best burger toronto

The Best Burger in Toronto

The best burger in Toronto is as polarizing a food as any in the city. A dish that has captured people's attention since smash burgers stole the limelight from their charbroiled cousins, burgers continue their reign as one of the most coveted fast-casual meals in town. Sample these saucy, crisp, meaty finalists before deciding (for now, at least), where your allegiance lies.

Here's where you can find the best burger in Toronto.


Burger JABS
1

Burger JABS

This casual St. Clair West restaurant may be "Just Another Burger Spot," (as spelled out in its name), but years of trial and error mean its offerings are as good as they come. Eat one — with or without cheese, with one patty or two — and satisfy that carnal desire for a hand-held feast that leaves you out of breath, giddy, and entirely unfussed about the sauce dripping down your arms.

Burger Drops
2

Burger Drops

Textbook smash specimens, made from a signature blend of premium AAA beef, put this Liberty Village spot on the burger honour roll. Though each is served on toasted potato rolls with a number of classic toppings (think American cheese, diced onion, house pickles, etc.), you'll be so smitten with each patty's excess of craggy, crisp edges you might not notice.


Matty's Patty's Burger Club
3

Matty's Patty's Burger Club

Since this spot moved into West Queen West, in 2020, picnicking at Trinity Bellwoods Park has gained (nearly) year-long appeal. Celeb chef, or not, the smash burgers the team makes from AAA beef brisket and chuck are covetable enough to cause a stir. Order the Matty, if you crave a thick, 7-ounce patty with a juicy, blush-coloured core.

Rudy on College
4

Rudy on College

At the vanguard of the city's burger-mania, this mini-chain has fed our need for smash burgers since day one. Now with five locations, its towering Big Rudy burgers (with two patties and three slices of bun), and simple, single-patty Rudy burgers are available all over the city.


Happy Burger
5

Happy Burger

No one's endorsing emotional eating but this spot (with locations in Little Italy and Rosedale), doles out smash burgers sure to put a smile on your face. Go classic, with a potato bun hugging an all-beef patty, cheese, veg, and happy sauce, or live on the edge, with a burger that adds thin slices of pastrami to the mix.


Aloette Liberty Village
6

Aloette Liberty Village

Fat, quarter-pound beef patties are topped with griddled Emmental, Dijonaise, lettuce and pickled onions for a bougie take on the classic at this spot with locations in Liberty Village and at Yonge & Eglinton. Plus, with specials like the Black Truffle Burger, the option to pimp out your lunch is always there.

Cabano's Comfort Food
7

Cabano's Comfort Food

Diners at this restaurant near Yonge & Bloor face a menu of comfort-food classics, from fried chicken sandwiches to chili cheese fries. Hone in on the stars, with hard-seared quarter- and half-pound, all-beef smash burgers, served fully dressed.


Ozzy's Burgers
8

Ozzy's Burgers

If your heart belongs to the type of old-school, weighty patties that put scrawny smash offerings to shame, this Kensington Market spot will make your heart skip a beat. Roll up the sleeves, grab the napkins and order a classic burger, dripping with Ozzy's special sauce.

Big Trouble Pizza
9

Big Trouble Pizza

A special that quickly demanded a spot on the regular menu, the smash burgers at this unfussy Geary Avenue spot vie for attention with a slew of unique pizza pies. With or without the addition of ranch sauce, crispy onions and jalapeños (as in the Kwispy Wanch), these burgers are a bang-up version of a fast food fave.

Lead photo by

Fareen Karim at Big Trouble Pizza 


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The Best Burger in Toronto

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