B2A2: Frita Batidos
Entry two in our burger series isn't technically a burger. That's what makes it interesting.
The frita at Frita Batidos may not be a burger, depending on the definition. If a burger requires a ground beef patty on a bun, the frita qualifies on technicality; if it requires a specific American tradition of beef, cheese, and standard toppings, it is its own Cuban street-food category. That ambiguity is why it belongs in this series.
This is the second entry in B2A2, Best Burger in Ann Arbor. After the Raven's Club smash burger, Frita Batidos provides a structurally different downtown comparison.
The Frita
The patty is a blend of chorizo and beef, seasoned enough that you taste spice and pork fat before you taste the beef. It's not a neutral canvas the way a smash burger is. The Raven's Club burger lets the sear and the beef do the talking. The frita has opinions before you add anything to it.
Then there are the shoestring fries. On the burger. This is the detail that trips people up when they haven't been here before. A tangle of thin, crisp fries sits on top of the patty, inside the bun. It sounds like a stunt, but it works because of what it does to the texture. You get the soft egg bun, the seasoned meat, and then this layer of crunch that changes the bite completely. Every mouthful has something going on. There is no moment where you're just chewing bread and beef.
The bun is soft, eggy, and slightly sweet. It compresses around the patty without falling apart, which is harder to pull off than it sounds when you've got fries stacked on top adding structural chaos.
A drizzle of sauce ties it together. The whole thing costs around $10, which is roughly half of what a comparable plate costs at a sit-down restaurant.
The Batido
At Raven's Club, the natural pairing is a cocktail. At Frita Batidos, it is a batido.
The tropical shakes are thick and cold and built from real fruit. Mango is the safe pick and a good one. Guava has more personality. They are sweet, but they work next to the spice in the frita the way the La Fresquita worked next to the smash burger at Raven's Club. The drink resets your palate. It cools the chorizo heat and gives you a reason to take another bite.
You could get a beer instead. But you'd be wrong.
The Room
Frita Batidos at 117 W Washington St is small, loud, and bright. The walls are colorful. The music is up. You order at the counter and then you wait, listening for your name. They call them out, and you need to pay attention because the room is noisy and the calls come a little low. The tables are communal and bigger than the old setup, but you are still elbow to elbow with strangers. That opens itself to conversations. The line moves faster than it looks, which surprises first-timers who see it snaking out the door and almost leave.
This is a different kind of meal than Raven's Club. There's no bartender crafting something behind a dim bar. There are no cloth napkins. You're eating a $10 sandwich with your hands while someone's bag bumps your chair, and somehow the food is serious enough to justify a spot in a best-burger conversation. That contrast says something about what we're actually measuring in B2A2.
Is It a Burger?
The definition matters for the series. If it counts only traditional beef patties on buns, the frita is a guest entry. It is Cuban street food with its own lineage. As the restaurant tells its own history, Eve Aronoff Fernandez opened Frita Batidos in 2010, drawing on more than 25 years in professional kitchens and formal culinary training.
The Michigan Daily's annual readers' poll has repeatedly named Frita Batidos the best burger in Ann Arbor, a run that goes back more than a decade. When Aronoff Fernandez opened a Brooklyn location, The Lo Times named it Best New Burger in NYC. The people have voted, and they're calling it a burger.
The frita occupies its own category, and B2A2 is better for including it. A series that only compares smash burgers to smash burgers runs out of useful questions; the broader question is what a great burger-format sandwich can be.
Where It Fits
The Raven's Club smash burger is pure technique. Thin patties, hard sear, clean flavors, everything in its place. The frita is personality. It's spiced, layered, a little chaotic, and unmistakably its own thing.
The two entries suit different occasions: Raven's Club for a cocktail-led meal, Frita Batidos for a casual sandwich and batido.
Two entries in, and B2A2 already has range.
This is part of our ongoing series. Read the full tracker: Best Burger in Ann Arbor (B2A2): The Running List.
Frita Batidos is at 117 W Washington St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Also in Detroit and Brooklyn.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a frita at Frita Batidos?
A chorizo-and-beef patty with shoestring fries piled inside the bun, drizzled with sauce. About $10. The Michigan Daily's readers' poll has named it Ann Arbor's best burger for more than a decade.
What is the best thing to order?
The frita and a batido. The guava or mamey shakes are the right call. The combination is the whole point.
Does Frita Batidos have vegetarian options?
Yes. Black bean frita and portobello frita. The batidos are all vegetarian and are worth ordering regardless.
Is it the best burger in Ann Arbor?
It leads the B2A2 series after 13 entries, on its own structural terms rather than as a traditional smash burger.