The Best Cheeseburgers in Toronto

The best cheeseburgers in Toronto aren't hard to find - the city's burger belt is bulging with notch after notch being added by new shops opening all the time. From upscale to old-school, it seems our lust for charbroiled meaty goodness on a bun has not yet been satiated.

And while many of the burger joints on this list are relatively new (most of them offering locally sourced and naturally raised meats) some tried-tested-and-true stalwarts that have been filling our void for years are still holding their ground as the best of the best.

For me, cheese is to burgers what ketchup is to fries - necessary. Many of the purist or lactose intolerant burger lovers won't bother with the stuff, but those who enjoy a little melty gooey love on their burgers will most definitely find a something to satisfy on this list.

Whether you fancy goat, brie, blue or plain old cheddar, here are the 12 best cheeseburgers in Toronto as voted by the readers of this site.

Craft Burger

Whether at their King West or Yonge Street location, these burgers are handcrafted one at a time. All burgers are made from 100% fresh-never-frozen Ontario ground chuck. Well seasoned and cooked to juicy perfection they provide a delicious blank canvas on which to build a great cheeseburger. They offer three cheeses - gorgonzola, smoked Canadian cheddar, and cilantro-feta spread - in a variety of topping combinations. I haven’t tasted one I didn’t like, but my go-to is the Classic Cheeseburger. Made with smoked Canadian cheddar, it’s like having cheese and bacon in one tasty topping. More »

BQM Diner

This Queen West diner is the third outpost of The Burger Shoppe, and has earned a reputation for classic comfort food - all day breakfast, mac & cheese, poutine and of course burgers. The base for their burgers is ground chuck from Ontario’s Rowe Farms. From here the options are a-plenty. If we’re talking cheese the classic is The Big Cheese topped with old cheddar. Other burgers tout Gruyere, mozzarella, smoked cheddar, or blue cheese. More »

Apache Burger

One of those old-school burger shoppes, Apache has been feeding the Etobicoke masses since 1969. Like most old-school joints, their burgers are thinner but larger in surface area, probably to cover the large buns sourced from the Toronto Bread Company. At first glance the bun might look to be too big, but it does a fine job holding all the fresh ingredients and the super savoury patty. Their burgers topped the way you like it with a choice of burger basics - lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, hot pepper, mustard, ketchup and mayo. As for cheese, we’re talking processed unless you spring a buck for “real mozzarella”. More »

Dangerous Dan's

It’s true - they do make them bigger at the Double D. If you carry around Lipitor for these kind of gluttonous indulgences then try Dangerous Dan’s “Quadruple C” (Collosal Colon Clogger Combo) – 24oz of beef topped with a quarter pound of cheese and bacon plus two fried eggs. Oh yeah, plus a shake and poutine. If you don’t want something quite so big, their regular burgers are 8oz and come in an array of eccentric varieties. As far as cheese goes, mozzarella, cheddar, blue and feta are all on offer - The Big Cheese has all four. More »

Gourmet Burger Company

It seems that preparing patties, buns, and toppings fresh daily, using 100% Canadian 30-day aged beef and biodegradable packaging, plus friendly staff is a winning recipe for the growing Gourmet Burger Co. Their fourth location opened a few days ago at Kipling and Dundas West. Their patties are a touch smaller than some other spots at 6oz, but I personally prefer the smaller patty - a good balance of well-seasoned and flavourful meat, bun and crisp toppings. They also have a nice variety of cheeses - of course you get your cheddars, regular and aged - but they also offer smoked gouda, brie, jalapeno havarti and goat's cheese. More »

Stampede Bison Grill

Like bison? The Stampede Bison Grill in Parkdale decided to stand out from the herd with their bison specialties - burgers and roast bison sandwiches. They also offer beef, chicken and veggie burgers but if you’re there, go for the bison. A brioche style bun with a good bread to burger ratio, their bison patties are very flavourful and cooked a little under medium. As for cheese, both options of cheddar and goat’s cheese pair well with the meat, as does their homemade stampede mayo. More »

Great Burger Kitchen

This tiny little take-out joint in north Leslieville is yet another ethical burger option, sourcing naturally raised meat and local produce. The Great Burger is a double with cheddar, while the Greek Burger touts feta and the Lamb Burger’s got blue. They also offer Brie, goat, and Swiss. If you need a little more cheese in your life, throw it on some fries with gravy - they have 7 different kinds of poutine too. More »

Utopia Cafe

Huge, messy, and inexpensive is what you get at this College Street stalwart. If you like meat and are REALLY hungry this is the burger plate for you. A thick and fairly juicy patty can be topped with pretty much anything - the menu boasts over 10 different burgers including bison and lamb patties. As far as cheese, Utopia offers six different kinds - Brie, goat, Asiago, cheddar, feta and Swiss. If you happen to come in off hours you can snag a seat on the coveted all-seasons covered patio. More »

Bamburger

Bamburger, a short walk south of Eglinton on Yonge, has been open for just over a year. For those who might remember the famed Toby's burgers from the '80s, one of the former employees owns Bamburger and brought the coveted cheese sauce with him. You can get it on the burger itself or as a side for fries. They also have a sharp cheddar, brie and goat's cheese. And rumour has it you might catch regular Ben Mulroney in there, grabbing a burger while taking a break from the twins. More »

Jumbo Burgers

Another classic burger joint, stepping into Jumbo Burgers is like stepping into a time warp. The long and tiny space is lined with white and orange-flowered tiles and tables from the 70’s, and (when I was recently there) a Jays game providing soft background noise from a TV up in the corner. The staff uniform is a white short-sleeved shirt with orange collar and a frayed Jumbo Burgers patch. They too serve thinner patties and source their buns from the Toronto Bread Company. Their flavourful cheeseburger comes with processed cheese and is grilled to charbroiled perfection with a slight and wonderful crunch on the outside. More »

Johnny's Hamburgers

One step into Johnny's will remind you why old-school burger shops sparked a revolution in fast food. The staff, a pack of gruff all-business dudes, still wear paper hats. The signage hasn’t been updated in decades. The burgers are thin patties that would probably be totally unimpressive on their own. And the cheese is processed slices, a little creamier than your typical Kraft variety. But somehow when you combine all the ingredients - from the tart super dill-y pickles to the white Wonder bun - you get one satisfying burger. And they’re only $3.25 a piece. More »

The Burger's Priest

The Burger’s Priest aims to redeem the burger one at a time. The walls of this tiny shop near Queen East and Coxwell are covered with pictures of famed burger joints from around the world, and their menu certainly reflects influences from many of them. Their menu is short and simple, and they grind their fresh beef in small batches throughout the day. For cheeseburgers you’ve got the Double Double, two layers of meat sandwiching two layers of cheese. The Option is a must try, with two Portobello mushroom patties filled with cheese, floured and deep-fried. Or go for The Priest, a cheeseburger topped with the deepfried Portobello patty. More »