Valencia startup wins burger crown
- Hundred Burgers, the Valencia-born chain founded by Alex González-Urbón and Ezequiel Maldjian, was named the world’s best burger restaurant again in the 2026 Burgerdudes ranking. - The win makes it three straight years at No. 1, after judges said they reviewed 1,346 burgers across 65 countries. - That matters because a tiny Spanish brand has turned a niche ranking into repeat global attention — and food tourism.
Burgers are usually a local obsession. This one has become a global one. A Valencia startup called Hundred Burgers just took the top spot again in the 2026 edition of The World’s 25 Best Burgers, the annual ranking put together by Burgerdudes. That means the same company has now held the crown for three straight years — which is the bigger story here, because one-off hype is easy and repeat dominance is not. (burgerdudes.se) ### What actually won? Not a single one-off burger, basically, but the Hundred Burgers operation in Valencia and Madrid. Burgerdudes’ 2026 list puts Hundred at No. 1 in the world again, ahead of Brazil’s Holy Burger at No. 2, while Au Cheval’s Chicago and New York locations are framed as the best burger in the U.S. The ranking treats Hundred as a burger group, not just one counter with one lucky menu item. (burgerdudes.se) ### Who’s behind it? Hundred Burgers was founded in February 2020 by Alex González-Urbón and Ezequiel Maldjian. The company started in Valencia, and that startup framing matters because this is not some century-old institution inheriting prestige. It is a young brand that built its reputation fast, then kept it. (infobae.com)de-valencia-por-tener-la-mejor-hamburguesa-del-mundo/)) ### Why is three in a row the real news? Because rankings like this are full of churn. A restaurant can spike one year on novelty, travel buzz, or a single standout burger. Holding No. 1 in 2024, 2025, and now 2026 turns Hundred’s win from a fun accolade into(infobae.com) (burgerdudes.se) ### How big is this ranking really? It is niche, but not fake-niche. Burgerdudes is a specialist burger platform from Sweden, and its annual list has become a real reference point inside burger culture — the kind of thing enthusiasts travel for. This year’s judging pool was described in Spanish coverage as 1,346 burgers from 65 countries, which helps explain why(burgerdudes.se) it is nowhere near Michelin in scale. (superdeporte.es) ### So what makes Hundred stand out? The recurring pitch is craft and intensity. Coverage around the win keeps coming back to aged beef, obsessive ingredient selection, and a style that treats burgers more like a chef-driven product than fast food. One local English-language report highlights 60-day age(superdeporte.es)ll in destination eaters. (valenciasecreta.com) ### Why does Valencia care so much? Because food rankings can punch above their weight for cities. Valencia already has a strong food identity, but burger prestige is a different lane from paella or fine dining. Hundred gives the city something exportable and modern — a casual-food success story that reads well internationally and can pull younger, hype-driven travelers. (infobae.com) ### Is this just bragging rights? Not really. In October 2025, an investment fund bought Hundred Burgers with plans to take the brand to London and New York, and Infobae said the company had eight locations across Valencia and Madrid with revenue above €25 million. So the burger crown now sits on top of an actual expansion story. The award is marketing, but it is also leverage. (infobae.com) ### Bottom line? A lot of “world’s best” claims are fluff. This one is still niche — but three straight No. 1 finishes make Hundred Burgers hard to dismiss. Valencia is not just home to a viral burger spot now. It is home to the brand that keeps beating the field. (burgerdudes.se)
