To begin with - our valley has so many great burger choices we thought we'd give our readers a few to drool over. This isn't meant to be an exhaustive list or a declaration of whose burger is best but to fuel your "foodie" fire! These - lean over the plate - burgers will have you begging for a bib - or at least asking for extra napkins. Some of these places pride themselves on having a burger so packed with good stuff and so sloppy it's really a fork and knife meal. None of these are made from frozen but always-fresh beef.
A Baker's Dozen: They're all so good they had to have their own name.
1 - Smoky Mountain
Piled on a soft sesame bun, this six plus ounce fresh patty is grilled to order, topped with swiss cheese, heaped with sautéed mushrooms and onions, dressed with Munchies' signature BBQ sauce and served with your choice of side and a cold drink. It's big enough to get a carryout box and good enough to eat the whole thing. Incidentally, Munchies also took the GOLD in this year's Best of the West vote for best burger place.
2 - Warehouse Whiskey
Ranging from a standard 1/4 pound to a four patty tower, one pounder, the flavor profile here doesn't lack what taste buds like, to be made happy. The whiskey infused, peppercorn BBQ sauce is flambeed to burn off the alcohol and then slow simmered until just right. Piled with cheddar cheese, bacon, jalapeno coins and hand battered onion rings, it really stands up to be noticed. Served on a branded bun with fries or another side of your choice, this one is hard to pass up.
3 - Mile High
A hearty half pound burger, this one has cheddar, sauteed mushrooms & onions, avocado, thick cut bacon plus pickle, lettuce and tomato if you like. Locally sourced beef and veggies, this one makes a great meal even if you order it for breakfast. Starvin' Arvin's has been serving their full menu any time they're open for more than 30 years with three locations for the Mile High right here in Mesa County. Puffer-belly is next to the Grand Junction train depot, and Starvin' Arvin's can be found in Fruita and Clifton.
4 - Strayhorn Grill, Custom - build it your way.
This grass fed, local beef is served on a firm house brioche bun and available in a 1/3 or 2/3 pound patty at lunch. Dinner burgers are always served as a 2/3 pound patty (unless you gently twist someone's arm for a smaller one). Topped the way you order it and cooked to your selected temperature, the one seen here has cheddar and pepper jack, lots of grilled onions - some fresh ones too - cooked to 140 degrees and dressed with some mayo. The first bite was one of those, "where's my bib" moments!
5 - Colorado Elk
Raised on Rocky mountain pasture, this 1/3 pound lean and tender elk is recommended a touch on the rare side of medium because it's so lean that a medium sear leaves it a bit dry. This one was served just right juicy and topped with sharp cheddar, fresh, crisp cool lettuce and presented on a homestyle bakery bun just perfect for the job. Alehouse has several choices of side to go with any burger preparation you select. Our elk burger was served with their house-made coleslaw. Tasty!
6 - Burgundy Burger - Elevated Tavern Fare
Toasted sourdough grilled on the inside with a roasted shallot and red wine aioli. A 1/2 pound patty grilled to order with gruyere cheese and burgundy braised onions; it's locally sourced Homestead Beef out of Delta. This new menu item can be found in the Tapestry Room lineup at Wine Country Inn in Palisade.
7 - Grand Mesa Pastrami Burger
A half pound, fresh beef patty topped with cheddar, a generous stack of Jimmy's signature pastrami and layered with the usual cool, crisp veggies (lettuce, tomato and onion) finished with Jimmy's sauce, this one is a favorite of CMU athletes, the local neighborhood residents and business people alike. The pastrami is tender and has just the right notes of juniper and curing spices to bring the whole thing together in a complex, hot and cold, juicy and lean flavor experience.
8 - Hot to Trot
Bookcliff Country Club has a new burger for those who love chilies. This 1/2 pound Fisher's Market beef patty, cooked to order is topped with pepper jack and nestled onto a grilled brioche bun over jalapeno piquillo spread, topped with calabrian chilies and blistered shishito peppers this burger is finished with a top bun branded with the Bookcliff logo. Not a member? Make a friend who is or talk to Jeremy about your own membership. There's much more to tempt the taste buds here.
9 - The Palisade Pig
Talk about needing extra napkins! If you have only one meal in a day, this could fit the bill. A 1/2 pound, grilled to order, fresh, angus patty, layered with cheddar, Virginia style hickory smoked pit ham; smoked, barbecue sauced, pulled pork and thick bacon. These homestyle bakery buns hold up to this juicy, saucy, bib-worthy behemoth. Did we mention it's delicious? Still, you might want to ask for the to-go box, if you plan on eating your fries. Get it at 357 and 357 Reloaded in Palisade and Clifton respectively.
10 - The Outlaw
A Stoneground Bakery bun is toasted to hold up under a juicy 1/2 pound burger that gets layered with cheddar, thick cut bacon, the Koko's Tavern signature cowboy hat - a 1 1/2 inch thick onion ring - all drizzled and finished with BBQ sauce to create The Outlaw. Usually served over a bed of seasoned curly fries, this nicely balanced basket will likely have you asking for, you guessed it, extra napkins and a to go box!
11 - BBQ Bacon Burger - Hatch Style
Sloppy? Not even close. When they say fork and knife burger.... They mean, "It's so messy you better be prepared to eat it that way." Is this complaining? No way! The BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger served "Hatch" style means they add two perfectly roasted, skinless Hatch Anaheim chilies to an already well put together burger and they add their house made (food truck, really) BBQ sauce in layers as it's built to give it a rich tangy bite unlike any other we sampled - the juice will drip from your elbows if you let it.
12 - Sudz Bros' - The Horsethief
This 1/3 pound, certified angus, cooked to order tower of tastiness built on a pretzel bun comes with cheddar, a heap of crispy onion straws, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and is finished with the signature BBQ fry sauce, made with Baby Rays Q sauce and some house-secret other ingredients. Seems that, stealing the loyalty of your taste buds is the goal here. Try the sweet tots or buffalo chips. Uncommon sides, uncommonly tasty! If you can unhinge your jaw to take a bite that might help. It's a skyscraper!
13 - The Spoons Burger
Last listed but not last in flavor, this one packs a punch too. Rounding out a baker's dozen, this one is the signature burger for Spoon's Bistro, operated by Aramark in support of the mission of Hope West and it's hospice services. A firm yet light bun cradles a 1/2 pound angus patty topped with Monterey Jack, roasted Anaheim chili and fresh avocado, then layered with tomato and onion, this one was topped off with just a bit of mayo and served with tavern style, lightly battered fries. Extra napkins please.
Wrapping Up - Nope! We aren't declaring a winner. Not even a best in class in several categories. Instead, you be the judge. You know where to find 'em. You know what you like. You might also have favorites not listed here. Get in touch through -
citylifestyle.com/grandjunction and let us know your favorites among those listed and even those who we missed this time around.
Buon appetito!!!