All Our Favorite Burgers in Honolulu

Smashed or loaded? Vegetarian or grass-fed? Sesame, brioche or potato bun? Burger options are plentiful in Honolulu, and everyone has a favorite. Whether it’s the stack of fresh toppings or a simple sauce and nostalgia, the accoutrements often are just as important as the patty. Here you’ll find our staff favorite burgers in honor of International Burger Day.

SEE ALSO: All Our Favorite Pizzas in Honolulu

Photo: Katrina Valcourt

The Daley

This should come as a surprise to no one (I’ve written multiple stories about this spot, including the time I ate the entire menu in one sitting), but I have yet to find a burger that hits the spot more than The Daley’s. Start with local grass-fed beef (such a game changer, since you can really taste the meat in simple preparations), smash it onto the grill with diced onion, add a layer of cheese, slide it onto a fluffy bun with a schmear of dijonnaise and you have a knockout. I double down with two crispy-edged patties, and while a double induces a kanak attack in everyone else in the office, it fuels me to finish the day strong. —Katrina Valcourt

I’ve never been one to chase food trends, even before social media influenced a lot of what we eat. But a rare exception is the trendy double smash burger at The Daley, my favorite burger on O‘ahu. Although deceptively simple, every component of this burger works in harmony with each other from first bite to last. —Gregg Hoshida

1110 Nu‘uanu Ave., Chinatown, thedaleyburger.com, @thedaleyburger

Photo: Cody Kawamoto

Pint + Jigger

Tucked in the lobby of the Ala Moana Hotel, Pint + Jigger serves my go-to burger: the stout burger. I love the sturdy, satisfying weight of this pub burger. From the first bite, the thick, juicy, well-seasoned patty—topped with layers of beer cheese, garlic aioli and lettuce—delivers. I always add bacon for an extra punch of flavor, because everything tastes better with bacon. For the perfect pairing, order it with waffle fries and one of the signature whiskey cocktails, like the Sous Vide Old Fashioned, or a cold beer on tap. —Cody Kawamoto

410 Atkinson Drive, Ala Moana, (808) 744-9593, pintandjigger.com, @pintandjigger

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Morning Glass Coffee

A burger at a coffee shop? Yes, really. I’ve loved burgers my entire life, and have gone through so many burger moods in the span of my 30 some-odd years. Previously a sucker for thick, juicy versions with crazy toppings, my preferences now favors the pleasures of a minimalist smash burger. That was until my current favorite from Morning Glass Coffee and Café came along.

It’s a thick boy, made with grass-fed beef supplied by Mauka Meats and usually topped with the cheese they have on hand. Bacon, local vegetables, burger sauce and house-made sweet pickles round it out on a soft brioche bun. You can taste each ingredient, which demonstrates how impactful it is to use the best there is around. It’s a limited special on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and even comes with a brew of your choice ($23) in celebration of receiving their liquor license. —Thomas Obungen

2955 E. Mānoa Road, Mānoa, (808) 673-0065, morningglasscoffee.com, @morningglasscoffee

SEE ALSO: Restaurants We Love: Resonant Stories From the Best Restaurants in Honolulu

Photo: Andrea Lee

Fat Cheeks

Fat Cheeks is well known for its generously portioned, buttery lobster roll, but did you know the burger there is just as solid? The cheeseburger is packed with two smash patties, each topped with American cheese, plus lettuce, tomato, red onions and Fat Cheeks sauce, all for $10.75. You can upgrade the cheese or add toppings for extra charges, but I usually get the classic. It hits all the right notes of juicy, savory and crunchy and fills me up. Fries are separate for $4.50 but well worth it considering it’s a shareable amount. —Andrea Lee

Ward Centre, 1200 Ala Moana Blvd. Suite B2115, Kaka‘ako, fatcheekshawaii.com, @fatcheekshawaii

Photo: Melissa Chang

W&M Bar B-Q Burger

I’m not eating much red meat these days, but I’ll make an exception for a W&M burger. I’m a classic burger person—just iceberg lettuce, tomato and sliced raw onion on a soft hamburger bun, please. So I opt for W&M’s Classic Royal without cheese, but with mustard and ketchup. With the slew of outrageously priced burgers, ridiculously stuffed with too many hamburger patties and toppings, touting a classic $8 W&M burger feels like a satisfying rebellion against the trends. I also like the set-up—parking in a row of stalls in front; ordering at the window from the same lady who’s always there; seeing my burger get assembled through the glass window; then eating it in my car, using the brown paper bag as a placemat. No need to mess with what works, and W&M has understood this for 71 years. —Diane Seo

For many years, I lived in a building directly behind W&M Bar-B-Q Burgers in Kaimukī and inevitably, the scent of its heavenly patties, sizzling on the flattop, would waft over, beckoning me to its counter. Simplicity is the name of the game there—toppings are limited to cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion—which allow W&M’s signature teriyaki barbecue sauce to shine. A perfectly charred patty, fluffy bun and an everything sauce that includes mayo, mustard, ketchup and relish, round out the flavors for a deliciously nostalgic meal. —Brie Thalmann

I hardly eat burgers, but if I do, I go to W&M. It’s affordable and no-nonsense, just good and full of nostalgia. Fun fact 1: The Hal is named after a regular customer named Hal who was a limousine driver and looked like the Monopoly Man! Fun Fact 2: Chef Alan Wong once told me The Hal was his “fast food sin”—something he liked to eat when he was at UH. So if I go to W&M, thats exactly what I get. —Melissa Chang

3104 Wai‘alae Ave., Kaimukī, (808) 734-3350, wmburger.com, @wmburger

Photo: Darlene Dela Cruz

Forty Niner Restaurant

As much as I appreciate modern, artisanal takes on burgers, the old-school cheeseburger deluxe from Forty Niner in ‘Aiea is still my favorite. The juicy, handmade beef patty is seared with a flavorful char. I like it dressed simply with lettuce, tomato, onion and a bit of yellow mustard. The classic local drive-in vibes, and the fact you can get a satisfying cheeseburger for less than $10, keep me coming back. —Darlene Dela Cruz

98-110 Honomanu St., ‘Aiea, (808) 484-1940, fortyniner808.com, @fortynineraiea

Diamond Head Market & Grill

The delicious BBQ Gorgonzola Bacon Burger is made from high-quality ingredients, not greasy, and easily one of my favorite burgers on O‘ahu. There’s a perfect amount of tanginess in the gorgonzola, and it balances well with the fat in the bacon and hamburger patty. Definitely get it with a side of their amazing fries. —Aaron K. Yoshino

3158 Monsarrat Ave., Diamond Head, (808) 732-0077, diamondheadmarket.com, @diamondheadmarketandgrill

Photo: Thomas Obungen

Punahou Carnival

My other favorite burger is the teri cheeseburger at Punahou Carnival, which happens over two days every February. Yes, I know it’s a frozen May’s patty on a store-bought bun. But if you’re reading this and had one, you know the flavor is somehow different when it comes from the carnival. I like to get a few and freeze them so I can zap them in the microwave later in the year for a comforting snack. And I don’t even know why it comforts me because I’m from public school! —Melissa Chang

1601 Punahou St., punahou.edu, @punahouschool