It's Independence Day, Here Are Missouri's Best Burgers

ST. LOUIS, MO — Whoever coined the phrase “as American as apple pie,” should probably revise that to reflect that burgers are actually our passion.

Admittedly, “as American as two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame-seed bun,” may not have the same ring to it, but at least it would be factually correct — particularly on Independence Day, where Americans will spend $388 million on patties alone, according to CNBC. But if you don't feel like grilling your own on the Fourth of July holiday — or your boss’s barbecue invite somehow got lost in the mail — a recent MSN report says the best burger in Missouri is at Westport Flea Market Bar & Grill in Kansas City.

But there are roughly 50,000 burger joints in America — 1.6 burger restaurants for every 10,000 Americans — so if Kansas City seems like too much of a drive, you're sure to find a good burger closer to home. Here are some St. Louis recommendations from Patch.

• Bailey's Range: Alongside Bailey's Chocolate Bar, Small Batch, Rooster, Bridge Tap House and Wine Bar, The Fifth Wheel, Shift and Hugo's Pizzeria, Bailey's Range is one of a small family of excellent restaurants in St. Louis. The chefs do almost everything from scratch, including butchering and smoking whole hogs. Bailey's uses only 100 percent grass fed Missouri beef for their burgers. Try the Whiskey BBQ burger, with gouda and onion straws, The Grizzly, with a bison patty, brie, chipotle mayo and buffalo peppers, or the Ballpark Pretzel burger, which is just as delicious as it sounds.

• Dressel's Public House: Jon Dressel, who also owned Llywelyn's, opened his second neighborhood pub in 1980. His namesake has grown over the years, but remains a local favorite. The menu is sourced from local farms. Try the Missouri Lamb Burger, with apricot chutney, chevre, house bread and butter pickles, served on a brioche bun. Or try the classic Dressel's Burger, with beef from Ridgley Farm, aged cheddar cheese and onion jam.

• Layla: The only gourmet burger and shawarma joint in St. Louis, Layla is located in the heart of The Grove, just a few blocks from Tower Grove Park and the Missouri Botanical Garden. Their fresh ground beef and pork are locally sourced, as is their bread, ice cream and beer. Try The Reaper, a beef burger with smoked leg of lamb, Monterrey jack cheese, apricot ketchup, sumac onions, lemon-garlic mayo and flash-fried kale. The Clarice features a seasoned lamb burger with Mediterranean pico, tzatziki and feta. Or Perhaps the Wilford Brimley might interest you: A ground beef and bacon patty, pepperjack cheese, hickory-smoked bacon, Bourbon bacon jam and beer-battered onion rings, served on a pretzel bun with a side of pepperjack bacon sauce. Did we mention there's bacon?

• Stacked Burger Bar: Get stacked with Stacked Burger Bar's buy one, get one half off deal every Monday. Hey, Memorial Day is on Monday, so that works out. The burger of the day is a ground chuck patty topped with pork al pastor, house-made salsa verde and pineapple pico de gallo on a brioche bun. Or try one of the everyday staples like The Wet Nap, a ground chuck patty smothered with barbecue sauce, house-made three cheese sauce and crispy onions; the Bella Bleus, with blue cheese crumbles, a mushroom medley and spring mix with honey-thyme balsamic glaze; or The Dictator, a ground chuck burger with spicy beer mustard, sauerkraut and a bratwurst on a pretzel bun.

• Sub Zero Vodka Bar: Sub Zero has one of the longest drink lists in St. Louis, but they also have a fantastic menu. Opened by two brothers, Derek and Lucas Gamlin, in 2004, Sub Zero is one of the only places in the city where you can get a burger with a side of sushi while enjoying one of the largest (they say THE largest) selection of vodka in the country. Try the Sub Zero Melt, with certified Hereford beef, American Cheese, creamy cheddar cheese, pickled jalapenos, pickles and caramelized onions on toasted sourdough. The Bacon Bourbon BBQ Burger is a good standby, with Hereford beef, bacon, cheddar, Bourbon BBQ sauce and spicy tempura-battered poblano peppers. But, the best burger on the menu is probably the World's Fair Burger, with two griddle-style Hereford beef patties, bacon, jalapeno cheese sauce, roasted bell peppers and onions on a pretzel bun. They even donate $1 from each World's Fair Burger sold to Forest Park Forever, a private nonprofit conservancy that partners with the City of St. Louis to maintain Forest Park.

Americans’ love for burgers can be traced to 19th century German immigrants, whose restaurants served ground beef patties that were eaten with utensils. Shortly thereafter, someone discovered you could put bread around the slab of meat. Voila! A sandwich was born.

If you’re planning to fire up the grill Wednesday — the No. 1 most popular grilling holiday, according to CNN — don’t skimp on the ingredients. Chefs say a variety of factors go into a great burger, including the meat-to-fat ratio, the type of meat and bun, and even the crisp of the bun.

Consumers mostly agree. A 2009 report found that three out of every four burger-enthusiasts ranked meat quality as either the first or second most important attribute, followed by toppings.

What do you think? Tell us in the comments what makes a perfect burger and where you go to get them.

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