Best Burger in Ann Arbor (B2A2): The Running List
A living series tracking our current contenders, notes, and repeat-order recommendations.
Welcome to B2A2, our long-running search for the best burger in Ann Arbor and the surrounding area.
This page is a living tracker. We'll update it as we publish each post, revisit restaurants, and adjust our rankings when a new burger changes the conversation.
How We're Evaluating Burgers
No scoring gimmicks. We are judging the burgers the way most people actually eat them:
- Flavor and beef quality
- Crust, texture, and consistency
- Bun-to-burger balance
- Condiment discipline (sauce should support, not bury)
- Side execution (especially fries)
- Whether we'd order it again at full price
We are also paying attention to context: service, pacing, and whether the overall plate feels intentional.
Current B2A2 Contenders
Raven's Club Smash Burger (TRC)
Our first published contender is already a serious one. Strong sear, clean structure, excellent fries, and a garlic aioli that improves both burger and side.
- Read: B2A2: Raven's Club Smash Burger
- Drink pairing worth ordering: LA FRESQUITA (chili-oil washed tequila, grapefruit, peach, lemon, tajin)
Frita Batidos Frita
Our second entry asks whether a Cuban-style frita even counts as a burger. The chorizo-beef patty with shoestring fries stacked on top is a structurally different animal from the Raven's Club smash burger, and the contrast is exactly why B2A2 exists.
- Read: B2A2: Frita Batidos
- Drink pairing worth ordering: Guava batido (thick, cold, resets the palate against the chorizo spice)
Echelon Smash Burger
Three entries in and we have our current leader. Chef VanWagner's wood-fired smash burger at the Echelon bar brings firepower the other two don't attempt. The sear, the American cheese, the house sauce, the brioche bun that holds its structure. This is the burger that made us soften every "best burger" claim we'd written before.
- Read: B2A2: Echelon Smash Burger
- Drink pairing worth ordering: Brine martini (dirty, briny, cuts through the richness)
Blimpy Burger
Four entries in and the series finally reaches the place that has been grilling burgers on South Ashley since 1953. Blimpy Burger is the democracy entry — build your own, pick your toppings, watch it cook on the flat-top, and pay in cash. No frills, no pretension, no credit cards. The burger is what you make it, and the regulars have had decades to figure out their order.
- Read: B2A2: Blimpy Burger
- Drink pairing worth ordering: None. It's Blimpy. Get a can of pop.
Sidetrack Signature Burger
Five entries in and B2A2 heads to Ypsilanti. Sidetrack Bar & Grill in Depot Town brings the pub burger the series was missing — a thick wagyu patty with sharp cheddar in a crooked building that's been standing since the 1850s. GQ once put this burger on a must-eat list. The series needed Ypsilanti, and Ypsilanti delivered.
- Read: B2A2: Sidetrack's Signature Burger
- Drink pairing worth ordering: Bell's Two Hearted (bitterness cuts the beef, carbonation resets the palate)
Green Dot Stables
Six entries in and B2A2 crosses into Detroit. Green Dot Stables in Corktown serves $3 sliders that ask the same question the frita did: what counts as a burger? Almost everything on the menu costs $3. The beef sliders are griddled, honest, and better than three dollars has any right to be.
- Read: B2A2: Green Dot Stables
- Drink pairing worth ordering: $3 cocktails (because everything is $3)
Mid-Series Rankings
After five entries, we ranked them. Read the full rankings piece.
What Happens Next
B2A2 is built to run over time. We'll keep adding contenders from across Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Detroit, and the surrounding area, then circle back for repeat visits where needed.
Some burgers will rise. Some will not hold up on revisit. That's the point.
If you want us to prioritize a specific spot, send it to us. We'll put it on the board.
Last updated: March 2026. This page is revised as new B2A2 posts are published.