Best Burgers in Racine, Ranked
Racine has an unusually deep burger scene. The area offers everything from a century-old lunch-counter hamburger and massive tavern creations to brisket-tallow smash burgers, stuffed burgers and birria-inspired specialties.
To create this ranking, we considered:
Recommendations from Racine-area diners
Current menus and operating status as of July 2026
Google, Facebook, Yelp and Tripadvisor review patterns
The volume and consistency of burger-specific praise
Signature burgers that distinguish each restaurant
Value, local character and availability
We focused primarily on restaurants in the city of Racine, with a limited exception in neighboring Mount Pleasant because it serves the immediate Racine dining area.
Related: The best burgers in Kenosha
Here are the best burgers in Racine, ranked from No. 15 to No. 1.
15. Coasters Bar & Grill
Coasters Bar & Grill is an established neighborhood restaurant serving the kind of substantial tavern burgers that never go out of style.
Its burger menu features half-pound patties and specialty combinations such as the Quesa Burger, Texas Burger and mushroom burger. These are thicker, topping-heavy pub burgers rather than thin smash burgers.
Coasters earned an enthusiastic recommendation in the local discussion and remains an accessible neighborhood option. Its broader online reviews are somewhat less consistent than those of the restaurants higher in the ranking, placing it at No. 15.
Burger to try: Quesa Burger
Address: 1301 N. Main St., Racine
14. Suds & Grub
Suds & Grub earned several nominations from Racine residents, indicating a loyal following for its neighborhood-bar burgers.
This is a casual, no-frills destination with substantial burgers, pub food and late-night hours. It doesn’t generate as much burger-specific online attention as Kewpee, Pepi’s or Buca’s, but repeat recommendations from local diners make it worthy of inclusion.
Suds & Grub is a good choice when you want a traditional bar burger without the crowds or hype surrounding some of Racine’s better-known destinations.
Burger to try: Bacon cheeseburger
Address: 4507 Douglas Ave., Racine
13. Toad Hall
Burger to try: Double smash burger
Good to know: Location, menu and hours vary by service date.
Toad Hall pairs its English-style pub atmosphere and extensive beer selection with creative burgers and bar food.
One longtime favorite is the Trojan Horse, which combines a beef burger with gyro meat, feta, tomato and onion. It’s an inspired mashup that reflects Toad Hall’s playful approach to traditional pub food.
The restaurant has a longstanding local following and frequently appears among Racine’s recommended burger destinations. Its inventive combinations help it stand out from the city’s more conventional neighborhood bars.
Burger to try: Trojan Horse
Address: 611 Wisconsin Ave., Racine
12. Rosie’s
Rosie’s is primarily known as a friendly breakfast-and-lunch diner, but its burgers received enough independent community support to earn a place in the Top 15.
Customers praise its fresh, hand-formed patties and traditional diner preparation. This isn’t the place for towering toppings or experimental sauces. Rosie’s strength is a straightforward, well-seasoned burger prepared in an old-fashioned neighborhood restaurant.
Because Rosie’s generally maintains daytime-oriented hours, check its current schedule before making a burger-specific trip.
Burger to try: Rosie’s cheeseburger
Address: 1804 Taylor Ave., Racine
11. Roosters Family Restaurant
Roosters Family Restaurant is best known for its hearty breakfasts, homemade toast and oversized skillets, but the Rooster Burger has developed a following of its own.
One Racine diner specifically insisted that it must be the Rooster Burger—and added that the restaurant’s cream of potato soup “could solve world peace.” We can’t verify the latter claim, but Roosters does have hundreds of positive reviews and a reputation for generous portions.
It’s an especially useful family-friendly choice when some members of your group want burgers and others want breakfast.
Burger to try: Rooster Burger
Address: 1521 Yout St., Racine
10. Uptown Pub & Grill
Uptown Pub & Grill earns its place because stuffed burgers have long been promoted as one of the restaurant’s house specialties.
Instead of simply stacking cheese and toppings above the patty, Uptown’s stuffed-burger concept incorporates selected ingredients inside the burger. That gives it a distinctive identity within Racine’s largely tavern- and smash-burger-driven scene.
Availability may not always be consistent. Some recent customers have reported being unable to order a stuffed burger despite seeing it advertised. Call ahead if that is the specific reason for your visit.
Burger to try: Stuffed burger, when available
Address: 1510 Junction Ave., Racine
9. DeMark’s Bar & Restaurant
DeMark’s Bar & Restaurant is a three-generation, family-owned Racine institution with one of the city’s most recognizable specialty burgers.
Its signature World Famous Pizza Burger combines two classic comfort foods in an old-school neighborhood tavern setting. It appears repeatedly in customer reviews, local dining recommendations and restaurant photos, making DeMark’s more than a bar that happens to serve hamburgers. It is a genuine Racine burger destination.
