The Big, Bizarre and Bunless

Hungry for More (and More):The city’s most famous burger is also among the largest—Thurman Café’sThurmanator, loaded with 24 ounces of beef plus ham, bacon, three cheeses and veggies. Not far behind, Gahanna Grill’s Triple Beanie Burger boasts three half-pound patties and the usual toppings.

Some Like it (Insanely) Hot:Columbus has plenty of spicy burgers, but the hottest by far (and allegedly anywhere in the U.S.) is The Voodoo Burger from the Hungry Monkey food truck. The heat comes from two jalapeños, three serranos, 13 habaneros, two crushed scorpion peppers and a generous helping of “voodoo sauce.” It’s also enormous, and only for those who enjoy their earth scorched.

Bored with Beef: For those sick of sirloin, Brazenhead in Grandview has the Cilantro Chicken Burger and The Vegan, made with grilled eggplant. The barbecue masters from Ray Ray’s Hog Pit pay homage to pork with their Mangalitsa Brat Burger, and The Rail makes the Mojo Burger with a blend of beef and Ohio andouille sausage. Flip Side’s Curry Lamb Burger is served with mint cucumber slaw, but the true original is its Inverted Veggie Burger—avocado, sprouts, arugula and red pepper vinaigrette between two chickpea patties, like a plant-based version of the Double Down from Kentucky Fried Chicken—except edible.

Burger Agnostic: It looks like a burger, and it has all the ingredients of a burger, but is The Fang, the burger-esque meatloaf sandwich from Newfangled Kitchen, actually a burger? You be the judge.