Best cheap burgers

burgershakeshack

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  Petey's Burger

  Photograph: Roxana Marroquin770hr.ft.peteysv2.jpg748831
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  Shake Shack

  Photograph: Roxana Marroquin818.fd.burgershakeshack.jpg15896032
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  R.U.B. BBQ

  Photograph: Nick Solares770HR.ft.rubburger.jpg748873
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  Burger Garage

  Photograph: Virginia Rollison818.fd.burgerburgergarage.jpg15896054
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  Whitmans

  Photograph: Alex Strada818.fd.burgerwhitmans.jpg15896075

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Petey's Burger

Photograph: Roxana Marroquin

Petey’s Burger
This pristine counter spot serves a burger that you’d expect to find at a California drive-in: Enclosed in waxed paper, the sandwich is overstuffed with iceberg lettuce, vibrantly colored tomatoes, thin slivers of raw onion and melted American cheese. There’s also a special sauce akin to Thousand Island dressing that drips all over it. Biting into it elicits an audible squelch and a rush of beefy flavor—you’ll want extra napkins for this one. 30-17 30th Ave at 31st St, Astoria, Queens (718-267-6300, peteysburger.com). Single $4.49, double $5.49.

Shake Shack
Danny Meyer’s wildly popular Madison Square Park concession stand is mobbed with hour-long lines during the summer; in chilly weather, heat lamps provide the warmth for you to get your burger fix. The iconic ShackBurger tops specially blended beef patties with melted American cheese, leafy lettuce, thick-cut tomato and a proprietary ShackSauce. Madison Square Park, E 23rd St at Madison Ave, (212-889-6600, shakeshack.com). Single $4.50, double $7.

R.U.B. BBQ
Pit master Scott Smith grinds his own beef before smashing it into a skillet, crafting a thin, salty patty, which he places on a buttery bun. Kosher dill pickles, sauteed onions and American cheese balance the meat’s steaklike minerality, while chipotle aioli adds an unexpected kick. It’s possibly the finest hamburger in the city at any price; that it’s available in limited quantities, and only on Mondays from 6 to 9pm, makes it more special. 208 W 23rd St at Seventh Ave (212-524-4300, rubbbq.net). $7.50.

Burger Garage
This LIC counter joint pays homage to roadside dining with improved fast-food burgers, meticulously built with plump Black Angus patties, fresh toppings (lettuce, pickles, tomato, etc.) and a decadently buttered, toasted Martin’s potato roll to replace the usual flimsy bun. In a borough where the LaFrieda takeover has yet to reach critical mass, the star-butcher blend here—a four-ounce mix of chuck, brisket and short rib—is a legitimate draw. But it’s the classic preparation (flattop-griddled, draped in junky yellow American cheese) that takes the sandwich to the finish line. No wonder Hamburger America filmmaker George Motz has given Burger Garage the nod as one of his favorite NYC newcomers. 25-36 Jackson Ave at 44th Dr, Long Island City, Queens (718-392-0424). $4.70 and up.

Whitmans
We fantasize about the satisfying squelch of chomping into a Juicy Lucy—a Minneapolis burger variant cooked with cheese inside the patty rather than on top. If you can’t hop a Delta flight to track down the original article, find a locavore spin on the regional specialty at Whitmans. The handsome one-hander boasts prime ingredients, like a proprietary Pat LaFrieda rib blend, a Martin’s potato roll and crunchy McClure’s pickles, along with an added Southern twang: a gooey pocket of pimento cheese bubbling away in the medium-rare center. 406 E 9th St between First Ave and Ave A (212-228-8011). $10.