Paradise Valley Burger Company: Big, unique burgers

When it comes to burgers, this Phoenix institution knows no bounds. Paradise Valley Burger Company’s patties are exceptionally creative and universally appealing. 

This restaurant may be small in square footage, but it does not lack in big, unique flavors, bringing customers back to try the new weekly special or just to enjoy their usual menu favorite again and again.

Paradise Valley Burger Company is known for having new, different and sometimes wild flavor combinations on their burgers: it’s the home of the crème brûlée burger and dozens of other mind-blowing creations from chef and owner, Bret Shapiro. 

“We have burgers, sandwiches, tacos and milkshakes. We also have weekly specials that we do every week. Always crazy, always out of the box,” Shapiro said. “Over the last decade, I have easily come up with about 500 hamburgers.”

The most popular burger by far is the Burger Brûlée, which includes 1/4 burger, bacon, egg, Havarti cheese, pickled onions, lettuce and 1000 island dressing, all on a burnt sugar bun.

Guest Brittany Acevedo suggested Paradise Valley Burger Company as her top pick. Acevedo orders the Drunken Booze Burger, which is thick, savory and calorie-rich enough to give you the fat- and salt-fueled energy you need as you sail through the rest of your day.

Acevedo describes their burgers as having buns “toasted so perfectly, like a brioche-style bun. This burger made two meals.”

Guest Cathy Bonnell ordered the Country Fried Burger and was pleasantly surprised. “It was a big burger, and their service was very, very fast,” Bonnell said. 

Guest Jeannie LaMarche recommends the cheeseburger with mozzarella cheese, grilled onion and mushroom. “The onions were really caramelized,” LaMarche said. “It was just so fresh, so wonderful.”

Our guests recommend chasing a burger down with one of the restaurant’s house-made milkshakes, which include flavors like maple pecan bacon and Lucky Charms marshmallow.