The best burger restaurants in DC.

The Proper Burger on 17th Street

The burger anchors a menu that also runs a banh mi, a combination that marks this room as one built for a table that cannot agree on a cuisine. Fries come standard. It works as a group spot in Washington where nobody wants the same order, and the bar setup keeps turnover quick on the nights a match is playing.

The burger and the pizza share a counter, and the fast turnaround makes this a lunch stop rather than a destination meal. Reviewers point to fresh ingredients and a free coke or two as the kind of extra that keeps a neighborhood spot in rotation. It is a locally and veteran owned operation in Washington, priced for a quick weekday bite, not a night out.

The burger and milkshake pairing draws a line out the door in Georgetown, though the record on the burger itself is mixed; well done and dry comes up more than once. The location does the heavy lifting here. It is counter service built for volume, which means consistency can slip on the busiest nights even as the crowd keeps coming.

Detroit-Style Squares in Navy Yard

Sicilian, Neapolitan, and Detroit style pizza all run on the same menu at this Navy Yard room, and the record shows steady execution across repeat visits, which is not a small thing for a multi-location operation. Reservations move on Saturdays. It draws people who already know the brand from other cities and want the same result in Washington.

The burger and appetizer combo is the move here, though service slows once a Saturday crowd fills the small tables and the gap between courses can stretch. The room sits in Georgetown and pulls in walk-ins off the street rather than reservation traffic. Staff get credit for warmth even when the pace lags, which keeps the room likable despite the wait.

Pancakes are the reason to show up, thick and cooked well by most accounts, and the price stays low for a sit-down breakfast in Washington. The bacon and eggs platter draws split opinions; some call it basic, others say the potatoes need seasoning. Counter service keeps it quick before work, though the room itself reads as worn and coffee can run lukewarm.