Top 20 Bob's Burgers Episodes Ranked

FROM THE WOMB TO THE TOMB…

One of the greatest animated comedies on television right now is Bob’s Burgers. Created by Loren Bouchard, the show first aired on Fox in 2011 and is now in its 10th season. The series follows the hilarious Belcher family (Bob, Linda, Tina, Gene, and Louise) as they try to keep their failing hamburger restaurant afloat. A relatively simple premise, but this show is the best. There are currently 182 episodes total, so narrowing it down to a mere 20 was SO HARD. They’re like my children–I love them all equally. Except for my favorites.

*SPOILER ALERT* This post definitely has spoilers so read at your own risk.

LET’S BEGIN!

20. “ALL THAT GENE”

Season 10 Ep. 9

Basic Plot: Gene auditions for the small role of “Quiet Eli” in a local theatre play, only to then realize that Linda bribed the director to cast him.

Why it’s great: Anyone who watches Bob’s Burgers religiously knows that Gene is basically a one-man show in every aspect of his life. This episode delves deeper into this aspect of his character and shows him dealing with people who react negatively to his theatrical personality.

Random line I like: Gene: “Give me those beans, you son of a bitch!”

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️

19. "THE LAND SHIP”

Season 6 Ep. 2

Basic Plot: After her friends tell her that she’s bland and boring, Tina decides to join Jordan, the graffiti tagger “Ghost Boy,” in painting the sail of the Land Ship.

Why it’s great: I love episodes that show sibling support, and we also get funny moments with Mr. Frond, the Land Ship battle reenactor, and Tina spoiling the ending of Bonnie and Clyde.

Random line I like: Tina texting Jordan: “‘See you soon, baboon.’ Wait, spice it up. ‘See you soon, bitch.’ Too spicy! Too spicy! Oh God, I sent it.”

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️❤️

18. “ADVENTURES IN CHINCHILLA-SITTING”

Season 5 Ep. 15

Basic Plot: A wild chinchilla chase ensues when Louise’s class pet escapes out the front door. Meanwhile, Bob and Linda cheat at trivia on their date night.

Why it’s great: We get a wide cast of characters for this one: Wayne (Louise’s fellow classmate who thinks he’s the chinchilla’s primary caretaker), Tammy (Tina’s frenemy), and Jonas (a dumb teenager) all join the Belcher kids in the search for the missing class pet. We get to see Tina and Tammy freak out (and fart) at a high school party, Jonas like his crush less when she slips in vomit, and Louise and Wayne save the chinchilla from a roller rink’s strobe lights.

Random line I like: Louise: “I know! I told them, ‘Guys those are testicles.’ No one believed me! Everyone thought they were buttboobs!”

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️❤️

17. “CHRISTMAS IN THE CAR”

Season 4 Ep. 8

Basic Plot: Going out to buy a last-minute Christmas tree, the Belchers spend the majority of Christmas Eve in the car once they have to outrun a madman in a gigantic candy cane truck.

Why it’s great: Linda honking to the tune of “Jingle Bells” in a fit of road rage, Teddy getting caught in Louise’s zip tie Santa trap, Gene hogging the phone to request a random carol, Tina commenting on the tree’s butt, Dutch Baby pastries, and so much more. It also allows the Belchers to understand how people often act out when they’re lonely and sad, as seen when the madman driver admits that Christmas is a hard time of the year for him because he’s away from his family.

Random line I like: Tina discussing her part in capturing Santa: “I’ll gouge out his eyes and pull on his beard!” Louise: “Whoa, we want him alive, T!”

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️❤️

16. “THE GAYLE TAYLES”

Season 5 Ep. 13

Basic Plot: Competing to be their aunt’s companion for the evening, Gene, Tina, and Louise write fantasy stories about her to win their way out of being grounded.

Why it’s great: This has to be my favorite of the vignette-type episodes, particularly because Gayle’s role in each of these stories is utterly ridiculous yet perfect. Gene’s vignette includes a country music rock-off, Tina’s spoofs a Jane Austen romance with butt-touching dance lines, and Louise weaves a Game of Thrones-esque tale about Queen Gayle of Catsteros. Also, the Scott Bakula cameos are classic.

