I have to apologize for learning about today being “National Cheeseburger Day” so late, but for those readers in the city that never sleeps you still have plenty of time to indulge and enjoy this day to the fullest.

Now I will admit that I love me a good cheeseburger and for the most part have found plenty of good ones around the city and beyond while on my PiercingMetal music adventuring or just out with friends. That being said I figured that the best way to honor this special day is to reflect upon several of my favorite spots for a good cheeseburger. If you are following me on Foodspotting.com you will likely recognize some of the photographs.

I’m starting off with one of the stuffed burgers from The 13th Step. This is one of my favorite pregaming spots when I go to Webster Hall for any of their concerts. When I say stuffed burger, I mean that they literally stuff the toppings inside the meat. This was a jalapeno pepper and cheddar cheeseburger. It had some bite for sure and as you can see is served with tots. You can also opt for sweet potato fries which they do wonderfully.

When I am around my home I sometimes like to stop into the Bridgeview Diner for a bacon cheeseburger deluxe. Need I say more about this particular concoction? I don’t really think so.

With all the shows that happen down at Irving Plaza and Gramercy Theatre the launch spot for fans of the bands and I has been Duke’s Restaurant for a couple of years. They make a wide variety of cheeseburgers with some interesting options, but these sizable Black Angus cheeseburger sliders always do the trick if you just want a quick hit to satisy the appetite.

Even though I need some vigorous exercise the next day after eating this burger, I have some serious love for Duke’s “The Duker” which is a burger with cheese fries, bacon and pickled jalapeno peppers. Its very, very tasty.

When I go to the Javits Center for any event with my stalwart comrade in arms Mr. Skeleton Pete, we always make it a habit on visiting The Landmark Tavern because the staff is friendly and the food and drink exceptional. I love their burger and believe me this is a filling dish. Make sure to put the provided vinegar on your french fries. It’s different.

I’ll admit that I prefer the competing brand to this model but will say that once in awhile, a good old McDonald’s cheeseburger does the trick. I like to keep these in my freezer for the occasional time when I return home ravenous and just need something that is not healthy. Yeah it happens.

Smith’s is the launching point for many of the shows that are happening at either B.B. King Blues Club or the Best Buy Theater. Among their choices is a great cheeseburger. It’s a recommendation for sure and Smith’s is a solid choice of a space to visit if you are in the vicinity with friends. They have a number of cool options and I think that I have tried them all (with the exception of the veggie burger because I just don’t like those).

Oh I just mentioned above how I found the Landmark Tavern burger to be filling but this is clearly the big kahuna of the bunch. This is the burger from Paul’s Palace down off St. Mark’s Place on 2nd Avenue. This burger will fill you up so don’t go there if you have eaten substantially beforehand. If you only had a light breakfast and coffee then you will be alright. I then recommend a lot of exercise.

The burger below comes from the Stage Door which is a place I hit when at the Javits Center as well and not really in the mood for kicking back a bunch of beers. Very hearty burger for sure.

When I go to a show at Stage 48, a venue located WAYYYYYYYYYYYY down towards the water on the West Side of town, I like or should I say LOVE to stop into the American Retro Bar & Grill. The place is comfortable, the food is awesome and the beers are priced accordingly during Happy Hour. One of the things I love most about ARB&G is the tater tots which they are known for amping up to various types. There are Disco Tots, Buffalo Tots and more but since this post is about burgers, let me applaud The Retro Burger which is a massive burger with bacon and of course cheese and for the side you can choose an option of their specialty tots. The thing is that Stage 48 starts their Rock shows early so you have to time yourself to enjoy a decent pregame time with your friends if you want to dine like a normal person.

Recently I trekked down South to see my family who relocated down there and while visiting The Club they belonged to, I got to sample the establishments BBQ burger. It had cheese, bacon and just the right amount of sauce. I enjoyed this with some kind of frozen drink that I no longer remember the name of but it was yummy. Here is the burger, it was quite good.

One of the last burgers in this little presentation comes from The Oakland Diner in Oakland, NJ. I was there visiting other family members and we stopped at this diner during the visit as it was my cousin’s preferred spot. This was a Bleu cheese burger and of course I had to have bacon on it. Not sure when I will get there to visit again but if we are without a dining option I will be suggesting that we return to this spot as there are other burgers to try.

The last burger pictured in this fun is more sliders from the no longer new Wicked Monk in my own Bay Ridge neighborhood. There are three to an order and served as you see in the photo but I will admit that they are smaller than I would like. Tasty for sure, but even sliders at Burger Bistro are larger and almost all of the spaces like Duke’s, who carry them offer a larger option if you prefer that.

Before we go I would like to suggest that you eat these things in moderation and keep yourself fit to not pack on the pounds after enjoying them. Closing up on this little bit of fun I would like to reflect upon the places where I will never have a burger again. That’s not because of the burger being less than satisfactory but based on the establishment closing up shop. Nice Guy Eddie’s, Bull Moose Saloon and Interstate are three that I greatly enjoyed and lost based on whatever business reason was to blame. You spots are missed very much.

Official Websites of Spots Discussed:
13th Step: http://www.nycbestbar.com/13thstep/
American Retro Bar & Grill: http://americanretrony.com/
Bridgeview Diner: http://www.yelp.com/biz/bridgeview-diner-brooklyn
Duke’s Restaurant: http://dukesnyc.com/
Landmark Tavern: http://www.thelandmarktavern.org/
Oakland Diner: http://oaklandnjdiner.com/
Paul’s Palace: http://www.paulsburgers.com/
Smith’s Bar: http://www.smithsbar.com/
Stage Door: http://www.stagedoordeli.net/

PS: I’ve left the comments open for you readers to let me know what your favorite cheeseburgers are and where you enjoy going for them.