DeMark’s doesn’t have the trendy smash-burger profile of Dragon Pit or Spaceman, but its longevity and signature creation give it a well-earned place in the Top 10.
Burger to try: World Famous Pizza Burger
Address: 1600 Albert St., Racine
8. Zekie’s Whip Ups
Zekie Rogers has developed one of the Racine area’s most energetic independent food brands. Zekie’s Whip Ups specializes in made-to-order smash burgers, Phillies and rotating comfort-food creations served at pop-ups, markets and community events.
The operation received some of the most enthusiastic recommendations in our community research. Its burgers feature crisp, deeply browned edges, melted cheese and the generously portioned construction smash-burger fans crave.
Zekie has also built a substantial personal following, with approximately 6,700 followers, and promotes private-chef bookings in Wisconsin and beyond. The Zekie’s Whip Ups Instagram account describes the business as the home of Phillies and smash burgers and provides current service announcements.
Zekie’s was also the winner of the first annual Smash Burger Showdown in Monroe County, Pennsylvania.
7. Gus’s Gyros
Gus’s Gyros makes the least restrained burger in this ranking.
The BFB combines three burger patties with gyro meat, bacon, barbecue sauce and an assortment of additional toppings. It is enormous, messy and completely uninterested in moderation.
The burger can be polarizing because of its size, but that is also why it has become such a memorable Racine creation. Customers who don’t want to tackle the full monster can order one of Gus’s more conventional burgers, which also receive praise for being thick and juicy.
Burger to try: The BFB
Address: 2100 Douglas Ave., Racine
6. Spaceman Burgers
Spaceman Burgers is one of Racine’s most promising newer burger operations. It received numerous recommendations in the community discussion—more than several established restaurants.
Spaceman specializes in smash burgers with crispy edges and creative combinations. The Western Burger has attracted particularly enthusiastic feedback from customers.
Follow Spaceman Burgers on Facebook for its current location and schedule.
Burger to try: Western Burger
Good to know: Confirm the current service location and hours before visiting.
5. La Taquiza Guadalajara
The Birria Smash Burger at La Taquiza Guadalajara may be the most distinctive burger in the Racine area.
La Taquiza specializes in Jalisco-style birria and applies those deeply seasoned flavors to a modern smash burger. The current menu describes it as a juicy beef patty topped with melted cheese, birria and the diner’s choice of additional toppings.
Earlier versions of the burger sometimes appeared as specials, but it is now included on current ordering menus. The result is juicy, crispy, cheesy and unapologetically messy—a genuine fusion burger rather than a conventional cheeseburger with a Mexican-inspired topping.
La Taquiza is technically in Mount Pleasant, but its Mead Street location serves the immediate Racine dining area and belongs in this conversation.
Burger to try: Birria Smash Burger
Address: 2343 Mead St., Mount Pleasant
4. Dragon Pit
Dragon Pit BBQ is primarily a barbecue restaurant, but it makes fresh Angus smash burgers using smoked brisket tallow. That technique produces crispy edges while adding the smoky richness of a serious barbecue kitchen.
The Double Willy inspired the strongest endorsement in the original community discussion: “Get the Double Willy and tell me I’m wrong.” Other diners independently praised the burgers’ crust, seasoning and barbecue-influenced flavor.
Its combination of modern smash-burger texture and traditional barbecue technique gives Dragon Pit the narrow victory over Kewpee.
Burger to try: Double Willy
Address: 322 Sixth St., Racine
Hours: Generally Tuesday through Saturday; confirm current hours before visiting.
3. Pepi’s Pub & Grill
Pepi’s Pub & Grill has one of Racine’s most creative burger programs.
Its menu has featured combinations involving blackened patties with bacon and blue cheese; bacon, ham, egg and multiple cheeses; and burgers topped with bacon, onion rings, grilled onions and barbecue sauce.
Pepi’s also offers a rotating Burger of the Week, giving regular customers something new to try. Because specialty names and weekly offerings change, check the current menu instead of making a trip specifically for an older burger.
The restaurant’s craft beer, bourbon, pinball and arcade games make it one of downtown Racine’s most entertaining burger stops.
Burger to try: Burger of the Week—or one of the current specialty burgers
Address: 618 Sixth St., Racine
2. Buca’s Bar & Grill
Buca’s Bar & Grill received one of the largest concentrations of recommendations in the Racine discussion. Several diners specifically named the Bacon Bourbon Burger.
The burger starts with a half-pound Angus steakburger and adds bacon, cheddar, bourbon glaze and crispy onion strings. The combination is sweet, salty, smoky and substantial.
