Burger Tap & Shake

From the quality of the bun to the meet and how it’s cooked to the fried green tomato on the burger… bar none the best burger Ive ever had.

FAVORITE BURGER PLACE EVER! the shakes are packed with whatever filling you choose (my oreo shake was filled with massive chunks of oreo, it was amazing). the big daddy burger is piled high with giant cubes (well more like rectangular prisms i guess) of bacon. i didn’t take any pics bc i was too busy living in the moment.
located just a hop and a leap (how does that phrase go?) from the foggy bottom metro. definitely give this place a go.

BTS is a good place to grab a bite in Foggy Bottom. The Southern Comfort and High Thigh are both good. The High Thigh is shockingly juicy — be prepared with napkins. Definitely not the best food you’ll have, but it hits the spot.

The food as okay. The burger. Was under cooked, even for me! The onion rings were way over cooked almost to the point of being burned. Very small dining area, and busy!

Food-​wise, this place is 5-​stars without much hesitation. Unfortunately, it takes a while to get your food, and seating indoors is next to impossible during peak hours. The drawback to putting out great burgers I suppose. There is outdoor seating, but in the middle of summer, a hot plate of albeit delicious, but greasy, hot food is a recipe for misery.

I wouldn’t consider myself a huge burger fan, but I do love meat. So when Burger Tap & Shake popped on my Unilocal app, I was eager to try it out. The place was pretty packed on a Saturday afternoon, but we were able to get a table outside. Nothing fancy, just regular burger joint seating.
BTS serves wine, beer and shaketails — how awesome is that? They mainly have beef burgers, but also offer salmon and veggie options, as well as a variety of toppings. Their burgers have awesome names too, like «Big Daddy» for example :) I had their Southern Comfort (because of the pimento cheese) and was very pleased. This has to be the first burger I’ve ever eaten that had the beef patty cooked to such amazing perfection — it was well done (just like I like it!), but still juicy enough to taste and chew comfortably. I ordered it with a side of sweet potato fries and while those weren’t the best I’ve had, they surely did not disappoint.
If you’re in the area, definitely give it a try! They also have a location in Tenleytown, hopefully they’re consistent.

The burger patty is large and tastes great and fresh. I really like the brioche bun, and I’m hard to please. The burger sauce is everything you would want it to be. I got the $ 6 buck chuck. Next time I might get the falafel patty, which all the blogs say are really good. I wouldn’t recommend the fries — they are too plain and inconsistent and were cold in less than 5 minutes after coming out.

Nice hamburger, beer, and the environment!
Clean spot, no smell!
A very nice option for having a burger in Foggy Bottom

Sat at the bar at this fun, order at the counter burger place. I had a blackberry pomegranate shake. It was amazeballs! You could taste the vanilla ice cream! So the individual flavors stood out, but them blended together… wow!
I ordered the ground chicken burger called the High Thigh with lemon aioli, tomato, onion, lettuce, pickle, and cheddar cheese with a side of sweet potato fries. Delicious juicy burger with fresh toppings! The fries were all right.
I would order any and all of the shakes here! I want to try all of the different burgers… salmon, beef, turkey… hope I come across one of these again.

One day I left a doctors appt at gwu. I had to fast for blood work to be drawn the next day. On the day of the appt, I was hunting for food like a person from a snickers commercial. I stumbled upon BTS. My belly became instantly pleased as the smell of fresh fries filled the air.
I ordered the big daddy with a order of sweet potato fries and a Oreo shake. I didn’t care about the calories as I enjoyed the juicy burger. The space inside was clean and not too crowded at 11am on a Thursday. A quick tip: arrive before the lunch crowd. You can’t go wrong with a juicy burger.

Just okay. I mostly give this place 3-​stars because I enjoy that I can get a beer with my burger; although, i probably wouldn’t have ordered a beer had it not been for their $ 5 happy hour.
The burger I got was a little overdone, but that’s not really a big issue for me. What is an issue, is the bun-​burger ratio. The bun they used is HUGE compared to what actually went on my burger, and it felt a bit hard. We ordered cheese fries and onion rings. The onion rings are huge. The fries were super greasy and soggy, not crispy anywhere, and the shredded cheese they put on top only half melted by the time they came to us. Not very appetizing.
I got the cowtipper milkshake, and I will say, that was quite fantastic. A little more milky than I like personally, but the taste of phenomenal. Smirnoff Root Beer Vodka, Vanilla Ice Cream, who knew?
I’m willing to give this place another try, but definitely not rushing back.

