Best Burger in Denver 2009

A nagging question, a good cheeseburger is a guilty pleasure, so if I'm going to indulge, I want it to be worth it. Here's a list based on several informal surveys of burger aficionados whose palates I respect (wow, that's a statistically improbable sentence), along with some artery hardening personal research ... really this is just a bunch of burger geeks opinions, but I've tried to not let my opinion overwhelm this. Below are what I believe to be the TOP 10 Best Burgers in and around Denver, Colorado.

1. My Brother's Bar - best of the best, best of Lodo, a close battle with Cherry Cricket, but both the Johnny Burger and JCB are revered by all who have been lucky enough to consume one


2. Cherry Cricket - best in Cherry Creek, the most popular burger, most well known, but head to head with the Johnny Burger it loses by a nose ... in the end, the My Brother's Bar vs Cherry Cricket thing underscores this is really a two horse race in Denver, everyone knows Cherry Cricket, but everyone I surveyed who's eaten both gives the nod to the Johnny Burger at My Brother's Bar


3. Trinity Grille - Best Burger in Downtown / Uptown Denver, the steak burger with grilled onions is classic


4. City Grille - the beefiest burger of the bunch (lots of sirloin in there)


5. DeliTech - DTC's finest, bacon with cheddar couldn't be better


6. Crownburger - totally a burger joint, doing it right for, well forever


7. Cheeburger Cheeburger - EVERYTHING is fried in peanut oil, best toppings, best in Highlands Ranch


8. Bud's Bar (Sedalia) - Bud's is almost a hyperbole of itself, a biker bar that's on the other side of the tracks no matter which direction you're coming from; replete with attitude, the only thing on the menu is beer and burgers - and "no french fries dammit"


9. The Counter - An upscale chain in a mall's parking lot with hundreds of flavor combinations, like grilled scallions, garlic aioli, and green chiles on an English muffin; best fancy fries hands down (sweet potato with aioli)


10. Campus Lounge (DU) & - dive barely begins to describe the "pus" as it's known, but it's a casual favorite by DU and the burger with fried egg is sinfully good

If you're a burger fan this list will undoubtedly raise your ire, so please post your opinion and top 10 list (top 5, whatever). One honerable mention, best onion rings goes to Finn McCool's.