Melbourne is in no shortage of burgers.
Burgers will never go out of fashion, but Melbourne’s burger craze seems to continue to grow and grow and grow despite it kicking off a decade ago. (Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash)
Most trends would have died down by now, but burgers have a tight grip on this city (and suburbs) and burger joints have been joined by restaurants, bars and celebrities in placing meat patties between buns—milk, brioche, squid ink and more—and loading them up with more quality ingredients. Some will even let you decide what should go on your burger.
This is by no way a definitive list of Melbourne’s best burgers, or a complete list of all the burger joints in Melbourne—that would be exceptionally long. However, this list does contain our favourites, ones we love, and joints that we always say yes to.
CBD
1. Arbory Bar and Eatery
Everything at Arbory Eatery is done well, and that includes their burgers, which are some of our favourites at any watering hole in the city. The classic Double Cheeseburger comes with bacon, pickles and tomato relish. It’s simple, it’s delicious. It’s the type of burger we think of when a burger craving rears its head.
Arbory Eatery also does burgers for vegetarians as well as chicken burgers and fish burgers. And all their burgers come with chips. That’s a win for us.
Find Arbory at 1 Flinders Walk
2. Butchers Diner
When it’s late and you’re strolling the CBD thinking of food to eat so you don’t feel so wrecked in the morning, Butchers Diner on Bourke Street is here to help. Open till late, this American-styled diner serves up meat in buns that is second-to-none.
They also serve up dim-sims, pork tongue skewers, Spanish donuts, and feature a daily special every day of the week.
Find Butchers Diner at 10 Bourke Street
North
1. Juanita Peaches, Brunswick
Juanita’s might be first and foremost a fried chicken joint, and they might only feature one burger on their menu, but it’s one burger you’ve just got to try if you haven’t tried it already. Slotted between a house-made steamed potato bun sits a 120 grams grass-fed beef patty served with shallots and onions, pickles and double serving of cheddar.
Find Juanita’s Peaches at 12 Edward Street
2. Kustom Burgers, Thornbury
The burgers at Kustom Burgers are not the prettiest looking things on this planet but we don’t care when the patties are cooked to (medium) perfection. They are soft, juicy and so delicious that the juice starting to run down your wrist is the least of your concerns.
At Kustom Burgers, you get to choose your bun (or, go no bun at all) first before moving onto the fillings which if you don’t know what you’re in the mood for, might take some time to decide. All burgers can be made vegetarian as well, so everybody wins.
Find Kustom Burgers at 861 High Street
South
1. Burger Bae, Sandringham
A trip to Sandringham is well worth it if you’re going to be going past Burger Bae. You could start with their Simple Bae, a classic with a smashed beef patty, cheddar, onions, pickles, and bae sauce on a toasted milk bun, or keep on adding ingredients so that they end up looking like above. Either way, you’re in for a treat especially if you go for the Peanut Butter Bae which can be tripled in size.
Find Burger Bae at 80 Station Street
2. Fat Jak’s, St Kilda and Clayton
Is there something on the menu at Fat Jak’s that isn’t tasty and damn delicious? So far, we haven’t found it.
Whether you’re filling up on their beef burgers or their chicken breast burgers, these are some of the best. Anywhere. And with a monthly burger special, there’s always something new to try and give your taste buds a wild ride.
Find Fat Jak’s at 205 Barkly Street, St Kilda, and 31/2107 Dandenong Road, Clayton
You can also find Fat Jak’s in Altona North at 124-134 Millers Road
East
1. Home to Roost, Malvern East
It can’t always be about the beef patty or the fried chicken between the buns. So, here comes Home to Roost to mix things up a little with their grilled chicken burgers that are made using the family marinade recipe—this is, after all, a 100% family-owned and operated business.
Find Home to Roost at 146 Burke Road
2. Humburger, Hawthorn
Humburger on Glenferrie Road has a small but loyal following and for good reason too. The Burgers of Melbourne blog gave their New York burger the perfect score.
Find Humburger at 789 Glenferrie Road
West
1. Atomic Burgerz, Yarraville
Atomic Burgerz has a delicious selection of beef and chicken burgers, as well as a vegetarian and vegan burger. But, if you’re up for a challenge, or if you’re feeling really hungry, opt for The Armageddon. This stacked burger features five beef patties and five cheddar cheese slices, as well as lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and atomic special sauce.
Find Atomic Burgerz at Shop 21/157 Hyde St, Yarraville VIC 3013.
2. Gorilla Grill, Maribyrnong
You’ve most likely seen the Gorilla Grill food truck about town, and if you did you probably saw a huge queue that put you off. Well to save you lining up, you can head to Gorilla Grill on Edgewater Boulevard to get your fix. As you should as well since these burgers are juicy with cheese melted perfectly and worth the time, money and effort to get your hands on one.
Find Gorilla Grill at 36 Edgewater Boulevard