I’m not going to downplay it one bit: I love a big, juicy, tender…cheeseburger. (Get your mind out of the gutter!) Sometimes I’ll be perusing a restaurant menu and I’ll think “Eff it, forget that grilled chicken salad, forget that sandwich and soup, I’ll get the ¼ pound cheeseburger!" And not to be completely over-confident, but the best burgers I’ve tasted are probably the ones I’ve perfected myself. Granted, burgers are fairly easy to manage- cook your ground beef, place some cheese on top and insert it in between some hamburger buns- but I think there’s actually quite more to the technique. Aside from the meat patty quality, I believe its condiments play an equally important role in making a regular burger taste like a five-star meal.
In order to cook more than decent barbeque, try investing in an actual grill. If that’s not possible at the moment, a
grill pan is the next best thing. A grill pan should work perfectly enough for making a great burger. You
could essentially cook a burger patty in a regular frying pan, but then it would be lacking in grill marks, which is what you really want in a burger. I prefer to buy 80% lean/20% fat ground beef, which yields a pretty juicy piece of meat. When I prepare the ground beef patties, I like to dice garlic and onions and actually incorporate them in the meat. No need for any oil, I heat up the grill pan to high heat and place the ½ inch thick patties on top; the ground beef contains enough fat to forgo the oil. Without pressing down on the patties with a spatula to avoid moisture loss, I cook each side for about four minutes, letting the meat reach to about 160
° F, the magic number necessary to kill off e. coli bacteria. Meanwhile, as the meat is cooking, I begin to prepare a barbeque sauce created by yours truly: just a simple mixture of tomato ketchup, A1 steak sauce, vinegar, and sugar that's brought to a boil. When the second sides of the patties are already cooking, I place the barbecue sauce and some Swiss cheese on top of the finished sides. The remaining time allows for the cheese to melt completely, ‘cause God knows how annoying it is when I’m trying to devour a burger and the cheese is only halfway melted. When the burger patties are done, they should be covered in grill marks on the outside and present just a slight pink center; also known as a medium burger, my personal preference. I place the patties on toasted sesame seed buns along with tomatoes and avocado; all that’s needed with a burger. No need for any onions because they’re already mixed in the meat itself, and I just think lettuce is unnecessary and frankly, gets in the way.
As easily as this can be done in your own kitchen or backyard, there’s nothing wrong with searching for one at a local restaurant too.
Country Gourmet, Sunnyvale has a GREAT burger. As I mentioned earlier, I’m one of the managers of this American bistro. I know a lot about our products as well as secret inner sanctum dealings I can use against them, come the day they decide to dismiss me (muahaha.) But no really, our burgers are made with free range, Niman Ranch beef, with no fillers or antibiotics. You can choose from four different types of cheese, and for $11 a pop, you'd be hard pressed to find another ½ pound burger this good of quality elsewhere for any cheaper. (We also offer a ground turkey burger and a veggie patty burger. Talk about an advertisement!)
The Counter, Santana Row has tasty burgers too if you enjoy out-of-the-ordinary condiments and toppings (pineapple, mixed greens, apricot sauce, honey mustard, cucumbers, etc.) and
The Cheesecake Factory offers several different kinds of burgers, my favorite being the Kobe Burger, made with Kobe beef and filled with sautéed mushrooms and onions. And I don’t think
In N Out has ever disappointed with their simple, straight to the point "animal style" cheeseburger and fries. So seriously, forget the girly pasta in olive oil and the salad with the exotic dressing for the moment. Instead, dig your mittens into a big, juicy, manly, burger!
I’m not going to downplay it one bit: I love a big, juicy, tender…cheeseburger. (Get your mind out of the gutter!) Sometimes I’ll be perusing a restaurant menu and I’ll think “Eff it, forget that grilled chicken salad, forget that sandwich and soup, I’ll get the ¼ pound cheeseburger!" And not to be completely over-confident, but the best burgers I’ve tasted are probably the ones I’ve perfected myself. Granted, burgers are fairly easy to manage- cook your ground beef, place some cheese on top and insert it in between some hamburger buns- but I think there’s actually quite more to the technique. Aside from the meat patty quality, I believe its condiments play an equally important role in making a regular burger taste like a five-star meal. 
In order to cook more than decent barbeque, try investing in an actual grill. If that’s not possible at the moment, a grill pan is the next best thing. A grill pan should work perfectly enough for making a great burger. You could essentially cook a burger patty in a regular frying pan, but then it would be lacking in grill marks, which is what you really want in a burger. I prefer to buy 80% lean/20% fat ground beef, which yields a pretty juicy piece of meat. When I prepare the ground beef patties, I like to dice garlic and onions and actually incorporate them in the meat. No need for any oil, I heat up the grill pan to high heat and place the ½ inch thick patties on top; the ground beef contains enough fat to forgo the oil. Without pressing down on the patties with a spatula to avoid moisture loss, I cook each side for about four minutes, letting the meat reach to about 160° F, the magic number necessary to kill off e. coli bacteria. Meanwhile, as the meat is cooking, I begin to prepare a barbeque sauce created by yours truly: just a simple mixture of tomato ketchup, A1 steak sauce, vinegar, and sugar that's brought to a boil. When the second sides of the patties are already cooking, I place the barbecue sauce and some Swiss cheese on top of the finished sides. The remaining time allows for the cheese to melt completely, ‘cause God knows how annoying it is when I’m trying to devour a burger and the cheese is only halfway melted. When the burger patties are done, they should be covered in grill marks on the outside and present just a slight pink center; also known as a medium burger, my personal preference. I place the patties on toasted sesame seed buns along with tomatoes and avocado; all that’s needed with a burger. No need for any onions because they’re already mixed in the meat itself, and I just think lettuce is unnecessary and frankly, gets in the way. 
As easily as this can be done in your own kitchen or backyard, there’s nothing wrong with searching for one at a local restaurant too. Country Gourmet, Sunnyvale has a GREAT burger. As I mentioned earlier, I’m one of the managers of this American bistro. I know a lot about our products as well as secret inner sanctum dealings I can use against them, come the day they decide to dismiss me (muahaha.) But no really, our burgers are made with free range, Niman Ranch beef, with no fillers or antibiotics. You can choose from four different types of cheese, and for $11 a pop, you'd be hard pressed to find another ½ pound burger this good of quality elsewhere for any cheaper. (We also offer a ground turkey burger and a veggie patty burger. Talk about an advertisement!) The Counter, Santana Row has tasty burgers too if you enjoy out-of-the-ordinary condiments and toppings (pineapple, mixed greens, apricot sauce, honey mustard, cucumbers, etc.) and The Cheesecake Factory offers several different kinds of burgers, my favorite being the Kobe Burger, made with Kobe beef and filled with sautéed mushrooms and onions. And I don’t think In N Out has ever disappointed with their simple, straight to the point "animal style" cheeseburger and fries. So seriously, forget the girly pasta in olive oil and the salad with the exotic dressing for the moment. Instead, dig your mittens into a big, juicy, manly, burger!
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