The top 15 best burger joints around Australia

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Order up a double patty, add on that layer of mac n cheese and go ham on that basket of chips, because it’s burger time baby.

 

The burger-craze in Australia is real and the nation is hungry for more. Our desire to tuck into a greasy, cheesy patty sandwiched between two soft and lightly toasted milk buns just refuses to be satisfied. It’s no wonder it feels like a new burger joint or food truck opens up around the corner every couple of weeks.

 

For the true burger fans amongst us, we’ve collated a list of the best burger joints from around the country to aid you in your time of need.

Australia-wide

Ze Pickle

Known for their iconic pickle-topped burgers, Ze Pickle piles up a range of crazy and outrageous burger combinations – with the wacky names to match. You can bet that anything you order off their long menu will be a winner. If you’re up to a challenge, try their Triple Loco and STFU burger. It is guaranteed to test you to your limits. These two biggies are filled with an insane amount of fillings and pushed together with grilled cheese sandwiches instead of buns.

 

The Mash Mash City Bish is another popular choice. The combination of crispy fried chicken, American cheese, truffle-buttered mash potato and mayo will have you praying for it to go on forever.

 

States: QLD & NSW

Chargrill Charlies

That’s right, Sydney’s favourite chicken shop has opened its doors in Melbourne. Let’s hope world domination is next.

 

Known for their moist and juicy chargrilled and Portuguese chickens, crisp salads and crunchy fries and wedges, Chargrill Charlies have been doing this for over 30 years. While they normally change up their salad and sides menus, those classic burgers we all know and love have remained the same after all these years.

 

Order up an Original Chicken Burger for this absolute bomb of flavour. All burgers are made with free-range chicken (except those with beef, duh) and come topped with butter lettuce, tomatoes, Spanish onions and a dollop of their famous secret sauce. And maybe get a side of their chicken mac n cheese if you’re still hungry.

 

States: NSW & VIC

NSW

Paul’s Famous Hamburgers

This joint opened back in 1957 and has been slinging out classic burgers ever since. Paul’s no-frills service, cheap burgers and beach-bum attitude makes this place great for that post-surf or swim refuel. Located all the way down in Sylvania, you’ll find southern Sydney dwellers flock here all year round.

 

The Famous Works burger shouldn’t be overlooked. Layered with lettuce, tomato, raw onion, egg, bacon, cheese and pineapple; it truly is the taste of ‘Straya.

 

Address: 12 Princes Highway, Sylvania

Mister Gees Burger Truck

Mister Gees Burger Truck Sydney australia's best burgers
Dig into the Stoner’s Revenge at Mister Gees.

The Mister Gees Burger Truck has been dishing out the greasiest burgers in the inner west for the last few years. The truck was previously located in a car wash in Haberfield, but after some unfortunate mechanical problems, they were forced to abandon that dream and now operate by taking over kitchens and cafes all over the city.

 

They have a burger special available each week and the best one – in our opinion – is the Stoners Revenge. Filled with grass-fed beef patties, American cheese, malt pickled onions, dill pickles, Dijon, stoner sauce, salt n vinegar crinkle cut chips (yup, inside the burger) and optional streaky bacon.

 

If you can’t find time to spend 45 minutes in line waiting for these bad boys, the owner has also opened up a bricks and mortar store called Happy Endings which is super simple, but just as good.

 

Address: Keep up with their current locations through Instagram

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VIC

Easey’s

Easeys Melbourne australia's best burgers
Stop for a burger at Melbourne’s most iconic sight.

You’ll find Easey’s located in one of the most recognisable spots in Melbourne – five stories up in a rooftop train carriage. The three trains are covered in graffiti and filled with comfy chairs and tables. Grab a pale ale and watch the bright Melbourne lights flicker in the distance.

 

If you’re really about that burger life, then check out the Metropolitan Mayhem. Filled with quad beef patties, American cheddar, bacon, potato cakes, dim sims, pickles, onion and secret burger sauce. Wow, that was a mouthful (just like this burger will be).

 

Address: Unit 3/48 Easey Street, Collingwood

Rude Boy Burger

If you stroll over to Brunswick West, you’ll find Rude Boy Burger. These guys are all about big, obnoxious burgers that’ll have you salivating. If you whisper the words ‘hot cheesy ball’ to the server behind the counter, you’ll get a deep-fried liquid cheese ball that’ll explode with hot melty goodness.

 

But for the veggie fans, the Veggie Queen Burger takes the cake. A spiced veggie burger patty with chickpeas, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, potato, onion and red chilli with lime pickled peppers and coronation sauce.

 

Address: 482 Albion Street, Brunswick West

QLD

Easy Street Diner

Refuel after a dip down at Mermaid Beach on the Gold Coast at the Easy Street Diner.

