Ham It Up

hen it comes to amazing takes on the classic hamburger, Gwinnett County has mastered the fine art of making mouths water, thanks to an incredible variety of restaurants offering hand-held meaty— and meat-free—masterpieces. These eight take the cake (or burger?) as some of the most distinct—and delicious.

Dancehall Queen

Founder Aisha “Pinky” Cole’s Caribbean roots inspired this plant-based burger patty, sandwiched between vegan Hawaiian buns and topped with lettuce, tomato, dairyfree cheese, caramelized onions, sweet jerk plantains, and house-made sauce.

Burger lovers

Be sure to mark your calendar for Gwinnett’s annual Burger Week, coming next March!

BY MIKE JORDAN

The Sink Burger

Local Republic Lawrenceville

Adventurous eaters will love this hearty double stack, which comes topped with an egg, cheddar, jalapeños, and the star of the show: French fries with fry sauce. (Yep, on the burger.) The same restaurant group is bringing its newest concept, LR Burger, to Duluth this summer.

2023

Winner

Best Burger in Gwinnett

BBQ Ranch Bacon Burger

Lazy Dog Peachtree Corners

This layered half-pound burger with smoked bacon is bursting with color and flavor, thanks to a tall helping of cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions. It’s finished off with a hefty drizzle of chipotle ranch

Death By Peaches Burger

Stäge Kitchen and Bar Peachtree Corners

Indulge in this premium burger made with short-rib chuck and topped with peach pepper jam, aged white cheddar, crispy onions, arugula, and ghost pepper yuzu aioli, all fitting elegantly within a brioche bun.

Ooey Gooey Mooey

Uncle Jack’s Meat House Duluth

Sink your teeth into this sophisticated burger, served on a brioche bun and made with a custom blend of prime beef. It’s accentuated with gourmet toppings of house secret sauce, buttermilk blue cheese fondue, onion jam, and maple-pepper bacon. Also available at the Lawrenceville and Peachtree Corners locations of Uncle Jack’s Tavern.

That’s Money Burger

Over The Top Burger Bar Buford

You’ll get fries, signature sauce, and a side of gravy— plus a suggested beer pairing—with every order, but this two-patty behemoth dives deep into deliciousness with shredded cheddar (and queso!), grilled Andouille sausage, balsamic ketchup, onion, and even a macand-cheese croquette on top.

Mexican Burger

B+W Burgers, Buns, & Brews Downtown Norcross

This neighborhood eatery opened in fall 2022 and instantly endeared itself to the community thanks to its sports bar feel and burgers like the Mexican, which takes a half-pound beef patty and adds pork, ham, bacon, avocado, and grilled jalapeños to the classic lettuce, tomato, onion, and cheese setup.

K Pop Burger

Craft Burger by Shane Suwanee

Cooked to order with premium, high-standard certified Hereford beef, this one-third-pound patty is loaded with toppings of pepper-jack cheese, fried onions, romaine lettuce, pickles, and Korean bulgogi sauce. You can almost hear the shouts of joy from fans of all ages as they bite into the savory stack.

Honorable Mentions House Burger

Village Burger • Lawrenceville

Feel like keeping it classic?

This simple stack comes with your choice of American, cheddar, pepper jack, Swiss, or blue cheese.

RKO Burger

Local on North • Duluth

This tasty burger is made with certified Angus beef, American cheese, tomato jam, and crisp onions served on a locally baked brioche bun.