Red Robin Monster Burger: Taste Review, Calories, Price, and a Copycat Recipe
Two beef patties, melted cheese, and every classic topping on one bun. Here's what the Monster Burger actually tastes like, what it costs, how many calories it packs, and how to build your own at home.
What Is the Red Robin Monster Burger?
The Monster Burger is Red Robin's answer to a serious appetite. It stacks two grilled beef patties on a black-and-white sesame seed brioche bun, then adds your choice of cheese, pickle relish, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo. It's simple on paper, but the double meat and the soft, slightly sweet bun make it feel like a different burger from anything else on the menu.
Red Robin splits its burger menu into two families: Gourmet Burgers, which lean into bold sauces and specialty toppings, and Tavern Burgers, which are smaller and priced to match. The Monster sits closer to the Gourmet side. It skips the fancy sauces and instead goes bigger on the basics, so you get more burger rather than more flavor combinations.
Every burger, the Monster included, comes with your choice of side. Most guests stick with the seasoned Bottomless Steak Fries, but you can swap in onion rings, a side salad, or sweet potato fries at most locations.
Taste Review: What It's Actually Like to Eat
The first thing you notice is the bun. Red Robin toasts the brioche just enough that it holds up under two patties without turning soggy, and the light sweetness balances the salty beef well. The patties themselves are thin enough to cook through fast and stay juicy, so you don't end up with a dry, dense middle like some double burgers.
Cheese matters here more than you'd think. American cheese melts into every gap and gives you that classic diner pull with each bite, while cheddar adds a sharper edge if you want the beef flavor to stand out more. Pepper jack, where available, brings a mild heat that plays well against the sweetness of the pickle relish.
The lettuce, tomato, and onion don't try to steal the show. They're there to cut the richness and give you a fresh crunch between bites of meat and cheese. If you're someone who eats burgers for the toppings rather than the beef, the Monster will feel a little plain. If you eat burgers for the beef, this is exactly what you want.
Monster Burger Calories and Nutrition
The Monster Burger is one of the higher-calorie items on the Red Robin menu, which makes sense given the double patty. Depending on your cheese choice and how your location prepares it, expect the burger alone to fall somewhere between roughly 1,230 and 1,310 calories, before you add a side.
| Item | Approx. Calories |
|---|---|
| Monster Burger (burger only) | 1,230–1,310 |
| + Bottomless Steak Fries (regular) | +420 |
| + Side Salad | +120 |
| + Extra beef patty | +220–250 |
| + Bacon (2 strips) | +90 |
These numbers are estimates and can shift by location and by exactly how the kitchen builds your order. For the exact figures on the day you order, check the official allergen and nutrition page or ask your server for a printed guide.
How Much Does the Monster Burger Cost?
Expect to pay somewhere around $18 to $19 for the Monster Burger on its own, with your choice of side included. That puts it near the top of the burger menu, in line with other double-patty and fully-loaded Gourmet Burgers. Prices shift by state and by restaurant, so treat this as a planning number rather than an exact quote, and check with your local Red Robin or the ordering app for today's price.
Burger Extras: How to Customize the Monster
Red Robin builds its menu around customization, and the Monster is no exception. A few ways guests commonly change it up:
- Add bacon for smoky crunch, one of the most popular add-ons across the whole burger menu.
- Add a fried egg for a richer, almost breakfast-style bite.
- Swap the cheese to cheddar, Swiss, pepper jack, or go without if you'd rather keep it simple.
- Add avocado or guacamole for a creamier texture and a fresher finish.
- Ask for a gluten-free bun or a lettuce wrap if you need to skip the standard brioche bun.
- Add a third patty if two still isn't enough (yes, people really do this).
None of these changes are complicated for the kitchen, so don't hesitate to ask your server about mixing and matching. Red Robin calls itself the Gourmet Burger Authority for a reason, and special requests are part of the normal order here, not an inconvenience.
Is the Monster Burger Worth Ordering?
If you're genuinely hungry and want a burger that delivers on size without a lot of fuss, yes. The Monster does exactly what its name promises, and the price feels fair for what you get: two patties, a strong bun, and a side.
It's not the pick if you want a lighter meal or bold, unusual flavors. In that case, look at the wraps and chicken sandwiches for something smaller, or the salad menu if you'd rather skip the bun altogether. Guests who want something between the two extremes often do well with a single-patty Gourmet Burger instead.
What to Pair With the Monster Burger
The burger and side combo covers the meal, but a few extras round out the visit nicely:
- Start with something from the appetizer menu to share at the table.
- Cool things down with a shake from the milkshakes menu.
- Wash it down with anything from the drinks menu.
- Going old-school? Pair it with a classic root beer float, always a fan favorite.
Copycat Monster Burger Recipe
Make the same double-patty, diner-style burger at home. No special equipment, just a hot pan or grill and about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450g) ground beef, 80/20 blend
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 4 slices American cheese (or your choice)
- 2 black-and-white sesame seed brioche buns
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp pickle relish
- 8–10 dill pickle chips
- 1 small tomato, sliced
- 4 leaves iceberg or butter lettuce
- 4 thin slices white onion
- 1 tbsp butter, softened, for toasting the buns
Instructions
- Divide the ground beef into 4 equal balls, about 4 oz (115g) each. Press each one into a thin, wide patty a little larger than your bun, since it will shrink as it cooks.
- Season both sides of every patty generously with salt and pepper right before cooking.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until it's hot enough that a drop of water sizzles right away.
- Cook the patties for about 2 to 3 minutes per side for a solid sear. Flip once, then place a cheese slice on each patty in the last minute so it melts fully.
- While the patties cook, butter the cut sides of the buns and toast them, cut-side down, in a separate dry pan for 1 to 2 minutes, until golden.
- Spread mayonnaise on the top bun and pickle relish on the bottom bun.
- Layer the bottom bun with lettuce, tomato, and onion.
- Stack two cheese-topped patties on top of the vegetables, then add pickle chips over the beef.
- Close the burger with the top bun and press down gently so it holds together.
- Repeat for the second burger, then serve right away with fries or your favorite side.
Tip: if your patties keep shrinking into a dome shape, press a shallow dimple into the center of each one before cooking. It keeps them flat as they sear.
Frequently Asked Questions
The burger alone runs about 1,230 to 1,310 calories, depending on your cheese choice and location. Adding a side, bacon, or an extra patty will raise that number further.
It typically costs around $18 to $19, though prices vary by state and by restaurant. Check your local menu or the ordering app for the exact price near you.
Yes. You can change the cheese, add bacon, avocado, or a fried egg, remove any topping, or swap the bun for a gluten-free option or a lettuce wrap.
Not as served. The standard brioche bun contains gluten, but you can ask for a gluten-free bun or a lettuce wrap as a substitute.
Two beef patties, your choice of cheese, pickle relish, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo, all on a black-and-white sesame seed brioche bun. It's served with your choice of side.
It can work split between two people with a lighter appetite, especially paired with an appetizer to start. For one hungry diner, it's a full meal on its own.
More Menus to Explore
Planning a bigger visit? These pages cover the rest of what Red Robin has on offer.