BEST HAMBURGER

BEST HAMBURGERCarmen the Restaurant700 Biltmore Way

Coral Gables

305-913-1944 Since her eponymous restaurant opened two years ago, chef Carmen Gonzalez has won so much national recognition for the upscale Nueva Puerto Rican-influenced fare in her venue's formal dining room that it's easy to forget half the place is a casual wine bar with its own menu of equally tasty light bites. And once you're committed to a bar meal, it's hard to turn down exotic stuff like rock shrimp empanadas for basic American hamburgers. But what burgers! The minimorsels of juicy ground sirloin, four per order, are only 1.5 ounces each. But unlike standard sliders, they come cooked to order, as rare as you like 'em, topped with creamy Gorgonzola and caramelized onions. Their buns? Homemade brioches. And all accompaniments, from the crisp shoestring fries to the pickles -- even the ketchup -- are made from scratch.

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