Random line I like: Gene: “Wait, men can be named ‘Stacy?’ I love America!”

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️❤️

15. “SLUMBER PARTY”

Season 4 Ep. 9

Basic Plot: Linda surprises Louise by inviting her classmates over for a slumber party. Determined to end the torture of socializing with people she finds extremely annoying, Louise devises a plan to get rid of each girl one by one.

Why it’s great: I love episodes where Louise masterminds some sort of heist or scheme, and this is probably one of the best. The cast of girls at the party is also genius–we have the chatterbox, the germaphobe, the boring one, and the one who braids everything in sight. This episode also has a twist ending involving a raccoon fugitive, tye-dye, and a pillow fight.

Random line I like: Louise describing Jessica: “If she were a spice, she’d be flour. If she were a book, she’d be two books.”

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️❤️

14. “MAZEL TINA”

Season 4 Ep. 13

Basic Plot: Tina accidentally becomes the queen of the Bat Mitzvah when Louise and Tammy (the real Bat Mitzvah girl) get stuck in a giant papier-mâché decoration.

Why it’s great: Jenny Slate as Tammy is a revelation. Any episode with Tammy is one of my favs. But this one includes Tammy’s bat-zilla outbursts, Louise convincing the stressed-out party planner to follow her dreams, Linda as a crepe-shark, and Gene commenting on Bob’s soulful eyes.

Random line I like: Tammy yelling on the phone: “WHAT IS IT NOW, RABBI ROSENBURG? WHAT IS IT NOW?”

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️

13. “EAT, SPRAY, LINDA”

Season 5 Ep. 18

Basic Plot: Linda’s birthday goes awry when she gets locked out of her car and struggles to find her way home. Bob and the kids travel to her usual haunts to find her, and each location reveals more of Linda’s colorful personality.

Why it’s great: On her journey home, Linda faces a wrong bus transfer, a bout with a skunk, and the angry Chalk Festival lady. The “B” story is just as engaging–Bob and the kids set off to a bakery, a hotel, and a pet shop to find Linda, each location providing more clues as to where she went next. I also love the moment where Linda details her entire morning to her best friend’s voicemail. And the parrot screeching, “Alriiiiiiight!”

Random line I like: Hotel Piano Player: “Oh please, it’s barely noon! She does her BM in the PM.”

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️❤️

12. “FOOD TRUCKIN'”

Season 2 Ep. 5

Basic Plot: Bob decides to get a food truck to make more money; but when the kids pull shenanigans during a music festival, hipsters attack!

Why it’s great: Tina changes her name to Dina and lies to get more customers, Gene and Louise make mean puns on a Yelp-ish website, a sexy pianist sings about oil spills (her vagina), drunk hipsters flip the food truck, and Linda has a hat labeled “Boob Police.” Randy, the trust-fund-baby documentarian, is one of the best side characters, especially when he absolutely fails at playing the Quiet Game.

Random line I like: Randy: “I just was punched in the face…by your harsh words!”

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️

11. “THE KIDS RUN THE RESTAURANT”

Season 3 Ep. 20

Basic Plot: While Bob and Linda are in the ER, the kids turn their basement into an underground casino. But when Mr. Fischoeder starts betting big, things get dicey.

Why it’s great: Tina becomes a flirtatious hostess, Gene starts a girl group called the “Cutie Patooties,” and Louise acts as the casino manager, complete with black jacket and badass attitude. Bob and Linda deal with a fresh-faced doctor who fails at giving stitches, but at least does well at shaving and bandaging Bob’s entire arm. The best part is the climax, where Bob uses his cut hand to beat Mr. Fischoeder in a final game of Rock, Paper, Scissors for ten grand. Also, any episode with Marshmallow is always good.

Random line I like: Mr. Fischoeder: “A bet is a bet, Bob. I once lost $30,000 on a horse. She just ran off with it…”

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️

10. “ART CRAWL”

Season 1 Ep. 8

Basic Plot: Business tanks when Gayle displays her paintings for the town’s Art Crawl. The subject? Animal anuses.

