Gilbert’s 17th Street Grill | Fort Lauderdale, Florida
This spot tucked in a Broward County strip mall is a Florida family-run gem where mom welcomes you with something witty and occasionally derogatory at the register. At the same time, her son works the grill in the back. You’ll find big half-pound certified Angus patties on that grill, billowing smoke in the Harbor Shops parking lot, and daring to negate their workout next door at the Orangetheory. The fries are all hand-cut, and the zany desserts are almost as much a draw as the meat, beckoning with pretzel-and-fudge-topped cookies from a display case. — Matt Meltzer
Gilbert’s 17th Street Grill
Grill Marks | Greenville, South Carolina
The stars of this list are the burgers, and they’re all chopped Angus beef, not ground, so the texture of the patty is fuller, richer, meatier. Starting $6.79. Creations range from the French Connection to the Hot Mess with caramelized onions, roasted garlic, Brie, and cabernet ketchup, adding a hot dog to two patties. But the best hamburger I’ve ever had is the Au Poivre Café, a coffee-and-peppercorn-crusted patty featuring cremini mushrooms and au Poivre. It’s as close as I’ve ever seen a perfect bun steak dinner. — MM
Grill Marks