Tucson's best: burgers

Tucson's best: burgers

Whether it’s sumptuous or slightly mediocre, the hamburger is nevertheless a symbol of the world’s interconnectedness. You can order a big Mac in almost any country, but you can also order a kimchi burger in Korea or a lingonberry burger in Sweden. You can smother your the meat with blackberry and black currant ketchup in Paris or wasabi in Japan. You can eat it inside a wrap of lettuce, a bun made of rice or a sticky bun. You can even nix the “ham,” as we Americans say, and replace it with ostrich, shrimp and squid, bison or beans.

But the people of Tucson, for the most part, like their burgers straightforward, beefy and big. After all, the burger’s simplest format has been tried and tested, and you don’t need foie gras to make those fries taste good.

Despite the simplicity, there is still a good variety of burger options in town. (Here, Alia Mir serves a burger with white cheddar and mushrooms at Grill.) Have your beef and eat it, too!