Try the 2026 Best Burger for Best of the East

Best Burger, Heck’s Café

One of the most intriguing of Hecks 11 gourmet burgers, the BrieBerry Burger, is a handheld marriage of sweet and savory with a touch of spice. It was inspired a decade ago by the restaurant’s baked brie, an appetizer that at the time was topped with blueberry jam and fresh blueberries instead of the current iteration’s roasted grapes, hot honey and balsamic vinaigrette. Owner Fadi Daoud says customers who order it are looking to try something a little different from the tried-and-true beef patty topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickle.

“It is a surprise, which is literally what people say — surprisingly really good,” Daoud says.• 

• The beef. Daoud describes a grass-fed proprietary blend of chuck, strip loin, tenderloin and just enough fat sourced from farms located between Cleveland and Columbus. “It is a lot of research, a lot of trials, until you come up with the perfect mix,” he says. The patty is simply seasoned with salt and pepper, then grilled to order.

• The brioche bun. The fresh French-style bread roll boasts a high butter-, milk-and-egg content that makes it fluffy and light, yet substantial enough to sandwich a hefty creation with multiple toppings. “Our burgers are half a pound, so it’s a big piece of meat,” Daoud says. “You need something to hold it together really well.” 

• The brie. Daoud says the imported French brie — mild, buttery and slightly nutty in flavor — adds a rich creaminess that harder cheeses simply can’t match. It’s an important contribution to a burger that, he notes, “doesn’t have any other sauce or aioli, anything that will give it more moisture.” “[It] still holds its own. … Even if you heat it up, it doesn’t just go everywhere,” he adds.

• The bacon. The burger’s sole classic topping brings a smoky, salty crunch to the mix of flavors and textures. Daoud sticks with a plain strip, never glazed or peppered. “I don’t want it to overpower the meat,” he explains. 

• The blueberry-ancho sauce. The finishing touch is made in house with fresh blueberries, ancho chilis and a range of spices. “This gets cooked for a while, until it looks like a very loose jam,” Daoud says. He describes the flavor as “very blueberry forward.” “You try it, and you don’t want to stop — it’s just good on its own,” he declares.

3355 Richmond Road, Beachwood, 216-831-5599, heckscafe.com