There is an easier way to enjoy this summer staple without spending a lot of time on the road or a lot of money.

In greater Annapolis, you can find pretty good burgers at many places. McGarvey's offers a burger topped four different ways. Middleton's next door offers its Classic Burger and Ball Park Sliders, three mini burgers topped with onions and pickles. Sly Fox Pub has a tasty burger, now only $5 at lunchtime. Annapolis icon Chick and Ruth's Delly has burgers that can weigh up to a pound. And the burgers at Damon's Grill in Gambrills can be topped many different ways.

But where can you find the best burgers?

A few months ago, readers of The Capital were asked to vote for the best burgers and fries and a whole assortment of other goodies, services and places. In the Readers Choice Awards, readers selected Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries as best overall, with Cheeburger Cheeburger and Fuddruckers trailing by just a few votes. Five Guys also was voted the best place for french fries, with Cheeburger Cheeburger among the finalists.

To find out what goes into an award-winning burger, we visited all the winners, along with another "place in paradise" we discovered in our travels.

Five Guys

Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries have been winning awards up and down the East Coast. (They were, for example, voted No. 1 burger by The Washingtonian magazine for seven years.) The franchise was started in 1986 in Northern Virginia by Jerry Murrell, who named the restaurant for his five sons.

Since that time the company has been rapidly expanding. Locally, there are two restaurants in Annapolis and one each in Edgewater, Pasadena, Glen Burnie, Bowie and Hanover. New eateries in the Annapolis mall, Crofton and Odenton will open soon.

While a little light on ambiance inside their restaurants, Five Guys means business when it comes their burgers, which you can garnish to your liking with one or all of 15 free toppings. The burgers, which start at $4.19, are made daily from fresh ground beef. Potatoes for the fries are cut in-house - feel free to ask where the spuds came from.

(You also can order a hot dog, a veggie sandwich or a grilled cheese sandwich at Five Guys, but we're talking about burgers here.)

On a recent visit to the Edgewater establishment, three midshipmen coming off summer leave were having a late lunch before reporting to the academy. One mid said he discovered Five Guys some time ago and has become "addicted" to their burgers. He, in turn, introduced Five Guys to a fellow mid last year and now he, too, is hooked. The third mid said that this was his first visit to Five Guys and he really liked it.

"By far this is my favorite place to eat," one mid said.

"I like the variety of the toppings," another said. "It doesn't taste like fast food. I go to Chick and Ruth's for subs and I have had their burgers, but this is really, really good."

"I like that they don't cook the burger until you order it," the third mid said.

All three also like the idea of the peanuts on the table - a Five Guys signature - to snack on while they waited for their burgers to be cooked.

"It's going to be rough during the school year since we don't have cars, but I will find a way to come here," the first mid said. They all nodded in agreement.

At another table sat Pam and John Koday, a south county couple who admit they're not regular hamburger people, but come to Five Guys when they are particularly hungry for burgers.

Cheeburger Cheeburger

Back in Annapolis, Cheeburger Cheeburger in the Festival at Riva shopping center is a little deceptive with its quiet storefront entrance. But step inside and you're instantly transported back to the days of poodle skirts and pompadour hairstyles. The decor is neon pink and teal with stools at the soda fountain and the music is of the 1950s and 60s.

It's an interesting contrast to the staff at Cheeburger Cheeburger, which is made up of mostly high schoolers and college kids. Several work there now because their siblings or friends worked there before.

"It's a fun environment to work in," says Kelly Rambo.

Kelsey Eliott agrees. "We all get along and that makes it nice."

Cheeburger Cheeburger is definitely a family spot. They have coloring sheets and crayons for the kids and Trivial Pursuit cards at each table for the adults. It's not unusual for one table of customers to go through the cards and then go to another table and swap for more cards to play with as they wait. On one recent visit, a family of six waited for their burgers while one of the kids read the questions on the Trivial Pursuit cards.

The burgers here come in a variety of sizes, and prices start at $4.99 and go up to $10.59 for their Famous Pounder. If a customer is able to eat a Pounder, they have their picture taken and gain eternal fame on the wall. Kids 12 and under who can finish a half-pounder also get their picture taken.

"There are 20 or so toppings for the burgers and people will come in and order all of them," said employee Dana Christian. (Cheeburger actually has a whopping 37 toppings, I learned after my visit.)

"On Wednesday nights we have a clown come in and the kids just love it. And when a kid's meal is served the food comes in a small replica of a Chevy car from the 50's. It's fun because it's the parents who ask for a particular model of car to be used," said Ms. Eliott. "They had one like that growing up or something."

