TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
Here are the best hamburgers you can find outside of Phoenix
Arizona has a longtime love affair with hamburgers. This is cattle country, which constitutes one of the five C’s of the Arizona economy (cattle, climate, codgers and cactus candy — or something like that).
The legacy of those great beef herds is a proliferation of first-rate burger joints. Here are a few places outside of Phoenix where you can sink your teeth into that American classic.
Bing’s Burger Station
Anchoring a prime corner in Old Town Cottonwood, Bing’s is a vintage gas station disguised as — wait for it — a vintage gas station.
At least from the outside, where a bright orange 1950 Plymouth Special Deluxe sits beside antique pumps. Inside you’ll find a stylish diner with shiny booths, counter seating and a ’50s soundtrack rocking the joint.
New owners have spruced the place up while emphasizing the quality of the food. Hand-formed patties sizzle on the flat top, an evocative perfume if there ever was one. The burgers emerge lightly crusted and sweetly juicy. Top them to your taste, then add a basket of slender fresh-cut fries and a creamy milkshake for a meal that would make even Fonzie lose his cool. Fido will love the shady patio.
Details: 794 N. Main St., Cottonwood. 928-852-0109, www.bingsbur gers.com.
Dellepiane Sedona
The intricate burgers served at Dellepiane Sedona are genuine sandwich architecture. Imaginative, creative and piled so high with toppings that they almost can’t be eaten under a ceiling fan.
It all starts with the foundation. Six ounces of Black Angus beef ground in house provides the rich meat flavor. The Surf ‘n’ Turf burger is crowned with two plump shrimp. The El Paso comes artfully stacked with pecan-smoked bacon, smooth Tillamook cheddar, roasted red pepper, caramelized onion, jalapeño and guacamole. A toasted sesame-seed brioche bun holds the jaw-unhinging concoction together.
Located in the Hillside Sedona plaza, Dellepiane’s maintains the casual unpretentious vibe you want in a burger joint.
Details: 671 State Route 179, Sedona. 928-862-4129, www.facebook.com/dellepianesedona.
The Lion’s Den Bar & Grill
Built in 1939, this saloon on the edge of town has gone through many incarnations and a rowdy past that included fires, fights, basement poker games and a horse falling through the floor. It’s a bit calmer today, with live music and televised sports.
The Lion’s Den offers a good selection of bar food. Yet it’s the wine burgers that have earned a reputation far and wide. The half-pound patties are cooked on a flat top. The hot surface is sloshed with a big gulp of red wine that explodes in a cloud of flavored steam and sears in a sweet smoky taste. Served on a toasted bun, the burgers are so tender you wonder how they ever kept a cow upright.
Details: 2408 E. White Mountain Blvd., Pinetop. 928-367-6050, the lions denpinetop.com.
Marino’s Mob Burgers and Ice Cream
You’ll know everything is jake as soon as you ankle it into this speak easy themed eatery on Prescott’s Courthouse Plaza. In a town more accustomed to Stetsons than fedoras, Marino’s stands out for not only the tasty burgers but for its 1920s mobster style.
You’ll soon be slinging the slang with ease. Ground chuck burgers sport monikers like the Bugsy, Lucky Luc and the Jazz Summit, which comes with a slice of pepper jack cheese oozing off the patty, topped by grilled onions and mushrooms, jalapeños and wearing a jaunty Cajun spice as seasoning.
Salads, sandwiches, meaty chicken wings and more are also available. Just don’t take it on the lam before trying the ice cream and gelato treats. They’re the bee’s knees.
Details: 113 Cortez St., Prescott. 928-515-1690, www.facebook.com/ marinosmobburgerandicecream.
G’s Burgers
S.
Tucked away in a small strip mall, this Cornville establishment feels like a neighborhood saloon that just happens to dish up really good food. It’s cool and dark inside where a few rustic wooden tables line the walls and tractor seats serve as bar stools.
The 14 burgers range from classics to more far-reaching designs. One comes topped with mac-n-cheese. The Steakhouse offers an exquisite medley of flavors and textures, layered with bacon, blue cheese crumbles, tomato, arugula, onion twigs and steakhouse mayo.
G’s Burgers also has a well-stocked bar and pet-friendly patio.
Details: 1220 S. Eastern Drive, Cornville. 928-634-2867, www.gsburgersaz.com.
Graze Premium Burgers
This popular joint does something unexpected by putting a healthful spin on the food.
Burger patties are made with Niman Ranch all-natural antibiotic- and hormone-free beef. Kennebec potatoes are cut fresh and fried twice in non-GMO rice-bran oil. Delicious on their own, they come with a variety of dipping sauces, everything from curry ketchup to sweet red chile. Naturally, the chicken is free-range and the veggie burger is locally sourced.
What makes Graze special is that it also delivers the goods flavor-wise. There’s an authentic beefy resonance to the burgers that come off the griddle firm but moist, enhanced by the fresh toppings of your choosing.
Details: 2721 E. Speedway Blvd., Tucson. 520-269-6888, www.grazepremiumburgers.com.
Al & Diane’s Red Onion Lounge
Maybe it’s the mountain air or the hunting lodge décor that infuses such a profound beefiness into the burgers at Al & Diane’s Red Onion. More likely it’s the owner’s stubborn refusal to use anything but premium cuts of fresh meat cooked over a gas grill.
Al’s Monster Burger — double beef, double cheese, stacked with green chile and bacon — has plenty of fans. And the Western will put you in touch with your inner cowpoke. Topped with onion rings and slathered with hickory barbecue sauce, this burger conjures a sweetscented campfire and a moon so full it could break a coyote’s heart.
Details: 1931 State Route 260, Heber-Overgaard. 928-535-4433, www.redoniononline.com.
Haunted Hamburger
This former boardinghouse in Jerome clings to the side of the mountain, sneering at gravity. The dining room offers big picture windows but snag a seat outside if possible, either on the covered deck or the View Bar for big vistas across the Verde Valley.
The menu features chicken, fish, ribs and salads but come on — you’re sitting in a place called the Haunted Hamburger. Treat yourself to a generous slab of beef cradled on a cushiony bun baked fresh on the premises.
The Haunted Burger is piled high with an unholy combo of bacon, green chiles, grilled onions, guacamole and Swiss and cheddar cheeses. Or stick with the basic cheeseburger and drag it through the well-stocked toppings bar.
Details: 410 Clark St., Jerome. 928634-0554, www.thehauntedhamburger.com.
Nurd Berger Cafe
This small, funky place feels like a teenage fever dream, overflowing with nerdy Star Wars, superhero and comicbook paraphernalia.
The Force is definitely with the juicy burgers. You’ll have several to choose from, including the half-pound Raising Arizona, assembled from statewide ingredients. Dine inside Nurd Berger or on the dog-friendly patio.
They also do chicken, fish and steak sandwiches and have plenty of fresh baked desserts on hand.
Details: 420 S. Hill St., Globe. 480316-0882, nurdberger.com.
The House
Dining here feels like you’re at a friend’s backyard barbecue. The woodpaneled building is simple inside and framed by a patio. A big grassy lawn is dotted with picnic tables, cornhole board and a bar, sort of a cross between a saloon and tree house.
The menu is a mix of salads, sandwiches, chili and some impressive burgers. Try the House Burger, a halfpound fresh patty topped with a roasted poblano chile, pepper jack cheese, fried onion strings and chipotle aioli. It’s a nice combo of textures and flavors, a bit crunchy with a little spice on the back end. It’s served with homemade chips.
Details: 1191 E. Hall St., Show Low. 928-537-9273, www.thehouseshowl ow.com.