Why it’s great: SO MANY REASONS. Our introduction to Aunt Gayle, Louise forcing Gene and Tina to create touristy art, Tina’s painting of Dr. Yap, Edith and Harold being cast out, Bob screaming, and Linda’s Dumbo Elephant March-esque nightmare. Such a random concept for an episode, but it’s soooooo gooooooood.

Random line I like: Gayle: “I know when I’m being lied to, Bob. It’s like when I look at myself in the mirror and say, ‘It’s going to be okay.'”

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️❤️

9. “LATE AFTERNOON IN THE GARDEN OF BOB AND LOUISE”

Season 5 Ep. 10

Basic Plot: Bob hires Louise’s archenemy, Logan, in exchange for a plot in the community garden.

Why it’s great: We get Bob singing about his happy place (and Linda and Louise lamenting their “crappy place.”) We also have Tina trying to grill Logan on the behavior of teenage boys, Bob talking to his plants and making them talk back to him, and Cynthia repeatedly asking for Chamomile tea. Also, I can’t help but think that Gene’s prediction about Louise and Logan reconnecting in their thirties is on the money…

Random line I like: Linda: “Is that my sunhat?” Bob: “Uh, yeah. Can I borrow it?” Linda: “I guess, but you look like a British lady.”

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️

8. “HOUSETRAP”

Season 5 Ep. 19

Basic Plot: The Belchers find themselves in a possible murder investigation when they enter a mysterious widow’s vacation home.

Why it’s great: I just love how the Belchers just basically trespass into someone’s beach house and fabricate a theory that the owner was murdered by his wife, Helen. Louise and Linda get super into all the details, jumping to conclusions right and left. Teddy fantasizes about spooning with Helen. Bob gets high off Helen’s pain relievers. Gene and Tina obsess over Helen’s amazing hair. And when Helen catches them in her home, more clues come to light. It’s a perfect combo of mystery and comedy, and the episode will leave you wondering if you can just slip and fall off a roof.

Random line I like: Teddy: “Sometimes we have tea on the deck and talk for what feels like minutes.”

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️

7. “THE QUIRKDUCERS”

Season 7 Ep. 6

Basic Plot: Gene and Louise plan to get a half-day off school before Thanksgiving Break by staging Tina’s erotic play about a quirky turkey.

Why it’s great: As a former theatre kid, this episode makes me laugh every time. Unbeknownst to Tina, Louise and Gene purposefully make the show bad, casting the worst actors and jerry-rigging the turkey heads to explode giblets and gizzards all over the audience. But everything backfires when Louise realizes the damage she’s done. She apologizes to Tina, and Tina saves the show by singing about self-esteem and community. This song should win a Tony, like yesterday.

Random line I like: Tina: “I feel like my soul has diarrhea.” Louise: “Use it!”

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

6. “THE KIDS RUN AWAY”

Season 4 Ep. 19

Basic Plot: Terrified of getting her cavity filled, Louise runs away from the dentist’s office and seeks refuge at Gayle’s apartment.

Why it’s great: Louise is normally the leader of the group, undauntless and fierce. This episode shows her in a weak spot–denying her fear of the dentist and running away from her problems. Hilarity ensues when Linda makes a bet with Louise: if she gets through the whole weekend with her crazy Aunt Gayle, she doesn’t have to get the filling. Gayle performs poetry about mayo and Scott Baio, gets the kids to change the nail polish colors of her cats and play a board game she invented called, “Gayle Force Winds.” Here we have yet another great Gayle episode, plus Linda realizing parenting books are a thing, and Teddy struggling with his sleep apnea.

Random line I like: Louise: “Wagstaff was my platoon in ‘Nam. Oh man, they said there’d be people like you when I got back…”

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️

5. “FULL BARS”

Season 3 Ep. 2

Basic Plot: The kids go to the wealthy Kingshead Island to trick-or-treat, but things go wrong when the island’s bullies carry out their terrifying “Hell Hunt.”