I am weary of any place that I can’t find nutrition information. I even joined their Facebook page and sent a request asking where I can find nutrition information and his response was «We don’t actually publish that info!», but you want me to spend my hard earned $$$‘s???
I’m not sure about ya’ll, but for someone who wants to monitor what they eat, it scares me that a chain restaurant does not provide nutrition information. All good tho, you won’t have to worry about me ever eating there, especially when there’s a Bobby Flay Burger Joint (with nutrition information provided) directly across the street.
Deuces!

This place is great! Nice atmosphere, great food and drinks. Definitely gets crowded at lunch and dinner times so kind of hard for large groups.
The fries and side salads are pretty large so I recommend sharing. Save room to not share your milkshake :)

Best turkey burger I’ve ever had! Moist, juicy, flavorful and hot. With provolone and avocado on a warm bun. It’s called the SoCal. I added some of their spicy mayo.
I was so pleasantly surprised. Thought this was going to be an average lunch.
My son had the classic burger and it was perfectly cooked and very tasty.
Reasonably price as well.

Chicken burger is lovely and lemony. Onion rings are very scrumptious. My only concern is that the front door is super heavy.

Ive been by here many times, but never had a chance to stop in. So when a friend from out of town wanted to meet somewhere casual for dinner, I immediately suggested it.
This place is definitely more chill than its big brother next door, but they still boost the same great beer selection (minus the bottles) and a monthly keg killer event.
As for their burgers, theyre very good. The patties are a nice size (and juicy) and they have an awesome list of extra toppings available (some for an extra cost). And the prices are what you’d expect to see at a roadside burger joint, not a burger restaurant in DC. They also do boozy shakes, or shaketails as they call them. I haven’t tried any of those yet, but the combinations sound delicious.
Seating here fills up quickly, so if you plan to visit, come early!

I absolutely love BTS! As someone who doesn’t eat meat, I always have a hard time finding a good burger joint. Most of the times burger places have a vegetarian option, but it usually tastes nasty. Luckily, about three years ago I discovered BTS and have been smitten ever since.
Currently, I love both the Haight-​Ashbury Burger (falafel) and the Upstream Run (salmon burger.) Both burgers are insanely delicious and pair perfectly with the TO DIE FOR BTS Shake (Butterfingers, Twix & Snickers with vanilla ice cream!) In addition to their awesome food, the service is good and the prices are even better! ($ 6-​$ 8 for a burger)
BTS loses points for me with 1.) Their bathrooms are a little bit disgusting (last time I went in they were out of tp and the stalls were extremely dirty & 2.) It can get very crowded during peak hours, so plan your visit accordingly!

This place was a great find while some friends and I were out during the day around GW. We ducked in for lunch and were not disappointed! Great place for some amazing burgers that are just the right size (not too big, not small) and real good sweet potato fries (my weakness). They also had a good selection of beers and shakes (fitting, with the name and all!). Was a great place but small so during lunch hour it was crowded, but staff was quick to clean up as people rotated through. Would definitely go back.

Burgers was trash don’t waste your time or money burgers taste like shit! I rather get a burger from McDonald’s than from this trash ass place

Mmmm not very good at all. Not many burger options to choose from and the choices you do have are horrible concoctions. My boy ordered the burger with chili on it, the chili was horrible. He didn’t finish his and I left most of mine. The fries were very good though.

I really expected much more from this place. The burger was not even average, and the price was meh. The second time around I had the whole wheat bun, don’t even think about it, it is just horrible!
The only thing they have going on for them is the thickness of the patty, which is like a double burger. That’s the only reason I’m giving them 3 stars. There is a burger place called bobby’s a block away, much better burger! I like that place

I really expected much more from this place. The burger was not even average, and the price too much for what I got honestly because of the extra charges on toppings. The second time around I had the whole wheat bun, don’t even think about it, it is just horrible!
The only thing they have going on for them is the thickness of the patty, which is like a double burger. That’s the only reason I’m giving them 3 stars. There is a burger place called bobby’s a block away, much better burger! I like that place

Packed, but super quick service. The alcohol shakes are delicious! Burgers were nicely cooked, the sweet potato fries were yummy and the bacon was thick. What more could you ask for in a burger place?

