The ‘dirty flat top cheeseburger’ at The Friendly (By Frank Sabatini Jr.)
Restaurant, North Park

Believe It Or Not: This Burger in North Park Ranks ‘Third Best’ In the Nation

By Frank Sabatini Jr.

Some were stunned while shaking their heads in disbelief. Others were elated after regularly sinking their choppers into the “dirty flat top” cheeseburger at The Friendly.

The North Park pizzeria was named among the three best places in the U.S. for scratching that burger itch.

The honors were tabulated by Yelp Elites, who called out their 20 favorite burgers across the country. The Friendly’s greasy double patty adorned with two slices of American cheese, butter-braised onions and mayo sizzled into third place. It was beaten by the burgers at Shige’s Saimin Stand in Wahiawa, Hawaii (No. 1) and Au Chaval in Chicago (No. 2).

Visually unremarkable, customers at The Friendly are not allowed to make any modifications to the dirty flat top burger. 

Don’t like mayo? Tough luck. You’re getting it with a hint of garlic. Have something against braised onions? Then go elsewhere or reconcile your aversion to such a delectable garnish. And if you’re fussing over calories and fat grams, give your food policing a rest for the day while keeping in mind that some of the fat is pressed out of the patties with a spatula as they cook–thus qualifying them as “smash burgers.”

The Yelp elites jointly stated they can’t get enough of this naughty creation.