New York’s Best Cheeseburger Is From Brooklyn Tavern With Old-School Vibe

Listed on our compilation of the best cheeseburger in every state is a haunt in Brooklyn that has earned its reputation. The Red Hook Tavern slings burgers that pay homage to Peter Luger Steak House’s cheeseburger. Made with a dry-aged blend of prime New York strip and chuck, the burger patty is cooked with continual flipping, resulting in a charred crust that has customers raving about the taste and writing that the burger “definitely lived up to the hype” on Instagram, with some even saying that it exceeds outrageous expectations. 

Red Hook Tavern also landed on our ranking of the world’s greatest burgers. The build of the cheeseburger is simple, placed inside a sesame bun and topped only with American cheese and white onion. “It’s not flashy or novel in any way, just an amazingly simple burger that does everything right,” wrote a fan on Reddit. Salt and peppered cottage fries and a pickle complete the plate for $34. “Yes, it’s pricey, but absolutely worth it,” wrote a customer on Google, who noted that the burger might even be better than Peter Luger’s. 

Burgers that keep New Yorkers satisfied 

Though a separate ranking of the best burgers in NYC from 2023 didn’t include Red Hook Tavern, with the list identifying Minetta Tavern’s burger as one of New York City’s best, the two establishments have drawn comparisons. “I tried the Minetta Tavern Black Label once, personally I liked the Red Hook burger more,” wrote a burger lover on Reddit. Minetta Tavern has gone on to claim the best burger — not cheeseburger — in New York in a separate Tasting Table roundup of the absolute best burgers in every state written in 2025. This means that in separate Tasting Table rankings of different burger categories, New York’s burger scene reliably performs strong, with several restaurants serving up some of the best burgers to be found throughout the United States.

For those who plan trips around food, stopping at both Red Hook Tavern to sample the cheeseburger and Minetta Tavern to order the regular burger can make for a filling and tasty competition. You can then draw your own conclusions as to which burger should be crowned king.