Indy's best burger? These 10 are worth the visit
Indy's best burger? These 10 are worth the visit
Bradley Hohulin, Indianapolis StarFri, May 8, 2026 at 9:29 AM UTC
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One could argue that American cuisine, if not all cuisine, peaked with the hamburger.
At least, that’s the thought that enters my mind when I chow down on a particularly excellent assembly of beef, bread and condiments. Recently I’ve eaten several quality burgers across Indianapolis, and these are the ones that stuck with me. Rather than merely outlining the “best” burgers, this list is meant to reflect a wide range of preferences, from simple smashes to towering beef behemoths.
With that disclaimer out of the way, here are 10 standout burgers worth trying in Indy, plus an herbivore-friendly honorable mention.
The 317 burger, 317 Burger
915 E. Westfield Blvd., (317) 251-1317, 317burger.com, $16 with fries
When I talk about this Broad Ripple gastropub’s eponymous burger, I start sounding like an NBA scout discussing an undersized but hard-working point guard who averaged about 12 points and 7 assists in college. The 317 burger is just so fundamentally sound, executing its role commendably without doing too much. An expertly grilled half-pound black Angus patty is cloaked in Swiss, American, Gouda and provolone cheese with crinkly strips of bacon crisscrossed on top, all situated snugly on a Brioche bun. Where lesser burgers might fall prey to shoddy construction or overly ambitious topping combinations, the 317 burger excels at just being a really good bacon cheeseburger.
Burgermeister, Big Lug Canteen
1435 E. 86th St., (317) 672-3503, biglugcanteen.com, $16 with side
The Burgermerister, an Angus patty with bleu cheese crumbles, mushroom aioli and bacon onion jam, is pictured at Big Lug Canteen, 1435 E. 86th St. on April 30, 2026.
The Burgermeister from Big Lug in Nora is pure concentrated funk, with blue cheese crumbles, fibrous mushroom aioli and bacon onion jam christening an Angus patty on a bisected bread knot. The sweet jam and cakey bun don’t quite balance out the pungency of the burger’s myriad fungus, all the better if you don’t mind the aftertaste that lingers for hours. This entry strikes me as one that a lot of people would find, frankly, pretty gross. Fortunately, I have yet to meet a burger I didn’t like.
Southern fiesta burger, Bull Grill
Inside The AMP at 1660 Waterway Blvd., theampindy.com/tenants/bull-grill, $14 a la carte
This refreshing changeup from the Bull Grill sports roasted sweet corn kernels with pepper jack cheese, mixed greens and bright avocado ranch. Meatiness takes a backseat to sweetness and smoke on, and I really respect Bull Grill’s decision to put corn on a burger, even if it makes absolutely zero sense from a structural standpoint.
Daisy Double, Daisy Bar
1101 Massachusetts Ave., (317) 390-4002, daisybarindy.com, $18 with side
The Double Daisy cheeseburger with Cooper's sharp American cheese, sautéed onions, pickles and house sauce from Daisy Bar at 1101 Massachusetts Ave. is pictured March 4, 2026.
In the category of "outstanding achievement in condiment selection," Daisy Bar’s double smash burger shines thanks to a creamy house sauce packed with spicy, smokey, vaguely Southwest flavors. Arranged between spongey potato buns, the hamburger sports a simple topping trio of Cooper's sharp American cheese, crisp dill pickles and sweet sautéed onions, proving that not every burger has to come from the triple-bypass genre of cuisine.
The Double Dan, Dan’s Original Hamburgers
2611 E. 46th St., (765) 365-4059, $10.50 a la carte
A Double Dan with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickle and mayo from Dan's Original Hamburgers at 2611 E. 46th St. is pictured April 24, 2026.
Once part of a large regional chain, Mr. Dan’s serves a classic burger with more than 70 years of history. Two griddled patties with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, raw white onion and mayo deliver distinctly nostalgic flavors aboard a wonderfully toasted sesame seed bun. Far from extravagant, the Double Dan demands you look within and ask yourself if you’re the sort of person who is too good for fast food served in a completely unmarked, slightly greasy paper bag. I was so relieved to learn that I am not.
