Billy's Burgers Still Best for 4 Straight Years

"Billy's" burgers are still the best.

The Barrington restaurant has added another Rhode Island Monthly "Best of Rhode Island" award – it’s been the "best burger" place for four straight years, according to wpri.com.

Burgers were a specialty even before Bill Dessel and his sister, Barbara, bought the business in the 1980s when it was known as Trendy’s, now a favorite pizza restaurant in Barrington.

Dessel said the burger is what put the Maple Avenue Plaza eatery on the map.

"Before we even opened, the hamburgers were a focus," Dessel said. "I would literally have a hamburger every day. I was known as eating a hamburger for lunch daily." 

One of the secrets to the success of Billy’s burgers is that they are not made by a machine.

"It has to be hand-packed, so our burgers come by the meat and we pack it by hand, which gives it a more consistent type of bite and consistency where its not compressed by a machine," Dessel said.

The restaurant takes seven ounces of local beef wraps a fresh Portuguese bolo bun with butter around it. 

Dessel credits his staff for making the burger the best.

“It's all about the details," he said. "All the little things, whether it's the satisfaction of the customers, our tables stamped, the setting, the food coming out consistently and good service."