You begged, you pleaded.

So we made the ultimate sacrifice: We ate more burgers.

After our last story ran June 23, we got an earful from readers — some who agreed, most who didn't — about our list of favorites.

You wondered why we didn't sample South Shore Grill.

You suggested we try some Neighbor Island spots.

You blasted us for "forgetting" Teddy's Bigger Burger.

(We didn't, actually. We didn't include the popular restaurant because it had recently won our 2005 'Ilima Award.)

So we looked through your suggestions and sampled the Top 9.

Surprisingly, nothing really stood out this time for our volunteer tasters. We weren't knocked out by any one burger like we were with those from The Pineapple Room, town and Nico's.

Here are the results of our most recent taste test, from our top to bottom picks:

THE BURGERS

Diamond Head Market & Grill, 3575 Campbell Ave., 732-0077: At Campbell and Monsarrat avenues, this spot serves up everything from plate lunches to gourmet cheeses to Peet's coffee. And it's got a mean burger, too. We sampled its teri-style burger ($5.25 with cheese) and were amply impressed by the meat: Nicely textured, great flavor and grilled to perfection, said the tasters. It was the first of the burgers we tasted to be completely eaten up. That says a lot.

Kiawe Grill BBQ & Burgers, 1311 N. King St., 841-5577 (also in Mo'ili'ili): Known for its exotic buffalo and ostrich meats, Kiawe Grill also boasts a Kobe-style burger ($7.15). The service was less than enthusiastic at the Kalihi location, but tasters raved about the burger's "nice smoky flavor," "good texture" and "good grilled taste." One taster said it had the best meat of all: "They don't have to pile a bunch of stuff on it to make it taste better."

South Shore Grill, 3114 Monsarrat Ave., 734-0229: Ted Tsakiris of Teddy's Bigger Burger fame isn't the only one in the family who can whip up a tasty burger. Linda Gehring is giving her husband a run for his money. More of our tasters preferred South Shore Grill's messy burger ($6.50 with cheese) to the 'Ilima Award winner. While some felt overwhelmed by the sloppy slaw that tops the burger, most enjoyed its flavor and the hearty ciabatta bread. "Burgers piled high with veggies are awesome," raved one taster who liked the slaw-sauce combo, "but I'm probably in the minority."

Mariposa, Neiman Marcus at Ala Moana Center, 951-3420: It wouldn't be the first thing we'd order on the menu, but the burger ($12) wasn't bad. The Angus beef was, by far, the best-tasting of all the burgers. It was topped by a combination of cheddar cheese, a basil-tarragon aioli and grilled onions that one tasted called "an interesting experience." The burger was a bit soggy and the bun, as one taster commented, "lost its integrity." On the pricey side, it did come with fries or salad — and one of Mariposa's famous popovers. (That alone was worth the trip to Ala Moana Center on a Friday afternoon.) Overall, it was a nice burger, but "I'd rather have something more exciting on their menu if I were to eat there," a taster said. Side note: The fries here were outstanding.

Rainbow Drive-In, 3308 Kanaina Ave., 737-0177: Definitely a sleeper hit with the tasters, the Rainbow Royal ($2.65) may not have been gourmet, but it was a great burger for the price. Pair that with the drive-in's famous slush float and you've got the perfect post-beach meal. It was the burger's special sauce that won over our picky tasters. "I usually don't like 'special' sauces," said one taster, "but this one is pretty good, and it wasn't drowning in it."

Teddy's Bigger Burgers, 134 Kapahulu Ave., 926-3444, www.teddysbiggerburgers.com (also in Kailua and Hawai'i Kai): This surprised even us: Teddy's didn't make our Top 3, even after numerous e-mails and phone calls singing its praises. Sure, we didn't have any major complaints about Teddy's original burger ($4.30), but we didn't see fireworks, either. "Maybe after going to the beach, surfing a couple of hours to work up an appetite, I would have appreciated the burger more," said one taster.

Big City Diner, Ward Entertainment Complex, 591-8891 (also in Kailua, Kaimuki and Waipi'o): Big City serves up a burger that lives up to the restaurant name: It's obscenely big. We sampled its best-seller — the teri burger ($8.49) — and weren't blown away. It did have a nice, light teriyaki sauce, grilled onions and a sturdy bun. And while most agreed you got a lot of burger for your bucks, it "didn't have enough to make it a standout," one taster said.

Ruby Tuesday, Ala Moana Center, 943-2525, www.rubytues day.com (also in Kane'ohe and Mililani): What saved its Tuesday Burger ($8.99) was the texture: juicy and nicely grilled. One taster really liked the wheat bun; another complained it didn't have enough flavor. Most of our tasters agreed: There was a lot of meat but not enough taste. "I felt like I was biting a cow," said one.

Kulia Grill, John A. Burns School of Medicine, 651 Ilalo St. in Kaka'ako, 692-0803: Kulia's cheeseburger ($4) is a popular dish at the cafeteria — but not with our tasters. To be fair, we didn't have the condiment bar — which includes relish, lettuce, tomatoes and onions — to add to the North Shore Cattle Co. beef. But we weren't floored by the flavor, texture or quality of the burger at all. One taster did find something memorable about the burger: "I'm being overwhelmed with high-school cafeteria nostalgia," she said.

Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.