A mainstay of diners and lunch counters across the US, the humble patty melt combines the best bits of a burger and a grilled cheese to make a truly mouth-watering (and very messy) sandwich. It’s an enduring specialty, but this simple dish tends to get overshadowed by newer and more fashionable fast food creations. Luckily for patty melt fans, however, a host of restaurants and fast food joints are bringing this old-school sandwich back.

Click or scroll on to read about the restaurants reviving this timeless old-school sandwich – and making it the right way.

While there are endless variations on the classic American hamburger, the patty melt is almost always served the same way: a juicy beef patty topped with golden fried onions and melted Swiss cheese, all sandwiched between slices of griddled rye bread. This pretty exacting recipe doesn’t leave much room for innovation, but that hasn’t stopped some of New York City's hottest eating spots adding it to their menus – and locals can’t get enough.

Places to revive the patty melt include Daily Provisions, a small New York café chain that introduced the dish as a dinner special in 2023. Here, the team have given it a gourmet spin by using top-quality beef, a house-made spicy Thousand Island-style sauce, and artisan seeded rye, but happily it's still a very classic affair. The item proved so popular, it's now been made permanent. There’s a similar story at the Commerce Inn in NYC’s West Village, a spot that specializes in vintage American farmhouse cooking and has recently added a patty melt to its menu.

There's also a patty melt available at Hamburger America, a new fast food joint in NYC’s Soho neighborhood that’s dedicated to reviving historically accurate burgers and diner classics – but you have to know what to ask for. Hamburger America was opened by self-described burger expert George Motz in late 2023 and has already gained a cult following for its Chester – an off-menu item that’s basically a grilled cheese sandwich with a smashed burger patty inside.

The patty melt may be beloved all over the country but it actually has its roots in California. Details around its exact invention are sketchy (some historians date it back to the 1920s), but most agree it was legendary Californian restaurateur Tiny Naylor who popularized the sandwich at his chain of restaurants in the late 1940s. The original Tiny Naylor's drive-in, at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and La Brea Avenue in Hollywood, was a real hotspot of its age, famous for its Googie architecture, roller-skating waitresses, and, of course, its patty melts. 

By the mid 1980s, all of the remaining Tiny Naylor's restaurants had shuttered, but the patty melt dream was continued by Tiny's son Biff Naylor – who bought the historic Du-Par's diner chain in 2004, making his father’s patty melt the signature dish. Biff retired a few years later in 2018, though the restaurant (which has branches in California and Nevada) still has ‘Tiny's Classic Patty Melt’ on its menu. The Du-Par’s version is still said to be one of the best on the West Coast.

Another contender for America’s tastiest patty melt is served at historic Hollywood fast food joint Cassell's, which stands just 10 minutes from the place where Tiny Naylor's original restaurant once was. Meanwhile, over in Texas, burger chain Whataburger has a cult following for its patty melt, with endless fan pages dedicated to recreating the exact recipe. The brand deviates a little from the classic recipe, however, by using thick Texas toast in place of rye, two beef patties, Monterey Jack cheese instead of Swiss, and a secret recipe, creamy pepper sauce.

Hungry for more? Read on to discover America’s timeless burger joints where the recipes never change.

The humble hamburger is America’s signature food and, despite many places serving them with new twists and toppings, you can't beat the original recipes. These burgers have stood the test of time, sitting on the menus of their respective restaurants for decades. Even as times have changed, these reliable classics have remained the same – and their loyal fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

Click or scroll on for our favorite steadfast fast food spots around the country, from the birthplace of the hamburger sandwich to a restaurant that's used the same cooking grease for over a century.

As Fort Smith’s oldest restaurant, Ed Walker’s is famous for its French dip sandwich, unique curbside beer service and its regular hamburger. But the five-pound hamburger is what truly puts it on the map. This is the biggest hamburger in all of Arkansas and is served cut into wedges, like a pizza.

In-N-Out is known for its surprisingly simple hamburgers, and the chain has known not to mess with perfection since it first opened in 1948. The famous Double-Double consists of a toasted sponge-dough bun, two slices of American cheese, two 100% beef patties, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, and a secret sauce that hasn't changed since opening. There are In-N-Out locations throughout California (and a few adjacent states), but Baldwin Park, just outside Los Angeles, is where it all started.

Pie ‘n Burger has been a fixture in Pasadena since 1963 and its specialty is no-frills, classic California-style burgers. The patty is made with top-quality freshly ground beef, and it’s topped with tomato, pickle, and lettuce, with the option of cheese. The key to the burger is the restaurant’s homemade thousand island dressing.

Originally a beachside stand that served freshly cooked burgers to hungry surfers, Hodad’s (which now has multiple locations) has been run by the Hardin family since 1969. The restaurant is known for its enormous burgers – the menu’s 'mini' burgers are about the size of a standard burger. The Double Bacon Cheeseburger has become an icon not just for its sheer size but because of its pressed bacon 'patty', which is much more substantial than typical bacon strips.