Why it’s great: This is my favorite Halloween episode. The concept is just so original and fresh, and both plotlines are equally funny. While the kids are off getting full-size candy bars, Bob and Linda attend a party where someone accidentally kills Teddy’s pet guinea pig. The teenagers who pee-balloon the younger kids on Halloween then get a taste of their own medicine when the Belcher kids catfish them.

Random line I like: “And so the Hell Hunters have become…the ones who are being Hell-Huntered.”

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️

4. “MOTHER DAUGHTER LASER RAZOR”

Season 3 Ep. 10

Basic Plot: Eager to bond with Louise, Linda bribes her into attending an 8-hour mother/daughter seminar (led by a man.) Meanwhile, Bob and Gene take Tina to get her legs waxed.

Why it’s great: Louise has always been a tough cookie to crack, but Linda is just as stubborn. This episode follows Linda’s desperate and misguided attempt to get Louise to like her, ultimately ending with a laser-tag-battle-slash-bonding-session. The “B” story of Bob and Tina getting their legs waxed is just as strong. Both plotlines have good morals attached to them, and the episode is def one of the funniest. Also Logan getting dragged into a mother/daughter seminar and then getting choked up watching the movie Freaky Friday is one for the books.

Random line I like: Linda singing: “Here goes the hair, and there goes the hair, and where is Harry Truman? He’s dead in the ground, he’s dead in the ground. He’s dead, dead, dead…“

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

3. “CRAWL SPACE”

Season 1 Ep. 2

Basic Plot: Bob pretends to get stuck in the wall to avoid spending time with his in-laws.

Why it’s great: This was only the second episode of the entire series, and it shows so much about each character without coming across as exposition-y. At first, Bob enjoys his alone time in the wall, but then he actually gets stuck in the crawl space and starts to unravel. Meanwhile, Tina’s budding sexuality is getting confused with zombies and her grandparents, Louise pretends to have a seance with her “dead” father, and Gene gets detention for a risque history report. It’s such a gem of an episode, and for sure deserves 3rd place.

Random line I like: Gene: “Do you see a lion, or a witch, or a wardrobe?” Bob: “Oh right, right. A kid’s book.” Gene: “Yeah, by Salman Rushdie.”

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️❤️

2. “BAD TINA”

Season 2 Ep. 8

Basic Plot: New girl, Tammy, pressures Tina into being a ‘bad girl.’

Why it’s great: Everyone has experienced peer pressure at least once in their life, and to see Tina deal with this preteen rite of passage is an excellent idea for an episode. Tammy pressures Tina into shop-lifting, sneaking into a horror movie, changing her appearance, drinking margarita mix, and getting temporary tattoos, all the while threatening to read Tina’s erotic friend-fiction out loud at school if she doesn’t comply. In the end, Linda has a heart-to-heart with Tina and accidentally convinces her to read her private writing to the school herself. Other highlights include laugh-farting, “Buttloose,” and a Stomp! parody.

Random line I like: Linda: “And mommy doesn’t get drunk. She just has fun.”

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

1. “BOYZ FOR NOW”

Season 3 Episode 21

Basic Plot: Louise is horrified at having a crush, especially on a boy band member named Boo Boo.

Why it's great: THIS IS THE BEST EPISODE EVER! Where to begin? We have sister support between Tina and Louise all over the place. We have Gene competing in a table-scaping competition. We have amazing Boyz For Now songs like, "Coal Mine" and "Whisper in Your Eyes." We have a sky-grandpa. We have Zeke's rhyming cousin. We have the Menstrurant Period Piece. We have barfing fangirls. We have Louise and Tina sneaking onto a tour bus. And we have the slap-heard-round-the-world. SUCH A GOOD EPISODE.

Random line I like: Literally all of them. But here's an extra rando one — "I graciously disrespect your answer."

Heartwarming Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

AND WE’RE DONE!

How’d I do? Let me know in the comments what I got right, what I missed, your favorite quotes, burger recipes, etc. Share your own favorites!

BOB’S BURGERS FANS UNITE!