16 Wisconsin Burger Joints Stacking Doubles That Never Miss
In Wisconsin, a burger feels like a handshake: warm, confident, and perfectly familiar. You can smell it before you park: butter melting on the griddle, onions crisping at the edges, cheese easing into its shine.
Every town seems to have its own favorite counter or drive-in, each one claiming the best double in the state. Green Bay leans smoky, Madison goes messy, and Milwaukee keeps its glow under neon.
The people behind the grill know their craft by muscle memory, and the regulars don’t need menus anymore. What keeps me coming back is that mix of simplicity and pride, the way a paper-wrapped burger can taste like home, no matter how far you’ve driven.
1. Solly’s Grille (Glendale)
There’s something hypnotic about the rhythm of the grill here, spatulas scraping, butter melting, chatter bouncing off chrome. The diner feels suspended in time, glowing softly under its vintage lights, like 1936 never really ended.
Their butter burger arrives glistening, the toasted bun already gluing itself to the paper from all that melted butter. The patty’s thin, crisp-edged, and perfectly balanced with onions and pickles.
Every bite is indulgent but never heavy. It’s warm, confident, and proof that the oldest tricks still taste the best.
2. Kopp’s Frozen Custard (Greenfield)
The bun barely contains what’s inside, a glorious mess of beef, cheese, and griddled onions tumbling out the sides. It’s a feast that announces itself before you even unwrap it.
Elsa Kopp opened this spot in 1950, pairing rich frozen custard with oversized burgers long before trends caught up. Today, it’s still run with that same no-nonsense efficiency and polish.
Sit outside as the neon hums to life and the custard machines whir in the background. The world slows down just enough to taste everything.
3. Kroll’s East (Green Bay)
Steam rises as you peel back the foil, and the smell of butter hits first, sweet, toasty, unmistakably Wisconsin. Inside, the booths buzz with locals still talking Packers and weekend plans.
Kroll’s has been at it since 1938, serving butter burgers the way they always have: hot off the griddle, tucked in a hard roll, and dressed with mustard, onions, and pickles.
It was bitterly cold when I stopped here, and that burger thawed me from the inside out. A handheld dose of home, nothing less.
4. Kroll’s West (Green Bay)
A warm haze of grill smoke greets you before the sign even comes into view. The patio fills with regulars who know exactly how long to linger between bites and conversation. There’s rhythm here, and everyone moves to it.
The burger is a direct sibling to Kroll’s East, griddled beef, a pat of butter, onions, and a firm roll that never collapses. Each one feels handmade, not mass-produced.
It’s a Green Bay ritual in burger form, one that proves consistency can be its own quiet thrill.
5. Nite Owl Ice Cream Parlour & Sandwich Shoppe (Milwaukee)
It’s not the neon that stands out first, it’s the smell of searing beef mingled with waffle cones. This 1948 icon feels both rowdy and cozy, especially when summer crowds pack the lot.
The double cheeseburger is thick, unapologetically juicy, and built for the kind of hunger that shows up after dark. Onion, pickle, ketchup, done right every time.
If you come near closing, you’ll see teenagers balancing cones and burgers, laughing under the lights. That’s Milwaukee at its best—no pretense, just flavor.
6. Sobelman’s Pub & Grill (Milwaukee)
Dave Sobelman opened his namesake spot in a former Schlitz tavern and turned it into a burger powerhouse with pub-style bravado. The place buzzes with energy, full tables, and cold drinks sliding down polished wood.
The burgers are generous, stacked tall, and impossibly neat for their size, especially the “Cheesehead” with Wisconsin cheddar melting down both sides. Fries arrive crisp and hard to share.
I’ve eaten here more than once, and it always feels like the city in miniature: bold, slightly loud, and full of charm.
7. AJ Bombers (Milwaukee)
The first thing you notice isn’t the food, it’s the peanut shells crunching underfoot and the buzz of a crowd that feels like it’s been here all day. The space is half diner, half playground, and wholly Milwaukee.
Their signature burger, smashed to order and topped with house “Boom Sauce,” walks the line between classic and inventive. It’s the kind that drips just enough to make napkins necessary.
You’ll want to linger longer than expected. Something about the mix of noise, scent, and rhythm feels addictive.
8. Oscar’s Pub & Grill (Milwaukee)
Oscar Castaneda doesn’t rush his burgers. Each patty hits the flat-top with a sear that locks in flavor, a tiny cloud of steam following the spatula. It’s a moment that signals something good is coming.
