Most people love a good hamburger, and almost everyone in Monterey County has a recommendation for where to find the best one. We wanted to compile a top burger list, but we also wanted something a little different. After asking for recommendations in our Monterey Bay Parent Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/MontereyBayParent/), we set out to try over a dozen of the recommended burgers. We narrowed those down to our favorites, choosing restaurants that not only offered a great burger but something unique for our list.
Here are seven great restaurants for a burger and something extra!
Crown and Anchor
Best place to meet friends
The Crown and Anchor is the quintessential “hanging out with my friends” bar. It’s our choice for our favorite place to sit with a burger and a friend or two for a few hours of laughter. You’ll find a full menu until midnight, so this is also an excellent choice for that late night hamburger! Kids are welcome (there is a quarter pound “Little Sailor” Burger with fries for $6.00). Kids will enjoy looking at the old sailing ships and the historical artifacts that fill this traditional pub.
The burgers are simple, piled high with toppings and just the perfect amount of greasy. While the burger is delicious, we’ve decided that the best part of ordering the hamburger at Crown and Anchor is the steak fries you get with the burger. It’s a good-sized portion, and they’re always perfectly fried and piping hot.
150 W. Franklin Street, Monterey, 93940, (831) 649-6496, crownandanchor.net
El Estero Snack Bar
Perfect for lunch while playing at the park
This unassuming snack bar is a hidden gem. Located next to Dennis the Menace Park, the snack bar has been there for many years, but we didn’t realize how good their hamburgers were until a Facebook group member clued us in. And, good they are!
The hamburgers taste like they came out of a restaurant kitchen, not a little shack set up in the parking lot of a ballpark. They’re juicy and simple with shredded lettuce and tomato–precisely what we like in a burger. The French fries are hot and tasty. The plus for families is that they also serve hot dogs, corn dogs, ice cream, snow cones (the only place we know of in the area that has them) and other kid-friendly options.
Open for lunch until 5:00 pm, El Estero Snack Bar is an excellent choice for an afternoon outing to Dennis the Menace and lunch on the go.
777 Pearl St, Monterey, 93940, (831) 372-8446
Islands
Best burger at the mall
Located at Del Monte Center in Monterey, Island’s has an extensive menu of burger choices that all have one thing in common–they are huge. The Kilauea burger is our favorite–a jalapeño & black pepper-crusted burger with pepper jack cheese, chipotle aioli, lettuce, and tomato. All burgers come with endless fries.
There are plenty of menu choices for those who prefer a non-burger option. Island’s also has a children’s menu, and on Monday-Wednesday, kids eat free from the kids’ menu.
The dessert options are big enough to share, and our suggestion is the Chocolate Lava–a sundae on top of a chocolate brownie.
FYI, if you download the Islands app, you can register for their rewards program and get a free order of chips and salsa for signing up.
300 Del Monte Center, Monterey, 93940, (831) 655-1552, www.islandsrestaurants.com
Monterey Coast Brewing Company
Salinas favorite
A restaurant and brewery located in Oldtown Salinas, Monterey Coast Brewing was a recommendation from reader Sarah Ann Ricks. Her exact words were: “It’s the only place I’ll eat a burger. I literally drive to Salinas from Marina anytime I’m craving a burger.”
The Angus burger is 1/2 pound of meat served with basic toppings. This is a BIG burger and paired with a side of French Fries (soup, green salad, or potato salad can be substituted) it’s almost too much for one person. When we ate lunch here recently, we ended up not finishing half of the fries. We paired our burgers with Monterey Coast Brewing Pilsner–perfect for a lazy lunch!
The menu is pretty extensive, offering everything from grilled salads to pizza. If you’re in the market for a Father’s Day gift, lunch at Monterey Coast Brewing Company and a gift basket with a growler and two-pint glasses to take home would be a big hit.
165 Main Street, Salinas, 93901, (831) 758-2337, montereycoastbrewing.com
Seventh & Dolores
Fancy date night burger
If you’re craving a burger and looking for a romantic location for a date day or night, Seventh & Dolores has you covered. Located in downtown Carmel, Seventh & Dolores is the spot to see and be seen with its beautifully decorated, modern dining room and impeccable service. If you haven’t planned by making a reservation, you might be able to get a spot at the bar after a (hopefully) short wait.
The house burger is available for both lunch and dinner and is described on the menu as “A house blend of Niman Ranch Dry aged beef, Filet Mignon & Brisket Whipped with Bone Marrow and finished with Cognac Roasted Onions, Comté, Roasted Tomato & Aioli on Toasted Brioche.” It tastes every bit as good as it sounds.
Be sure to leave room for dessert–the Flourless Chocolate Cake is one of the best we’ve ever tasted.
7th Avenue & Dolores St, Carmel, 93921, (831) 293-7600, www.7dsteakhouse.com
Stick’s
The place to take visitors
Visitors to the peninsula will love the burgers, the view, and if your visit is in the late afternoon, the iconic bagpiper. Overlooking the Links at Spanish Bay and the Pacific Ocean, Stick’s is the spot where the bagpiper begins his daily late-afternoon performance. Depending on the season, you can bring guests to Stick’s for an early dinner on the patio by the fire pits (they reopen for dinner at 4 pm) to catch the bagpiper who begins at approximately 5:45 pm. During standard time the performance starts a half hour before sunset.
The “Sticks Burger” features maple onion bacon jam, butter pickles, Vermont cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and avocado and comes with a salad or shoestring fries. The popular “Impossible Burger” is now on the menu for vegetarian friends and it’s every bit as good as you’ve been told, we promise.
2700 17 Mile Dr, Pebble Beach, 93953, (831) 298-5898, www.pebblebeach.com/dining/sticks
Sur Burger
Great for families
Bill and Teresa Quon, who run Sur Restaurant at the Barnyard in Carmel opened Sur Burger in March. The downtown Monterey location is perfect for a casual lunch. They have a roomy dining area and outdoor tables.
The menu is pretty extensive and includes a variety of burgers as well as Sur’s specialty fried chicken on a sandwich. Sur Burger’s condiment bar sets it apart–you can select your own mix of toppings to create the perfect combination. Sur Burger also has soft serve ice cream and a bacon and waffle sundae.
During a recent visit, we overheard two twenty-something young men tell the manager that their burgers were the best they’d ever had. High praise from guys who probably know a thing or two about burgers!
If you are in the market for a late lunch or very early dinner, Sur Burger has a happy hour special every day from 3-5:00 pm that features a ¼ lb. cheeseburger with fries, and an 8-ounce draft beer for just $10.
409 Alvarado St, Monterey, 93940 (831) 241-6064, surburger.com