Many people believe the naive notion that Madison's food scene strictly revolves around cheese. But Madison is also home to great places for meat lovers – especially burger fanatics. We've ranked the top 10 burgers in Madison to make your lives a bit easier while chowing down in Madison.
1. The Old Fashioned
The burger at the Old Fashioned is appropriately named "The Old Fashioned Burger" and perfectly epitomizes Wisconsin cuisine. The egg on top is pure perfection. With melt in your mouth garlic sauce as an extra addition to the egg, bacon, cheese, and onions, it is an obvious choice for number one on this list.
2. DLUX
At DLUX, people often find themselves in the middle of an epic inner battle of deciding between the Spicy Hawaiian Chicken Burger and the Sweet Apple Slaw burger. If you can't decide, go for the classic: the DLUX. This is a perfectly pressed patty served with fresh arugula, a tangy port wine-onion marmalade, and a rich blue cheese spread.
#SpoonTip: If you want to enhance the full DLUX experience, this burger pairs well with a side of parmesan truffle fries and a marshmallow milkshake.
3. Graze
As one of the most popular restaurants in Madison, Graze is a staple on the list of best burgers in town. If you're feeling "earthy" definitely branch out and try their Pub Burger with a beet and walnut patty. If you are fully prepared to indulge in a nice juicy burger, go for the Graze Burger.
4. Dotty's Dumpling's Dowry
Dotty's is an essential stop and a timeless classic in Madison (they really are timeless – their tagline is "grilling burgers since 1974"). You have a tough choice of choosing between a Dotty's Original or making your own burger. Don't forget the specialty sauces: Heart Throb, English Garlic, and Boomerang. Without them, your burger would be incomplete.
5. Nitty Gritty
Whether you're a Wisconsin native, student, or a visitor, you've heard at least one person talk about the Nitty. The Nitty has a quintessential college bar aesthetic and is home to the famous Gritty Burger. Most importantly, make sure to celebrate at least one Birthday here.
6. MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes
One word: OPTIONS. Mooya has more options than you could ever wish for. Five different cheeses, various roll options, a laundry list of condiments, the choice to switch it up with a turkey or black bean burger, or the Iceburger. Safe to say that your burger here will scream "you."
7. Mediterranean Cafe
You may be confused by the name, but Med Caf low-key has great burgers. The cheeseburger itself is juicy, but the best thing that brings it all together are their fries. The portion is huge for that food baby of yours to settle in. Also good news: it is "halal" or "kosher."
8. Blue Moon Bar & Grill
This burger slays for cheese-lovers. Half a pound of Knoche's ground beef topped with a fat serving of garlic blue cheese and of course, a raw onion. I don't know about you, but the mention of a nice hunk of garlic blue cheese makes my mouth water.
9. Tipsy Cow
Get ready for a massive hangover after this one. Not one, but TWO quarter pound patties, not one, but TWO cheeses, bacon, grilled onion, all slathered in the "tipsy" sauce.
10. The Madison Blind
The initial draw to this hotspot is the rooftop view. But.. it doesn't stop there. The Blind Burger: bacon jalapeño jam and smoked gouda with a side of duck fat fries will leave you with nothing short of a food coma. If you're gonna be hungry the next few days, you can even opt for the Quinoa Veggie Burger.
Now that your mouth is watering just by looking at these pictures, get out there and indulge. You won't regret it. Madison burgers will soon have a very, very special place in your heart (and stomach).