Burgers are enjoying a moment in Philadelphia, with local chefs from even the most upscale restaurants crafting elevated takes on the popular American classic, writes Kae Lani Palmisano for Philadelphia Magazine.
“One of the cool things about this proliferation of burgers is that it’s sort of a lens to filter your own cuisine and culinary vision through this really familiar dish,” said Tyler Akin, the owner and chef of Corsican-inspired Bastia in Fishtown.
Akin’s burger is a delicious combination of brisket and short rib with fontina, piparra tapenade, caramelized onions, and a balsamic aioli combining both French and Italian influences.
He is one of many Philadelphia chefs using burgers as an empty canvas to showcase their overall restaurant concepts.
Wilder, which puts a sophisticated spin on casual favorites, tops its burgers with pungent, semi-soft Taleggio cheese and maitake mushrooms. Meanwhile, the pimento cheese Rex at the Royal uses on its burgers captures the eatery’s southern charm.
For Ember & Ash on East Passyunk, burgers were pivotal in its recent rebrand.
Co-owner and chef Scott Calhoun even said that items like their burger and steak frites will be front and center with its emphasis on gastropub food as the eatery enters the next phase of its rebrand.
Read more about Philadelphia’s burger boom and why it’s likely to continue evolving in Philadelphia Magazine.
_____
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on PHILADELPHIA Today in March 2025.
