From $15 gourmet and thoughtfully crafted to quickly made and wrapped in wax paper for $3, the wide variety of burgers offered throughout the area's business districts leaves no question that Tacoma is indeed a burger town. But what determines if a burger is good? Thick or thin patty? Chewy grilled pretzel or toasted sesame seed bun?  Grilled onions or raw?  Flat-top grill or flame-broiled? White tablecloth or drive-thru?

With all of these questions open to personal interpretation, it may be time for you to embark on a personal Burger by District quest of your own. Get started with the ones here.

The café inside Chalet Bowl in the Proctor District lets you chose hamburger patty, chicken breast or veggie patty on all burgers. The BBQ jalapeno bacon burger is a sweet, spicy mess. These are bigger burgers served with bag of chips ($7). Plus, the kid in me loves that there's a real Sloppy Joe on the menu.

The meat department at Metropolitan Market is a gold mine for quality meats. As the exclusive local retailer of American Kobe Beef from Snake River Farms, you can get 100-percent Kobe beef burger patties. You'll pay a little more for the beef to be ground and need to cook it yourself, but the excellent flavor from marbling makes it worthwhile.

The Sixth Avenue District has become a hotbed of culinary creations. At Asado, sirloin and chorizo are ground in-house to form a spiced patty. Topped with Serrano ham, sautéed peppers and onions, and fried provolone cheese on a poblano aioli-smeared brioche bun, the Asado burger is cooked medium and served with yucca fries ($13.75). Crown Bar serves Washington State organic beef from Thundering Hooves Ranch. Sautéed, peppered mushrooms, Swiss cheese and house made pickles set off an otherwise standard burger. The juicy patty demands a napkin be on hand ($12). The burgers are discounted on Wednesdays.

Looking for a gluten-free option? Hit the Dome District. Friesenburgers - which specializes in gluten-free burgers - has a signature half-pound burger of beef, double cheese, fried egg and bacon served on gluten-free bun. Friesenburgers aims to prevent cross-contamination, but warns that some wheat may be present. Mary's Burger Bistro lets you swap out 1/3-pound beef patty for breaded chicken breast, salmon or a veggie burger. Salsa, jalapenos and Pepper Jack cheese make a lively affair of the Fiesta Burger served on a grilled onion bun ($5.50). Also a spicy one, the El Gaucho Burger is a favorite of mine. A half-pound of Prime Certified Angus Beef ground tenderloin is grilled and topped with thick bacon slices, Pepper Jack cheese, red onion, tomato, lettuce and smoky chipotle aioli ($15, or $10 during happy hour in lounge only).

Jubilee Hamburger Restaurant in the Lincoln International District reminds me of Dick's in Seattle. There's nothing fancy or gourmet about the old-school drive-in. The Smitty Deluxe and Jubilee burger are winners, but the 1970s called and it wants its orange decor back. The good news: prices have remained low at under $4. Across 38th Street is another burger business that hasn't tried to stay up on current culinary trends. Burger Ranch offers essentially the same, old-school burger experience as Jubilee, but with a passenger side window drive-thru.

Technically a sandwich, tortas at El Zocalo in the Lincoln International District are worth repeat visits to sample all 13. The Cubano is layered with breaded steak, sausage, ham, mozzarella, onion, jalapenos, tomato, fried egg, and avocado. Suiza torta, the vegetarian version, is a three-cheese delight all the same goodness san meat. Also a bakery, Zocalo pseudo-burgers are huge and served on freshly baked rolls with house made chips ($7-ish).

With a solid mom-and-pop diner vibe, Patty's Burgers & Milkshakes in the South Tacoma Business District hits many marks required for a great burger; crisp bacon, melted cheese, evenly grilled bun, fresh toppings, juicy burger patty and affordable prices ($7-$9). Bonus: amazing milkshakes and drinks served in large frosty mugs.

Finally, in Tacoma's Old Town Business and Professional District, it's hard to go wrong with the iconic Ram Restaurant & Brewery, celebrating 40 years in business in 2011 and offering a multitude of signature burgers. Major appetites should consider doing battle with the five-pound "BeHemoth Burger," constructed of three one-pound hand-forged patties and stacked with so many toppings that the whole beefy package literally needs to be held together with a steak knife instead of the customary burger toothpick.

[Patty's Burgers & Milkshakes, 5615 S. Tacoma Way]
[Crown Bar, 2705 Sixth Ave.]
[Asado, 2810 Sixth Ave.]
[Friesenburgers, 308 E. 26th St.]
[El Zocalo Tortas and Bakery, 701 S. 38th St.]
[Jubilee Hamburger Restaurant, 858 S. 38th St.]
[Burger Ranch, 820 S. 38th St.]
[Chalet Bowl, 3806 N. Proctor]
[Metropolitan Market, 2420 N. Proctor]
[El Gaucho, 2119 Pacific Ave.]
[Mary's Burger Bistro, 2301 Pacific Ave.]
[Ram Restaurand and Brewery, 3001 Ruston Way]