Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on December 19, 2023.
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Burgh'ers is a local burger joint that began with their first location in Zelienople, PA (about 30 minutes north of the city).
I had been eating at this one for years but never had the ability to write a review. Soย when they opened their second location right in the heart of Lawrenceville, I knew I'd finally get my chance to share my opinion of this growing, locally sourced restaurant.
As I expected, the new location did not disappoint.
Delicious Burgers in Lawrenceville
Over the course of the last few years, I've worked my way through most of the burgers at this particular restaurant, but during our visit to the new Lawrenceville location we were able to sample two that are among our very favorites- the Mexican War and Maggie's Farm.
The Mexican War burger is a southern style burger (aptly named) containing cheddar, roasted chilies, tomato, avocado, cilantro, and special sauce. The toppings are copious and provide a really robust flavor that compliments the meat quite well. The only true downside to this particular burger was that, like most places in Pittsburgh, my medium rare request came out well done (but we do have to admit that historically Burgh'ers does a good job at this one in most cases).
Maggie's Farm is an interesting burger because it comes with smoked Gouda, horseradish, caramelized onion, roasted chilies, and rum aioli- presumably using rum from the Pittsburgh distillery of the same name. Unlike the Mexican War burger, which only had a mild amount of heat, this one wasย incredibly spicy,ย and even then this is a bit of an understatement.
We later found out that the roasted chilies used on this burger were shishito peppers, which are notorious for having one or two out of a couple dozen for being spicy beyond all belief. With our tongues burning, and no complaints that the roasted chilies were actually hot, it actually provided a great counterbalance to the rich flavors of the smoked gouda and caramelized onions (although we can certainly see this random heat bomb not being for everyone- so be sure to ask what peppers are being used when ordering here).
Regardless of the toppings, the beef at Burgh'ers shines as some of the most flavorful in the region on its own right. Locally sourced beef always seems to have that effect on burgers, but it is especially noticeable here. Throw on small twists to classic toppings combinations, and the burgers at Burgh'ers are as solid as they come.
Be Sure to Grab a Burgh'ers Brewed Beer
Burgh'ers has also expanded into the Pittsburgh brewery scene and offers up a rather impressive collection of brews- mostly their take on conventional styles ranging from New England IPA to Baltic Porters and everything in between.
The beers here are clean iterations of the styles, and we're really looking forward to enjoying them with many burgers in the future!
Make a Careful Choice on the Sides
Our only reservation about Burgh'ers is admittedly a small one, and it is all about the sides.
Burgers here come with french fries included at a minimum, and for an extra dollar can be upgraded to a mixed green salad or rosemary topped fries (highly recommended as they do not skimp on the rosemary). But for an extra $3 you can upgrade to a side of pierogies, mac & cheese, or coleslaw.
During our visit we (along with a friend), upgraded to the mixed greens salad, rosemary fries, and coleslaw respectively and were a bit perplexed by the portions as the french fries with rosemary came out the largest, the salad was the second largest, and at a distant, distant third was the coleslaw as ordered by our friend.
We can see the rosemary fries and salad being a surcharge (even if the salad wasn't much to speak of), but $3 for a small portion of coleslaw is pushing it, and turned an already $13 meal to $16 just like that.
But as this is our only major concern at Burgh'ers, we can also get past it simply by not ordering the premium upgrades and going for what matters most- the burgers, of course!
Burgh'ers is located at 3601 Butler Street in Lawrenceville. They also have locations (the original) in Zelienople, PA which we have also visited in the past and opened a location in The Highline in South Side in 2023.
For more burger options in Pittsburgh, check out Tessaro's or Butterjoint!