 

This joint has a reputation for the best fried chicken in the area, so why would you order anything else? The Chicken Poboy (a typical Louisiana sandwich) with southern fried chicken, Cajun mayo and slaw will be your go-to favourite in no time.

 

Address: 12/2563 Lower Gold Coast Highway, Mermaid Beach

Brooklyn Depot

Brooklyn Depot Queensland australian best burgers
Get an injection of lethal hot sauce at Brooklyn Depot.

In Surfers, Brooklyn Depot is an iconic spot for pork ribs, chicken wings, sweet apple pie and of course, juicy burgers. If you’re not in a hurry to rush out, start this experience off with the bang bang shrimp tacos or the chicken n’ waffles. Their menu is all things Brooklyn-inspired with names running off famous icons and sayings.

 

The real hero at this joint is the Fuhgeddaboudit! That New Yorker slang refers to the lethal hot sauce that they pride themselves on (you can choose mild, medium or hot if you can’t handle lethal). The beef patty comes topped with beef chilli, American cheese, onion rings, chilli relish and the injection of hot sauce.

 

Address: The 4217, 10 Beach Road, Surfers Paradise

SA

Bread & Bone Wood Grill

Bread and Bone SA australian best burgers
Order a glass of pinot with that soft shell crab burger.

Although it’s technically not solely a burger shop, the burgers at Bread & Bone in Adelaide‘s CBD are well worth the mention. If you’re looking for that special somewhere to spice things up on the burger front, you can’t go wrong ordering here.

 

The Soft Shell Crab burger with the tempura crab, chilli kewpie mayo, butter lettuce and watercress is a game-changer. You’ll need to crunch down hard on this one.

 

Address: 15 Peel Street, Adelaide

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ACT

BurgerHero

BurgerHero Canberra australian best burgers
The simple cheeseburger down at BurgerHero

Whipping up burgers by the dozen, these guys truly are heroes – BurgerHeros we mean. Known as the local burger hotspot in Canberra, you won’t find one tastier anywhere else in the region. The menu is full of all the classics you’d expect, but if you want to get creative you can build your own. With so many options to choose from it won’t be easy, but the end result will be worth it.

 

If you’d rather stick to the menu, order the Karaage Ramen burger. The one-of-a-kind burger combines ramen-crusted chicken, rainbow slaw, tonkatsu sauce, kewpie mayo, jalapenos and cream cheese into one delicious meal.

 

Address: 31 Mort St, Braddon

TAS

Jack Greene Bar

Jack Greene is located within Salamanca Place in Hobart. They’ve got regular burgers, mini burgs and a whole lot of sides to choose from. You also get bonus views of Hobart Harbour – and a burger with a view is just how we like it.

 

The Wallaby Burger isn’t one to scoff at! Indulge in this flavour-bomb of a burger filled with braised Tasmanian wallaby rump, lettuce, tomato, Spanish onion, pear and pepperberry chutney and garlic aioli.

 

Address: 47 Salamanca Place, Hobart

Burger Junkie

Burger Junkie Launceston australian best burgers
On the quiet streets of Launceston, you’ll find the bustling Burger Junkie.

One of the best burger joints in Launceston is Burger Junkie. You’ll find them serving freshly grilled beef, chicken and vegan burgers most nights. The shop is splattered in graffiti and has a few vintage arcade games inside, but you’ll tune it all out once you take your first bite.

 

The Buffalo Chicken burger is one to munch on, with buttermilk fried chicken, coleslaw, lettuce, onion, tomato, ranch and buffalo sauce – it’s honestly drool-inducing.

 

Address: 105 St John Street, Launceston

 

Need a little more help on the food and wine front? Don’t worry we’ve got you covered with Australia’s best places to wine and dine.

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6 reasons the best way to experience the Kimberley is by cruise

    Kate Bettes Kate Bettes
    This remote corner of Australia is one of the world’s last frontiers. This is how to see it properly.

    Vast, rugged and deeply spiritual, the Kimberley coast in Australia’s North West feels a world away from everyday Australia – and there are countless ways to explore it. But if you want to reach ancient rock art, hidden gorges and lonely waterfalls, it has to be by boat. Whether you’re aboard a nimble expedition vessel or a luxury yacht with all the trimmings, exploring by the water brings exclusive experiences, shows unique views and makes travel easier than any other mode. And that’s just the beginning of Australia’s North West cruises.

    The True North Adventure Cruise in between sandstone cliffs.
    Adventure starts where the road ends.

    1. Discover Broome, and beyond

    Explore your launchpad before you set sail: Broome. Here camels and their riders stride along the 22 kilometres of powdery Cable Beach at sunset. That’s just the start.

    At Gantheaume Point, red pindan cliffs plunge into the turquoise sea, whose low tide uncovers fossilised dinosaur footprints. Broome’s pearling history runs deep. Japanese, Chinese, Malay and Aboriginal divers once worked these waters, and their legacy lives on in boutiques where South Sea pearls still shine.

