Melbourne is a hamburger town. That much became clear when Huxtaburger set up shop in 2012 and tapped the city's thirst for greasy American-style stacks. While Huxtaburger can be credited with reinvigorating Melbourne's burger scene, milk bars like Danny's Burgers in Fitzroy North and Andrew's Hamburgers in Albert Park have been tossing patties on the hot plate since the mid-20th century. You heard that right, longer than most of you have been alive. Safe to say, a love for the double-hander is deeply engrained.
Find our pick of the best and most essential burgers in Melbourne below.
Gimlet
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Where: Russell St, CBD
Gimlet's cheeseburger likes to play a little game of hard to get. Available only two nights a week after 10pm on the restaurant's supper menu, it will set you back $28 but it's totally worth it. We're talking a smoky O'Connor beef patty stacked with pickles, onions, house-made dill sauce, a slice of American cheese between a fluffy potato bun.
300 Grams
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Where: Northcote, Coburg, Richmond, Prahran.
One of Melbourne's best and most hyped. You can tell a burger from 300 grams by its frill of curly lettuce, making it look like a cartoonish drawing, which we love. The menu is all killer no filler. You've got a classic cheese, two chicken – one spicy, one classic Southern-style sandwich – a crumbed fillet o' fish vibe, a take on the Whopper and honestly a Bacon Deluxe, and elsewhere 300 Grams' answer to a burger with "the lot". Overwhelmed by choice? The 300 Grams namesake burger is a great place to start.
Bar Margaux
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Where: Lonsdale St, CBD
American meets French at Bar Margaux. The bistro is plating up two burgers; L'Americain cheeseburger which you'll find from 5pm-7pm and 10pm-midnight everyday, and the holy MGX tower featuring two Wagyu patties, cheddar, bordelaise sauce made with shallots, red wine, bone marrow and pepper, held together by a brioche-milk bun. If it sounds like a monster, that's because it is. Don't say we didn't warn you.
Leonard's House of Love
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Where: South Yarra
A beloved neighbourhood dive that always gets it right when it comes to music, American barbecue and good vibes. Load up after a few too many pints, this one comes greasy, all the easier to wash down. Its brisket and short-rib cheeseburger and fried chicken number are neck-and-neck for first place.
Good Good Burgers
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Where: Maidstone
It's all in the name, really. This Maidstone haunt has developed a cult following and word-of-mouth praise. The recipe for success? Quality ingredients assembled simply. All pickles and sauces are made in-house, smash patties are hand-pressed and crispy, the fried chicken is generous and juicy, and the burger is topped with a potato bun.
JollyGood Diner
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Where: Collingwood
A nostalgic diner-inspired venue where you can still score a glass (or bottle) of natural wine with your meal. Anyone that has watched Gilmore Girls and Twin Peaks knows that burgers are the staple of any good diner and this Collingwood haunt continues the tradition. Sit down for lunch or supper and you'll be faced with four burgers: smashed patty cheeseburger, the signature Goodburger, a vegan option and a reliable buttermilk fried chicken stack. Breakfast leans more muffin than burger but it's worth a try anyway.
Rockpool Bar & Grill
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Where: Southbank
The great Australian steakhouse. Rockpool Bar & Grill are known to keep it classic. For a burger that leans opulent, ignore the dining room and head straight for the bar. There's the bacon, gruyere and zuni pickle burger, a stage for David Blackmore's full-blood Wagyu beef patty. Alternatively, go simple with the Rockpool bacon cheeseburger.
The John Curtin Hotel
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Where: Carlton
This pub might be no-frills but its kitchen is anything but. Sonny's Fried Chicken & Burgers is behind the food here, so expect the best of American fast-food. So yes, fried chicken but also hoagies, corn ribs, buffalo wings, biscuits and gravy, cheese fries, and naturally an abundance of burger options. Consider every impulse covered.
Mabels
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Where: Toorak
Did we make you double-take? Sure, Mabels is first and foremost a cake shop, its vintage pastel-hued desserts are enjoyed across the city. But did you know that the Toorak cafe also serves up one of the best burgers? Like Mabels' sandwiches and baked goods, the double cheese, double patty burger is no joke. Don't take our word for it, go find out for yourself.
Juanita Peaches
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Where: Brunswick
Make no mistake, this is fried chicken territory. But if you find yourself at Juanita Peaches, all self-control crumbles and suddenly you're chowing down on their famous cheeseburger. It's a beautiful sight: a house-made bun, two slices of cheddar, oozing mustard mayo which belies a mountain of confit shallots and dill pickles, then, and best of all, a brisket, chuck and hanger steak patty from grass-fed Victorian cows that's doused in salt, pepper and rubbed in coffee grounds. You're drooling.
Easey's
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Where: Collingwood
It's not a gimmick if the product is good and that's exactly what's up at Easey's. Hands down one of the most unique venues (it's a train carriage perched a tall five-storeys high) but that doesn't detract from what's coming out of the kitchen. The answer? Hectic burgers piled high with, in the case of the $45 Metropolitan Mayhem, dim sims, potato cakes, and all the usual burger filling suspects. Go on, give it a crack.
Royal Stacks
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Where: Melbourne CBD, Brunswick, Moorabbin, Emporium Shopping Centre, Doncaster, Preston, Essendon, Windsor, Bourke St, Melbourne Quarter, MCG.
Melbourne's answer to Shake Shack. It's got the franchise power too. Opt for this chain when you need to line your stomach in a hurry. The menu is extensive enough to speak to any cravings, plus Royal Stacks know their way around a potato. The milkshakes are pretty decent too.
Huxtaburger
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Where: Collingwood, Hawthorn, Sunshine.
Give it up for the OG. 12 years in and Huxtaburger is just a good as day one, if not better. Inspired by The Cosby Show and with each burger named after a character for the series, the only thing that hasn't aged well is the formerly named Bills burger. But that's water under the bridge. Now you'll find locations as far north as Redfern and as far west as Perth and Fremantle. Aren't we a lucky bunch?
Now that we've covered the best burgers in Melbourne, let's shine a little light on our favourites in Sydney.
