It’s National Cheeseburger Day, and there’s no better way to celebrate this auspicious day than to gorge on really expensive cheeseburgers.
The origins of this quintessentially American dish are hotly debated. A 16-year-old is rumored to have invented the cheeseburger in 1926 at his father’s sandwich shop in Pasadena, Calif. What is undeniable, however, is America’s love for the burger. A recent study by NPD Group said that there were almost 9 billion servings of burgers for the year ending in June 2015, and the whole country eats around 50 billion burgers a year.
Of that, 74% of Americans prefer cheese on their burger. So, in honor of this food day, we looked around to find 5 of the most expensive cheeseburgers you can buy:
1. 777 Burger
Price: $777
Where: Burger Brasserie, Las Vegas
Technically, the star of this burger—found at the French-American eatery at Paris Las Vegas hotel—isn’t the goat cheese layered through. It’s the use of kobe beef, seared foie gras, Maine lobster, and 100 year-aged balsamic. And there’s a bottle of Dom Perignon Rose champagne to go with your efforts. C’est trop fort!
2. Absolutely Ridiculous Burger
Price: $1,700-$2,000 (estimated)
Where: Mallie’s Sports Grill & Bar, Michigan
This good ‘ol-fashioned bar and grill makes the world’s biggest burger, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. For a maximum size of 350 pounds—the burger is specially ordered for parties, BBQs and IPOs—you get an alleged 36 pounds of cheese to go with 30 pounds of bacon and 272 pounds of burger innards.
3. 21 Burger
Price: $36
Where: 21 Club, New York
The signature burger at Midtown Manhattan’s 85-year-0ld establishment includes a serving of aged cheddar on top of their aged patty blend—brisket, short rib and porterhouse come together in a ground meat cocktail—to present a (slightly) more attainable cheeseburger option.
4. $100 BRGR
Price: $100
Where: M:BRGR, Montreal, Canada
It’s not in the U.S., but close enough. For the price of an Apple Airport Express, you get a mixture of two quality cheeses—brie and the Italian Grana Padano—to go with a double Kobe beef patty, bacon, truffle carpaccio and Portobello mushrooms. Plus, there are fries on the side.
5. Le Burger Extravagant
Price: $295
Where: Serendipity 3, New York
Once the record-holder for world’s most expensive burger, this chunky bomb uses cheddar cheese that has been aged for 18 months in “a cave” as one of its ingredients (it’s unconfirmed if that cave is in the restaurant). Other ones: edible 24-karat gold flakes on the bun, Italian truffles and Beluga caviar. It’s so extravagant, you need to order it 48-hours in advance. Even rapper 2 Chainz thinks this burger is way too 1%, as the video below shows:
