Exclusive Burgers: Pricey Bites, Limited Supply

In America's largest cities, select restaurants are limiting the sale of their ultra-premium burgers. These exclusive items, crafted with ingredients like prime brisket and house-ground chuck, are not widely available. For instance, a $38 burger at Los Angeles' Bar Avoja is limited to just 20 servings per Thursday.

Chefs cite significant kitchen labor and a strategic choice not to be pigeonholed as 'burger restaurants' as primary reasons for these restrictions. Tony Messina of Boston's Common Craft explained that the gruesome labor involved in making their $28 black-pepper cheeseburger necessitates capping nightly sales at 35. Similarly, Lord's in New York limits its $26 Welsh rarebit cheeseburgers to Tuesdays, as making them is a substantial effort.

These high-end burgers, predating the current smashburger trend, are designed as a special offering. Restaurants aim to preserve culinary quality and manage operational demands, ensuring the burger isn't the sole focus of their establishment. This approach allows chefs to control output and avoid overwhelming their kitchen staff.