Best Burgers In Tokyo

Above, The Beat Diner's bartender. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If one happens to be in Tokyo for several days and after days of Japanese food (or if one doesn't like Japanese food), a craving for a good, juicy hamburger sets in, where do you go?

Naturally, there are McDonald's restaurants all over Tokyo. But, if one desires a burger much better than what McDonald's offers, Time Out Tokyo has a list of 20 "best burgers in Tokyo" to steer one in the right direction.

They begin it with:

The casual observer could be forgiven for thinking that fast food chains dominate the Tokyo hamburger scene - being confronted with golden arches, bearded kings, and their Japanese competitors cannot be avoided, no matter where you are in the city. However, once you dig a bit deeper, there's a huge selection of speciality burger joints that compete for the juiciest patty, the most imaginative toppings, and the tastiest buns, making Tokyo an unlikely haven for those partial to America's greatest culinary export. The west side of the city has long been known as the better burger side, although noteworthy eateries have began to rise in the east as well in recent years. Here's our 20 top picks, ranging from cheap eats to Kobe beef-based luxury choices and from simple classics to some highly unlikely topping combos. 

During my last trip to Tokyo (in December 2010), I discovered The Beat Diner (it is situated under the shinkansen tracks dividing Ginza and Hibiya and where Becker's used to be) and found their burgers to be excellent. Unfortunately, The Beat Diner didn't make the list, but I would still recommend them. Besides great burgers, they also have classic rock playing inside. (See my December 2010 review of The Beat Diner by going here.)

The burger joints Time Out Tokyo lists are intriguing. I may give any one of them a try during my next trip. They say that each one will make you "forget all about the chain grub."

To see the list, go here.