Sydney

Wrap Your Hands Around the Best Burgers in Sydney

A greasy guide to the best burgers in town.

best burgers sydney
Photo: @johnnybirdau

Sometimes, there are moments in life when you need to wrap your hands around a good burger. Whether it be a dirty burger, American-style packed to the bun with bacon, cheese, pickles, onion rings, and tater tots, or a fancy wagyu burger, that is mouth-wateringly succulent; Sydney has every kind of burger for every mood. 

Here is where you will find the best burgers in the city.

best burgers sydney
Photo: @belleshotchicken

Belles Hot Chicken

Barangaroo and Tramsheds
Belles is best known for their Nashville hot chicken, so if you love heat, this is the place for you. They have a signature spicy chicken sandwich, which is a favourite, but you can also get a spicy mushroom sandwich crumbed with polenta and has a generous drizzle of good sauce. The prices are affordable too, with a chicken sandwich setting you back $14.50 or the mushroom version for $14.

best burgers sydney slims quality burger
Photo: @taste.of.plebo

Slim’s Quality Burger

Marrickville, CBD, and more
If you’re looking for a cheap, good burger in Sydney, look no further than Slim’s Quality Burger. They have outposts in Marrickville and Mt Druitt, but their new Westfield Sydney store is by far the best. The 1950s American-style diner is a great place to wrap your hands around a $9 burger with a side of fries and a thick shake. The burgers are stuffed with beef patties, cheese, and bacon; some even have crispy chicken. Everything is served on trays, similar to what you find in American colleges. It’s a fun experience and cheap lunch—what more could you want? Also, the sundaes are legendary and only $5 for one scoop. They come topped with hot chocolate fudge, whipped cream, and other toppings.

best burgers sydney
Photo: @foodiemum28

Paul’s Famous Hamburgers

Sylvania
Voted Australia’s favourite burgers, Paul’s Burgers are a must-try, especially the Famous Works. You can choose from an extensive menu of hamburgers with different toppings, including pineapple. They also offer chicken burgers and a chilli chicken burger with Paul’s homemade hot chilli dollop.

best burgers sydney
Photo: @mistergeeburgertruck

Mister Gee Burger Truck

Multiple locations
Mister Gee has been known to throw together some outrageous stacks including a burger with doughnut buns. No matter what you get, it’s going to be good. Double the patty, the cheese, and bacon, or keep it simple with a smashed patty, and classic toppings. You can find the truck at Haberfield and North Strathfield. Follow them on Instagram for updates.

best burgers sydney
Photo: @buttersydney

Butter

Surry Hills and Chatswood
Butter’s burgers are where you go if you’re hungover and need something greasy, or just want a $15 burger that you know is going to be good—every time. Pick up a fried chicken sandwich with dashi butter, and pickled cucumber or try the spicy version with fire hot sauce.

best burgers sydney
Photo: @barlucasydney

Bar Luca

Multiple locations
No one does a dirty burger better than Bar Luca, the burger bar known for creating some of Sydney’s tastiest and craziest burger stacks. They’ve stacked their chicken and beef burgers with everything from fried enoki mushrooms to mozzarella sticks, and a spoonful of mac and cheese. Burgers start around $14 and only go up to $22 for the Mac Daddy, which features a double BL beef patty, double the cheese, lettuce, pickles, onions, and BL sauce on a triple BL milk bun. Suffice to say it’s a serious burger.

best burgers sydney
Photo: @dinewith_chris

Mary’s Underground

Circular Quay and Newtown
If you haven’t had a Mary’s burger, you’re missing out on a vital part of Sydney’s nightlife. Mary’s is where you go to listen to live music, drink beer, and chomp down on a Mary’s burger, which is nothing fancy, just good meat, and a good milk bun, for that indulgent, chewy, melt in your mouth experience. Mary’s burgers are legendary and deserve a spot on any best burger list in Sydney.

