13 JULY 2-8, 2026 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | Steuben’s 523 E. 17th Ave. Type: Patty Cost: $15 This Uptown staple has been a favorite for its happy-hour burger deal and its late-night in- dustry specials for twenty years. The standard burger is fi ne, the green chile cheeseburger is sublime, and there’s a Crunch Burger smash option that’s unique in that both the patty and bun are smashed and griddled inside and out. The lobster roll may get the stares, but the burger is the dependable mainstay. FAST-FOOD BURGERS Who needs the national chains? Crown Burgers 2192 S. Colorado Blvd. Type: Patty Price: $9.85 / $12.37 double Denver’s Crown Burgers was founded in 1987 by George Brokalakis. While it car- ries the same name and (largely) menu as a Salt Lake City chain, it operates very much independently and has carved out a unique niche in the city. The standard burgers are griddled with a nice charred crust that al- lows you to taste the beef, then topped with melted cheese. The pro-tip upgrade here is the unique addition of pastrami as a topping in the Royal Burger option, or get your burger smothered with green or red chile. Snarfburger 1001 E. 11th Ave. 2535 Federal Blvd. Type: Patty Price: $7.25 / $10.25 double Among the Denver-based fast-food chain options, Snarfburger (which originated in Boulder) is a solid and dependable choice, slinging a juicy charburger at a reasonable price without a lot of distractions. Sure, you can load it up with onion rings or Hatch chiles, but the basic Snarfburger is fi ne on its own without the added upgrades (but don’t sleep on the signature house hot sauce. The Federal Boulevard location boasts the retro, saddle-style stools from the original shack in Boulder, lined up against a narrow “bar” for eating outside. Blazing Bird Multiple locations Type: Smash Price: $5.99 single / $7.99 double Right? This surprised us, too. This Denver- based chain specializes in Nashville hot chicken, but it also has a praiseworthy burger. It’s a version of an Oklahoma fried onion burger, where the patty is smashed over a layer of thinly sliced onions on a fl attop, allowing the onions to caramelize within the beef fat. Because it’s a hot chicken place, jalapeno peppers bring a degree of heat (it’s a hot chicken place, after all), but you can omit them on request. Optional toppings include a fried egg, macaroni and cheese (yes, as a topping), and a fried chicken tender (because… of course). FANCY RESTAURANTS THAT SHOULD BE ABOVE SERVING BURGERS BUT DO SO, ANYWAY It’s hard to eat a burger at these restaurants and not feel a little silly. Ludo Lefebvre’s Chez Maggy inside the Thompson Hotel goes full-Frenchy with its Burger Á la Française, smothered with pepper gravy, pickled mustard seed and beer-braised onions to the point where you need a knife and fork to eat it. Brasserie Brixton gets in on that action as well with a double patty dripping with a signature sauce and Gruyère cheese. And adding its own spin on the bourgeois burger fun is Bistro Vendome, which throws down a patty made from a blend of prime rib and bacon, topped with American cheese and a secret sauce, with a skewer of pickled onion and cornichon pierced through the bun. A few other options worth noting are the Ni- man Ranch burger at Jax Fishhouse and Oyster Bar (which it kind of has to offer for the non- fi shy folk), Ultreia’s Jamonburguesa (featuring a Portuguese Thousand Island dressing, and the Bindery’s brunch burger options. Email the author at [email protected]. Crown Burgers is a Denver fast-food favorite. ANTONY BRUNO Call Elaine Lustig, PhD .......................................................... at 303-369-7770 Needing Your Emotional ....... Animal W/ You? For eligible people who need their emotional support animal to accompany them at/or away from home, I am available to provide the documentation and counseling. CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED CLICK it! ®
