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D.C. is a major home base for burger chains. Not only do tons of national chains have a location here — many companies, like Five Guys, Elevation Burger, BGR, Good Stuff Eatery and Z-Burger, got their start here. Here's a rundown of which chains already have a presence here. Eater stuck to places with multiple locations (either here or otherwise), rather than would-be chains like Bolt Burger or Burger, Tap and Shape. This leaves off those with too many locations to count (translation: McDonald's, Wendy's, etc.)
The chain: Smashburger
D.C. presence: Nine in greater D.C.
The deal: Smashburger, which has mostly stuck to the D.C. suburbs (a Dupont Circle location closed), is a Denver-based chain which smashes its burgers on a griddle (hence the name).
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The chain: The Counter
D.C. presence: Reston
The deal: The Counter has a major presence in California and focuses mostly on customizable burgers.
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The chain: Plan B Burger Bar
D.C. presence: Penn Quarter
The deal: This New England burger bar services up beer and bourbon with its sandwiches.
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The chain: Be Right Burger
D.C. presence: Reston, Dulles Airport
The deal: This fast-casual burger chain comes from locally-grown Thompson Hospitality (American Tap Room, Austin Grill).
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The chain: Five Guys
D.C. presence: More than 50
The deal: This mega-chain got its start in the D.C. area. For those living under a rock, they fry their fries in peanut oil and specialize in double pattys.
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The chain: Burger 7
D.C. presence: Three
The deal: Burger 7 has kept its expansion to Virginia for now.
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The chain: BurgerFi
D.C. presence: 3
The deal: BurgerFi aims to be more of a gourmet burger choice and has a national presence.
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The chain: Z-Burger
D.C. presence: 6
The deal: This D.C.-born chain (currently tangled up in some legal woes) is great at social media, and is known for its giveaways.
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The chain: BGR
D.C. presence: Around 10
The deal: Locally-grown BGR's stores have a rock and roll vibe and a large variety of burger types and toppings. It started franchising in recent years.
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The chain: Red Robin Burger Works
D.C. presence: 2 in D.C.
The deal: Red Robin's more urban concept is being test marketed right now in D.C. proper. The larger chain has a presence in the DC suburbs as well.
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The chain: Bobby's Burger Palace
D.C. presence: 3
The deal: Bobby Flay's burger and shake joint first made its mark locally on K Street. It's now speeding further into the Maryland suburbs.
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The chain: Shake Shack
D.C. presence: 5
The deal: The beloved New York chain, which recently went public, has found success in the D.C. market with collaborations, crinkle fries and even a ballpark location.
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The chain: Elevation Burger
D.C. presence: Around 15
The deal: This organic burger chain fries its french fries in olive oil. It started in Falls Church but has gone international at this point.
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The chain: Checkers
D.C. presence: Around 20
The deal: The home of the Big Buford has two locations in D.C., several in Prince George's County and a handful in the further out Virginia suburbs.
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The chain: Burger 21
D.C. presence: Ashburn
The deal: This national burger chain has a sauce bar and just got started in D.C.
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The Chain: Good Stuff Eatery
D.C. presence: 3
The deal: Spike Mendelsohn's burger chain is a favorite of Michelle Obama and was his first post-Top Chef undertaking. It has recently been expanding outside of D.C. and internationally.
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The Chain: TD Burger
D.C. presence: NoMa, Largo
The deal: Timothy Dean's burger joint has burgers named for everyone from the President to the late chef Jean-Louis Palladin.
RIP to these burger chains and would-be chains in the market: Black and Orange, BRGR Shack, Kraze Burgers
