Wilmington, Delaware’s Best Burger Bar Grinds Its Own Brisket-Chuck-Filet Blend Daily

Farmer and the Cow was founded by three friends who love bourbon and wanted to open a restaurant together. One of them, Jasper Singh, is a vegetarian. He runs the kitchen.

Singh's most famous creation is That'll Do Pig: a beef patty topped with sweet bacon jam, thick-cut bacon, house-made bacon mayo, and tater tots. Guy Fieri visited for Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and joked on camera that they should rename the restaurant The Pig and the Cow.

The house blend is sliced, ground, and hand-pattied fresh every day from brisket, chuck, and filet. Never frozen. The ratio and grind have been refined over years of service.

The state's dining scene punches above its weight, and Farmer and the Cow is one of the reasons why. It made the country's best burger in every state.

What to Order

That'll Do Pig is the signature. Rotating seasonal specials have included the Lost Lobster (lobster-crab cake, Old Bay creme, pickled cabbage, queso fresco, caviar) and the Wise Guy (tomato jam, soppressata, garlic truffle mayo, fried mozzarella). The kitchen rotates specials frequently enough that regulars have something new to look for on every visit.

The FTC Burger is the clean version: house blend at its best with nothing added to distract from the beef itself. Order it the first time if you want to understand what the grind tastes like before you start layering.

If you want to skip the whiskey but still indulge, don't miss their famous signature milkshakes. These over-the-top creations range from nostalgic, cereal-topped treats like the "Saturday Morning Cartoon" to boozy, alcohol-infused options for adults. Paired with an appetizer of sweet, cereal-crusted chicken fingers, it's the ultimate comfort-food experience that rounds out their playful, high-quality menu.

The bar carries 12 rotating craft taps and more than 1,200 whiskeys. That number is real. The selection is not decorative. For more on the food scene nearby, see Delaware's most iconic restaurants.

A Gastropub Built on a Bold Idea

Mike Day, Jasper Singh, and Matt Collins opened Farmer and the Cow on North Market Street in Wilmington's downtown core. The exposed-brick space and dark-wood interior give it the feel of a proper tavern rather than a burger bar.

Singh's approach in the kitchen has been to treat the burger as a canvas for creativity while maintaining the quality of the foundation: the house blend, the custom grind, the never-frozen standard. The creative specials work because the base is that solid.

The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives appearance brought national attention to a restaurant that Wilmington locals already knew was worth the drive from anywhere in Delaware. For more of the state's dining history, see the best restaurants in Wilmington.

Plan Your Visit

Farmer and the Cow is at 801 North Market Street, Suite 101, in Wilmington. Hours run Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 9 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Reservations are available. The area is walkable from the waterfront and several parking garages in downtown Wilmington. While you're planning the trip, check out Delaware restaurants featured on Food Network.