"We have customers come in and tell us that this reminds them of places they used to go to when growing up." Ms. Rambo added. "We have lots of regulars."

At Cheeburger Cheeburger, the premium Angus beef comes fresh from Creek Stone Farms, while the buns are delivered fresh daily from a bakery in northern Virginia. The sundaes, shakes and malts are made with real ice cream and milk - not powders.

Everything is cooked when ordered. There are no microwave ovens hiding in the kitchen. Peanut oil is used for frying and the staff will inform customers of that to avoid allergy problems. The fries are cut fresh in-house.

There are other eats on the menu, including veggie and turkey burgers, but the beef burgers are the mainstay of the business. A Cheeplatter is the way to get the most for your money.

Fuddrucker's

Not far from Cheeburger Cheeburger is Fuddrucker's, located at 175 Jennifer Road along Restaurant Row and adjacent to the mall.

Fuddrucker's started in San Antonio right across the street from the Alamo. Their burgers are made with 100 percent Angus beef. Like Cheeburger's, the burgers come in various sizes, starting at $4.99 for a 1/3 pounder to $7.99 for a full pounder. Specialty burgers go for $8.99.

Like Cheeburger, Fuddrucker's has a fabulous array of toppings. All told, there are 25, including fresh tomato slices.

Unlike the other establishments, Fuddrucker's bakes its buns in-house daily. They also have cookies, brownies, and Rice Krispie treats for dessert. They, too, are made in-house.

"The food is fresh daily, nothing is frozen," said manager Rachel Haron. "We work very hard to be sure that our burgers, toppings and produce are safe and fresh."

Rick and Theresa Naquin and their three sons were at Fuddrucker's enjoying a family meal recently.

"Fuddrucker's is a comfortable place where you can spend time with the family. The noise level is OK," said Mr. Naquin. "It's better than fast food, and the wait isn't bad."

"They are so good, I could have been happy with just the bun," said Ms. Naquin. "The portions are so big. I order the kid-size burger."

Kyle, 16, enjoyed the 2/3-pound burger without a lot of fixings.

"I will probably pass on dessert. The burger was very filling," he said.

Cory, 14, had a BBQ burger with bacon. He was planning on having a Rice Krispie treat for dessert.

"We make them at home, but they taste better here," he said.

Ms. Haron said that their buffalo burgers are very popular.

"We also offer an ostrich burger as well," she said. "There are also turkey and veggie burgers for those not wanting beef."

Over time, the menu has expanded to include a variety of salads, a daily soup, a fruit cup, and chicken offerings. The Dogzilla is a hot dog favorite, and among the newer items are the Sliders, which are mini burgers. Diners can order up to six at a serving.

Because there is a wait for their freshly cooked burgers, Fuddrucker's has an arcade area to keep kids and adults busy until the food is ready.

In Paradise

On a hot summer's day, I joined three friends for lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise, located at 8026 Ritchie Highway, No. B in Pasadena. When you step through the door, you enter a beach paradise. The bar sits under a large thatched bohio and the walls are decorated to resemble a seaside enclave. There are colorful birds and fish along the walls and the atmosphere makes you want to take off your shoes and test the water.

After deciding on drinks we studied the menu. Although cheeseburgers are the main feature, the restaurant offers a wide selection of other beef, chicken and fish entrees.

We each decided on a different burger to try. There are seven to choose from and they come with a choice of many sides, including fries, onion strings, teriyaki broccoli, island rice, coleslaw and sweet potato chips.

One friend selected the namesake Cheeseburger in Paradise, which came with American cheese, pickles, lettuce, red onions, tomato and dill pickle. It was paired with onion strings.

Another picked the bacon cheeseburger, which came with cheddar cheese, thick bacon, lettuce, red onions, pickles, and mayo. Fries were the accompaniment.

The third member of our group selected the Blue Cheese Blast, which was topped with lightly melted imported Danish blue cheese, fried onions, lettuce and Asian mayo, and came with a side of rice.

Last but not least, one friend wanted to try the Mini Cheeseburgers ($8.29; the three other burgers ordered here were each $8.79). Four bite-size burgers, each with a pickle, cheese and onions arrived on a plate complete with onion strings.

Cheeseburger in Paradise is worth the trip to see and enjoy the ambiance. The service was excellent and the menu does have gluten free items as well as turkey and veggie burgers.

Along with our winners and Cheesburger in Paradise, there are plenty of other places in the area to enjoy good burgers, so get out there this weekend and discover one of your own. For businesses that concentrate on fresh, cooked-to-order burgers and sides, a stop at any of these eateries will make a long summer weekend complete.

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Mary Rose A. Reilly is a freelance writer from Odenton who enjoys dining adventures.