Top Burger Joints at the Jersey Shore

With all due respect to the hamburger corporations that hold our highways together, when you come to the Jersey Shore, do not - I repeat, do not - settle for a typical fast food meal. Things move at a slower pace down by the beach and you should take the time to find a meal that you can linger over, not something that you normally eat while drive 65 miles an hour. Here are suggestions of places to find a hamburger at the Jersey Shore worth pulling over for.

The Hamburger Construction Company, 10^th street on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, is a gem by the sea. This is not your standard boardwalk fare. The burgers are freshly made, with great bread that holds it all together. The rolls are steamed to make them just right for the ¼ pound of ground meat that makes the burger. That's it, no fancy seasonings or tricks, just fresh ground meat, topped with fresh lettuce, tomatoes and of course a pickle. For something different, try a Taylor Burger, which is the signature burger with a slice of Taylor Pork Roll on top. They also make a mean chicken cheese steak and fries salted just right.

Cape May, NJ is known for its great food and here you would expect to find a great burger. That you can do at Zoe's Beachfront Eatery, on the Beach at Stockton Place. With a great view of both the surf and Victorian houses that Cape May is famous for, Zoe's will deliver a ½ pound burger that you have to wrap your hands around. The best is their veggie burger, made fresh with no soy fillers. This is a fun place, kid and pet friendly; they even let pooches dine with patron on their outdoor patio.

Wildwood, NJ is a hit or miss town for food but at the Alumni Grill, Pacific and Oak avenues, you'll always get a bulls-eye. This place know for their Jekyll & Hyde Cheesesteak®, which is half beef and half chicken steak served loaded with bacon, provolone cheese and their special Jekyll Sauce. But if it's a burger you're craving they have a great selection, everything from a 1/3 basic burger to one topped with garlic mashed potato and gravy. For a taste of the shore, try their Crab Burger, which is topped with a deep-fried jumbo lump crab cake and honey jalapeño sauce.

There are a thousand variations of hamburgers, and you can get each and every one of them at Cheeseburger Cheeseburger, 9407 Ventnor Ave, Margate. Yes, this is a chain restaurant, but a small chain, and its concept is so different it's worth stopping in. The idea is that you can order your burger built the way you want it. Beef sizes range from a whopping 20 ounces to their "beginner" burger of 5.5 ounces. Then choose from the humongous list of toppings, as many as you want. Like pineapple and pickles, get it. Black olives and banana peppers, they have it. This theme is carried over into their entire menu, from malts you can mix up to sides with your choice of sauce. A fun family place that will leave you full.