Local Voices

'World's Best Burger' Is Right Nearby

Turns out you don’t have to travel all that far to sample the world’s best burger.

That’s according to CNN where burger aficionado Josh Ozersky composd a “Top 10 Must-Try Burgers list for 2014.”

Ranking ninth on the list in a slide show titled, "Holy Cow! The World's Best Burger" is Hildebrandt’s in Williston Park.

Find out what's happening in Port Washingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Opened in 1927, the luncheonette is touted for its “flat burgers made from meat delivered daily by a local butcher,” according to Ozersky. “If there is a more quintessential hometown hamburger, I am sure I can’t imagine what it could be.”

The eatery is also known as an ice cream parlor-confectionery that whips up its own candy, ice cream, syrups and whipped cream. You’ll also find a healthy selection of Italian and chicken specials and wraps.

Find out what's happening in Port Washingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Hildebrandt’s “business model has stayed nearly unchanged for the last 83 years,” according to the eatery’s website. In the writeup of Hildebrandt's, Ozersky says that some of the burger joints on the list “might not be here next year. They therefore deserve to be honored now.” Hildebrandt's, he said, "looks like someplace where Archie might have taken Veronica—to name two more defunct figures." 

But judging by the luncheonette's Facebook page, it sounds as though Hildebrandt’s is here to say.

“Why did the article imply you won't be around much longer?” a follower wrote about the list.

Hildebrandt’s response?

“I don't know! Maybe because we've been around so long? I sent the author an email, just out of curiosity. If it's an interesting answer, I'll share.”

Other burger places on the list are in Massachusetts, Texas and even Oregon.

This isn’t the first time Hildebrandt’s has been in the spotlight. It was featured in Food Network show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” in March 2011.

If there's one tweak to the business model that the company incorporated since its inception, it may be handling the limelight with grace.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here