Steamed burgers neither sound nor look particularly appetizing, but Ted’s Restaurant has been using this unique cooking method since 1959, claiming to be the only restaurant in the US to exclusively steam its burgers. The restaurant says that the steaming creates a better flavor. The blanket of white Cheddar that tops the burgers is also steamed, then scooped on top of the patty, along with the customer’s choice of additional toppings.

Louis’ Lunch is recognized by the Library of Congress as the birthplace of the hamburger. The burgers are still served as they were in 1895 and look a little bit different than the burgers in a bun that most modern restaurants serve. An Original Burger is made with five different cuts of meat, ground fresh, and served on toasted white bread. They’re topped simply, with just cheese, onion, and tomato.

A Delaware favorite that opened in 1956, Charcoal Pit’s award-winning burgers haven’t changed since the restaurant opened in 1956. The recipe is a closely guarded secret but The Pit, as locals call it, doesn’t conceal the size of these big juicy burgers. The Cheeseburger Deluxe comes in both quarter-pound and half-pound sizes to satisfy big appetites.

Hackney’s on Harms has been serving its self-proclaimed 'famous' Hackneyburger since 1939. Customers can request their burger on a bun, but the half-pound patty of freshly ground meat is traditionally served on toasted house-made dark rye bread. It’s best enjoyed with a side of Hackney’s other signature dish, a 'brick' of crispy French-fried onions.

Legendary dive bar Workingman’s Friend first opened in 1918 and has long been known for its smashed burgers, a Midwest speciality that has more recently gained steam across the US. The smash method of cooking results in an ultra-thin patty that crisps around the edges, retaining an extra hit of grease from the grill. The burger here has two patties and two slices of American cheese, with a slice of bread in between for added structure.

White Hut is an institution in West Springfield, serving up classic 'hamburgs' and 'cheeseburgs' since 1939. Locals claim that the burgers haven’t changed one bit, even though the burger stand came under new ownership in 2020. The classic cheeseburgs are smothered in melted white cheese, and fans recommend paying a little extra to get a pile of freshly fried onions placed lovingly on top of the burger.

This no-frills joint hasn’t changed in terms of recipes or service since it opened in 1941. Miller’s Bar's single-patty Ground Round is served with or without cheese, stacked with pickles and onion on an uncomplicated bun. The burgers are served on squares of waxed paper and patrons sitting at the bar still order on the honor system, simply telling the bartender what they had before they pay and go, just like in the old days.

Motz’s is another Midwest mainstay that specializes in sliders. The restaurant has changed its name a few times over the years, but the sliders have essentially remained the same since 1929. Available in single or double size, and with or without cheese, these little burgers are topped with grilled onions, pickles, mustard, and ketchup with the option of adding bacon. Motz’s has grown to include bigger burgers on its menu too, but the sliders remain its standout item.

In operation since 1972, the Redcoat Tavern is an ale house and wine bar, but the house speciality is a big, juicy burger. While the tavern offers some updated takes on its burger, the original is the real deal. It features a half-pound of the restaurant’s freshly ground proprietary beef blend with tomato, lettuce, and a mayo-based special sauce. Customers are invited to customize the burger to their own tastes, adding things like bacon, pickles, cheese, and other goodies.

Shortly after neighborhood watering hole Matt’s Bar opened in 1954, the Jucy Lucy (with no 'i') was born, and the burger has since been replicated around the world. The Jucy Lucy is marked by molten American cheese inside the thick beef patty, which oozes as you bite into it. It’s greasy and messy, and requires more than a few napkins, but that’s exactly what makes it so great.

Slugburgers are a Depression-era speciality, created during a time when many people couldn’t afford an all-meat burger patty. The burgers, which are built around a patty fortified with a non-meat filler (in this case, soy grits), were invented in Corinth, Mississippi. Borroum’s, the oldest drug store and soda fountain in the state, still makes them the same way they have for decades. The burgers are an acquired taste, but are popular enough that Corinth has long held an annual Slugburger Festival.

Gilley’s started its life in 1912 as a portable lunch counter that was towed by horse. It's changed names over the years and its current namesake is former, late employee Ralph Gilbert, who worked there for more than 50 years. The joint has been parked in a permanent location since 1974 and stills serves a solid Double Cheeseburger, with juicy patties and a generous ooze of cheese.

Since 1946, White Manna has dealt in classic New Jersey sliders – that's full-sized hamburgers, not the appetizer-sized burgers with the same name. Onions are pressed into these griddle-fried patties as they sizzle away, and the cheese is placed on top while the burger is still cooking so that it melts completely. It's all held together by soft potato buns.

Green chile burgers are a big deal in New Mexico, and the Owl Bar & Cafe, open since 1945, is one of several spots that claim to have first served them. Legend has it that scientists working on the Manhattan Project ordered their burgers with a side of the state's famous green chile. When there weren’t enough clean bowls to serve it in, the cook smeared it right on the burger – and a classic was born.