best burgers sydney
Photo: @umeburger

Ume Burger

Barangaroo and Haymarket
While Bar Ume, unfortunately, closed its doors, you can still get their crowd-favourite burgers at their Barangaroo and Haymarket outposts, including the Ume Burger. You can also fill your orders with pork katsu, juicy pieces of boneless karaage chicken, and a hand-crumbed fish fillet. Get a side of housemade kimchi and some renkon chips to munch on.

best burgers sydney
Photo: @johnnybirdau

Johnny Bird

Crows Nest
This little burger bar in Crows Nest had a previous life selling lobster rolls but rebranded as Johnny Bird to sell big ol’ dirty American-style burgers. While you can enjoy some wings and tenders, as well as loaded fries, their burgers are the main event. Most of their burgers feature a thick, crispy chicken fillet, or you can get a beef burger. The ‘lost in translation’ is a take on a katsu burger, with kewpie mayo, Tokyo slaw and of course, katsu fried chicken. Whichever burger you choose, you won’t be disappointed. They also have great sides options, including sweet potato fries, which are *chefs kiss*.

best burgers sydney
Photo: @fiveguysaustralia

Five Guys

Penrith and CBD
Five Guys has cult status in the U.S. and the world, and now it’s made its way to Sydney, and will soon make its way to Melbourne and other major Australian cities. The burgers are simple, and you can choose free toppings such as caramelised onions. They use quality ingredients to make their juicy burgers and don’t forget to add a side of fries. Their claim to fame is filling the bag with fries, every time. Who doesn’t want a handful of free fries at the bottom of the bag?

best burgers sydney
Photo:@chubbsbarandq

Chubbs Bar

Brookvale and Manly
You can always count on a sports bar to serve a good, big burger. Chubbs Bar offers an American sports bar vibe and a menu with six different burger variations. You will find three different wagyu burgers with smoked bacon, fried onion strings and other favourite toppings. If beef isn’t your speed, try the southern fried chicken burger, Texas fried chicken patty, and a grilled halloumi patty.

best burgers sydney
Photo:@littlelburgers

Little L

Multiple locations
Little L’s burgers are old school. Think a crisp lettuce leaf, tomato, onion, and grilled chicken with different toppings from L’s special sauce to bacon and cheese. The beef burgers come in double, single, or classic. You can also wrap your hands around a bacon cheeseburger, topped with bacon and tomato chutney.

best burgers sydney
Photo: @twoplatesonespoon

Nash Big Brother Burgers

Rosebery
Apart from selling salads and fried chicken, most Sydneysiders flock to Nash for their signature burger, which features Nash special sauce, beetroot relish, cheese, beef patty, and onion. You will also find a mushroom burger, grilled bird burger, and a barramundi burger. As far as price goes, you can pick up a decent cheeseburger for $10 or pay anywhere up to $17 for a BBQ bourbon brisket with jalapeno, and smokey cheese.

best burgers sydney
Photo: @percy_plunkett

Percy Plunkett

Penrith
Every weekend, locals gather at Percy Plunkett for good food, good service, and family vibes. While the menu offers a lot of great options, including the deep dish pancakes, you would be amiss to go past the cornflake crumbed chicken burger. Just as it sounds, a juicy chicken breast marinated in buttermilk is crumbed in cornflakes, deep-fried and topped with American cheese, slaw, and chipotle mayo. You will also find a bacon and egg burger, topped with a hashbrown.

best burgers sydney
Photo: @theburgerhead

Burger Head

Penrith and Botany
Burger Head is a casual eatery, serving big burgers. Since opening, they’ve gained a cult-following of burger head fanatics, drooling over their delicious American-style burgers. Each burger is stacked to the bun with thick, crispy chicken thighs, or smashed Angus patty—sometimes double or triple. They even offer a vegetarian burger and vegan option, so everyone can enjoy a burger.

