From classic to creative, these Toronto burgers deliver big flavour, value and serious craveability.
Between two buns lies greatness. The hamburger’s magic is all about contrast: hot meets cold, crispy hits succulent, soft or toasted bun, slathered condiments and that juicy centre.
Are you Team Classic with ketchup and mustard? Or, are you chasing chef-y builds that take your mouth on a trip? Either way, the answer lies within. Here are 20 of the best burgers in Toronto I’m craving right now.
Jump to:
East End
The Comrade
📍 Riverside
This Riverside gem serves a Prime Rib Burger that ranks with the city’s best. It features cheddar, special sauce and pickles on a super-light house bun that still holds the juicy, crispy-but-meaty patty. At The Comrade, it’s simple, and it’s perfect—and the cozy room suits date night or a solo perch.
Desi Burger
📍 Little India
Beloved for 20+ years, Desi brings Pakistani street-food vibes to Little India. Choose chicken, beef or veggie patties, then dress them with an egg omelette, tamarind and plum or coriander sauce and spice blends from the family recipe book.
If you’re new to the area, warm up with 10 classic Little India foods—then circle back here for a late-night burger.
Square Boy
📍 East Danforth / Greektown
Family-owned since 1964, Square Boy is an old-school diner with classic burgers, Greek plates and thick onion rings. Order a Banquet burger, pick your toppings at the bar and don’t skip the milkshake.
Linger on the strip with our local’s guide to The Danforth/Greektown.
Samaira’s Kitchen
📍 East York
Known for handmade comfort food, Samaira’s lets you build your own or choose house specials. From Banquet to Mushroom & Swiss to the spicy Machine Gun, every 5-oz patty is juicy and set on a fluffy house bun.
West End
Burger Drops
📍 Liberty Village
Once a pop-up with lineups down the block, Burger Drops is now a staple. Start with The Original—griddled sweet onion, house pickle, American cheese and Drop sauce on a toasted potato roll. Make it a double. Those lacy smash edges? Spectacle.
Before or after, poke around and shop like a pro around King West.
Matty’s Patty’s Burger Club
📍 Queen West / Trinity Bellwoods
Chef Matty Matheson’s sesame-seed smash burgers look iconic. It’s the AAA brisket-and-chuck blend that keeps fans returning—especially for park picnics across the street.
Want a different vibe? Try the namesake thick patty, The Matty. Picnic plans? Here’s the best takeout to eat in Trinity Bellwoods Park.
Gold Standard
📍 Roncesvalles & Parkdale
Breakfast-sandwich legends who nail burgers, too—see the Detroit-style Telway, Four Guys Burger and an Impossible Patty Melt at Gold Standard. Doors open at 8 a.m., so yes, a morning burger is a thing. Pro tip—add an egg.
Danny’s Pizza Tavern
📍 Little Italy
Danny's is a sleeper hit beyond the pies. The Tavern Burger brings a thick 7 oz chuck–brisket patty, supremely melted American cheese, pickle, lettuce, onion and tomato with fries. There’s a veggie option too.
Turn it into a stroll and shop local in Little Italy.
Honest Weight
📍 The Junction
Honest Weight is a seafood-forward spot with two standouts. First, the cod-and-shrimp Honest Burger with tomato relish, horseradish mayo, bacon and cheddar. Second, the Honest Smashburger with waffle fries and aji-lime mayo. Grab something from the fish counter on your way out.
Rosie’s Burgers
📍 Queen West & The Well
Rosie's offers “just the classics”: crispy smashburgers, crinkle fries and shakes. The Rosie stacks two smashed patties with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles and signature sauce. Order Fringers if you can’t choose between fries and onion rings. Queue up a mini art crawl in Queen West to walk it all off.
Downtown
Miznon
📍 Yorkville (plus Castlefield Food Hall)
A Mediterranean twist: the Folded Handheld Cheeseburger Pita—beef chuck with a golden cheddar crown, tucked into pita with garlic aioli, sour cream, tomato and pickles. Expect fast-casual, seasonal ingredients, big personality at Miznon. Make it a two-stop lunch with our Yorkville neighbourhood guide.
Planta Yorkville
📍 Yorkville
Plant-forward and crowd-pleasing. The House Burger at Planta Yorkville packs cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, secret sauce and clever mushroom “bacon.” Plenty of other meaty-feel handhelds to explore, including a plant-based riff on a Reuben.
Craving more meat-free hits? Try Toronto’s best plant-forward restaurants.
Richmond Station
📍 Financial District
A Top Chef Canada alum, where the burger has held court since the early days. Richmond Station's The Stn. Burger uses organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised beef with garlic aioli, beet chutney, pickled onions, aged cheddar, iceberg and rosemary fries. Gluten-free options are available on request.
Tie it to a Happy Hour wander around the Financial District.
Midtown & Uptown
The Burger Shack
📍 Yonge & Eglinton
Since 1979, The Burger Shack has been a neighbourhood rite of passage. Classic fast-food burgers, hand-cut fries, and fat onion rings in a no-frills room that spans generations. Bonus points for the Greek dishes and baklava.
Holy Chuck Burgers
📍 Midtown & Uptown
Holy Chuck's patties are hand-rolled from aged, high-quality steak, ground fresh every hour. Choose the signature Holy Chuck or level up with the Big Yianni, which features maple-smoked bacon, cheese, panko-crusted onion rings and chipotle mayo.
Multi-Location
Slayer Burger
📍 East End & Midtown
Expect the classics at Slayer. Or go bold with the Wagyu on a pitch-black charcoal bun with double cheddar, caramelized onions, bacon, baby arugula and truffle cream.
Friday Burger Company
📍 Downtown & East End
Chef Joe Friday’s dry-aged beef burger looks simple, but it tastes perfect: American cheese, lettuce, tomato, house pickles, crispy onions and Friday sauce. Local ingredients, made fresh.
Rudy
📍 Downtown, Midtown, Uptown & West End
Citywide crowd-pleaser with swagger. The Rude Dude combo—double cheeseburger, proper poutine with Quebec curds and a drink—is the move. Don’t sleep on the pickle chips or the Valentino chicken sandwich.
Late appetite? Slot Rudy into your route from the best late-night eats guide.
Aloette & Aloette Go
📍 Downtown, Midtown & West End
The Aloette Burger is a bistro classic, crowned with griddled Beaufort cheese in a cozy room. Aloette Go spins takeout hits, including the Go Burger with a skirt of crispy cheddar, Go sauce, shredded lettuce, onions and pickles.
Burger’s Priest
📍 Citywide
Founded in Toronto, Burger's Priest is now all over Ontario. Famous for smashed-to-order Canadian beef patties and a secret menu. Try The Vatican—cheeseburgers between grilled-cheese buns—or The Option, a stuffed mushroom burger that wins vegetarians over.
—This story has been updated with new details since it was first published in June 2023.
