Best Burger in the Triangle?

[Varmint]

These types of threads are ubiquitous across the internet, but I wanted to start a series here on the eG Forums.

Who has the best burger in the Triangle, but more importantly, why?

I'll start with my nomination of two places: Porters and The Raleigh Times. Why? Because they both grind their own meat, and you can thus order the burger as rare as you want. Plus, they both have decent buns. However, neither burger is perfect, as that requires a much hotter griddle/grill/pan. I want a bit of a crust on a burger, and neither place achieves that.

Also good is Abbey Road in Cary. That's just a HUGE burger and very tasty.

Overrated? Char-Grill, for sure. It's just fine, but it's just not all that great.

Guilty Pleasure? The sliders at Cloo's in Raleigh.

[aldamon]

Also good is Abbey Road in Cary.  That's just a HUGE burger and very tasty.

I would vote for Abbey Road but I haven't tried your first two nominations.

[Chad]

I liked the Porter's burger but didn't enjoy it as much as I should have, mainly because the night we were there it was a lot dressier than we had anticipated. I don't know if it was the crowd that particular night or what, but we felt decidedly downmarket in our jeans. We'll have to give it another try. Also on the list is the Raleigh Times Bar. My wife ate there soon after it opened and was underwhelmed, but I think they hadn't gotten the kinks out yet. From all the positive talk I'm eager to give it a try.

Definitely second the motion on Abby Road. The burgers are very good. They also grind their own meat so you can order your burger as rare as you like. As an added bonus, it's fairly close to us.

Anybody know anything about Community Grocery and Deli? Greg Cox seems to like it a lot.

COMMUNITY GROCERY & DELI

901 Oberlin Rd., Raleigh, NC

Phone: (919) 834-7220

Map 

Food: Burgers, Hot Dogs, Sandwiches, Grill

Features: Shop

Updated: 12/20/2001

Raleigh (Inside Beltline), Raleigh (All)

There's little but a couple of neon signs in the windows to point the way to this hidden treasure, tucked into an old-fashioned corner grocery store in the Oberlin residential community. Since 1977, Community Grocery has been grilling cheeseburgers and other sandwiches (try the pimento cheese), and steaming bright red dogs to an in-the-know group of locals. If you really want to sound like a regular, order the hot dog "all the way": with bright yellow mustard, coarsely chopped onions and a medium-textured chili with a bite. Don't miss the steak cut fries, which are lightly crisp on the outside and just like a baked potato on the inside.

Chad

[Chops]

I will second Varmint with Cloos sliders. Outstanding.......

My favorite would be Wimpy's grill in Durham. They grind the meat daily and you get a decent crust from the griddle. I like my burgers old fashioned with yellow american, grilled onions, and mustard. Double Cheeseburger - $3.79.

For a restaurant burger Porter's is quite good. Anyone try the burger at South? Fried Egg is an option! Speaking of fried egg, the kitchen sink bison burger at Ted's Montana grill is quite good. It goes something like this......egg, cheese, bacon, ham, etc.... Heart Attack on a plate.

[Varmint]

The burger at South is pretty much the same as at Porter's.

[Zeb A]

Porters -- and please give me some of the Tavern Chips as well.

For a chain burger, I have to confess that I dig 5 Guys. It had a better vibe back in its hole in the wall DC days, but its still a good burger with solid fries.

I think Char Grill burgers are gritty and foul

[NCetr]

My husband and I had a great burger last night at Dain's Place on 9th Street in Durham. http://www.dainsplace.net/

The menu is fairly small but offers a whole range of burger fixin's, along with a few other items that you can read about in a recent N&O mention:

http://www.newsobserver.com/lifestyles/din...ory/555893.html

We each had the "Dainer," which has bacon, lettuce, tomato, bacon, sauteed onions, thousand island dressing and cheddar cheese. Burger was juicy, bun soft, toppings just right. We got a basket of fries (more than enough for two people) that were thin and crispy. We've been complaining for months about not having access to a good burger and now we have found one! We'll go back and try the homemade cheese sticks. The recommendation for the Dainer came from my hairdresser, who works on 9th Street.

[Chad]

Finally had a burger at the Raleigh Times Bar last week and enjoyed it very much. This was truly one of the best burgers I've had since moving to North Carolina. The house pickles and great beer selection were also major pluses. The fries need a little work, but all in all an excellent lunch.

Chad

[David Santucci]

The best burger I've had in the triangle was at the James Joyce in Durham, but I have also had crappy burgers there, so I can't necessarily recommend it. I am dying to try the Raleigh Times bar...