Tallahassee loves burgers!
If you drive outside of Tallahassee, chances are you will see cattle. One of Florida’s biggest exports is beef. Over 6% of all agricultural products from Florida is Beef. Something that many Tallahasseeans appreciate is a well-prepared burger. We have some of the freshest beef in the country!
Check out our YouTube page too: https://youtu.be/td8YTaqexow
Having been Tallahassee Realtor for years, we had sampled burgers all over the place from chains and franchises to local mom-and-pop shops. If available, I always go for the blackened seasoning with blue cheese. My husband must have his bacon and American cheese. Along with the burgers, we have also sampled onion rings and fries from the best and the rest!
We posed the question: “Where was the best burgers and fries you have eaten in Tallahassee?” on locally-focused social media pages. Most of the places suggested we have tried and agree – those places do have good burgers. One suggestion though, was new to us. Apparently, a place only locals knew about. So we trekked on over there to check them out! And, we agreed. They deserved a spot on the Top 10 Burgers of Tallahassee!
Backwoods Crossing
One of our favorites all-time for any food! Locally owned and sourced food is the secret to the freshest ingredients! These guys grow and raise their own food – it does not get any fresher than that! They offer several different options, and I opted for the Black and Blue Boar burger, and it was fantastic! So tasty! I should also mention that this place is on our way home from Tallahassee, and we have eaten there several times.
These are local boys that grew up, moved away, but came back. You can read more about their training and travels on their webpage. Check out their webpage: https://www.backwoodscrossing.com/
We have loved everything we have tried on their menu. Every time the food is cooked as we ordered it and the ingredients are fresh! The best times to visit is when it is cool enough to sit outside underneath the shade of growing veggies. They do have an impressive dining room for indoor dining if bees are not your thing. Our favorite corner overlooks the wetlands next to the restaurant.
Bumpas Local #349
Located on NE Capital Circle, this place is HOPPIN on Friday and Saturday nights. We have gone several times for lunch and for the football game. This place is hoppin’ but DO NOT let that discourage you! Their staff did a great job even with the full house! Warning, it is a large cavern inside and it can get a bit LOUD! Especially if you come to watch the game. A word of advice – do not root for anyone but the local teams. Tallahassee is relaxed about a lot of things, but not their Saturday football.
This place is locally owned and been in business since 2018. Their portions are generous (enough for a second meal for me!) and everything we have tried has been fresh and delicious! They have a daily specials if you are not sure what to order – including Tacos Tuesdays!! Check out their story and menu on their website: https://bumpas349.com/
Our favorite place to sit is outside. We like to watch the traffic on Capital Circle. They do have a covered outdoor eating area with gas heaters for the cool winter evenings. They also carry local beers on tap. We recommend the 850, but more on that in a future post.
Vertigo Burgers & Fries
Near the Governor’s Square Mall on Apalachee Parkway, Vertigo Burgers & Fries is located on Lafayette Street. This is another place that sources locally as much as they can and the result is delicious, fresh, and a little bit scandalous. There are so many unusual burger flavors to try. I’ll be honest, there was one that was not my thing. It was fresh and perfectly cooked but was not my taste (I’m not a big pimento cheese fan – I should have known.).
If meat is not your thing, Vertigo carries the best vegetarian and vegan options when it comes to burgers. The taste can be unusual, but I have found some of the unusual combinations become my favorites. Their salads were a little small sized, but the burgers were more than I could eat.
Vertigo also has some of the best shakes in town too! SO many flavors to choose from! One final thing to add – every sandwich I had had was messy. Excellent, but messy. Not a first date kind of place! http://www.vertigoburgersandfries.com/
Midtown Caboose
Another locally owned restaurant that tries new combinations! They have a peanut butter and jelly burger that was surprisingly one of the best tastes EVER! I’ve tried to replicate it at home without luck! Trust me on this one though – if you are a PB&J and burger fan you must try this one! I know. I know. I was skeptical too but trust me on this one.