The “Big O” is a masterpiece of texture, crispy edges, soft bun, and cheese so perfectly melted it could qualify as architecture. Every layer matters here.
Crowds form fast on weekends, so arrive early. The food moves quickly, but Oscar’s sense of balance is what keeps people coming back.
9. Dotty Dumpling’s Dowry (Madison)
The scent hits first, charred beef, toasted bun, and that faint sweetness of secret sauce drifting out the door. The walls are plastered with old posters, and the air feels perpetually mid-laughter.
Dotty’s dates back to the 1970s, when it turned from a quirky campus spot into a Madison institution. Their “Heart Throb” burger, layered with bacon and cheddar, still anchors the menu.
I can’t resist the house sauce here, it’s tangy and grounding, the kind of detail that sneaks into your memory for good.
10. The Old Fashioned (Madison)
The bar glows gold against the State Capitol, humming with after-work chatter and clinking glasses. It’s equal parts pub, diner, and Wisconsin shrine, lined with friendly arguments about football.
The burger here is all about balance, fresh-ground beef seared just enough, bun toasted, cheese melting in perfect measure. Even the pickles taste deliberate. Each bite lands like comfort refined.
You can eat anywhere in Madison, but somehow, The Old Fashioned always pulls you back. It feels like tradition you can actually taste.
11. Village Bar (Madison)
A chalkboard menu, narrow booths, and that hum of easy conversation, it’s the kind of bar that feels like a secret even though everyone knows it. You smell burgers long before you see them.
Opened in 1949, Village Bar keeps things simple: thin, crisp-edged patties, Wisconsin cheddar, and no-nonsense fries. No gimmicks, no tweaks, just the essence of what a tavern burger should be.
If you slide in on a quiet afternoon, you’ll notice it, the subtle peace that comes from knowing some places never have to change.
12. Al’s Hamburger Shop (Green Bay)
There’s a flicker in the neon sign that’s as endearing as the smell of the flat-top. Inside, the grill sizzles without pause, and the air feels charged with nostalgia.
Al’s opened in 1934, one of the oldest burger joints in Wisconsin. The double cheeseburger still rules the menu, layered with grilled onions and cheese that fuses into the meat itself.
When I sat at the counter, the cook slid my burger across with a grin. It wasn’t just food, it was local history, hot off the griddle.
13. Wedl’s Hamburger Stand & Ice Cream Parlor (Jefferson)
The tiny building squeaks with character, barely 64 square feet, cast-iron skillet still sizzling on the flat top, and a parking lot full of locals who know exactly what they’re here for. The scent of frying beef and onion nearly drowns out the faint hum of traffic.
Since 1916 (with the stand established in 1919) this spot has served burgers cooked over century-old equipment, each patty buttery, crisped at the edge, and wrapped tight for take-out or a patio seat.
Visitor habit: go early in summer, snag the corner outdoor seat, unwrap a double and eat it while watching the grill at work, it’s tradition you can taste.
14. Kewpee Sandwich Shop (Racine)
A mural of the iconic Kewpie doll looms above the counter as orders roll in, pickles stacked high, mustard bright, fresh-ground patties hitting the griddle with authority. The atmosphere vibrates with decades of regulars and the hiss of the flat top.
Kewpee’s Racine location traces roots back to 1926 and the early expansion of the Kewpee chain. The menu stays tight: burgers, fries, malts, and tradition.
Pull up a seat at the counter, order the double and a milkshake, and you’ll feel why some places endure, because they make the good stuff dependably.
15. Murf’s Frozen Custard & Jumbo Burgers (Brookfield)
The grill’s warmth hits your face before you leave the parking spot; deep fryer bubbles and the murmur of conversation round out the soundscape. The scene hums with families, late-night commuters, and the faint crack-addict joy of burger buns steaming on the tray.
At Murf’s the burger is true, griddled beef smashed flat, cheese melting just right, bun toasted enough to hold it all. Fries are golden, and custard stands ready if you make it that far.
I lingered so long I almost ordered a second burger. That’s when you know the place isn’t a stop, it’s a destination.
16. Zesty’s Frozen Custard & Grill (Green Bay)
Neon light bounces off chrome trim as you pull into Zesty’s lot, where the hum of summer lingers even in early fall. Teens in hoodies and retirees in convertibles line up under the striped awning, everyone after that same familiar comfort.
Their double cheeseburger comes stacked high: thick beef patties, lettuce crisp as paper, and cheese melting into the bun like memory. The texture hits just right: juicy center, toasted edge, pure nostalgia.
Green Bay locals swear by the custard, but the burger is the quiet champion here.