Downtown Detroit’s high-end steakhouse Prime + Proper just carved out a spot on the global burger stage. Today, its ultra-limited house burger landed at No. 61 on a newly unveiled list of the world’s 101 best burgers, thanks to a sandwich stacked with an A5 wagyu-and-dry-aged-brisket blend, French-onion toppings, and a house-baked sesame bun.
The placement comes from the inaugural World’s 101 Best Burger Places list. According to World's 101 Best Burger Places, Prime + Proper is listed at No. 61 on the 2026 ranking.
What’s on the burger
This is not your standard bar burger. Prime + Proper’s version blends A5 Wagyu with the restaurant’s own dry-aged brisket, then piles on French-onion-simmered onions, Beecher’s flagship cheddar, a “zip” mayonnaise, and pickled mustard seed, all on a homemade sesame bun. The restaurant told MLive that the chef bakes only five to 10 buns a day, capping the burger at roughly 10 servings each evening, and that it is offered only at the bar.
“We put all of our time, energy, and effort into producing the highest quality things,” Chad Braun said, adding that the team’s attention to detail is what they focus on, in remarks to MLive. Braun said the goal was to make “one of the world’s best burgers” while keeping Prime + Proper’s steakhouse identity intact.
A win for Detroit dining
Prime + Proper is better known locally for its glass-walled dry-age rooms and wood-fired steaks, so seeing its burger crack a global ranking is a bit of an unexpected crossover. The nod effectively drops a downtown Detroit dining room onto the international burger map. Eater Detroit documented the restaurant’s 2017 opening and its in-house dry-aging program, and specialty industry lists such as World's Best Steaks have already praised the kitchen’s meat program.
How to try it
Catching the burger takes some planning. It is not guaranteed on every visit: Prime + Proper recommends reservations and keeps the burger to a small nightly run at the bar. For current hours, booking, and availability, check the restaurant’s site at Prime + Proper before heading downtown.
