Best Burgers in Brooklyn: Neighborhood by Neighborhood
The best burger in Brooklyn — and in all of NYC — is Red Hook Tavern (9.9). Brooklyn's burger scene stretches from Red Hook to Williamsburg to Greenpoint, with Rule of Thirds (9.1) and Cozy Royale (8.8) rounding out the top three. This is the complete guide to Brooklyn's best burgers, neighborhood by neighborhood.
Brooklyn often gets overlooked in the NYC burger conversation because Manhattan dominates the headlines. That's a mistake. Red Hook Tavern alone justifies crossing the bridge, and the Williamsburg-Greenpoint corridor has quietly assembled one of the best burger stretches in the city.
| # | Restaurant | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Hook Tavern | 9.9 |
| 2 | Rule of Thirds | 9.1 |
| 3 | Cozy Royale | 8.8 |
| 4 | Diner | 8.4 |
| 5 | Sailor | 8.1 |
| 6 | The Snail | 7.4 |
Red Hook
The #1 burger in our entire NYC ranking. Pat LaFrieda dry-aged strip and hanger steak blend, griddled to medium rare, with American cheese and a raw white onion slice on an Italian-style bun. The simplicity is the point — when beef this good is involved, anything else would be a distraction. From the team behind Hometown Bar-B-Que. Worth the trip to Red Hook every single time.
Order: Tavern Burger, medium rare (how it comes). Make a reservation for dinner; lunch walk-ins on weekends.
Greenpoint
Rule of Thirds has quietly become one of the best burgers in the city. The Japanese-influenced Greenpoint restaurant puts the same care into their burger that they put into everything else on the menu. The beef has real depth, the construction is precise, and the overall experience places it firmly in Hall of Fame territory.
Order: The burger. Pair it with something from their sake list.
Cozy Royale sources their ground beef from Meat Hook, the butcher next door, and you can taste the difference. The double-patty smash burger comes with raclette, arugula, bacon jam, pickled red onion, and calabrian chili aioli. Complex for a smash burger, but it works. Limited nightly quantity — get there early.
Order: Double smash burger. Make a 5 PM reservation or walk in early.
Williamsburg
Diner is a classic Williamsburg restaurant in an actual old dining car. The menu changes nightly, written on your paper tablecloth by the server. The burger is the one thing that never changes, and it's the best thing to order. Thick but not too thick, with sharp cheese, a soft bun, and fat crispy fries.
Order: The burger. Always the burger. Don't try to split it.
Sailor's burger is a drippy, fatty creation with sweet melted onions and a big slab of cheddar. Only available at lunch, which is actually ideal — easier to get a table, and the Fort Greene restaurant is a pleasant spot for a midday meal.
Order: The burger at lunch. Split it with fries and mimosas.
A solid Williamsburg burger that won't top any citywide lists but serves its neighborhood well. Good patty, decent bun, and a relaxed atmosphere. If you're in Williamsburg and want a burger without making it an event, The Snail delivers.
Order: Cheeseburger with fries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best burger in Brooklyn?
Red Hook Tavern (9.9) in Red Hook is the best burger in Brooklyn and the #1 ranked burger in all of NYC. Their Pat LaFrieda dry-aged blend is the standard by which we measure every other burger.
What are the best burgers in Williamsburg?
Diner (8.4) is the best burger in Williamsburg proper. For nearby Greenpoint, Rule of Thirds (9.1) and Cozy Royale (8.8) are both excellent and a short walk from Williamsburg.
Is it worth going to Red Hook just for the burger?
Yes. Red Hook Tavern scores 9.9 — Pantheon tier — and is our #1 overall. The trip to Red Hook is worth it for this burger alone. Make a dinner reservation or visit for lunch on weekends.
Where is the best burger in Greenpoint?
Rule of Thirds (9.1) is the best burger in Greenpoint, followed by Cozy Royale (8.8) and Sailor (8.1). Greenpoint has quietly become one of the best burger neighborhoods in the city.
All scores are from the Burgerverse ranking system, based on Brotherly Burgers' reviews of 81+ NYC burgers. Scores use a 0-10 scale with decimal precision. Updated regularly.