We’re all for the traditional beef patty, But two halves of a toasted Kaiser roll can be home to so much more

by Marisa Procopio

One Pour House, Tinton Falls The best thing about the turkey burger here, besides its sheer enormity, is that the kitchen seasons the meat very, very well; every bite is peppery and juicy. pourhouserestaurant.com

Klein’s Fish Market and Waterside Café, Belmar The name Klein’s has been synonymous with fish at the shore since 1924. You can safely trust this salmon burger, made in house with sesame, soy, and scallions. kleinsfish.com

The Park Tap & Grill, Hazlet No bun…no matter. Their little crab cakes are fall-apart delicate and perfectly piping hot…almost dainty, if you go in for that sort of thing. Incredible either way. enjoythepark.com

Toast City Diner, Red Bank The busiest joint on Monmouth Street makes a great homemade veggie burger of chickpeas, black beans, peppers, and onion, with vegan sweet potato fries on the side. toastredbank.com

Brickwall, Asbury Park Intensely flavorful and meaty, just without the meat—here’s a black bean burger with smoked cheddar, avocado corn relish, frizzled onions, and chipotle mayo. brickwalltavern.com

Harpoon Willy’s, Manasquan This lively waterfront spot offers a burger with built-in chill—a soy-oat veggie number, with diced carrots, onions, peas, spinach, zucchini, corn, and string beans. Ranch dressing tops it. harpoonwillys.com

Pat’s Market, Lincroft Sure, these are take-home patties, but aren’t you having a barbecue next weekend? Pick up a pack. They’re spicy and hearty, with chopped sweet bell peppers, to boot. patsmkt.com

Good Karma Café, Red Bank The Earth Burger here is simply made, and really tasty. It’s a tofu, sunflower seed, and brown rice patty, topped with vegan mayo, romaine lettuce, tomato, and red onion. goodkarmacafenj.com

The Grateful Deli, Loch Arbour This little spot in an even littler town gets hopping at midday. Its turkey burger features pepper jack cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion, and spicy mayo. gratefuldelinj.com

The Buttered Biscuit, Bradley Beach A no-nonsense meal here is Daddy Dave’s Maryland Crab Cake Sandwich. Homemade crab cake with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and a side of herb mayo…bun included. thebutteredbiscuitcafe.com