Let’s face it: sometimes you just want a cheeseburger. So what’s a guiri to do when McDonald’s just won’t cut it? Never fear—there are plenty of good burgers right here in Madrid. Here are three of my favorites.

Best gourmet burger

The burgers at Home Burger Bar aren’t cheap, but they’re definitely worth the splurge. You can taste the quality of the organic beef, and combinations like “goat cheese and red pepper jam” or “caramelized onions and brie” make my mouth water just thinking about them. There is also a range of classic burgers for traditionalists (I’m a bacon-cheeseburger girl myself), and even several veggie options for the non-carnivores. The contemporary diner décor further complements the style of the food.

Best retro burger

There was a time when I swore that if I saw another retro burger joint in Madrid I would go crazy. Now I just think of it as having more options. And there are plenty. Mel’s has generous portions and waiters on roller skates; Peggy Sue’s has wall-boxes that work (for 20 cents) and darn good milkshakes. But my money’s on TM Burger & Fries, where you can get a surprisingly delicious burger for €2.95. Of course you’ll have to deal with all the Malasaña hipsters, but I think it’s worth it for a burger that costs little more than Whopper but tastes way better.

Best all-American burger

Ask any American expat where to get a good burger in Madrid and most will probably answer, “Alfredo’s.” Alfredo’s Barbacoa is the original hamburger restaurant in Madrid, opened by a real, actual American in 1981. Amazingly, I’ve only been there once, but the burger was possibly one of the best I’ve ever had—good meat with lots of char-grilled flavor. If you like your burgers smokey, juicy, and messy, you’ll love Alfredo’s; if you don’t, well…

There are plenty more burger joints in Madrid—do you have a favorite? If so, let us know in the comments!

Home Burger Bar dominates the 28004, with locations on C/ Espíritu Santo, C/ San Marcos, and C/ Silva. www.homeburgerbar.com has all the details.

You can find Mel’s all over the place—there’s even one in León! Apart from the shopping malls, Mel’s has locations in Madrid at C/ Hortaleza 34 and C/ Pedro Teixeira 8. Specifics are at www.tommymels.com.

Peggy Sue’s has majorly expanded, with locations all over the country, and plenty of options if you live in “las afueras.” There are no fewer than eight Peggy Sue’s here in Madrid’s center, which makes for too many contact details to put here, so go to www.peggysues.es to find the one nearest you.

TM Burger & Fries focuses all their energy on their C/ Espíritu Santo 7 location. www.tmburger.com.

Alfredo’s Barbacoa fires up the grill at two locations: their original restaurant at C/ Lagasca 5 (Metro Retiro), and the offshoot at C/ Juan Hurtado de Mendoza 11 (Metro Cuzco). I love that they have a Texas-style oil drill as the main image of their home page—go to www.alfredos-barbacoa.es to check that out!