Best Burgers in the Washington, Maryland & Virginia Area

It seems like tasty, gourmet burger spots are opening up all over Washington D.C. and the surrounding metro area in Maryland and Virginia. Surely everybody has their favorite, but here's a list of the top spots for you to visit whether you live in the area or are planning a trip.

BGR The Burger Joint: 4 Washington D.C. locations: Bethesda, Arlington, Alexandria and Dupont

BGR, the Burger Joint, is definitely one of the best burger places in Washington D.C. With four different locations in the area, they are growing, and they have delicious burgers, fries, and other treats as well, including shakes. Don't forget to top your fries with some parmesan, rosemary or roasted garlic, and plan to try the classic, "The Burger", as well as a few specialty creations, like "The Cuban", featuring a burger topped by slow roasted pork and Serrano ham, or "The Southwestern", showcasing a burger with chipotle and poblano peppers topped with a black bean salsa.

Five Guys: Multiple D.C. locations

Five Guys started in Arlington, Virginia in 1986 and has since expanded into 40 states with over 600 locations. Five Guys keeps it nice and simple, tasty, greasy burgers, a few variations of fries, a few hot dogs thrown in for good measure, and plenty of free toppings for you to pile onto your selection, making it your own unique delight.

Good Stuff Eatery: 303 Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast; Washington, DC 20003; (202) 543-8222

From Top Chef alum Spike Mendelsohn, Good Stuff Eatery has a very nice collection of gourmet burgers, otherworldy shakes and sweet treats, great fries with a range of fun dipping sauces, and more. Burgers range from the "Spike's Sunnyside" with bacon, cheese and a fried egg atop of a burger to the "Big Stuff Bacon Meltdown", "Coletti's Smokehouse" featuring onion rings and BBQ sauce, "Vegetarians are People Too 'Shroom Burger" and the "Prez Obama Burger" with onion marmalade, Roquefort cheese and horseradish mayo.

Ray's Hell Burger: 1725 Wilson Blvd Arlington, Virginia 22201 - (703) 841-0001

From the masterminds of Ray's the Steaks, comes this fantastic burger joint that President Obama (and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev) made famous nationally, even though it already had a rabid following in the D.C. metro area and the surrounding suburbs. There are some special menu concoctions such as the "Little Devil" burger and the "Burger of Seville" with foie gras, but you can also create your own entirely fresh concept by picking and choosing your cheeses and toppings as they prepare your burger fresh.