What a Craft Burger Menu Looks Like (and What It Costs)
Burger menus look simple: burgers, fries, a shake. But the style of the place changes everything, from how the patty is cooked to what a "double" costs. Using three fictional burger joints from the SemFood catalog as examples, here is how craft burger menus are built and how their prices stack up.
Three styles, three price levels
Most burger places fall into one of three families. Smash burger joints press thin patties onto a very hot flat top so the edges turn crisp and lacy, stack two or three of them, and keep the menu short and cheap. Diners and pub-style spots serve a thicker patty, usually around a quarter pound, with classic toppings, a long list of variations and sides. Gourmet burger bars focus on the beef itself (dry-aged, wagyu, specific blends), house-baked buns and luxury toppings, with prices to match.
The three restaurants below are fictional: they exist only in SemFood, a simulated delivery app where nothing is charged and nothing is delivered. Their menus and prices, though, were written to match what you would expect in the US, which makes them a useful reference. You can browse every dish across all of our burger places on the burgers page.
The smash burger menu: Griddle Boys
Griddle Boys is a food-truck-style smash joint. Its menu is built around patty count: the Single Smash is $7.99, the Double Smash $10.49 and the Triple Threat $11.99. Variations sit in between, like an Onion Smash with paper-thin onions pressed into the beef at $8.99 and a Bacon Smash at $10.99. There is a black bean smash for non-meat eaters at $8.99 and a kid's cheeseburger at $6.49.
Notice how small the jump is from single to double: $2.50 for twice the beef. That is typical of smash menus, and it is why the double is usually the best value on the board. Sides stay cheap too: shoestring fries at $3.99, onion rings at $4.99, the house pink sauce for $0.99. A chocolate shake is $5.49.
A classic order here (Double Smash, fries and a shake) comes to $19.97, plus a $1.99 delivery fee in the app.
The diner menu: Route 9 Diner
Route 9 Diner shows the classic American approach: quarter-pound patties off the grill and a long list of builds. The Diner Cheeseburger is $8.99, the Patty Melt on buttered rye $9.49, a Mushroom Swiss $9.49, and The Trucker (two patties, bacon, fried egg and cheese) $11.49. The Plain Jane, just patty, ketchup, mustard and pickles, is $7.49.
Diners earn their character on the sides and drinks: crinkle-cut fries at $3.99, chili cheese fries at $6.49, sweet potato fries at $4.99, a chocolate malt at $5.99 and bottomless coffee at $1.99. Diner menus tend to have more items at similar prices, so the total depends far more on how many sides and drinks you add than on which burger you choose.
The gourmet menu: Marbled
Marbled is a premium wagyu burger atelier, and its menu shows how far the category stretches. Its most "basic" items are a Wagyu Cheeseburger at $36.90 and a Wagyu Double Smash at $38.90. From there it climbs: a black truffle wagyu burger at $54.90, wagyu with seared foie gras at $58.90, and an A5 wagyu burger at $68.90. Truffle fries are $14.90, and the delivery fee is $5.99.
Menus like this are about the ingredient story: where the beef comes from, how it is aged, what the bun is baked with. They are also a reminder that "burger" is not one price point. The same word covers a $7.99 smash and a $68.90 wagyu creation, which is why comparing burger prices only makes sense within the same style.
Where the money goes on a real burger order
On a real delivery app, the menu price is only part of the bill. A $20 smash burger order can pick up a delivery fee, a service fee, tax and a tip, pushing it past $30. The cheaper the food, the bigger the share that goes to fees, which is why a solo burger order is one of the most fee-heavy things you can order. See the line-by-line math in delivery fees and service fees.
Two ways to keep it reasonable: choose the double instead of adding extra sides, since the patty upgrade is usually the best value per dollar, and skip the delivery soda if you have something cold at home.
Or order the full spread for free. On SemFood you can put an A5 wagyu burger, truffle fries and a shake in the cart, check out and watch the courier ride to your door, and the receipt says "charged: $0.00". See what your real burger habit costs in the calculator, then browse every burger restaurant or the full restaurant list.
What is the difference between a smash burger and a regular burger?
A smash burger is a thin patty pressed hard onto a very hot flat top, which creates crisp, browned edges. A regular diner or pub burger is a thicker patty, often around a quarter pound, cooked on a grill or griddle without smashing.
How much does a smash burger cost?
On the fictional US menus in SemFood, a single smash runs around $8 and a double around $10 to $11. Real prices vary by city and restaurant.
Are Griddle Boys, Route 9 Diner and Marbled real restaurants?
No. They are fictional restaurants that exist only in SemFood, a simulated delivery app. Nothing ordered from them is charged or delivered.
Why are gourmet burgers so expensive?
Mostly the beef: dry-aged cuts and wagyu cost far more than standard ground beef. Luxury toppings like truffle or foie gras and house-baked buns add the rest.