I’m always looking for a good turkey burger and they never disappoint. It’s moist, well seasoned, and has lots of flavor. The fries are pretty awesome too. If you are on a budget, the 6 buck chuck isn’t a bad deal at all.

Great burgers. Great shakes. Do you need anything else? Not me.
This place is on a busy street, so expect a line when you go. But the line is justified. This place is great at what they do. Making burgers and shakes.
This is a must go whenever I’m in DC.

Very busy place. I ordered their veggie burger and some onion rings and a beer. One bite which I ended up not actually swallowing and then threw away the burger.
I can say with emphasis that it is not good.
The IPA they served called three-​star was really good. But they didn’t make that did they.

Awesome burgers at competitive prices. I would come back to try all the burgers. Solid!

Five guys but with a bar.
Nothing special to report about BTS. Quick service and they offer a variety of burgers beyond just beef and cheese. Fries are solid and if you like milkshakes they also carry a variety of flavors.
A go to when I’m on campus and want a burger.

The «BTS Shake» is heaven on earth! BTS in this shake stands for Butterfinger Twix Snickers. You have the choice of a vanilla or chocolate base. I prefer the vanilla.
I get my burgers either medium-​well or well done because the medium is way too pink and bloody for me. They have a falafel burger for vegetarians. Get the sweet potato fries and dipping sauce!
Conveniently located across from GW Hospital. They’re always playing great music!

Burger Tap & Shake definitely is a must try when it comes to the burgers spots that are popping up in and around the DC area. Plenty of space for dining in and out. I tried the six buck chuck burger with onion rings and chocolate shake. The burger is very juicy and surprisingly thicker than I expected. Every bite was well seasoned and juicy. The burgers were also served on a brioche hamburger bun. The onion rings crust was pretty light and flakey but the downside was that the crust will break apart very easily while handling them. The chocolate shake was sooooooooooo good. It was very rich and thick and I also tasted chocolate chips in every sip. BTS is a must try so please do not overlook while downtown.

Slightly fancy and creative burgers and alcoholic milkshakes. I had the «Big Daddy» or a burger with bacon the size of thick french fries, thousand island and blue cheese. The other contenders were the Tejas (chili con carne with jalapeños), Apache (green chili) and a season thanksgiving turkey sandwich. There were some chicken and one vegetarian options too if you swing that way. Anyway the burger was good, so long as you’re not an absolute burger snob.
I hate comparing it to Five Guys because it’s not the same burger but like Five Guys the burger doesn’t come with fries. Nothing is horribly expensive by itself but if you want a burger, fries and a shake, it’s going to exceed $ 20. I understand they are next to GW but in my mind the side of fries (a single large potato that didn’t look special) should be priced with the burger because its expected you’re going to buy a beer or milkshake.
The draw here are the several cocktail milkshakes. I chose the Oreo with Kahlua which while okay, wasn’t very alcoholic. I expected as much and the milkshake I’m sure masked most of it, but I left wishing I had just ordered a pint of beer instead, which sort of undermines the idea of alcoholic milkshakes and why you would travel from not GW to here.
Bottomline it is great if you’re in the area but I would skip the fries and if you’re not into alcoholic milkshakes, I would skip that as well and/​or order a draft beer.

I’m not typically a burger girl, but when I do get a burger it’s usually one of those unique, new American kinds of burgers. The creative menu of this place caught my eye, and I immediately went for the specialty burger of the month: The Plymouth Harvest. Decided to go with the whole «autumnal» theme and went with sweet potato fries as my side, which went perfectly with the «AP» sauce.
The burger had a turkey patty, cranberry chutney, sage aoli, and stuffing… absolutely freakin delicious. I love that nostalgic taste of all the thanksgiving flavors put in one sandwich. I was also a fan that the whole wheat bun, was just as fluffy and puffy looking as the regular bun. As a carb lover, the bun is the key component to my burger experience and these buns didn’t disappoint!
My friends got the make-​your-​own and salmon burger and both were equally impressed with their meals.
I’m definitely gonna be back while the Plymouth Harvest is still in season! This girl has gotta get her turkey burger fix while she can.

