New York–based chef Daniel Boulud’s ode to D.C. at his just-opened CityCenterDC restaurant, DBGB Kitchen and Bar, is a crab-topped burger—for $22. Seem pricey? It’s not the most you’ll pay for a pimped-out patty. Premium cuts of meat and luxe ingredients like foie gras and wagyu bump up prices at certain swank restaurants. Still, the city’s most expensive burger still uses good ol’ American cheese.
BLT Steak — $27
Wagyu skirt steak, strip steak, and ribeye burger with pastrami slice, fried egg, and American cheese
America Eats Tavern —$25
Hudson Valley foie gras–topped burger with caramelized onions, huckleberries, and grain mustard
DBGB Kitchen and Bar — $22
House-ground black Angus burger with Maryland crab, lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce
Bourbon Steak —$19
Oak-fire prime steak burger with sour pickles, cabot clothbound cheddar, and “secret” sauce
2941 Restaurant — $19
“The Daffy” duck burger with foie gras and onion agrodolce
UPDATE: Hat tip to Burger Days for pointing us to one more high-dollar burger in McLean:
Joe’s Simply Amazing Burgers —$26
“Millionaire’s Kobe Deluxe” burger with seared Hudson Valley foie gras, black truffle oil, fontina cheese, baby spinach, house-pickled onions, and truffle oil aioli
Photo of DBGB’s burger by Jessica Sidman