    If the moon’s right, you may catch the Staircase to the Moon over Roebuck Bay. Or simply kick back with a cold beverage and a film under the stars at Sun Pictures, screening since 1916.

    Ride a camel along Cable Beach as the sun sinks into the Indian Ocean, casting golden light across the sand and sea.
    Ride a camel along Cable Beach. (Image: Nick Dunn)

    2. Unmatched access to The Kimberley

    Once you’re onboard, expect a backstage pass to some of the most isolated places on Earth. No roads. No ports. No phone reception.

    At Horizontal Falls/ Garaanngaddim, 10-metre tides surge through twin gorges like a natural waterpark ride that’ll make your palms sweat. Then there’s Montgomery Reef/ Yowjab: a giant living platform of coral and seagrass, where the sea pulls back to reveal waterfalls, sea turtles and ospreys.

    Up north, King George Falls/ Oomari rage 80 metres down red cliffs. Zodiac boats often nudge in closer so you can feel the spray on your sun-warmed cheeks. You might even fly in to reach Mitchell Falls/ Punamii-unpuu, a four-tiered cascade where you can swim in freshwater pools above the drop.

    Come spring, some itineraries veer west to Rowley Shoals: an atoll chain of white sand and reef walls. Then it’s up the winding Prince Regent River to King Cascade/ Maamboolbadda, tumbling over rock terraces, and into a Zodiac to view the Gwion Gwion rock art, whose slender, ochre-painted figures are older than the pyramids.

    A cruise drifts beneath King George Falls, where sheer sandstone cliffs frame the thunderous plunge into turquoise waters.
    Get closer to the Kimberley than ever before.

    3. Taste the Kimberley with onboard hospitality

    You might spend your days clambering over slippery rocks or charging past waterfalls. But when you’re back on the water, it’s a different story. Meals are chef-prepared and regionally inspired: grilled barramundi, pearl meat sashimi, mango tarts, and bush tomato chutney. One night it’s barefoot beach barbecues with your shipmates; the next, alfresco dining on the ship.

    Small expedition ships each have their own personality, but many carry just 12 to 36 guests, making being out on the water a whole other experience. You might sink into a spa on the foredeck or sip coffee in a lounge while watching crocodiles cruise by. It’s choose-your-own-relaxation, Kimberley style.

    4. Expert-led excursions through the Kimberley

    These voyages are led by people who know the Kimberley like the back of their sunburnt hand. Attenborough-esque naturalists might gently tap your shoulder to point out rare birds or tell the story beneath a slab of rock. Historians can explain exactly how that rusted World War II relic came to rest here.

    If your ship has a helipad, you might chopper straight to a waterfall-fed swimming hole. If not, you’ll still be hopping ashore for that wet landing at a secret creek.

    Then come the evenings: songlines shared by Traditional Owners under the stars, or astronomy sessions that link what’s overhead with what’s underfoot and what’s within.

    A small group glides through Kimberley’s rugged coastline by boat, passing ancient cliffs.
    Explore with naturalists and historians by your side.

    5. Relax in luxurious lodgings

    Just because you’re off-grid doesn’t mean you have to rough it. These Kimberley vessels are small in size, but mighty in luxury. True North’s ships come with their own helicopters and a no-sea-days policy, so you’re always in the thick of it. Try the luxurious offerings from Ocean Dream Charters for exploration in style. Kimberley Quest offers a fast boat for easy, off-ship adventures. On the larger end of the scale, Coral Expeditions has open-deck bars and curated wine cellars. And then there’s Ponant’s luxury yachts – sleek and incredibly stylish French sailing yachts.

    A helicopter soars above the sea, with a sleek cruise ship gliding in the distance.
    See the Kimberley from sky to shore.

    6. The adventure continues with pre- and post-cruise experiences

    You’ve already come this far – so, why not go further? Broome makes it easy to ease in before you board, or wind down when your voyage ends, and there is no reason to stop there.

    Head an hour and a half south to Eco Beach to stay off-grid and off the clock. Join a Yawuru guide for a mangrove walk or ocean forage. Dive even deeper into Broome’s pearling past at Willie Creek or Cygnet Bay, where divers and craftspeople still pull the seawater-slicked gems from the deep.

    If you’re still craving adventure, it’s time to go further. Soar over the Buccaneer Archipelago, or detour inland with a 4WD trip along the Gibb River Road. Book a scenic flight over the Bungle Bungles. Or – because you never know when you’ll be back – do all three.

    aerial of people walking on eco beach in the kimberley western australia
    Stay off grid at Eco Beach. (Image: Tourism WA)

    Find out more about your trip to Australia’s North West at australiasnorthwest.com.