I’ve been entrusted to carefully sample and report back on the best burgers in Jacksonville.
Let’s start like this – I don’t label myself as a leading authority on burgers. I am, however, a professional eater. I’ve come to this conclusion from sheer dedicated time and practice–which I’ve decades of experience.
Below, you will find a carefully curated list of scientifically taste-tested burgers. The burgers below have proven outstanding in all categories: buns (freshness and softness), toppings (style points), and meat (the golden snitch).
Now, let’s get to the mouth-breathing, pant-unbuttoning meatiness that is the best burgers in Jacksonville!
You asked – we listened! We’ve been updating our guide to the Best Burgers in Jacksonville with all of our local recommendations. Got a favorite burger? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and TikTok and let us know! *Consumer Advisory: Burgers in no particular order
11 of the Best Burgers in Jacksonville:
One may be tempted to opt for Mojo’s BBQ platters or pulled pork sandwiches when dining at this local favorite barbeque restaurant, but this burger should not be overlooked! The BBQ Bacon Burger at Mojo’s features top-quality chuck in a thick, flavorful patty and is topped with bacon, Mojo BBQ sauce, and a combination of Monterrey jack and cheddar cheeses. It’s a beefcake of a burger and will extinguish a beef craving like a meteorite to bewildered dinosaurs.
*Beef boy pro tip: Mojo’s is one of the few places in Jacksonville you can order a rare patty!
📍 1500 Beach Blvd, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
📍 1607 University Blvd W, Jacksonville, FL 32217
📍 3572 St Johns Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32205
Burgs of a feather feast together and our North American bros, the Canadians, are allies with us on the culinary battlefront. When it comes to fried, gravied, cheesed, smothered, and smoked – these guys really just get us, you know?
Wicked Barley saw genius in Canadian gluttony and was inspired to create their Curd Burger with our Canuck cousins in mind.
An 8oz cast-iron seared patty topped with cheese curds, bacon, cheese sauce, jalapeno garlic chimichurri on a pretzel bun graces their menu and our hearts. The perfect blend of spicy, crispy, and greasy – this burger is best served with a tall pint of beer on a back patio when the weather starts to cool down. It’s truly a sandwich to unite nations.
📍 4100 Baymeadows Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32217
When I initially released this review of the Best Burgers in Jacksonville, so many people reached out to me to tell me that I either needed to try Grub Burger Bar at the Towncenter, or they were in fact, very angered that I had not included Grub Burger Bar. So, I went to Grub Burger Bar — least I suffer the consequences.
I must admit – this burger is much better than getting chastised online! If you have the option to choose between the two, I very much recommend the burger.
I indulged on the Cadillac Wagyu burger, which features a wagyu beef bled: cooked medium rare (this is not an option), roasted garlic A1 aioli, tomato, spinach, Swiss cheese and French fried onions for that crisp. Reporting in: It’s dang delicious.
Something about this beef just melts in your mouth and between the garlic aioli and crispy onions – I was in burger bliss. To all my Grub Burger fans – you win! Just as my mother told me, “Amber, always listen to the angry mob – they’re never wrong.” Well, she was right.
📍4906 Town Center Pkwy, Unit 408 Jacksonville, FL 32246
The French Pantry is a beloved restaurant in Jacksonville, with customers lined up out the door for their delicious breads, sandwiches and desserts.
It’s no surprise they also have a great burger – one worth the wait.
While one should try everything on the menu here, but for the sake of brevity, we need to stick to the burgers.
My go-to is, of course, the Kobe Burger — because I’m a bougie burger fan. With kobe beef, cheddar cheese, crispy onion straws, red wine cranberry relish, garlic aioli on a homemade brioche Kaiser roll and those funny skinny little fries you eat by the fistful – this burger is something to write home to mom about! In fact, if you were to do something like that, I suppose it would look something like this:
Dear Mother,
I just ate the best burger you could possibly imagine. I have no other news as this burger trumps all other events in my life. I mean seriously, this burger was like WOAH.
Love always,
Amber.
My final recommendation is to go to French Pantry and try everything. But also try the burger. It’s fantastic.
📍 6301 Powers Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32217
This little hole-in-the-wall burger joint off Atlantic isn’t afraid to get creative with their burgers–but don’t be weary, they aren’t botoxed with fancy toppings in order to mask an ugly burger infrastructure. Their certified Angus short rib-brisket-chuck beef is the real deal.
I got a 1/3 Angus Epikurean Burger on a brioche bun–beware, this burger is as haughty as its name suggests!
Touting Maytag Blu-Cheese truffle mouse, pancetta, mushrooms, blackberry-beef demi-glaze, balsamic mayo, green onions, and parmesan cheese, this burger may as well come wrapped in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal.
The combination of airy blue cheese tartness and sweet-salty of the blackberry-beef demi-glaze was wholly unique and memorable, a taste filed and categorized in the brain as “delicious: must re-examine.”
However, the menu’s colorful collection of avant-garde burger creations asks for constant experimentation and exploration from customers. From PB&J burgers to “fruit and cheese” burgers, Epik is at no loss of inspiration.
It’s clear that this little burger joint is challenging the question, “What ISN’T a burger topping?”
