Three Charlotte Burgers Make National List

CHARLOTTE, NC -- North Carolina is home to five of the nation’s top burgers, according to one food critic. Thrillist’s national burger critic Kevin Alexander spent a year compiling a list of the top 100 burgers in America after he traveled to 30 cities and ate 330 burgers.

“Burgers are the most democratic of foods,” Alexander said. “The best burger in any one city might be in the dankest of dive bars, or in the fanciest of restaurants. Finding the ones that matter takes you all through a city (and outside it) and helps you understand a city's geography, its class structure, its views on race.”

According to Alexander’s list, which came out May 23, the top burgers in North Carolina can be found in Charlotte and Asheville.

“Go to any of the places below and you'll eat a damn good burger. Go to any of the top 10 and you'll eat a genuinely transcendent one,” he added.

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Here are the North Carolina burgers making 100 Best Burgers In America List, according to Thrillist:

# 8 -- Brooks’ Sandwich House’s “Burger With Cheese ‘All The Way’”, Charlotte, N.C. -- Alexander writes: "Have you been to Brooks' Sandwich House, friends? Have you pulled up to a dusty red shack behind an overpass across from trendy developments on a patch of dirt and shrouded by trees, and looked at this little house with black bars on the windows and wondered just what sort of culinary witchcraft was happening inside? Did you see 20 people of every stripe -- hipsters and office workers and auto mechanics still in their jumpsuits -- all standing outside, patiently waiting for a specific number? Did you go inside and order the burger with cheese 'all the way' and realize belatedly that this meant something different than you'd originally thought?

"When you finally heard your number called, did you let out a cry of glee and retreat to the standing tables outside? Did you make weird audible groans of ecstasy as you bit into a burger with some of the best char you've ever seen mixed with the rich meaty flavor of a thick, subtly smoky chili, the crisp tang of diced white onions, and the acid from yellow mustard? Did you raise your hands in victory after you finished the burger and proclaim to yourself in your rental car that this was definitely the best burger in Carolina, and maybe one of the best in country?

"Well then, it seems we shared similar experiences at Brooks'."

#30 -- Tastee Diner’s “Double Burger With American,” Asheville, N.C. -- Alexander writes: “It is a diner burger plain and simple, and yet it is perfectly executed. The basic bun is fresh, well buttered, grilled, and warm. The onions were perfectly griddled. The Meyer Natural Angus beef was cooked well and salty with a relaxed grind that didn't snap like many pre-formed diner burgers. The bottom bun has a layer of mayo, then lettuce, and tomato before the patty, which builds a layer of protection from the burger's juices. It is, in my opinion, the best burger in Asheville. And that's before I even talk about the Tastee Fries with queso, chili, and jalapeños."

#32 -- Zack’s Hamburgers’ “Zack’s Special,” Charlotte, N.C. -- Alexander writes: “People in Charlotte know this place is the truth: I waited in a line that wrapped around the restaurant at just after 11am on a weekday. And yet, maybe 10 minutes after ordering, I got one of the best "Big Mac"-esque diner burgers I've had all year.”

#80 -- Bang Bang Burger’s “The Bang Bang Burger, Single,” Charlotte, N.C. -- Alexander writes: “I didn't want to like this one, because it seemed like the burger version of a carpetbagger, what with a NYC-favorite LaFrieda custom blend. But (spoiler alert), I really ended up liking this one.

#82 -- Rankin Vault Cocktail Lounge’s “The Vault Burger”, Asheville, N.C. -- Alexander writes: “If you're a fan of Cheddar, spicy mayo, peppery arugula, and Hickory Nut Gap ground beef seared perfectly, you should head to Carolina's mountainous land of men with beards discussing craft beer and eat this burger.”

You can read the entire “100 Best Burgers in America” list here.

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