through our legion of ground beef adventures this year, we encountered some pretty spectacular burgers. Each member of the Crew was asked to look back at their diary of burger consumption and find the one special creation; that single combination of bread and meat that stood head-and-shoulders above all the rest.
So here they are, the Burger Days Crew’s Favorite Burgers of 2011. Read ‘em and drool.
1905 Burger
JFly says: My favorite burger of this year came down to two clear cut finalists: Stoney’s One Eye or 1905′s burger. Both blew me away and were packed with deliciousness but at the end of the day, the burger at 1905 took the crown. I have had some good burgers in my time but the combination of their beef, bun and red wine reduction sauce had me at hello. Not to mention that during Burger Days III, I took down not just one 1905 burger, but I also finished off the remaining half of Jody’s burger. Impressed I was.
Other Notable 2011 Burgs: Stoney’s One Eye
1905 | 1905 9th Street NW | DC | 1905dc.com | @1905Restaurant
Stoney’s Texas Burger
Shabazz (@yaysaps) says: The D.M.V is home to some serious burger goodness, yet with all of the new freshness we can’t forget about some of the of the old favorites. Stoney’s Lounge in Logan Circle has classic local tavern charm and serves up some flat-out amazing burgs. It’s a close call, but the Texas Burger from Stoney’s my pick as the best burger of the year. This burg simply hits all of the right notes and even though it’s massive, it will have you craving more. The beef is seasoned and cooked dead on, and the toppings…thick cut bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, creamy cole slaw, and a sweet & tangy BBQ sauce…meld together to form sloppy perfection. Man, I want one in my tummy…NOW!
Other Notable 2011 Burgs: BTS Six Buck Chuck, Shake Shack ShackBurger
Stoney’s |Â 1433 P Street NW | DC | stoneysdc.com |Â @stoneysdc
BGR’s Red, White & Blue Burger
Adam (@addc) says: BGR’s July Burger of the Month, the patriotic Red, White and Blue Burger was my favorite of the year. Sure it might be a little pricey, but it was damn good. Perfect combo with a juicy tomato, decently fresh bacon, ranch and blue cheese– it was all on point. None of that pussy green stuff either. I would eat the shit out of that immediately. Maybe two.
BGR The Burger Joint | 8 Locations in D.C., Maryland and Virginia |bgrtheburgerjoint.com | @bgrburgerjoint
Other Notable 2011 Burgs: Black Squirrel Burger
BTS’ Apache Sweat Lodge
Murph says: If you know me, you know I like the spice … so my favorite burger of the year is one that is gonna make me sweat like Tim Tebow getting caught with a fistful of singles at Camelot. It was a challenge choosing between one of my old favorites and a new burger joint’s flame thrower. I have long been a fan of the New Jack Zing at Ray’s Hell Burger … but this year my favorite burger is the Apache Sweat Lodge at Burger Tap and Shake. I was in serious need of a Dale’s Pale Ale refill after a few bites. Its combination of the fire roasted green chilies, pepperjack, smoked onions, XXX Sauce, and my favorite bun in the area, made it the clear-cut winner.
Other Notable 2011 Burgs: Ray’s Hell Burger’s New Jack Zing, brgr:shack’s {fire:me:up}
Burger Tap & Shake |2200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW | DC | burgertapshake.com | @BurgerTapShake
Black Squirrel’s Burger
Wipps (@wipps) says: We all love burgers, but sometimes it’s not the burger that sticks with you after the meal is done, but the toppings that accompany the juicy beef goddess. My favorite burger of 2011 was at The Black Squirrel because of the gooey, seemingly never-ending glob of Chimay cheese that topped the perfectly cooked medium-rare burger. With every bite I got a mouthful of soft, scrumptious cheese and that paired with the crunchy applewood smoked bacon made for an excellent final product.
The Black Squirrel |2427 18th Street NW | DC | blacksquirreldc.com | @ThBlackSquirrel
Other Notable 2011 Burgs: Palena Cheeseburger, Stoney’s One Eye, brgr:shack Burger Days
Shake Shack’s Double ShackBurger
Jody (@burgerdays) says: I never would’ve thought my favorite burger would come from one of D.C.’s most-hyped arrivals of the year. I mean, come on, I run a blog about burgers– I should be touting some greasy spoon, neighborhood dive that no one knows about. No way my top burger comes from a spot that makes cameos in Hollywood movies. That ain’t hip. That’s not underground. If it’s mainstream, it’s gotta be shit, right? Wrong. When I had my first taste of Shake Shack, it was love at first greasy bite. There’s no other D.C. burger that makes me crave it as much as a ShackBurger does. The beef. The bun. The cheese. The grease. It’s just so damn good. But don’t go thinking I’m turning up my nose at the rest of these burgs– every other one on this list is worthy. It’s just that the Shack trumps ‘em all.
Other Notable 2011 Burgs: Open City Burger, Palena Cheeseburger, BGR’s The Cue
Shake Shack | 1216 18th St. NW | DC | shakeshack.com | @shakeshackfans
(Apache Sweat Lodge photo courtesy BTS; All other photos by Burgerdays.com)
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My latest conversation: Burgers of the Year 2011
Looks like an ideal 6 stop Burger Days V
Wipps I could definitely see an annual year-end Burger of the Year Burger Day.
Conversation from Twitter
BDR45 frijolita 1905Restaurant They also have a lamb sandwich that is one of the best bites I've had all year.
frijolita Thanks!!! So much Twitter support from the both of us today!
burgerdays HOLY CRAP!!! We had no idea we were anywhere near that high on your list! Thanks so much for including us!
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[...] Just like in 2011, we asked each member of the Burger Days Crew for their favorite beef-and-bun experience from the past year. Now keep in mind, we’re not calling this one of those ubiquitous “Best Of D.C.” lists that you’ll find at every other online site. No, these selections –our Burgers of the Year– aren’t necessarily the Best of D.C., but each one was our favorite burger that we ate during the last 12 months. And knowing our resume and how many burgers we throw into our face on the regular, you better damn well believe that counts for something. [...]