best burgers sydney
Photo: @publifekitchen

Pub Life Kitchen

Ultimo
In any discussion about the best burgers in Sydney, Pub Life Kitchen always makes it way into the conversation—and for a good reason. They use dry-aged meat for the patty, which sets it apart from other pubs in Sydney. Their fillet-ahh fish is thick (with two cs) and is topped with pickled zucchini, cheese, and homemade tartare sauce. You will also find the OG burger and other options. Since lockdown, they’ve been offering DIY burger boxes so that you can make their delicious burgers at home. 

best burgers sydney
Photo: @churburgersurryhills

Chur Burger

Multiple locations
Chur Burger is a food truck, but you can also find them in Surry Hills, at the airport, and West HQ. They specialise in burgers, offering everything from beef and chicken to lamb and fish. Each burger is stacked with toppings, which you can always double up. Pair it with some seasoned fries or spicy and smokey mac and cheese. They also have gluten-free buns.

best burgers sydney
Photo: @urbanjunglesyd

Urban Jungle

Rooty Hill and Hurstville
Urban Jungle recently unveiled a new Hurstville venue, which is serving a different menu, but you can expect similar burgers you would find in Rooty Hill, including a brekky burger with smoky bbq and aioli sauce on a potato bun. You can’t go past the gochujang chicken burger, which comes with a southern-style fried chicken, sticky gochujang glaze, house pickled cabbage, cucumber, daikon, and kewpie mayo with a side of seasoned fries.

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Sydney

All of the Sydney Food News You Need to Know

For all your Sydney food moments.

Family or friends having pizza party dinner. Flat-lay of people clinking glasses with red wine over rustic wooden table with various kinds of Italian pizza, top view. Fast food lunch, celebration (Family or friends having pizza party dinner. Flat-lay
Photo By Foxys_forest_manufacture/Getty Images

There’s plenty to celebrate this year, from new menus to restaurants throwing parties, bottomless brunches, and more.

Here, we have the latest on Sydney’s food news, from chefs taking over restaurants to limited-edition menus and feasts for all your friends to enjoy.

  • To celebrate World Gin Day, and for one week only, gin and food lovers can try nagashi-sōmen—translating to ‘flowing noodles’— which sees noodles sent down a bamboo chute for diners to collect with chopsticks. The one-off experience will be hosted at Kid Kyoto, where guests can enjoy their flowing noodles alongside a menu paired with delicious KI NO BI Gin cocktails. Purchase tickets here.
  • Tuck into a Fireball Burger
  • Feeling the cold? Fireball Whisky and Bar Luca have teamed up for the ultimate firey menu. Offered for a limited time only, head down to Bar Luca for $6 Fireball shots all day, a Fireball shot and cocktail on arrival, and an all-you-can-eat bites of the full “Blame Fireball” menu on Saturday, July 1. Book a spot here
  • For two nights only, on Tuesday the 20th and Tuesday 27th of June, Graeme Hunt, Head Chef of Sydney’s trending late-night bar and dining venue at Zaffi, will be stepping up to the kitchen at award-winning bar PS40. Pop-up guests can expect a mosaic of colourful Lebanese-inspired bar snacks paired with exclusive midweek sips made by the mastermind behind the experimental bar, Michael Chiem.
  • Fan of Cinderella? The Great Hall is transforming into The Royal Palace for an enchanting high tea from July 1-2. There will be dancing and fun, and then Cinderella will run out of the venue leaving behind her glass slipper—the search for the missing beauty will begin. Tickets for the Cinderella High Tea costs $80-85 and you can purchase them here.
  • Grill’d has dropped two new burgers, and they’re beyond anything we could have imagined. Taking inspiration from Mexico, Grilld’s two new burgers are a Zesty Mexi and Luxe Nacho Burger. The Zesty Mexi features a black bean pattie with corn chips, tasty cheese, slaw, jalapenos, and chipotle mayo mixed with green tomatillo lime salsa. For meat lovers, the Luxe Nacho Burger is the same as the Zesty Mexi, but with a premium Wagyu pattie.

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