Hamburger America

Hamburger America is a small counter-service diner at the corner of Houston and MacDougal streets, opened in early 2024 by George Motz, the filmmaker, author and self-described burger scholar behind the documentary and book of the same name. Motz calls the counter a living piece of hamburger history and his love letter to one of America's favorite foods, and the room delivers on that: a row of stools, a hot flattop and a short menu of regional burgers. The New York Times reviewed it soon after it opened, and the place has become a pilgrimage for anyone who has followed Motz's travels to roadside burger stands across the country.

The order here is the Oklahoma-style fried onion burger, a thin patty pressed onto a heap of paper-thin onions that steam and caramelize into the beef; The Infatuation recommends it over the plain smash burger, which is also excellent. Both come single or double, with or without American cheese. Wash it down with fresh-squeezed lemonade or a chocolate milk, and look out for the monthly special, which recreates a famous regional burger, such as the Billy Goat Tavern's triple cheeseburger from Chicago. Hamburger America was featured by the YouTuber New York Turk in 2025. Seating is limited to the counter, so come at an off hour if you would rather not wait.