The Best Burgers in Melbourne
Not that long ago, the main places you could eat a burger in Melbourne were American fast-food outlets and local fish’n’chip shops. Then came the great burger renaissance, marked first by standalone shops and food trucks, and followed by what feels like every pub in town. In recent years, even fine dining restaurants like Gimlet have started catering to our seemingly bottomless appetite for a good two-hander. Here’s where to find the best in town, including two OGs founded in 1939 and 1945.
Words by Scott Renton
Updated on 13 July 2026
Restaurant
Macgregor’s Original
The menu at this new player is deliberately small, with only three burgers: the signature cheese smash burger, an Oklahoma fried onion burger and the Macgregor junior cheeseburger, plus chips cooked in beef tallow.
Restaurant
Charrd
At this wildly hyped spot, you might queue for two hours – and there are only two options. The signature burger (truffle aioli, onion, chilli jam, pickles, American cheese) and the cheeseburger (white onion, pickles and Charrd’s heavy-on-the-mustard take on burger sauce).
Restaurant
Juanita Peaches
This cheeseburger, by Beatbox and Taco Truck boss Raph Rashid, stars a 120-gram patty hand-formed from grass-fed brisket, chuck and hanger steaks. Then there’s dill pickles, confit shallots and American cheese on a potato bun that’s squidgy but doesn’t fall apart.
Restaurant
Gimlet at Cavendish House
Ever wondered what a cheeseburger by one of the world’s best restaurants tastes like? This beauty hinges on a woodfired O’Connor beef pattie. Only available on the supper menu after 10pm.
Bar
Leonard’s House of Love
The greatest of Leonard’s hits is undeniably its Melbourne-famous fried chicken – but the brisket and short-rib cheeseburger is no afterthought. Leonard’s grill is firing till late on weekends, which means the party in your mouth needn’t start till later.
Restaurant
300 Grams
This compact burger joint does whopping beef and plant-based cheeseburgers, Southern fried chicken and Oreo thickshakes. The whole experience feels faintly reminiscent of American chain In-N-Out, and we’re here for it.
Restaurant
Butchers Diner
If you find yourself in the CBD after many pints, hankering for a cheap lot of saturated fat and regret at 11pm, keep moving. But if you’re after a well-made hamburger comprising top-quality ingredients, find this retro late-night spot.
Restaurant
Andrew’s Hamburgers
If you like old-school fish’n’chip shop burgers, this 1939-founded spot is the one for you. We’re talking lettuce, fried egg, bacon, tomato, cheese, tommy sauce and the crucial addition of griddle-cooked onions. It’s nostalgia in a bun.
Restaurant
Danny’s
Founded in 1945, this is the second oldest burger shop in Melbourne, after Andrew’s. But it’s kept up with the times, plus you can nab one of these old-school fish’n’chipper-style burgs (and maybe a dim sim spiked with soy sauce) until midnight every night.
Restaurant
8bit Footscray
This west-side burger joint is a nostalgic ode to our favourite pixels past. Order burgers made with beef, fried chicken and crumbed mushroom alongside fries, shakes, tater tots and more. Play on the arcade machine while you wait.
Restaurant
Easey’s
No-nonsense burgers, served five storeys up, inside a train carriage. This is Melbourne, so of course that’s a thing. This singular rooftop diner doesn’t coast by on its looks though – these are some of the best burgers you’ll find.
Bar
The John Curtin Hotel
Sonny’s Fried Chicken & Burgers is the formidable in-house kitchen here and at The Gem in Collingwood, run by the same crew. Choose from all manner of American delights, including city-leading fried chicken. The house riff on a famous Minneapolis cheeseburger is another standout, though.
Bar
Lulie Tavern
This good-times bar swapped out pizzas for burgers a while back – with excellent results. All of the burgers, fries and bar snacks at Lulie are well worth checking out, but special props must go to the Lullie Whoppa: a Hungry Jacks-inspired masterpiece.
Restaurant
Noun’s Hamburgers
Drop into this Prahran Market burger shop for McMuffin-style rolls and classic cheeseburgers layered with onion, pickles, ketchup and mustard – as well as double-beef varieties.
Restaurant
Entrecote
Cheeseburgers are appearing on the menus of more and more French restaurants. But Entrecote has been doing it much longer than most. Its cheeseburger – as well as its luxe Royal version gussied up with truffled brie – is a mainstay.
Restaurant
Bistra
Another entry in Melbourne’s growing list of burgers found in fine diners and higher-end bistros. Bistra’s version is a classic American cheeseburger served with a house-made burger sauce. Comes with excellent fries and a large dill pickle on the side.
Bar
Molly Rose
Molly Rose debuted its cheeseburger as a special. It became so popular that the team had to make it a menu mainstay. The burger is as classic as they come: cheese, lettuce, onion, pickles, burger sauce, served with fries. Wash it down with some of the city’s best beer.
Bar
Slowpoke Lounge & Lookout
Slowpoke’s cheeseburger is, in the best possible way, the most McDonald’s-esque burger in Melbourne right now: patty, sauce, pickle, cheese, bun. It’s joined by other golden arches riffs such as hash brown fries and apple pie.
Bar
The Sporting Club Hotel
This Brunswick pub is led by some of the team behind the Marquis of Lorne and the Royal Oak, both of which have excellent menus. So it’s no surprise that the Sporting Club’s cheeseburger, The Sportsman, is such a hit.
Restaurant
Maison Batard
Maison Batard’s take on the cheeseburger uses an assertive remoulade, offset by a light milk bun. It’s only available upstairs at La Terrasse, and it goes down dangerously well with a Martini.
Cafe
Mabels
This bakery is best known for its elaborate cakes, and excellent pies and sausage rolls. But locals also flock for its 1934 cheeseburger. It's a classic combination of lettuce, tomato, onion, beef, cheese and a slice of bacon on top.
Restaurant
Fat Bob’s Bar & Grill
You wouldn’t know it from the nondescript exterior, but the kitchen at Fat Bob’s churns out some of Bayside’s best burgers. Pillowy buns and smoky, pink-centered patties are the stars – backed by a roster of Southern diner sides.
Restaurant
Operator Diner
You know the old-school, untouched-for-decades diners dotted all over the US? This CBD spot is a slick recreation of those retro relics. Go for loaded brekkie muffins, a suitably sloppy cheeseburger and filter coffee in classic diner mugs.
Restaurant
Royale Brothers
A serious contender for the southside's best burger. Fans of Pulp Fiction might have trouble moving beyond the classic Royale With Cheese, but for everyone else, there's plenty of choice. The truly hungry will appreciate the double-and triple-stack combos.
Restaurant
1090 Burger
Unlike lots of burger joints, which emphasise minimal seasoning or flavouring, 1090 uses a secret nine-ingredient marinade to bump up the umami profile of its Angus beef patties. The result is a simple and consistent classic.
Restaurant
Seoul Tiger 1988
Four burgers make up the core offering. There’s a beef bulgogi-inspired cheeseburger; a prawn number; a Korean fried chicken burger; and a veggie burger served with Korean pickled onions. One is listed among the world's best.
More Options
Bam Street Food, Altona
The burgers at this neighbourhood takeaway spot are hefty, customisable and affordable. There’s a broad range to pick from alongside pastrami sandwiches and tacos, but the champion here is the smashed patty cheeseburger. Don’t be afraid to make it a double.
Good Good Burgers, Maidstone and Essendon
At these two takeaway shops, the burgers are stacked high and wide. Huge smashed patties are cooked thin and crispy on the flat-top grill then decked out with American cheese, pickles, sauce and onions. Not for the faint of heart.
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