The place to search out the perfect burgers in Seattle

It’s a home-style classic that is often taken for granted considering how ubiquitous it’s on menus: a good burger.

And if you want more from your burger than just the basics, don’t worry: Seattle has you covered there. Finding a gourmet creation beyond patties and cheese could actually be a little easier in the Emerald City than anywhere else, given the city’s eclectic food scene that always pushes the boundaries.

From the no frills sandwiches to the most extravagant beef towers, we’ve rounded up 13 of the best burger spots in Seattle to grit your teeth at on National Burger Day because we all deserve to indulge ourselves this Friday.

On May 28, Uneeda Burger is offering one classic burger per customer for walk-up orders only; The offering was created to thank and celebrate the Seattle community for their support over the past 15 months.

Courtesy Uneeda Burger / Justin Oba

1. Uneeda Burger – Fremont

This Fremont burger joint is known for its use of upscale beef. Grab the all-natural Painted Hills beef or pony a few extra bucks for the all-grass-fed stuff. The classic is a $ 4 quarter pounder, while the signature burgers feature treats like porcini mushrooms, black truffle salt, and caramelized onions.

Stop by on National Burger Day and Uneeda is handing out free classic burgers (while supplies last) to thank the community for helping them make it through this challenging year. The offer is only valid for personal orders.

8oz Burger & Company

Ardie Y / Yelp

2.8oz Burger & Company – Ballard, Capitol Hill

Both Capitol Hill and Ballard are local favorites for burger lovers in the Seattle area.

However, some of their best reviews relate to the grass-fed pusher pickles, which are pickled beef from the northwest, doused with arugula and bacon, and coated with fig jam. Make sure you combine the pusher with a plate of short rib poutine or sweet potato tater tots for any fixings.

Burgers from Loretta’s Northwesterner

Kevin M. on Yelp

3. Loretta’s Northwest – South Park

Look forward to popular burgers, steaks, salads and schnapps in a no-frills meeting place and a cozy neighborhood atmosphere. Loretta’s Northwesterner is home to laid-back locals as well as famous chefs, including chef Kevin Burzell and co-owner of Kedai Makan, who often has a cheeseburger and Pilsner Urquell on tap.

Lil Gordo Special from Li’l Woody’s

Monica B. on Yelp

4. Li’l Woody’s – multiple locations

As with the countless burger combinations and homemade shakes, the long-standing Li’l Woody’s serves the typical Li’l Woody with a quarter pound of Painted Hills grass-fed beef, Tillamook cheddar, chopped onions, diced cucumber, ketchup and mayonnaise for 6 US dollars in Ballard, Capitol Hill and White Center.

Red Mill Burger

Jen T on Yelp

5. Red Mill – Interbay, Phinney Ridge

Fans love this local burger chain, where the ingredients – crispy pepperoni, smoky “mill sauce”, sticky American cheese – enhance a simple patty. Vegetarians also get along well here with roasted Anaheims on the Verde Veggie Burger. If you’re driving to their Phinney Ridge location, be sure to grab a beer from the neighboring Ridgewood Bottle and Tap.

“King Lou Lou” from Zippy’s.

6. Zippy’s Giant Burger – white middle

For this one you should loosen your belt: Zippy’s Giant Burgers, an old-fashioned mom-and-pop burger shop in the White Center with lots of fans, serves the “King Lou Lou”, a monstrosity of four patties, four slices of cheese, eight pieces of bacon and a cheeseburger topper among retro digs.

You can always grab a more “normal” burger or the cook’s creation: the veggie-friendly black bean and mushroom patty.

Blue Cheese Burger from Flintcreek

Jacques L on Yelp

7. FlintCreek Cattle Co.- Greenwood

Sometimes high quality ingredients make all the difference when it comes to something as ubiquitous as a hamburger – and this is where FlintCreek shines. Upscale happy hour options include a hearty Bleu Cheese butcher burger for just $ 8.

Dine-in service just returned this week, which makes it a perfect time to grab a nice bite of beef and a house cocktail.

Rain City Burger, Roosevelt

Aayo Gorkhali K./Yelp

8. Rain City Burger – Roosevelt

Nestled in Roosevelt’s forest neck, the cozy burger café offers thoughtful patties such as beef, salmon and vegetarian dishes, paired with nodding shakes.

Even if you can eat the classic cheeseburger and french fries, we recommend the Roosevelt Special: bacon, American cheese, caramelized onions and hot Rain City sauce.

Scooters Burger in Ballard.

Scott Eklund | Seattle Post Intelligence

9. Scooters Burger – Ballard

Despite its humble looks, this no-nonsense, fast-food-style burger joint in Ballard ranks roughly in the same category as Kidd Valley, and serves a variety of protein patties including beef, chicken, turkey, and vegetable-friendly garden patties.

Katsu burger

Jocelyn Lui, courtesy of Katsu Burger

10. Katsu Burger – multiple locations

A katsu burger really is the best of both worlds: it has the juiciness of a beef burger but the crispness of fried chicken.

Leave the usual fast food hamburger behind and try their huge Godzilla Attack sandwich – crispy beef katsu with pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, spicy mayo and tonkatsu sauce – with nori-dusted fries, of course.

Mean Sandwich’s DAM burger

Rickey M. on Yelp

11. Medium sandwich – Ballard

Mean Sandwich usually offers delicious sandwiches paired with beer and draft wine near Ballard, made up of the DAM burger – two smashed quarter-pound dry-aged meat patties, two pieces of American cheese, onions, mayo, pickled Pickles and their own store-made yellow mustard.

Train Mi Burger from Meekong Bar

Arushi D. of Yelp

12. Meekong Bar – Belltown

If you want to go beyond the traditional cheese-covered patty, Meekong’s specialty bahn mi inspired burger is a must. It consists of a juicy beef patty with pickled vegetables, coriander and sriracha aioli sauce, all between two homemade banh mi rolls. It’s the perfect combination between meat, vegetables and a dash of spicy heat.

Dick’s Drive-in, landmark of the Hamburg eatery, Seattle, Washington, March 8, 2015

Kevin Schäfer / Getty Images

13. Dick’s Drive-In – multiple locations

Love it or loathe it, it just wouldn’t be fair not to include one of the city’s most popular burger hubs in this round-up. Dick’s drive-in burgers are fairly straightforward to make, but it’s also the experience of visiting Dick’s that makes them so appealing.

To this day, the original Wallingford location and an expansion of many other Dick’s outposts in the Emerald City continually hand out some of the most popular cheap food in Seattle – often with long lines of Seattleers willing to swap a few minutes in the rain for a frills Dicks Deluxe -Burger.