At this restaurant/bar/bakery on Caroline, the pizzas steal the spotlight. But the wood grilled, classic-style, house-ground burger on a sesame bun is most definitely worthy of your attention. Paper thin pickles, a griddled slightly sweet bun, crisp bibb lettuce, thinly sliced onions and mild melted cheese make for a seamless bite — with house potato chips, to boot.

At Fielding's, a burger isn't really a burger, it's an art form. More importantly, the kitchen pulls off its artistic riffs without a hitch. You'll polish off every last drop of habanero ketchup, sriracha hummus, or whatever your particular burger case may be.

At this brand new fancy-ish counter-service burger joint, the strongest order on the menu is The Imperial, a burger steak piled high with sweat threads of brisket, feathery onion rings, fried pickles, roasted poblano peppers, baked hunks of mac and cheese, and bacon jam. The flavor combination — and the sheer heft of this bad boy — will leave you speechless. Thank goodness there are cocktails to chase it down.

Erin Smith takes the burger at her J.W. Marriott restaurant seriously. Her burger upgrades — things like a pickled green tomato, avocado aioli and smoked gouda cheese — are subtle. But the overall effect is a knockout.

You wouldn't expect the hippest new coffee house-slash-bistro in town to be a burger destination. But amongst the macaron nibblers and coffee sippers, you'll find token burger fiends here and there — all of them grinning with pleasure as meaty juices dribble down their chins. Seared chuck, fluffy brioche, caramelized onion, tart jam and oozy Gruyère make for one of the best bites in the house. And skin-on fries complete a meal that holds its own among the city's top burger plates.