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The Flamme burger, Flamme Burger
8487 Union Chapel Road, (317) 436-1929, flammeburger.net, $15 a la carte
This former multi-time Indy Burger Battle champ at Keystone at the Crossing changed ownership in late 2024, but Flamme Burger still grills a praiseworthy patty. The restaurant’s signature burger features lip-prickling roasted serrano peppers, applewood bacon, Gruyère and a faintly spiced house sauce atop a wood-fired blend of brisket, short rib and sirloin. It’s arguably the best single patty on this list. It’s also easily among the largest, so consider grabbing a few extra napkins to manage the sauce-related collateral damage.
Frita, Inferno Room
902 Virginia Ave., (317) 426-2343, theinfernoroom.com, $18 with fries
Cuban Frita on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, at The Inferno Room in Fountain Square.
Popularized by Cuban Americans in Miami during the mid-20th century, the frita is a commendable addition to the broader burger canon. Chef José Plasencia’s rendition features a beef-chorizo patty, American cheese, red onion, tangy house sauce and the frita’s defining feature, fried shoestring potatoes. The combination of juicy crumble-apart meat and crackly potatoes is excellent stuff, and the frita serves as a reminder that there are probably several beautiful burgers you’ve never heard of, just waiting for you out there.
Honorable mention: Beet burger, Petite Chou
823 E. Westfield Blvd., (317) 259-0765, petitechoubistro.com, $20 with “frites”
This high-end offering from Petite Chou in Broad Ripple is a meatless and very French take on the American classic. A beef and chickpea patty packs plenty of griddled flavor, with a hearty texture punctuated by bits of walnut. Gruyère and aioli introduce a healthy amount of funk, while caramelized onions and a scattering of peppery arugula emphasize the burger’s vegetal qualities. It’s certainly not your classic beef and American cheese combo, but if it’s roughly hockey puck-shaped and it comes on a bun, I’m fine calling it a burger.
Cheeseburger, Red Key Tavern
5170 N. College Ave., (317) 283-4601, redkeytavern.com, $7 (cash only)
The cheeseburger from Red Key Tavern at 5170 N. College Ave. is pictured April 23, 2026.
A warm spring evening in SoBro. A cold bottle of domestic beer. A simple cheeseburger, loose iceberg lettuce flapping in the breeze as the Red Line rattles by. All this can be yours on the patio of the Red Key Tavern for just $7 in cash. There’s nothing innovative about the historic bar’s cheeseburger, and that’s perfectly fine. With a thick, crumbly patty beneath a tall, crunchy pile of vegetation, it’s like the platonic ideal of the burger you grill on a camping trip, Styrofoam plate and all.
The Aristocrat, Smash’d Burger Bar
10 Johnson Ave., (317) 419-2894, smashdmidwestburgers.com, $12 a la carte (double)
The Aristocrat, a smash burger with Swiss cheese, mushrooms, sautéed onions and aioli from Smash'd Midwest Burgers at 10 Johnson Ave., is pictured April 17, 2026.
Smash burgers are already sort of an elaborate exercise in producing a delicious, savory mush, so this heap of two lacy-edged patties with earthy mushrooms and sweet onions from Smash’d Burger Bar in Irvington works surprisingly well. A slathering of aioli keeps everything glued together atop a springy Martin’s Famous potato roll that is just grease-absorbent enough to contain its cargo.
Double cheeseburger, Workingman’s Friend
234 N. Belmont Ave., (317) 636-2067, facebook.com/p/the-workingmans-friend, $8.25 a la carte (cash only)
A piled-high double cheeseburger is the go-to for many customers at the historic Workingman's Friend Tavern, 234 N. Belmont Ave. Dec. 16, 2025
There isn’t much left to write about Indianapolis’ most iconic burger. It’s really big, it’s really good and it costs $8.25, meaning you can still get fries and a birdbath-sized chalice of beer for less than $20. American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and raw onion are the standard accoutrements — plus a third middle bun, for reasons I choose not to question — but order it as you please. Just bring cash and a monstrous appetite and you’ll be fine.
Contact dining reporter Bradley Hohulin at bhohulin@indystar.com. You can follow him on Instagram @BradleyHohulin and stay up to date with Indy dining news by signing up for the Indylicious newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 10 burgers in Indianapolis you should try
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