Year over year, hamburgers remain at the top of the list of the most popular foods in America, and you’ll reliably find them on the menus of restaurants big and small, fast and fancy. But it takes some creativity nowadays to stand out with new burger creations. Still, in metro Denver, there are m ultiple places putting effort into signature burgers that make them worth visiting and revisiting. We’ve shared our love for burgers in the past with this list of 12 favorites, with a profile of one of the best smashburgers in the city, and by reporting on Denver’s Burger Battle. Now, we’ve got five more businesses to share with you, all of them flipping fabulous burgers — and some of which you may not yet have heard of. Even better: Some of them have multiple locations. The royale with cheese burger and a side salad at Briar Patch, a Denver bar and grill operated by chef Amanda Singh. (Miguel Otarola/The Denver Post) Briar Patch/Briar Common Brewery + Eatery Fancy a beer with your burger? There isn’t a better original deal than at Briar Common Brewery + Eatery and its five-month-old sister restaurant, Briar Patch. At Briar Patch, chef Amanda Singh rotates in new burgers seasonally. (When I was there last fall, a jalapeno popper burger was on the menu.) But I ordered the Royale with Cheese; that phrase really just paints a picture of deliciousness. (And I’m not talking “Pulp Fiction.”) The burger was juicy and melded perfectly with the cheese, and was paired with salad greens and cherry tomatoes that gave the plate a bit of color, too. The Briar Common brewery in Jefferson Park has a $10 cheeseburger during happy hour, which is 3 to 6 p.m. during the work week except Tuesdays, when it is all day long.  A heaping double patty is pressed into a smash burger, topped with American cheese and Thousand Island dressing, served on a simple bun, and with a side of kettle chips. Briar Patch, 1222 Madison St., Denver; Briar Common Brewery + Eatery, 2298 Clay St., Denver The Don Jesus burger at Hamburguesas Don Jesus ($12), located on 800 Decatur St. in Denver. (Miguel Otarola/The Denver Post) Hamburguesas Don Jesus No one will come out of Hamburguesas Don Jesus thinking their hamburger was too small. Or too plain. If anything, they’ll take one look at the menu, then their basket of burgers and fries, and be humbled by their vastness. There may not be another Denver restaurant that piles as many toppings between two (toasted sesame) buns. The creations abound: The “revuelta” ($15 regular size) pairs the beef patty with chicken nuggets. The “queso fresa” ($15) adds strawberries. The “queso piña” ($13) has pineapple. The “Mar y Mar” ($16) consists of a fried fish filet with fried shrimp. All of the burgers come with sliced avocado, a slice of grilled deli ham, mayo and ketchup. If you don’t want any more than that, order the titular “Don Jesus” ($12). 800 Decatur St., Denver and 5318 Sheridan Blvd., Arvada Gaia Masala Burger has an extensive menu of Indian, Mediterranean and American cuisine. (Provided by Gaia Masala Burger) Gaia Masala Burger Gaia Masala Burger, a chain of Indian fast-food shops in Colorado (with other locations in New York and Kansas City), freshens up its burger with a bright tikka masala sauce, mint and thinly sliced cucumber. The $15 beef tikka masala burger combo comes with crispy, glistening fries and fry sauce for dipping. There are other varieties, too, with lamb, chicken, or veggie, and a “super-hot” version with even spicier sauce and jalapenos. Locations across the Front Range; see gaiamasalaandburger.com for more DENVER, CO - JANUARY 29: Ian Curtis makes a double smashburger at Right Cream in Denver, Colorado on January 29, 2026. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post) Right Cream This is what a proper smash burger looks like: Pressed flat to double the circumference of the actual bun, with crisp, burnt edges and with a gooey gob of cheese preferably melting above it. Put two of those patties together and exponentialize the flavor. Right Cream’s small shop, located by the University of Denver, grew from a pandemic-era ice cream delivery service. The smashburgers went on the menu in 2024, and Right Cream’s double decadences of beef and dairy have never made more sense. 2423 S. Downing St., Denver The R!ot burger at R!ot, a Denver metro burger chain, made with two smashed burgers, American cheese and pickled jalapenos. (Provided by Junction Food Drink) Riot American Grill Riot (stylized R!ot) is the designated burger stand at three Colorado food halls: Freedom Street Social in Arvada, Junction Food Drink in south Denver and Parkway Food Hall in Longmont. The Riot burger itself (listed $13.99 online, though fries are extra) has two smash patties, American cheese, pickles, fried onions and, tipping it to greatness, pickled jalapenos for the necessary kick. Riot also has chicken sandwiches, a falafel burger and the option to build your own burger. Though the city of Denver’s licensing department lists the operator as Pete Koury, little else is known about this burger concept’s origins. Inside Junction Food Drink, 2000 S. Colorado Blvd. Building IV, Denver; Freedom Street Social, 15177 Candelas Pkwy., Arvada; and Parkway Food Hall, 700 Ken Pratt Blvd., Longmont. Subscribe to our new food newsletter, Stuffed, to get Denver food and drink news sent straight to your inbox. ...read more read less