COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS GUIDE Dec 18th-Dec 24th, 2025 phoenixnewtimes.com 21 BURGER BOWL These Valley burger joints are a great pickup for the game. BY TIRION BOAN, SARA CROCKER W hen you’re craving a burger, nothing else will satisfy. The meaty, cheesy, sauce- dripping-down-your- chin fun of smashing a burger, or a smash burger, can’t be beat. And the next time you find a burger calling your name, there are 10 Phoenix restaurants making them better than the rest. The Valley’s best burgers come in all shapes and sizes, from crispy thin smashed patties to burgers the shape of meatballs. Opt for traditional toppings or get a little wild. Whichever style you’re craving, these spots have you covered. Culinary Gangster 513 E. Roosevelt St.14891 N. Northsight Blvd., Scottsdale In a city flush with razor-thin smash burgers, Culinary Gangster makes its patties thick. The restaurant originally began as a food truck in Chicago in 2018. Since then, father and son Ricky and Rocco Raschillo have opened Culinary Gangster as an all-day restaurant in north Scottsdale and downtown’s Roosevelt Row. Those wide-mouth, half-pound burgers are a big draw. There are both classic and more adventurous burgers on the menu, from a savory mushroom-and-Swiss sando to a fiery version topped with jalapenos, fried onions and sweet chile and habanero sauces. We also love that diners can swap beef for turkey or vegan patties, making this casual restaurant a fit for more than red meat-eaters. Harvey’s Wineburger 4812 N. 16th St. If Bad Jimmy’s is where cool kids chow down on thin smash burgers, Harvey’s Wineburger takes a different approach altogether. At this uptown staple, a crowd of regular barflies digs in to almost impos- sibly thick patties. The burgers, which really are almost meatballs, are cooked with a splash of red wine, hence the name. This technique keeps them juicy and plump. Toppings include barbecue sauce, jalapenos, bacon and onion rings in the Rodeo, or blue cheese and hot sauce in the Buffalo Bleu. We’re partial to the Mushroom Burger, topped with grilled mushrooms, onions and Swiss cheese, and doused in a splash of Worcestershire sauce. Grab one of the few high-top tables or a seat at the bar in this dark, loud dive and eat enough beef to last a week. Main Burgers 161 W. Main St., Mesa Main Burgers is a downtown Mesa counter-service joint from the team behind neighboring Espiritu and Tacos Chiwas. Roberto Centeno, Armando Hernandez and Nadia Holguin have fused their Mexican heritage with an American dining staple, creating craveable burgers Harvey’s Wineburger is a dive with standout food. (Jackie Mercandetti Photo) Culinary Gangster is among the new restaurants on Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix. (Culinary Gangster) >> p 23