The All American Hamburger Drive In is not just the oldest drive-in hamburger stand on Long Island – it's the only one. It first opened in 1963, and its burgers are exactly as the name suggests: simple, all-American burgers that set the standard for drive-ins all over the country. They might not be fancy, but there's a reason the joint has been a local favorite for so many years.

If you order an All The Way burger from Brooks’ Sandwich House, you'll get a hamburger with a generous scoop of Southern style, all-beef chili placed right on top of the patty. The joint, which opened in 1973, specializes in burgers and chili, so it's only natural to combine the two. Cheese and bacon are optional, otherwise the burgers come simply dressed with mustard and onions. Hot dogs here are topped with chili too.

The Galley Boy burger is a double cheeseburger with not one, but two different special sauces, and an olive perched on top. You'll find it at Swensons Drive-In, a regional Ohio fast food chain that got its start in Akron in 1934 and now has locations all over the state. The real magic is in the sauce: one is creamy and similar to a tartar sauce, while the other is a tangy barbecue spread.

You might think Stevenson’s – running since the 1920s – is a fairly nondescript Cleveland dive bar, but its burgers have been ranked as some of the best in the country. The Big Guy is the bar’s double-patty cheeseburger (there’s also a one-patty Lil Fella) and, while it’s not revolutionary, it has all the elements of a perfect bar burger. The patties are thin and crispy, the secret white sauce is creamy, and it’s topped with a nice balance of shredded lettuce, pickles, and melted cheese.

With the mantra 'Hamburg, pickle on top, makes your heart go flippity-flop,' you just know that Kewpee’s no-nonsense cheeseburger is going to deliver. Kewpee’s roots date back to 1918 when its first stand opened in Flint, Michigan, but the chain has since become exclusive to Lima, Ohio, which saw the first of its three locations open in 1928. Despite being a fast food joint, the patties are ground in house, giving them a homemade flavor.

The Oklahoma fried onion burger is a Depression-era concoction that grew out of a few restaurants in the small town of El Reno on historic Route 66. The burger wasn’t invented at Johnnie’s, but the restaurant is one of a handful of old El Reno restaurants that still serves them. The burgers were designed to be economical with the meat but heavy on the onions, which are fried right into the patties as they cook on a flat-top griddle.

Stanley’s Famous Hamburgers was founded in 1932 by Polish immigrant Stanley F. Kryla. He wanted to make an all-meat hamburger that was still affordable to Rhode Islanders suffering during the Great Depression. Today’s Stanley Burgers are still made from top-quality ground beef and topped with grilled onions and pickles. It’s similar to an Oklahoma fried onion burger, which originated well over 1,000 miles (1,609km) away.

Dyer’s has been serving its classic cheeseburgers since 1912. The restaurant boasts a 'secret' cooking process that hinges on it never changing the grease used to fry the burgers. The grease is occasionally topped up to keep the supply going, but at least a few drops in the mix have been in there for over a century. The business takes the grease so seriously that armed police escorts took charge of it when the restaurant changed locations.

Billed as East Nashville’s oldest dive bar, Dino’s has been serving its famous cheeseburger since the 1970s. The 5.5oz patty is impressively thick, fully encased in Cheddar cheese and topped with generous portions of onion, tomato, pickle, and lettuce. Those with fancier tastes can add avocado or a fried egg, or ask for the burger to be prepared animal-style, with grilled onions and mustard cooked onto the patty.

Kincaid’s Hamburgers first opened as a grocery store in 1946, but owner Charles Kincaid’s butcher, O.R. Gentry, started cooking burgers that overshadowed the retail element of the store. The restaurant still serves O.R.’s original burgers, including this juicy cheeseburger topped with a dollop of hot chili. Kincaid’s has also expanded its burger menu to include the Cowtown Deluxe with pimento cheese and bacon, and the Cattleman with BBQ sauce and onion rings.

It makes sense that Chris Madrid's two specialties – burgers and tacos – are combined in the restaurant’s Tostada Burger. The burger is topped with house refried beans (a recipe from original owner Chris Madrid’s mother), fresh salsa, tortilla chips, and Cheddar. Although the most popular burger at the joint, which has been open since 1977, is the Cheddar Cheezy, the Tostada Burger is a true original.

Wisconsin is the land of dairy so it’s no surprise that, in addition to cheese, restaurants would put creamy local butter on their burgers. Solly’s, which opened in 1936, is the home of the Butter Burger. The sirloin patties aren’t just cooked in butter; butter is also spread on top after it’s cooked. Solly’s serves its original-recipe Butter Burgers with stewed onions, but it has also developed new versions with additions like mushrooms, bacon, and jalapeños.

Now read more about America's classic burger recipes (including some you may not have heard of)

Last updated by Natasha Lovell-Smith.