Have you ever found yourself at a restaurant and thought in the middle of your meal, "Damn, I wish I got the burger"? There have been very few times when a burger ceases to satisfy our cravings, especially the best burgers in Toronto. The only thing that even comes close to a juicy burger's soul-soothing powers is Toronto's best pizza.
You can rarely go wrong with a good ol' hamburger, especially with our picks of the best burgers in Toronto. Whether you like 'em smashed and crispy or stacked on a juicy puck of chuck, this list of Toronto's best burgers will have you salivating and dreaming about a visit to your favourite Toronto burger joint.
We've kept things casual with a variety of price points, from cheap eats to Daddy Warbucks burgs that are worth the splurge. For us, Toronto's best burgers really come down to value, flavour and quality. So no matter if you like a gourmet burger served with white linens at one of Toronto's best restaurants or cheap, cheerful and to-go with a side of waffle fries, you'll find something to sink your teeth into here. Just get the burger already.
The top 19 eateries serving up Toronto's best burgers
19. Square Boy
875 Danforth Ave.
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Sometimes the solution to all of your problems is shoving a classic, dripping burger in your face. You’ll certainly find plenty of those at Square Boy, The Danforth’s most famous family-owned retro burger restaurant, along with their neighbourhood-favourite gyros and souvlaki. We’re not saying you should, but you could order a whole boatload of cheeseburgers here — they’re all priced under $6.
18. The Burgernator
269 Augusta Ave.
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This Kensington spot is on a mission to "rid the city of half-hearted and overcooked burgers, processed cheese and questionable toppings." We salute you, Burgernator. Choose from the classic Sergeant Burger, an all-beef patty with Burgernator Sauce, lettuce and tomato; or "burgers of mass destruction" like the Bulldozer with freshly ground lamb, mango salsa and sautéed jalapeños.
17. Matt's Burger Lab
1205 Queen St. W.
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Making an excellent burger is a fine science, and Matt's Burger Lab in Parkdale has narrowed down their focus and their menu to do just that. All of the smash burgers here are made from local, grass-fed AAA striploin, and the buns are baked fresh daily at a nearby bakery. You'll be more than satisfied with their classic smash with lab sauce, but we're also here to experiment. The spicy Hawaii Fever with grilled pineapple, bacon and spicy BBQ sauce will have you dripping along with the sauce.
16. Holy Chuck
1450 Yonge St.
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We say, chuck ya to these patties made of aged, high-quality steak ground fresh every day. Plus, they win the award for the best names (we dare you to order The Village Bahahastard with a straight face). The Holy Chuck signature cheeseburger is patty perfection with smoked bacon, gooey cheese, caramelized onions and specific instructions not to add any toppings. Things get wild as you go down the menu, with burgers like the Holy Duck ($43.49) with Quebec foie gras, maple smoked bacon and Italian white truffle oil. Someone pass the Tums.
15. Cabano's Cheeseburgers
75 St Nicholas St. #104
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Kevin Boyd has long been a fan of burger joints — and now he's putting it into practice with Cabano's Cheeseburgers, a simple but satisfying spot near Church and Wellesley. You can't go wrong with the half-pound Cabano, topped with American cheese and two juicy patties — but the fried chicken sando or Southern-fried Spicy Supreme are equally delicious. And if you're still craving more comfort food, the chilli cheese fries will send you into one of the most blissful food comas imaginable.
14. Matty's Patty's Burger Club
923a Queen St. W.
Matty's Patty's began back in Hawai'i, when chefs and friends Matty Matheson and Pat Tenore would give away burgers to local youth at a skatepark. How lucky for Torontonians, who can get their paws on the scrumptious smash burgers right in Queen West. The signature patties are made from a combo of AAA beef brisket and chuck, and come slathered with a generous amount of thick yellow — from the melted cheese and the signature Matty's Patty's sauce, a tangy mix of mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, pickles and onions. If you're feeling extra saucy, get a side of the triple cheese fries with extra jalapeño mayo or creamy dill dip for good measure.
13. Harry's Charbroiled
293 Palmerston Ave.
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You can't miss this bright-yellow burger joint's permanent home on Palmerston Avenue, where you can order pickup or delivery, or chill on the patio while sipping a milkshake. Don't be confused by the name — the Plain Jane smash burger with cheese and pickles is anything but boring, and the same goes for their thick-cut french fries. Try the Red Burger with red chorizo, pineapple and jalapeño mayo for something totally out of this world. Psst, the Vegan Jane with house-made vegan cheese is one of the best meat-free patties in the city.
12. Rudy
Multiple locations
There’s something incredibly comforting about the food at Rudy. It’s quick and easy, and just greasy enough. Traditionalists go with the Rudy — their classic cheeseburger topped with lettuce, tomato and Rudy sauce. It might seem slim compared to the meatball-on-a-bun burgers, but the smash burger style maximizes flavour. For a few extra bucks, get the Rude Dude double cheeseburger. Choose between thick-cut, skin-on fries or skinny fries served on their own or in a gravy and cheese curd covered poutine.
11. Extra Burger
1265 Dundas St. W.
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The name may be extra, but the selections are straightforward: classic smash burgers and crinkle fries done right. The cheeseburger with American cheese, kosher pickle and secret Extra sauce comes fully loaded so there's no need to modify. If you're bored of burgers (who even are you anyway?), there's also the spicy-ish fried chicken sandwich and grilled cheese sandwich served on the same delicious squishy potato bun as the cheeseburgers.