A nice spot to grab a burger and a shake. I would place this in the same category as D.C. burger joints like Good Stuff Eatery, Five Guys, and Shake Shack (which I would say are far better than fast food locales and meant more for hamburger snobs or enthusiasts). For me, I place BTS in the middle or lower part of that respectively ordered list.
Key features that draw me in:
– Burgers are plenty big and come with a variety of topping options
– Great location in Foggy Bottom a block up from the metro
– A beer or shake can accompany your burger
– Onion rings are a side option! As well as sweet potato fries!
– They make the burger to your order and they don’t haven’t overcooked it when I have ordered medium rare (this happens in a lot of other places!)
– Staff are friendly and seem to be happy where they work
Everything is tasty but nothing wins the «OMG this is the best XYZ that I have ever had» award. I do stop by if I’m in the area and need a burger but I wouldn’t metro or walk across NW only to eat here. With that written, I would eat there on a more frequent basis if I worked, lived, or studied around Foggy Bottom.

I have been to BTS a number of times for a late night bite and a few times for lunch. I really like BTS and their menu that they offer. My usual go to is the Texas burger and I add avocado. It oozes chili and is packed with spice from the jalapeños and peppers added to the burger. I have also built my own burger and that was just as yummy! The service is always quick here which I like. The place can get packed but there is outdoor seating that you can sit at if the weather permits. BTS is actually owned by the same people who own District Commons next door so you know that the quality of the food has to be pretty good. If you are of age and can drink their beer selection is wide-​ranging. If you are in the Foggy Bottom area and feel yourself craving a burger this is the place to go!

The burger is probably the most American and most ubiquitous and democratic of all dishes.
Can America handle another burger place?
Yes. The American appetite for ground beef is insatiable.
That’s why you see so many burger spots. It’s why chefs try to jump in on the action.
Let me just gourmet-​ify this burger and i’ll make that McDonald’s money.
So the first big way to differentiate yourself is offer a heavier burger.
Then it’s a burger with a better blend of beef. It’s why so many people use Pat LaFreida.
If you’re in the burger business, you’re somewhat limited in that respect. At the price point that you charge, you can’t go Steakhouse crazy and use filet mignon trimmings. So burger spots attached to steakhouses have a permanent leg up on just burger spots.
So what you see in the burger wars is a fight over toppings.
— burger
— cheese burger
— bacon cheese burger
Then there will be a blue cheese burger, a burger with avocado (california), a burger with pineapple that they rarely sell (hawaii), a chili burger (texas)…et cetera.
Occasionally, you’ll get a chef insane enough to convince his financial partners that a banh mi burger with pickled daikon and carrots and a sriacha mayonnaise is a great idea — and it just sits their unordered on the menu because most burger buyers are basic. I mean, unless you go to a spot all the time, are you really gonna try something new?
No one is ordering that Ruth Krishna burger broiled in a tandoor oven, slathered in curried mustard sauce with pickled baby eggplants, with vegetable pakora on the side instead of fries. Sure that South African inspired half wild boar/​half beef burger with monkey gland sauce is blog worthy — but no one’s buying that at 11:32 am on an early Tuesday lunch.
Going in with all of this «knowledge», I still wanted a burger.
I glanced at the offerings, and I was like, yeah, I guess. More plain jane offerings from someone else trying to cash in.
I sez to the cashier I sez, «Lemme get the Tejas, but throw some bacon on it.
And a shake too.»
And be quick about it. (well I didn’t say that, I just like Game of Thrones references)
Found a table. Some other office workers were delightfully discussing something, (obviously not work)
Got my order at the counter
Sat down and commenced to grub.
The fries were chill. French fries I’ve found to be a forgotten part of the meal. But all these morons are buying sweet potato fries and tater tots, pushing the market away from what could be done with a classic. I digest.
The shake — honestly I think some dish detergent was left in it, cause it was Cookies and Palmolive. Still drank it down…
Dat burger do…
I wasn’t expecting the chili to be any good. Once you leave Texas, people just throw anything in a pot, slow cook it, toss a 2 teaspoons of «chili powder» and pat themselves on the back. Look at you with a straight face and say «Southwestern». Miss me with your «chilly verday»
The chili was good, bowl worthy.
Texas Red style, no beans, and nice chunks of meat not ground beef. ?chuck roast?
The shredded cheddar set it off nicely.
The pickled jalapenos were red and green, and might have had a bit of sugar in the pickling. LOL at them being way too spicy.
The ground beef, the backbone of the burger, was on point…
But the revelation
DA BACON MAN.
I know bacon.
You know bacon.
When you really think about it, bacon is just crisply fried thin sheets of salt, and a bit of smoke and sugar. For the most part, you don’t really taste bacon. It’s like the orange zest of the meat world. You notice it, it crunches, but you don’t actually like this bacon enough to get a BLT.
Oh you say you do, but what does your wallet say? That’s why BLT’s are not on anyone’s menu. You’d think with all the bacon mania it would be, but it’s not. Bacon is a condiment. It’s like ketchup without the sugar.
Not this bacon.
This is Benton Bacon. I had to look it up because I was so amazed.
If you’ve ever been lucky enough to go to Peter Luger’s, this is that half inch thick cut steakhouse style bacon. Not that 1.5 mm Oscar Meyer stuff you fry up in the morning.
There’s enough flesh here that you actually taste what bacon really is. Plus you could tell that whoever smoked this bacon wasn’t smoking anything else.
This was serious bacon. One could envision a meal where this was central focus. That vision might be hazy, but this bacon will induce said «trip»
I didn’t try anything else, but knowing how good the bacon is, I will be returning for a bacon cheese burger post haste.
Recommended