📍 12740 Atlantic Blvd #105, Jacksonville, FL 32225
📷 Riverside Buger Carolina Jax
Carolina Jax has a burger that I’d put money on in a fight. It’s a majestic meat beast that is intimidating in size. This is a face-first type of burger that can smell your fear–dive in with full eye contact, and you’ll come out the other side okay, albeit very full.
The menu has got both your traditional and creative burger combinations that they divide as “Simple” and “Signature” burgers. While it may be tempting to adhere to the classic “bacon and chedda,” I urge patrons to experiment with their signature burgers–which can get kinda wild!
I got the Riverside burger, which was a perfectly charred, crisp, and juicy patty with chevre, applewood smoked bacon, key lime datil aioli, baby spinach, orange marmalade, and a datil sauce drizzle. In one bite, I realized if Florida had a taste, it would taste exactly like this.
I’m going to have to say, this burger killed it. My inner Florida Man definitely “yeehaw’ed” at this beautifully and lovingly created burger.
One of the aspects that I love about Carolina Jax is that from the moment you walk in, you know that people that love burgers are behind these burgers.
📍 2548 Oak St, Jacksonville, FL 32204
📷 M Shack
Sometimes everyone enjoys the comfort of the familiar and loving caress of flavors rooted in childhood nostalgia. For those times, I head to M Shack for a burger and shake combination that tastes like growing up.
M Shack does a burger in a way that directly appeals to your inner comfort food cravings while simultaneously taking into account evolved palates–like happy meals for adults.
My M Shack meal includes an M Burger with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and shack sauce. A side of fries and a Bananas Foster shake. The burger itself is quality meat, ground fresh in house. It’s got a great meat-to-bun ratio that not too bready or induces meat sweats. It’s juicy without being soggy, and, frankly, it just hits the spot.
Side note: If you’ve ever had burger sauce, you’ll know what Shake Sauce is. If not, it’s somewhat pink and tangy–I can’t describe it. Just eat it! It’s burger sauce! It keeps the burger saucy!
📍 299 Atlantic Blvd, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233
📍 641 Crosswater Parkway, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32081
📍 10281 Mid Town Pkwy, Jacksonville, FL 32246
Graffiti Junction has a great little spot off Third street in Jacksonville beach, with plenty of patio space and a low-key atmosphere.
I got a Brotherly Love burger, which is an Angus patty with sautéed onions, peppers, and mushrooms and topped with provolone and LT.
I particularly liked this burger’s super crispy lettuce, which was thick and gave a good crunch. While lettuce may be a sort of obscure compliment for a burger, I think it’s completely underrated and often left limp and lifeless before it’s peeled off and left on the side of the plate. Nothing really beats a great lettuce crunch with your bite, and I’m not afraid to say it.
This burger was also particularly juicy for a “tavern” style, which often falls victim to being overly dry. With a side of mustard and mayo, this burger gets the job done and fills the burger void to the brim. 10/10!
📍 265 5th Ave N, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250
Edgar Allen Poe pairs well with a burger, and Poe’s Tavern is proof of that. Perhaps it’s a strange combo, but I truly love the “dark and dreary” atmosphere of the tavern surrounded by all its bright and beachy neighbors.
Outside of being just plain cool, Poe’s has some amazing burgs. The style is “tavern” compared to “diner,” which just means it’s more of a rounded meat puck than a squished-flat griddle burger. Neither is better than the other, they’re both sides of the same delicious coin.
The burgers are named after Poe’s most famous works, and my personal go-to is Annabel Lee. It’s a half-pound, ground in-house burger topped with a Charleston Style Crabcake and fresh vegetable remoulade sauce. It’s sort of like a surf-and-turf burger that is extra tasty the closer you are to the beach! The burgers themselves are charred to perfection and come on fresh brioche buns and heaping fries. It’s a belly-bomber for sure, but you won’t regret it.
SIDE NOTE: If I ever write a blog called “Best Bathrooms in Jacksonville,” I’d include Poe’s Tavern. The wallpaper is poetry (literally), and the speakers droll out Vincent Price’s monotone readings of Poe’s works.
📍 363 Atlantic Blvd, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233
When the new BurgerFi opened up in Neptune Beach, I knew it was probably going to make my list.
I ordered the SWAG Burger because I can’t ever say no to spicy. This burger came with a double Wagyu and Brisket blend patty, charred jalapeños, candied ghost pepper bacon, sweet tomato relish, habanero pepper jack cheese, and hot steak sauce. It also came stamped with the BurgerFi logo, which my inner consumer felt vaguely impressed by.
The burger itself was tender, juicy, and delicious. Not too greasy and not too dry. It was soft all around, and I inhaled it almost before I realized how good it actually was.
📍 628 Atlantic Blvd Suite 628, Neptune Beach, FL 32266
📍 4890 Big Island Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32246
📍 108 Riverside Ave #101, Jacksonville, FL 32202
📷 ABBQ
11. ABBQ
ABBQ’s burger has two 4oz patties, raclette cheese, smoked mayo, and bacon-onion marmalade. As a great burger should, it tastes completely itself–100% burger flavor. A really great burger is greasy and has bites that juice and dribble and soak into the bun. While it’s not listed on the menu, the grease acts like a condiment, adding to the salty, meaty flavor of the burger-eating experience.
Word to the wise: Have some time set aside for that post-burger nap after treating yourself to ABBQ.
📍461 Atlantic Boulevard Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233
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