10. Burger Drops
116 Atlantic Ave.
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Gone are the days when we would scour the city for the latest Burger Drops pop-up, which had become so popular they basically had to open a permanent location — the Drop Shop in Liberty Village. Serving up no-fuss smash burgers that are perfectly crispy yet juicy, the menu is small — but why mess with a good thing? Choose either the cheeseburger with griddled sweet onions, house pickles and Drop Sauce or the American with diced onions, lettuce and ketchup. Or both, we won't judge. Oh and those cheese fries are *chef's kiss.*
9. Ozzy's Burgers
66 Nassau St.
Brian Du
If it's good enough for Jason Momoa (who has been photographed tucking into a stacked Ozzy's Burger) then it's good enough for us. Just kidding, we loved Ozzy's long before celebs discovered it. This Kensington Market burger joint has been specializing in gourmet burgers for years. Their 100 per cent prime AAA Canadian beef (halal too) is ground fresh in house every day, so when the perfectly shaped, never frozen patty hits the griddle you know it's going to be darn good. While they nail the classic hamburger, this is the place to try something out of the box like their Son of a Bun with two fried chicken tenders piled on top of a prime beef patty, caramelized onions, sautéed jalapeños and of course Ozzy's Special Sauce.
8. The Drake Hotel
1150 Queen St. W.
Ashley van der Laan
One of the most well-loved cheeseburgers in the city, The Drake burger has been on the menu since the artsy boutique hotel and restaurant first opened in 2004. The 6 oz prime rib patty is a flavourful mixture of chuck and brisket, topped with a melty, thick-cut slice of aged white cheddar. Crispy red onions, bacon, pickles and Drake sauce top off the burger, which comes on a Blackbird Baking Co. bun and served with fresh-cut fries. The $25 price tag may seem a little dear, but we promise it’s worth it. The Drake burger is so prolific, it makes it onto almost every menu, served for brunch, lunch and dinner.
7. The Comrade
758 Queen St. E.
The pull of this east-end haunt is strong. So strong, in fact, that when The Comrade’s former owners put it up for sale, the couple behind Wynona took it over — keeping that iconic burger on the menu, naturally. With the juiciest of patties, made from prime rib brisket, it oozes cheese and has the perfect ratio of pickle to bun. Locals may love it, but this burg is well worth crossing the DVP for.
6. Bymark
66 Wellington St. W.
At $40, the famous Bymark burger might be the most expensive one in the city, but if you’re already shelling out the dough to dine here, it’s a well-worthy menu item. The 6 oz patty is made from the end cuts of their dry-aged steaks so it has all the flavour and quality, just in the shape of a burger. Then it’s loaded with brie de meaux, shaved truffle and grilled porcini mushrooms. The Bymark burger is served with a side of crispy frites and the feeling of opulence that comes from dining among Toronto’s upper crust.
5. Happy Burger
Multiple locations
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Happy is exactly how you’ll feel when you bite into anything from this smash burger-slinging spot with two locations in Toronto. The smashed patties may be thin, but the burgers come fully loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion and happy sauce on a soft potato bun. Add waffle fries and make it a combo, or spring for the waffle fries poutine — we promise you won’t regret it. For our vegan friends, they have an Impossible burger topped with vegan cheese, vegan happy sauce and all the other fixings. The OG Little Italy location is just a takeout window but the new Yonge and Davenport locale boasts plenty of room to sit and enjoy.
4. Danny’s Pizza Tavern
611 College St.
Ordering a burger at a pizza joint may seem like a faux pas, but hear us out. While the thin-crust pies at Danny’s Pizza Tavern are a no-brainer, the Tavern Burger steals their thunder. The thick 7 oz, half-chuck and half-brisket beauty makes us never want to look at a smash burger again (gasp). Plus, the beyond good burg' comes topped with American cheese, briny pickles, lettuce and onion. Oh, and it’s served with a heaping pile of the best matchstick fries in town.
3. Aloette
163 Spadina Ave.
The chicest spot for comfort food, Aloette adds French flare and a sleek train-car aesthetic to the neighbourhood diner. Over the years, Alo’s sister spot, right beneath it on Spadina, has amassed a cult following all its own and so has its burger. The Aloette burger is a tall, perfectly formed beauty — we would expect nothing less from this French bistro. Sourced from Penokean Hills Farms near Sault Ste. Marie, chuck and brisket are ground in-house and used in equal parts to make the patty. It’s cooked medium and sits on a lofty brioche-potato-hybrid bun to soak up all those delicious juices. It’s topped with vidalia onions and shredded lettuce, but the pièce de resistance is the griddled Beaufort cheese oozing down the sides — the luxurious cheese is more expensive than the burger itself.
2. Antler Kitchen & Bar
1454 Dundas St. W.
Chef Micheal Hunter’s Dundas West restaurant celebrates the wild bounty of Canada with cocktails that incorporate foraged ingredients and dishes that feature game meat. Expect entrées like deer cavatelli, boar chops and venison tartare. While the restaurant offers a polished atmosphere, Antler’s menu is rustic and rural — and their famous burger is no exception. The game burger patty is a mixture of boar, bison and deer, which might intimidate some, but we promise it is utterly delicious — and one of the best burgers we’ve ever had. It’s made all the better with house-smoked cheddar, duck egg aioli and hot mustard, served with a side of fresh-cut fries. We’re not drooling, you are.
1. Richmond Station
1 Richmond St. W.
From one of the OG Top Chef Canada winners, Carl Heinrich, comes a burger that needs to be on the top of everyone's list. We've yet to find a burger with more balanced flavours, higher quality beef and better value than the Stn. Burger at our long-time fave Richmond Station. The patty of organic and grass fed beef is topped with garlic aioli, punchy beet chutney, pickled onions, soul-soothing aged cheddar and crispy iceberg lettuce, served with a side of those glorious rosemary fries. The shiny, compact milk bun holds it (and us) together.
