A few of our favorite area restaurants were honored earlier this week when they received accolades from Thrillist for serving the ‘Best Burgers in Maryland.’ We love seeing local restaurants being recognized for their culinary prowess, especially in state-wide roundups where the Eastern Shore is often (unfairly) overlooked. We decided to join in on the fun, and add a few more Eastern Shore favorites to the mix!
Note: We won’t be paying homage to Hooked, Abbey Burger, or The High Spot as their recognition in the Thrillist article speaks for itself;)
Barn 34
3400 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, MD
410-289-5376
www.barn34oc.com
Barn 34 is celebrating their one-year anniversary today (May 15) so it is fitting that we celebrate alongside them by calling attention to their lineup of gourmet burgers. Truth be told, you will typically find us at Barn 34 noshing on breakfast items or devouring the fish tacos during lunch or dinner hours, but we have been known to indulge in a few burgers as well. The half-pound burgers are made from fresh ground chuck from the Minute Market (located just across the street) and cooked to order. There are a variety of options – eight in total – but our favorite is the 3 Brothers topped with fresh jalapenos, avocado, pico de gallo, and Monterey Jack cheese.
Blacksmith Bar & Restaurant
104 Pitts Street, Berlin MD
410-973-2102
www.blacksmithberlin.com
Chef owned and locally sourced is the overarching theme at this Berlin hotspot. Chef and owner Justine Zegna brings an insane amount of experience to the Berlin dining scene, which is coupled with her passion for local, small, and handmade culinary creations. The burger is no exception and was incidentally the first dish we tested when Blacksmith opened their doors last year. The monstrous house burger is a tower of two freshly ground chuck patties and melted cheddar, with fresh fixin’s served on the side (including homemade pickles). We suspect the secret is in the sauce, the bread, or all of the above.
The Globe
12 Broad Street, Berlin MD
410-641-0784
www.globetheater.com
Just a quick walk from Blacksmith you’ll find The Globe. Come to think of it, you pass The Atlantic Hotel and Rayne’s Reef along the way and BOTH have EXCELLENT burgers as well, so maybe a Berlin burger tour should be our next adventure! We’ll focus on The Globe for now as they feature a daily rotation of specialty burgers that are equal parts inventive and mouthwatering. We’ve seen many crazy concoctions on the menu, from burgers topped with scrapple to burgers piled with jalapeno poppers. Of course The Godfather is always on the menu, served with basil pesto, roasted garlic spread, mozzarella cheese and prosciutto.
The Shark on the Harbor
12924 Sunset Avenue, Ocean City, MD
410-213-0924
www.ocshark.com
The Abbey Burger has pretty much cornered the market in unique burgers in Ocean City, but The Shark on the Harbor is also home to a noteworthy bison burger. The all-natural bison hails from a local farm in Hurlock, MD and arrives topped with pimento cheese, organic lettuce, and red wine pickled shallots, all sandwiched between a locally baked multi-grain roll (courtesy of Crack of Dawn Bakery in Berlin).
Evolution Craft Brewing – Public House
201 East Vine Street, Salisbury, MD
443-260-BEER
evolutioncraftbrewing.com
If you follow Evolution Public House on Facebook then you are all too familiar with their cruel posts…and by cruel we mean the daily pics of their burger specials that make us wish we either worked in Salisbury or had a longer lunch break. Let’s start with yesterday’s burger of the day: the crab Oscar burger which was piled high with fresh jumbo lump crab, asparagus and hollandaise sauce. Then there was the John Wayne burger, which included a fried egg, bacon, onion rings, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and BBQ sauce. We’ve seen their burgers topped with hot dogs, brisket, crab, egg, zucchini & squash, pulled pork…the list goes on and on.
Alaska Stand
9th Street and the Boardwalk, Ocean City MD
410-251-3024
www.alaskastand.com
Sometimes the best burgers are simple, no frills, classic, boardwalk burgers. When we have a hankering for a taste of the traditional we head straight to the Alaska Stand on 9th Street and the Boardwalk. For 80 years the Alaska Stand has been serving Ocean City classic boardwalk treats like funnel cakes, ice cream, fries and of course, burgers. Order up a burger with fries and enjoy it on the beach…can’t beat that!
Restaurant 55
2461 South State Street, Dover DE
302-535-8102
Myrestaurant55.com
The Rehoboth Foodie clued us in to Restaurant 55 and for that we are eternally grateful. It’s a bit of a hike for us, but well worth the drive. Burgers are their specialty and boy are they good at what they do! Their classic 55 burger is good in its own right, but we are partial to the Sage Burger which is a mix of fresh chuck with Restaurant 55’s special pork sausage recipe. The NFB Burger takes the Sage one step further with a fried egg, bacon, and American cheese on top.