I had the Southern Comfort and the Double espresso shake. It was baus.
I love this place. Great burgers and shakes! Keep it up BTS!

I love the concept of burger tap and shake — a sit down diner vibe with an outside patio and extensive menu of burgers, shakes, aides, and galore, but feel like they can do so much more!
I usually come here for lunch and they do cook their food really fast, like really fast, but my big problem is the price for what you get. I know it’s DC, but 9 dollars for a burger and leaving my skinny self still hungry is a no no. Also, if you add a side and shake it’s almost a 20 dollar meal. Their burgers are really tasty b/​c their meat is just so flavorful and their buns are toasted correctly.
In terms of shakes, I would suggest the black and white — right thickness and really goes well as a malt! Don’t get the peanut butter if you want a really thick and overpowering peanut butter taste! Other than that, I highly suggest getting a shake if you like them on the thicker side!

4.5 stars
I love their sweet potato fries and milkshakes! My favorite Flavors are strawberry and cookies and cream.
I don’t eat burgers as a vegetarian and sadly, I wasn’t impressed with their veggie burger. The version I had was with feta and pickled veggies. I love feta but this particular version was too salty. Also, the burger was dry. Sadly, the burger made my meal pricey.
I’d come here just for shakes and fries as its kind of pricey.
Oh yeah, it’s close to my apartment! Maybe that’s a good or bad thing :)

On m’avait aussi recommander le Burger Tap & Shake, plus communément nommé «BTS» comme un excellent fast food faisant de délicieux et «juicy» burger comme les américains disent ! J’y suis donc aller y faire un tour tout seul peu âpres l’heure du déjeuner pour tester l’endroit.
Quand je suis arrivé devant j’ai été surpris car le lieu était littéralement blindé de monde, ce qui est une bonne chose en général. Commande a emporter donc car impossible de s’assoir sur les quelques tables situées a l’intérieur. Le processus de commande fait beaucoup penser a une grande marque de fast food en France a la grande différence que chez BTS votre commande est préparée en direct.
Un peu perdu parmi tout les «toppings and ads» que l’on peut avoir, j’ai opter pour un burger assez classique (j’avoue que je n’ai pas eu le courage de m’aventurer dans du plus customisé…) mais aussi pour une portion de belles et bonnes frites faites maison et puis pour couronner le tout un milkshake au parfum Oreo si mes souvenirs sont bons.
Lors de la dégustation du burger (de taille plutôt imposante) j’ai compris tout le sens du mot «juicy» qui s’appliquait a la viande, extrêmement tendre c’était un réel plaisir, même si je pense qu’elle a du être cuite avec pas mal de beurre y compris ajouté a l’intérieur de celle-​ci car elle regorgeait de matière grasse mais l’expérience n’en fut pas perturbée pour autant. Les frites étaient bonnes mais ce que j’ai adoré c’est la sauce que j’ai choisi avec, une sorte de moutard au miel (aux saveurs sucrées) divine succulente. Par contre légère déception sur le milkshake qui avait une consistance trop «solide et compacte» a mon goût.
Bref j’ai pas été déçu de la recommandation faire a propos de Burger Tap & Shake dans la catégorie fast food a l’américaine et si j’ai l’occasion de retourner a Washington, j’y retournerais pour tenter un burger plus original et tester une des nombreuses bières «pale ale» que je n’ai pas pu prendre car je n’avais pas mon passeport sur moi a ce moment la !