Other popular options have included the Big Buca Burger, topped with pulled pork, pepper cheese and fried onions, and Bonnie’s Black & Blue Burger.
Buca’s is Racine’s best destination for diners who prefer a thick, char-grilled tavern burger instead of a thinner smash patty.
Burger to try: Bacon Bourbon Burger
Address: 4234 Douglas Ave., Racine
1. Kewpee Sandwich Shop
Kewpee Sandwich Shop isn’t merely a place to get a burger. It is part of Racine’s culinary identity.
Kewpee’s Racine history dates to 1926, and was once a much larger national chain that helped shape the early American fast-food industry. Only a handful of locations survive.
The burgers are thin, fresh and cooked on a well-seasoned griddle. Order one with cheese, pickles, onions, ketchup and mustard—and seriously consider ordering two.
An OnMilwaukee review of Kewpee praised its unpretentious lunch-counter style, while generations of Racine families have made it a local tradition.
This isn’t a gourmet burger, and it isn’t trying to be. It’s a wonderfully simple Wisconsin lunch-counter hamburger that has survived while food trends came and went around it.
Burger to try: Cheeseburger with the works
Address: 520 Wisconsin Ave., Racine
Good to know: Hours can be limited, and the restaurant occasionally sells out. Confirm current hours before making a long drive.
Honorable Mentions
My Wife’s Bar & My Grill
My Wife’s Bar & My Grill remains a worthwhile neighborhood choice for large, affordable tavern burgers.
The Hillbilly Burger, topped with coleslaw and baked beans, is its most distinctive option. It narrowly missed the Top 15 to make room for DeMark’s, which has a longer and more clearly documented burger-specific legacy.
Burger to try: Hillbilly Burger
Address: 1814 Taylor Ave., Racine
Rad’s Place
Rad’s Place received a specific recommendation for its double smash burger. However, its online listings and social pages reflect changing menus and operating arrangements, making the burger’s consistent availability difficult to verify.
It remains a place worth watching, but diners should confirm the current menu and hours before visiting.
Racine’s Beachside Oasis
Racine’s Beachside Oasis combines made-to-order smash burgers with a lakefront setting.
Its event-driven, seasonal schedule and smaller pool of burger reviews kept it outside the Top 15, but it could be an excellent summer stop when burgers are being served.
Address: 100 Kewaunee St., Racine
Good to know: Check the current event and food schedule before visiting.
Butcher & Barrel Gastropub
Butcher & Barrel has offered a well-regarded Sunday burger, but the burger has not always been a daily core-menu item.
That limited availability makes it better suited to an honorable mention than a spot in a ranking of dependable burger destinations.
Buckets Pub 2nd Round
Buckets Pub 2nd Round serves several traditional bar burgers and has a strong overall reputation among local diners.
Burger-specific recommendations were less frequent than they were for the ranked restaurants, but Buckets remains a dependable neighborhood option.
Address: 2031 Lathrop Ave., Racine
Georgie Porgie’s
Georgie Porgie’s specializes in burgers and custard and operates a Racine-area location on Washington Avenue.
It is a dependable, family-friendly option, but its Mount Pleasant location and small local-chain format kept it outside a list focused primarily on independent Racine restaurants.
Address: 5502 Washington Ave., Mount Pleasant
Junction Pub & Grill
Junction Pub & Grill serves several burgers, including its Pico Burger, and received a recommendation in the original community discussion.
It was left outside the Top 15 because it is located in Sturtevant rather than Racine. It would be a legitimate contender in a broader Racine County burger ranking.
Mosquito Inn
Mosquito Inn also received a local nomination, but it is located in Caledonia. Like Junction Pub & Grill, it belongs in a future Racine County ranking rather than a city-focused list.
The Final Verdict
Racine has several different burger champions:
Best classic burger: Kewpee Sandwich Shop
Best thick tavern burger: Buca’s Bar & Grill
Best creative burger program: Pepi’s Pub & Grill
Most distinctive burger: La Taquiza Guadalajara
Best historic specialty burger: DeMark’s Bar & Restaurant
Best stuffed burger: Uptown Pub & Grill
Best burger to attempt on an empty stomach: The BFB at Gus’s Gyros
If you’re planning the ultimate Racine burger tour, start with a Kewpee cheeseburger, try the Bacon Bourbon Burger at Buca’s and finish with the Double Willy at Dragon Pit.
That trio captures the history, neighborhood tavern culture and modern creativity that make Racine’s burger scene worth exploring.
Which Racine burger deserves the No. 1 spot? Share your favorite—and the exact burger we should order—in the comments.
What do you think? What’s your top pick? VOTE!
Discover the 15 best burgers in Racine, Wisconsin, from historic Kewpee classics to tavern favorites, creative specialties and brisket-tallow smash burgers.