It may be peak grill season, but with this week’s oppressive heat, do you really want to stand in front of a hot grill just to get your burger fix on? Didn’t think so. When it comes to finding good burgers, there’s no shortage in D.C., but there’s only a handful that are truly, remarkably great. As such, DCist writers highlight their favorite burgers in the city. Read this, eat them, and then go to the gym, because these burgers aren’t exactly light on calories.

Ray’s Hell Burger is dead. Long live Ray’s To The Third. Photo by Kenton Ngo.

THE DINO AT RED APRON BUTCHER: Do you know what’s better than a beef burger? A burger made out of a spicy mix of pork, fat, and skin. It sounds a little gross, but I trust the folks at Red Apron to do justice to any variety of Italian cured meat product. The Dino is made out of a juicy Cotechino sausage patty, dark pink and dotted with fatty nodules of flavor. Bitter broccoli rabe helps play up the sweetness of the pork while a schmear of tomato aioli and Fontina cheese take the burger from rustic to decadent. I’ll take it over ever the best beef patty any day. — Alicia Mazzara

Red Apron has locations in Penn Quarter (709 D Street NW) and in Union Market (1309 5th Street NE).

GRANVILLE MOORE’S: While it’s hard to resist ordering the excellent moules at this H Street NE spot, the bison burger should not be passed up. Topped with cheese and dijonnaise, this burger is a little on the pricey side—$15— but it’s always cooked perfectly and tastes better than any beef offering I’ve found in D.C. Plus it comes with some of the best frites in the city. Please do not fail to add a fried egg and bacon if you order the burger at brunch. — Sarah Anne Hughes

Granville Moore’s is located at 1238 H Street NE.

THE DOGCATCHER AT RAY’S TO THE THIRD: Ray’s Hellburger, the source of the biggest meat coma of my life, may have closed, but the burgers live on at Ray’s: To The Third. Chef Michael Landrum knows his way around beef, and these juicy, hand-ground burgers are yet another testament to his skill with animal protein. Ordering these patties well done is a crime, food-borne illness be damned. My personal favorite is The Dogcatcher, topped with roasted bone marrow and garlicky herbs for an explosion of magical beefy flavor. If your arterial health is of no concern, spring for the Fat Joe which comes with a hunk of foie gras, crispy onions, and a drizzle of white truffle oil. — Alicia Mazzara

Ray’s: To The Third is located at 1650 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Va.

HAMBAGU AT DAIKAYA: Daikaya’s “hambagu” is an aggressively modern Japanese take on an American classic. The Salisbury-esque steak patty is served over a small bed of rice in its own mini skillet, and drizzled with a savory-umami red wine and worcestershire sauce. The burger comes crowned with a fried egg that is technically optional, but you’d be a fool to skip it. — Riley Croghan

Daikaya is located at 705 6th Street NW.

THE HERBERT AT DC9: No matter how you dress it up, a burger is still a burger. Still, sometimes you can throw just enough off-center topping items so that a burger transcends being “just a burger” to being a damn fine burger. Enter DC9’s “The Herbert,” which puts a plump, crispy fried green tomato front and center on the burger, with a savory accompaniment of applewood smoked bacon and Tabasco aioli. Take that, plain ‘ol burger. — Matt Cohen

DC9 is located at 1940 9th Street NW.

DESPERADOS BURGER AT DESPERADOS BURGER AND BAR: Hey, how about some more meat on your meat? That’s basically the ethos of the Desperados Burger at U Street’s Desperados Burger and Bar: ground chuck patty piled with slow-roasted pork, and then topped with swiss cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato, mustard, and then remoulade sauce, because fuck it, why not? — Matt Cohen

Desperados Burger and Bar is located at 1342 U Street NW.

You can get this monstrosity at Good Stuff Eatery. Photo by Kevin Harbor.

MICHELLE MELT AT GOOD STUFF EATERY: One could make the argument that any one of Good Stuff Eatery’s devilishly designed mega-burgers should deserve their own spot on this list, but as someone that favors turkey burgers over beef ones (sorry/not sorry), I’ve got to single out the Michelle Melt. A free-range turkey patty is topped with caramelized onions, swiss cheese, ruby tomatoes, lettuce, and tangy southlawn herb garden mayo on a wheat bun. Look, this may be more of a “healthy” option or whatever, but it’s still damn delicious, OK? — Matt Cohen

SPIKE’S SUNNYSIDE AT GOOD STUFF EATERY: My all-time favorite Washington-area burger was the huge, juicy slab from the The Quarry House, Tavern before the Silver Spring institution changed management in the mid-aughts and when they were still a real dive bar. It was a burger I used to look forward to with drooling anticipation. In the absence of a present-day equivalent, I sort of look forward to this artery-clogging sandwich, with an egg fried sunnyside-up plopped on top of an applewood bacon cheeseburger. The yolk may burst in the burger’s paper wrapper before you get a chance to eat it, but you can always mop up the cholesterol with your fries. — Pat Padua

Good Stuff Eatery has locations in Capitol Hill (303 Pennsylvania Avenue), Georgetown (3291 M Street NW), and Crystal City (2110 Crystal Drive, Arlington, Va.)

CHICKEN LITTLE AT KANGAROO BOXING CLUB: What? You’re telling me you’re not going to eat a ground angus chuck-mixed-with-pastrami burger topped with peppered ham, pulled pork, and bacon? You’re going to eat it. Did I mention it also has a fried egg on top? Told ya you’re going to eat it. — Matt Cohen

Kangaroo Boxing Club is located at 3410 11th Street NW.

EL CHUCHO AT BAR CHARLEY: This may be a little confusing because, in addition to being a restaurant on 11th Street, El Chucho is also the name of a burger at Bar Charley. It’s actually named after the restaurant, since it’s owned by the same people (who also own Quarry House and Jackie’s Sidebar in Silver Spring). Anyway, I digress, the El Chucho is a Mexican take on a burger, with spiced ground pork, thick-cut ham, mozzarella, and avocado, all slathered in Enchilada sauce. Pro-tip: bring extra napkins, you’re going to need it. — Matt Cohen

Bar Charley is located at 1825 18th Street NW.

THE WILDCATTER AT LINDY’S RED LION: The Wildcatter is pretty straightforward—sirloin stuffed with jalapeños, cheddar, bacon, and tomato—but oh my, is it good. The kick of the jalapeños makes you take your time, the patty is juicy but not messy, and the bun is a bit more substantial than a typical burger bun. I could take or leave the lettuce, but the tomato and cheddar added the perfect complimentary flavors. Throw in a side of bleu cheese (you’ve gotta ask for it.) and a beer, and the Texas Wildcatter sets the perfect pace for watching any sports game: relaxingly smooth overall, but spicy at just the right moments. — Jonathan Neeley

Lindy’s Red Lion is located at 2040 I Street NW.

ANY BURGER AT SHAKE SHACK: I moved to San Francisco from D.C. six weeks ago. I miss a lot of things, like real summer temperatures and spats about the ineptitude of the Washington football team. But one of those things is not so vernacular. I’m craving Shake Shack—its New York-ness be damned—and the appropriately sized, potato bun-ensconced, Shack-sauce dripping patties it serves up. Plus, you know, concretes. Super Duper can rip off Shake Shack’s branding all day, but it’s a far cry from Mecca. And don’t even tell me to drown my sorrows in In-n-Out Burger. Those fries are horrendous! — Alex Baca

Shake Shack has locations in Dupont Circle (1216 18th Street NW), Chinatown (800 F Street NW), and in Nationals Park (1500 South Capitol Street SE).