We have eaten here several times and we have found the service can be hit or miss. The food has been excellent every time. The menu is funny and mostly centered around sandwiches and the burger for which they are known. These guys have a bar in the back that can get loud during games. There is outdoor seating under cover as well.
The owners also owned a place near the university that I loved called Monks. It has since closed down, but it was also a favorite. Check out their webpage here: http://www.midtowncaboose.com/
Red Elephant
This place is underrated by Tallahassee’s social media. It was not mentioned once in the many responses to our posts, but it deserved to be. We found out about this place when they sponsored my daughter’s PTA event. They often have family nights where they share the proceeds of the night with a local school.
We have eaten here several times, from their first location near Midtown to their new location on Kerry Forest Parkway. I love their decorations. If you go, check out the picture of the guinea on the SW corner wall. How many people recognize it for what it is? LOL.
Everything we have tried here, we have loved. Their elephant burger was the bomb, but so was their blackened chicken sandwich, pasta ya ya, mojo salmon, and rebecca’s salad. Check out their webpage here: http://www.redelephantpizza.com/
Birds Oyster Shack
If anyone would have told me that one of Tallahassee’s best burgers can be found at a place called Bird’s Aphrodisiac Oyster Shack, I would have thought they were joking. It is not a joke though and this place is FANTASTIC!!! I posted on social medial looking for Tallahassee best burgers and fries, and Bird’s kept being recommended. We knew this little dive of a place. We’ve probably driven passed it hundreds of times and wondered how they stayed in business.
Bird’s has a sign that is decades old, and it is nestled under an oak tree so overgrown and ancient that it probably saw Andrew Jackson march down Tennessee Street. Now, we are proper Midwesterners and we were raised to NEVER eat sea food from anyplace with a rusty door and unkept yard. Turns out, we shouldn’t have been so prejudiced.
Their parking lot was half full when we pulled in at 11am and it just kept filling up as we ate. They have several size options for their burgers. Husband got the 20oz bacon cheeseburger and fries and I opted for the burger with blackened seasoning and blue cheese with onion rings. The onion rings were a bit salty for me, but everything else was DELICIOUS!! You have to try this place – don’t let the looks fool you too! Check out their webpage here: https://birdsoystershack.com/
Kool Beans
This was honestly the best burger I have ever had in Tallahassee. The meat was locally raised and grass-fed. The cheese and ingredients was also locally sourced and were SO FRESH!! The taste was AMAZING. To be honest, I do not remember the fries, but the burger has been idealized in my memories. The reason I put Kool Beanz as number 7 is because the burger is not always available. Their menu changes weekly. While we have gone back half a dozen times now and the food we order is always delicious and locally-sourced as much as possible, we have missed the burger. Check out their website here: http://www.koolbeanz-cafe.com/
Relish
This small franchise restaurant is located on Tennessee Street near the universities. Although a franchise, they got their start in Gainesville Florida and now have seven stores. Every time we have eaten there, they have been quick and tasty. Tallahassee loves them too. We love their goal: “Our goal is to soak in the Gainesville community like the sweet Florida sun and share the love.” We love to share the love from Tallahassee! Check out their webpage here: https://relishusa.com/
Grub
Another franchise that deserves an honorable mention. They are located in four southern states. We have found the food to be delicious and messy. Tallahassee gave lots of love to this franchise on social media too. Check out their page here: https://grubkitchenandbar.com/
Mann’s Dog House
This place is no longer located in Tallahassee, but when we originally found it -it was a Tallahassee food truck. So we are leaving it on this list for now. Mann’s has moved to Monticello and can be found on 19N just outside of the downtown area. This is hands down our favorite burger. We eat here at least 3-4 times a month. Only once in many months of orders did they get it wrong, and it was still delicious! Man o man… I think we will get burgers for dinner tonight!
Let us know who makes your favorite burger!
