Check Out 7 of the Best Places for Burgers in the Albany Area
There is certainly no shortage of burger joints in the Albany area with BurgerFi, Burger 21, and other burger chains in nearby communities. But don't miss out on the plethora of local restaurants that serve up succulent, burgerlicious options!
Prime Burger and Shakehouse at River Street Market
At River Street Market in Troy, you'll find Prime Burger and Shakehouse. It's right there in their namesake: you can expect some prime burgers from this spot. Every step in the process can be customized, from the bun type, choice of prime beef, dry aged angus beef, fried chicken, or vegan "meat," toppings, and sauces.
They also have a few delectable house burgers you could try, such as the Bistro Burger, which has lettuce, tomato, swiss cheese, mushrooms, bacon jam, and horseradish black truffle aioli, and the Gangnam Style Burger, which has lettuce, tomato, gochujang ketchup, ssamjang mayo, pickles, and kimchi.
Garden Bistro 24
All of the burger meat used at Garden Bistro 24 is from Herondale Farm in Ancramdale, just about an hour away, and it's all 100% grass-fed organic beef. Pictured above is the GB 24 Classic Burger with local goat cheese, caramelized onions, baby spinach, tomato, roasted garlic, and rosemary aioli.
You could also try the Parisian, with applewood smoked bacon, caramelized onions, brie cheese, truffle Dijon aioli, and crispy potatoes. Vegetarians might want to try the Quinoa, with sauteed kale, house-cured pickles, avocado relish, and aged cheddar cheese.
Tipsy Moose Tavern
The Tipsy Moose Tavern has been doing quite well since they opened in June of 2016 where the Lager House used to be in Latham. Along with an extensive selection of beers and great pub food, they offer up fantastic burgers all made with classic Angus beef.
Pictured above is the Bullwinkle Burger, served up with smoked bacon, aged cheddar cheese, and house made honey barbecue sauce. The detail of the moose on the bun just brings this burger up another notch. The Tipsy Moose Tavern has additional locations in Albany and Troy.
The Ruck
Pictured above from The Ruck in Troy is The Roxanne: an 8 oz. hand-pressed patty consisting of short-rib, chuck, and sirloin, then topped with smoked gouda, spring greens, and a garlic red pepper aioli.
They also offer a True American Burger with American cheese, Spidah sauce, lettuce, tomato, pickle chips, and crispy onion. The Ruck has been widely recognized as a prime craft beer bar in the area - choose from a wide selection of foreign and domestic craft beers to pair with your burger. At The Ruck, you can enjoy the best of both worlds with an incredible burger and excellently brewed beer.
Wizard Burger
Fear not, vegan friends: this list is for you, too! Wizard Burger serves up some truly magical "burgers," such as the Mumbo Jumbo, which features an Impossible Patty, house chili, American Cheese, onion rings, tots, and jalapeno garlic crema. The best part? The entire restaurant is vegan.
Even if you're a meat-eater, Wizard Burger is still worth checking out: their food is fantastic and their canned cocktails are great.
City Line Bar & Grill
You'll find classic pub fare merged with international dishes on the menu at City Line Bar & Grill in Albany, which prides itself on being an upscale bar and grill. Munch on a CL Classic Burger, a signature burger at City Line with lettuce, tomato, red onion, choice of cheese, pickle, brioche, and house fries. If you don't eat beef burgers, don't sweat it! City Line has vegan and vegetarian options available, including the Quinoa Burger with a quinoa vegetable patty or the Beyond Burger with a plant-based patty.
Herbie's Burgers
According to their story, nobody knows who Herbie truly is - except the fact that he makes one mean burger! The company itself uses local or organic ingredients whenever it is possible. Their searing process for burgers is brought down to a scientific level, allowing a masterpiece of culinary expertise.
The options at Herbie's are a reminder of the classic days of a burger joint. There are single, double stack, and quadruple stacked burgers, some with onion rings or whatever else you can think of. If traditional burgers aren't your thing, there are vegan options as well. If you want a reminder of the golden days with burger joints, Herbie's is the place for you in the Albany area.