The folks at Thrillist love burgers so much, they actually have a burger expert. That expert has been all around the country trying burgers across this great land and he thinks the burger at Kopp’s in Milwaukee is one of the very best burgers in the United States. In previous reviews, Thrillist opined that Kopp’s might be the best fast food burger joint in the country – and that was said when the author hadn’t even had the custard!
Eating a meal at Kopp's take strategy, honestly. Just go ahead and plan on taking your frozen custard home. Sure, it's one of the very best treats in the world, but today, it's not the star. It's a mere footnote to the magnum opus you're about to experience.
A lot of folks will plan to split a burger with a friend, since they're so huge. But the size is strategic - it's a large, thin beef patty that's grilled to order - you can smell the smoke as you walk in and hear the hiss.
I personally think no Kopp's burger should be had without fried onions, but you do you. The works option adds a tangy relish that's a great foil for the melty cheese, as well.
The thin patty gets a great little char to it - those little crunchy bits around the edges that let you know real flames touched your burger and lend some extra flavor.
Let's talk about the cheese, though. It's no thin slice of processed goop. It's real Wisconsin cheddar that melds with the grilled burger and the pat of butter that goes on to make this a true butter burger. It's basically gooey, delicious perfection.
A burger can be made or broken by the bun, and Kopp's bun stands up to the burger it's delivering. It's thin like the patty so as not to overpower the star, but it's still hearty enough to hold up to all that Kopp's will stuff into it. There's nothing worse than a big, messy burger on a bun that's falling apart and can't contain it. That's not a problem here.
These pictures were the first time I saw the idea of putting Kopp's delicious and crunchy onion rings ON the burger. That seems life-changing and I'll be adding it to my Kopp's repertoire immediately.
There are many burgers out there, but this is the one I judge all others by. There's a reason Kopp's is the meal most former Milwaukeeans want the moment they step back in town.
All this, and a cheeseburger is just $4.90. Share an order of fries or onion rings and each get a shake or malt and a couple can eat here for about $21, which is the cost of a single burger at some of the other burgers joints on the list. That you get some of the freshest, most delicious, most flavorful burgers from a local place like Kopp's for less than $5 each feels a bit like stealing - or just really winning at life.
Kopp's burgers are frankly life-changing, and folks in southeast Wisconsin are incredibly privileged to have this icon in their neighborhood. Great ingredients made into better food for a ridiculously reasonable price is why Kopp's has been serving Wisconsinites - and keeping them happy - for decades.
There are three Kopps locations in the Milwaukee area – 5373 N Port Washington Rd, Glendale, WI 53217, 7631 W Layton Ave, Greenfield, WI 53220 and 18880 W Bluemound Rd, Brookfield, WI 53045.
