10 To Try: Sydney’s Best Smash Burgers, According to Howard Chen
Words by Howard Chen · Updated on 24 Apr 2026 · Published on 24 Apr 2026
I love smash burgers. So much so, I have a tattoo of one. A well-made smash hits the Goldilocks zone of good food: textural, flavourful, balanced. A perfect one is crunchy, juicy, bouncy and creamy – and fits into the palm of your hand. Simple, but delicious.
Long before smash burgers began flooding our feeds, they were being sizzled on flat-tops at burger joints in Midwestern American cities like Detroit, Chicago and Kansas City. Since the early-to-mid-20th century, cooks have slammed balls of beef onto molten hot grills, forging patties with crispy edges and soft centres, deeply caramelised by the Maillard reaction. The name came later, popularised by the chain Smashburger in 2007.
Sydneysiders have flirted with smash burgers before – like the winners at Bush – but the pandemic flipped the script. Food trucks and stalls got in on the fun, with more taking cues from the smash burger scene in Los Angeles, including one coming soon from a pair of former Angelenos.
Now they’re everywhere: multiple styles, citywide, with some shops devoted entirely to the form.
For this list, I tried all (or most) of the city’s smashes. And while there were notable burgers at plenty of spots – like Burger Vibes, T8ste Deez and Four Bros – the following 10 were a cut above.
Wingmill, Neutral Bay and Dee Why
Who knew a last-minute menu addition at a wing spot would be one of Sydney’s best smash burgers? These burgers are anything but an afterthought. Homesick for the wings he grew up with in Northern California, Ahmed Kalil decided to make them himself, opening Wingmill in Neutral Bay. But his burgers quickly stole the show. A fresh chuck-and-brisket blend hits clarified butter on the grill, then lands in a toasted potato bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, dill pickles, American cheddar and Mill Sauce (a zesty take on thousand island dressing). Expect In-N-Out meets Shake Shack – a classic smash burger done right. There’s a second location in Dee Why too, along with a secret menu worth asking about.
UrgerBae, Carss Park
When Peter and Lucas Alexander bought Finest Meats in Carss Park, the father-son duo were set on bringing a cheeseburger to the butcher shop – it’s the only item on their menu. Before opening, six months were spent eating their way through Sydney’s burger scene, scoffing down burgers every other night. The result is arguably the city’s crispiest smash burger. Peter’s the mince master while Lucas is on the grill, and their Wagyu brisket and Angus chuck patties contrast perfectly on a soft Martin’s roll. Patience is a virtue when you order here.
Burger Heist, Chester Hill
Low-key, like its postcode, Burger Heist has quietly built a cult-like following around its smash burgers. In a bright, open kitchen, uncle-and-nephew duo Mustapha Yassir and Moustafa El Ayoubi aggressively sear house-minced MBS5/6 Wagyu chuck and brisket into beefy discs of delight. House sauces dial up the flavour in six different beef burgers – including, yes, a non-smashed take on a burger with the lot – all resting on buttered potato rolls. Of course, you’ll want a smash burger to get the full cheesy, crispy experience.
Feel Good Burgers, Rhodes
For four years, Zak Abdel’s Feel Good Burgers offered just four items – aiming simply for consistency, with a focus on hospitality. It paid off: he successfully expanded from a food truck to a storefront last year. Whole cuts of fresh Aussie beef are minced in-house daily, smashed hard, then slipped into buns toasted on the inside only. It’s a burger that could win a beauty pageant – and it tastes as good as it looks. The team’s partnered with the Better Tomorrow Foundation, so part of the proceeds helps families in need.
Eighty Twenty Smash Burgerz, Kogarah
What happens when a school principal decides he wants to sling burgers? He gets an A++ on the smash burger report card. Muhammad Tayyab spent over a year honing his craft in different kitchens before opening Eighty Twenty Smash Burgerz in Kogarah last year. His chuck and brisket blend is crisp-edged, juicy and unapologetically beefy. A 13-ingredient house sauce brings tang and depth, while onions are fully customisable: raw, grilled or caramelised. There’s a secret menu too. My tip? Ask for the cheeseburger as an Oklahoma smash.
Hi Hi Burger, Bondi Junction
The ruthless efficiency at Hi Hi Burger demands respect. Paul Allam, co-founder of Bourke Street Bakery, runs a well-oiled machine where a few taps on a touchscreen gets you a cheeseburger for under $10 in short order. It’s the prototypical smash: consistent, balanced and reliable without breaking the bank. There are only five ingredients in the smash burgers here: Vic’s Meat beef, pickles, American cheese, special sauce and a pillowy house potato bun. All flavour, no filler.
Get Stuff’d, Merrylands
Parked on a servo corner, Get Stuff’d has been selling out every night without much fanfare. After 12 years in construction, Atiq Safi swapped his tradie tools for another set, becoming a one-man machine on the flat-top – and garnering a loyal fan base. Everything’s prepared fresh daily, and Safi and his butcher have dialled in the mince exactly the way he likes: a textural fat ratio Safi keeps close to his chest. The result? Incredibly beefy smash burgers with charred edges that remain miraculously juicy inside, nestled in Urbun potato buns. Get in early to avoid disappointment.
Humble Buns, Bexley and Carlton
What started as a weekend hobby cooking for family and friends quickly turned into an obsession (and then a business) for Ahmad Muslemani. The crowds for Humble Buns in Bexley built up via word of mouth – with a second Carlton truck rolling out within a year. The kicker is the 100 per cent grass-fed beef from Muslemani’s local butcher, which is pressed hard for fantastically lacy edges and a soft centre. The beauties are draped with cheese and house sauces, then loaded onto Martin’s rolls. For a twist, go for the kofta smash.
Chebbo’s Burgers, Marrickville and Bexley
If you haven’t heard of Chebbo’s by now, burgers and queues just might not be your thing. Social media star Ali Chebbani’s driveway side hustle is now a budding burger empire, with his second location coming to Bexley earlier this year. Kilcoy Angus brisket hits the griddle, then meets that creamy, tangy signature Chebbo’s sauce in a Bos Bread milk bun. Meanwhile, the fried onion burgers land on Martin’s potato rolls. Pro tip: add caramelised onions to your burger.
Eat at Rob’s, Rozelle
If you’re into smashes, this takeaway-only burger joint inside a butcher needs no introduction. Owner Michael Carter can lay claim to popularising the Oklahoma-style smash burger here in Sydney. Ample amounts of thinly sliced onions get pressed into house-minced patties, blanketed with American cheese and stacked on potato buns. The beauty lies in its simplicity – though you can fancy it up with lettuce and Rob’s sauce for extra texture.
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