Best Burgers Around Newport News: Pubs and Smash Patties

If you only try one burger on the Peninsula, make it Viking Burger. It’s a dedicated hamburger counter, not a bar that happens to serve burgers, and it backs that focus with the strongest combination of rating and volume on this list — 4.6 stars across nearly 2,500 reviews. The burgers run big, the topping combinations get creative rather than predictable, and there’s outdoor seating if you want to eat where you ordered instead of hauling a bag home. For a counter-serve spot, that’s the whole equation: fast, cheap, and worth the trip on its own.

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If you want the single highest-rated burger

Burgers on the Edge posts the best score of any burger spot on the Peninsula — 4.8 stars — though on a smaller base of reviews than Viking Burger. It orders through Toast for pickup, which suggests a leaner, more streamlined operation than a full sit-down restaurant. If you’re optimizing purely for “best-reviewed burger, no compromises,” this is the one to chase, with the caveat that fewer reviews means less of a track record to lean on than the Viking Burger crowd has built.

Best for a night out with a beer

For a burger that comes with an actual bar scene, Craft 60 Taphouse & Grill is the strongest pick. It pairs eclectic bar food with a rotating craft beer list, live music, and a patio — this is the place to bring a group for a few hours rather than grab-and-go. At 4.4 stars over more than 2,100 reviews, it’s proven itself as a hangout first and a kitchen second, which is exactly what you want on a Friday night.

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If you’re closer to Poquoson, 1631 Burgers Bourbon & Brew is worth the detour for the same reason with a different angle: bourbon instead of a full craft-beer rotation, and a 4.6-star average that edges out Craft 60’s. It’s a smaller sample of reviews, but the rating is consistent enough to trust for a date night or a slower dinner rather than a big group outing.

Best for drive-up nostalgia

Smitty’s Better Burger leans into its 1956 roots with drive-up service and foot-long franks alongside its burgers — it’s the closest thing on this list to an old-school American diner rather than a modern gastropub. At 4.5 stars across more than 2,400 reviews, it’s earned a loyal following, and it’s the right call when you want the drive-in experience rather than a sit-down meal or a bar seat.

Best quick, no-fuss pick

Burger Theory won’t out-rate Viking Burger or Burgers on the Edge, but it’s a solid, inexpensive, dedicated hamburger spot with over 900 reviews backing its 4.3-star average. It’s the sensible choice when you want a reliable burger without deciding between a tavern crowd or a drive-up counter — straightforward, consistent, and easy to get in and out of.

Where the chains fit in

If none of the above are convenient, the national chains on the Peninsula are serviceable fallbacks rather than destinations. Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews and BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse both land around 4.0 stars — fine for a mall food run or a group with mixed tastes, but neither distinguishes itself against the local options above. Shake Shack and Wayback Burgers rate noticeably lower here, so they’re a last resort rather than a pick worth planning a trip around.

The bottom line

For most people, the choice comes down to Viking Burger for the best all-around burger, Craft 60 Taphouse & Grill if the evening is really about the bar, and Smitty’s Better Burger if you want the drive-up version of a Peninsula classic. Everything else on this list is a reasonable backup, not a reason to skip the top three.

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From Newport News This Week.