On the Richmond Burger Trail: Phila Burger Station on 23rd Street

We’re back on the quest, napkins and appetites at the ready, systematically eating our way through Richmond’s burger landscape one patty at a time. This isn’t about chasing viral food trends or hunting down the most photogenic sandwich. It’s about finding the best damn hamburger in Richmond, period. From hole-in-the-wall joints to neighborhood institutions, we’re hitting them all, because somewhere in this city lies the perfect combination of meat, bun, and everything in between.

Our first stop is 23rd Street’s Phila Burger Station. There is no Instagram-ready artistry here. No fancy sauce drips or glossy brioche. Instead, you get a big Nations-style burger that is hearty and honest. It feels like an homage, which makes sense since the building once housed a Nations. The legacy lingers in the generous proportions and familiar flavor profile.

You order through a sticker-covered window that tells the whole story, a collage of stickers, car club decals, and random proclamations like “you are beautiful” mixed with everything from “JUSTLOWRIDERS BAY AREA CC” to “RANCHO LA FORTUNA MC.” It’s the kind of window that accumulates character over the years, each sticker a small endorsement from someone who came back.

The sticker-covered ordering window is pure Richmond - a wild mix of car club decals, local endorsements, and random messages that have accumulated over the years like a neighborhood scrapbook.

They hand you a pager that buzzes when your meal is ready, giving you time to take in the modest standalone building with its red metal awning and simple white walls. There’s accessible parking right next door, and the “Great Hamburger TO GO” sign tells you everything about the no-frills approach.

A plain soft white bun holds everything together without pretense. Just a reliable vehicle for all the heft inside. Crisp iceberg lettuce, a few cool red onion slabs, and fresh tomato slices add lift and crunch along with a fleeting hint of freshness beneath all that meatiness. Mayo and mustard keep things simple and classic, holding their own but never stealing the spotlight.

Phila Burger Station's hamburger and fries

The patty arrives well-cooked, maybe even a little too well. A touch more char than juice, so while every bite delivers that beefy satisfaction, it skews slightly dry. The meat has that dense, substantial quality that fills you up properly. Golden fries arrive alongside in classic white paper envelopes, nothing fancy, just good, solid potato sticks that complement rather than compete.

This is not a burger to unwrap delicately. It’s the kind you grip with one hand, perhaps while maneuvering a car or just powering through your day. Consumption is purposeful. You don’t pose with it. You crush it.

The meal is generous, big enough that you leave satisfied, if a little worn around the edges from the effort. It delivers nostalgia and substance without fluff. It is the kind of place that survives on repeat customers.

If you’re chasing something hearty, direct, and rooted in neighborhood tradition, Phila Burger Station delivers. It’s not delicate culinary artistry, but that’s exactly the point. It’s the burger you dig into, not display.

Phila Burger Station hands you a pager that buzzes when your meal is ready.

Let us know where to find the best burger in Richmond.

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