This little diner-style burger joint in Richmond’s 23rd Street corridor specializes in two things: solid, simply dressed burgers and (also quite excellent) cheesesteaks, all dished out with some of the friendliest service in the East Bay.

Popular Albany brunch and burger spot 310 Eatery specializes in “Los Angeles–style” street food, with a dash of Asian dishes in the mix as well. Their most popular burgers come overloaded with dozens of toppings — we see you 405 Traffic Jam, with your bacon-short rib patty, portobello mushroom, crispy onions, and pastrami — but there are also more “standard” burgers that are just as excellent, such as the Street Burger, which comes smothered in bacon jam.

As its name indicates, the “Good Burger” is quite good — a classic with lettuce, tomato, onion, cheddar, aioli, and burger sauce. But the Mexi Cali burger might be even better, subbing in avocado, pepper jack cheese, jalapenos, and “sideshow aioli” to create a spicy, drippy delight.

This tiki-inspired bar’s burger is the perfect accompaniment to a bucket of rum or two. The burger features two Cream Co. beef patties with pineapple-Maui onion jam, American cheese, Kewpie mayo, and pickles on a potato roll. Don’t forget to add crispy Spam on top.

This popular beer garden is an Oakland institution by this point, known for its lively outdoor patio, boozy slushies, and, not for nothing, its nicely charred burgers and sausage sandwiches. Those looking for a particularly decadent burger experience can opt for the “5150,” which has a patty that’s half beef, half ground-up bacon or the mac and cheese burger (which is exactly what it sounds like, a burger topped with mac and cheese). Even vegetarians have multiple — well, two — burger options: an Impossible burger and one featuring a chipotle black bean patty.

Clove and Hoof is a restaurant, but it also doubles as a butcher shop, meaning that every meaty item is processed in-house. There’s only one burger, but the C&H Cheeseburger is tough to beat: It’s two four-ounce beef patties with caramelized onion jam, pimento cheese, romaine lettuce, bread and butter pickles, and pickle mayo on a sesame seed brioche bun. Add beef tallow fries, and it’s game on.

The simple, juicy patties with their crisp edges are the draw at this Oakland mini-chain, which has already become a local institution since its first location (on Grand Avenue) opened in 2010. The milkshakes are excellent, and so are the ballpark-style garlic fries.

This former food truck is known for serving some of the most decadent-looking veggie burgers you can find in the East Bay — no timid little sprout-topped bean or mushroom patties here. Malibu’s offers original plant-based creations like the Ghostown Burger (two Impossible patties, American “cheese,” onion rings, lettuce, tomato, and barbecue sauce).

Jo’s might not be the obvious option for a burger, given its focus on chef Intu-on Kornnawong’s Thai-Californian cuisine. Still, the restaurant’s pork laab burger is worth pausing over while perusing the menu, as it features a fried pork laab patty with lettuce, cucumber, and shallots, plus a laab dressing and makrut lime mayo.

One of a very small number of solid dining options located in close proximity to the Oakland airport, this family-run spot is known for its very hefty and juicy burgers — the double is a real whopper of a meal — and its garlic fries. Not in the mood for a burger? The teriyaki plates are a crowd favorite as well.

As its name suggests, this family-owned strip mall burger joint in San Lorenzo, tucked between a dental office and a tax-preparation operation, sticks to the classics: just simple, well-executed, inexpensive burgers. The loftiest item on the item is probably also the most popular: the signature Classic Burger, which comes topped with pastrami and cheese.

Hazel’s Drive In has long been an East Bay staple for comforting, old-school burgers and has been in operation since 1947. The hungriest of your group should go for the Willy with its XL-sized patty and grilled onions, or the western bacon cheeseburger that gets a hit of barbecue sauce. While you’re at it, don’t skip out on the milkshakes.