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Local guideThe best burger in Anchorage, early or late
Anchorage takes its burgers seriously, and everyone has a favorite. Here is how to actually find a great one, whether it is a lunch run or a craving at 2 in the morning.
What makes a burger worth the drive
A great burger is not complicated, but it is easy to get wrong. Fresh beef beats a patty that sat frozen. A thin smashed patty with lacy, crispy edges gives you more of that seared, beefy crust in every bite than a thick pub patty does. The bun should hold together without turning to mush, and the sauce should do more than sit there. Get those few things right and you have something people drive across town for.
Smash burgers, and why Anchorage fell for them
A smash burger starts as a loose ball of beef that gets pressed hard onto a screaming hot flat top. It sears in seconds and picks up those craggy brown edges you cannot fake. It cooks fast, which is perfect for takeout, and it takes sauce and cheese beautifully. That is the style City Boy built its name on. We press every patty to order and finish it with our house special sauce, the one people keep trying to reverse engineer.
Early or late, timing matters
Plenty of Anchorage burger spots are great at lunch and dinner, then the grills go cold. Many close by 9 or 10 in the evening. City Boy opens at 5 in the afternoon and runs latest of all, until 3 in the morning on Friday and Saturday. So whether you want an early dinner or a real burger after the bars close, there is a window that works. If you are chasing a burger late, City Boy is very likely your best and sometimes your only hot option. More on that in our guide to late night food in Anchorage.
Try the one with its name on it
If you only order one thing, make it the City Boy Jalapeno Burger. It is our signature: a smashed patty with a little jalapeno heat, the special sauce, and the City Boy mark branded right into the bun. Not into heat? The plain Smash Burger and the Patty Melt do the same crispy edge trick without the kick. Add shoestring fries, cut and dropped fresh, and wings if you are feeding a crew. See the full lineup on our menu.
What locals and the press say
City Boy landed on Yelp's Top 10 burgers in Anchorage next to the city's longtime favorites, and food writer Julia O'Malley called it the burger Anchorage wants. You can read more of that on our reviews page, or just come decide for yourself.
Come get one
City Boy Burgers is at 3024 Mountain View Dr, Ste 108, Anchorage, AK 99508, with a drive-thru and a walk up window. Takeout only, quick in and out. Call (907) 952-5000 or get directions.