Best burgers in Madison, WI: Old Fashioned, Dotty's, the Plaza and more

Madison classics

• The Old Fashioned, 23 N. Pinckney St.: a Wisconsin tavern on the Capitol Square. The House Burger is a third-pound patty grilled over a live fire with fried onions, hickory-smoked bacon, aged Cheddar, garlic sauce and a soft-cooked egg on a buttered hard roll; the simpler Wisconsin Burger comes with Cheddar, mayo and raw onion. Closed Sundays.
• Dotty Dumpling's Dowry, 317 N. Frances St.: a burger institution for more than 50 years, with about 18 burgers on the menu. The best seller is the Melting Pot (Cheddar, Swiss and Provolone, bacon and English garlic sauce); the 1974 Original comes with Cheddar cheese sauce, mustard, relish, pickles and onion. Closed Mondays.
• The Plaza Tavern & Grill, 319 N. Henry St.: the Plaza Burger is a 1964 recipe topped with the tavern's creamy Plaza Sauce, and at $8 on its posted menu, it's a downtown bargain. You can buy the sauce by the tub to take home.

East side pub burgers

• Weary Traveler Freehouse, 1201 Williamson St.: the house classic is Bob's Bad Breath Burger, a half-pound patty with cream cheese, green goddess, caramelized onions, garlic and tomato.
• Mickey's Tavern, 1524 Williamson St.: the Mickey Burger stacks a grass-fed beef patty with spicy giardiniera, chipotle aioli and a buttermilk-battered fried onion.
• Harmony Bar & Grill, 2201 Atwood Ave.: Jenifer Street Market ground chuck on a Stalzy's brioche bun, plus a famous walnut burger for non-meat-eaters.
• The Wisco, 852 Williamson St.: a dive bar that has claimed the "best burger on the east side" for decades, with hand-pattied Jenifer Street Market chuck.

Smash burgers

• Monty's Blue Plate Diner, 2089 Atwood Ave.: a double smashed steak patty with Swiss, grilled onions, Thousand Island and pickles on a potato bun. Wednesday is Smash Burger Night, with a discount.
• Dexter's Pub, 301 North St.: the Dexter's Smash is two Knoche's beef patties with American cheese and house pickles on a sesame bun, served exactly as built.
• The Free House Pub, 1902 Parmenter St., Middleton: two smashed patties, American cheese, lettuce, pickles, onion and house burger sauce.

Chef burgers on the Capitol Square

• Graze, 1 S. Pinckney St.: the Graze Burger blends brisket, short rib and bacon into one patty, with a caramelized onion and Cabernet jus, garlic aioli and a sesame duck-fat bun. It's a splurge.
• Merchant, 121 S. Pinckney St.: the Burger au Bleu is a blackened third-pound patty with Wisconsin blue cheese, black pepper aioli and Vidalia onion on brioche. Closed Mondays.
• The Great Dane, 123 E. Doty St. (also in Fitchburg and on Madison's east side): the Bavarian Burger, with mushrooms, caramelized onions and Butterkäse on a garlic-butter pretzel roll, goes well with a house-brewed beer. See our breweries guide.

West side taverns and big burgers

• Village Bar, 3801 Mineral Point Rd.: a neighborhood tavern known for its Brickburger.
• Oakcrest Tavern, 5371 Old Middleton Rd.: beef ground daily from steak trimmings. The Hungamburger weighs in at three-quarters of a pound.
• Red Rock Saloon, 222 W. Gorham St.: "monster burgers," including the Red Rock'n Burger with bacon, Cheddar, onion strings and barbecue sauce, and a 23-minute burger challenge.
• Nitty Gritty, 223 N. Frances St. (also in Middleton and Sun Prairie): the Gritty Burger with secret Gritty sauce, at the self-proclaimed "Official Birthday Place."

A Wisconsin original: the ButterBurger

Culver's opened its first restaurant in Sauk City, just northwest of Madison. Its ButterBurgers are made to order with fresh, never-frozen beef on a lightly buttered, toasted bun, and there are locations all over the Madison area. Browse them in our burger directory.

More ideas: our fish fry, supper clubs, bars and Wisconsin foods to try guides.