The Best Burger Spots in Toronto

Aloette Go

The burger served up at Michelin-rated Aloette has been in such high demand, chef Patrick Kriss and his team launched Aloette Go in 2021 as their go-to burger shop for delivery near you. Imagine a luxe take on a McDonald’s burger (I mean that in the best possible way), and that’s what you get: a quarter-pound beef patty topped with griddled emmental cheese, dijonaise, shredded lettuce, and pickled onions. Pair it with their thick crinkle-cut fries, my first choice for a burger combo in the city. They’ve got some other restaurant classics on the menu: The Wedge Salad, for instance, drapes avocado, parmesan, chive ranch, puffed wild rice, crispy soybeans, and pumpkin seeds atop a thick cut of iceberg. There are also spicy and Cajun chicken sandwiches, and buttermilk fried chicken tenders.

Apache Burgers

An old-school burger joint open since 1969 in Etobicoke, Apache has a loyal following for a reason. The Banquet Burger is the classic choice, a juicy beef burger topped with cheese and bacon, as well as lettuce, tomato, and pickles. If you’re craving something beef burger adjacent, they’ve got a veggie (soy) burger, grilled chicken, or sirloin steak on a bun. Don’t miss the homemade onion rings and freshly cut fries, cooked-up diner style and perfectly crispy. This is a Most Loved Restaurant on DoorDash which means it is one of the top-rated and most reliable restaurants on DoorDash.

Burger Drops

The team launched Burger Drops as a mobile pop-up in 2018, but demand for the saucy smashburgers exploded during the pandemic, with pop-up pre-orders selling out within minutes of going live. Now, they have a permanent home in Liberty Village. Burgers are ground fresh in-house daily, made with a blend of AAA beef cuts, and all come with cheese. There are two varieties: The Original, the bestseller and my recommendation, comes with griddled sweet onion, house pickles, and their signature sweet-and-salty Drop sauce. The American is similar but pared back, with ketchup, relish, diced onions, and Drop sauce. Both can be ordered with single or double patties, and veggie alternatives are available, too. Sides include crinkle-cut fries  —  appropriately thick enough to soak up errant smears of Drop sauce  —  curly fries, cheese fries (topped with cheese sauce and pickled jalapeño relish), and onion rings.

Burgers n’ Fries Forever

The menu here is influenced by owner Jamil Bhuya’s food-fuelled travels around the world. The Bourguignon burger, for instance, has a European influence with shredded beef bourguignon, lettuce, horseradish sour cream sauce, and Swiss cheese topping a smash burger made with an AAA Angus halal beef blend. Biting into the Birria will transport you to Mexico  —  topping a smashed beef patty is Mexican Birria beef, slice of cheddar, cilantro jalapeño lime aioli, and pickled red onion. There’s a vegetarian option as well, and everything on the menu is halal  —  even the beef bacon. Don’t forget a side of hand-cut fries (which employ russet potatoes from Prince Edward Island). They’re also available in a few poutine varieties including Birria, Bourguignon, and Nashville, topped with Southern slaw and popcorn chicken.

Cabano’s Cheeseburgers

Cabano’s does just a few things but does them very well. The menu of the Yorkville burger shop consists of four items: cheeseburgers, fried chicken sandwiches, fries, and onion rings. Smash burgers are made with local beef ground fresh daily, and come with single (my favourite), double, or triple patties, topped with a thick slice of American cheese. There’s also the Cabano burger, which along with the regular dressings (ketchup, mustard, lettuce, onion, tomato), has fried jalapeños and the house-made savoury burger sauce. Variations on fries include chili cheese and spicy cheese. But do not miss out on their onion rings, the best in the city. This is a Most Loved Restaurant on DoorDash.

Firefly Burger

Steps from Yonge-Dundas Square and a favourite with the Toronto Metropolitan University crowd, Firefly is open late night to quench that craving when it hits. There are several creative burger options to choose from, as well as grilled and crispy chicken options. The signature Firefly burger is a generous five-ounce angus beef patty, with beef bacon, grilled onion, pickles, cheese, tomato, lettuce, and rich Firefly sauce, while the Kamikaze has a bit of kick: two Black angus patties with sweet chili sauce, tomato, pickles, lettuce, caramelized onions, beef bacon, and cheese. Pair your burger with the Heisenberg, a bowl of fries topped with grilled chicken, corn, jalapeño, mixed cheese, and creamy Bucharest sauce.

Guerrilla Burger

A 100 percent vegan burger joint in the Annex, Guerrilla Burger serves soy-, gluten-, and GMO-free Beyond Burgers. All sauces and dressings are made in-house, too. The spicy Jerk Burger is a favourite, topped with grilled pineapple, cheddar, spicy coleslaw, crispy plantain chips, and jerk aioli. The Kung Fu Burger is another fun option, with spicy kimchi, crispy jalapeños, sesame seeds, and sesame togarashi aioli. While the fries menu is fulsome, including loaded options such as Kimchi and Guerilla Supreme (fries covered in seasoned Beyond Meat, butternut cashew “cheeze” sauce, avocado sour cream, pico de gallo, and Guerrilla spice), the Mac and Cheeze is a fan favourite: macaroni, butternut cashew “cheeze” sauce, crispy jalapeños, and homemade pesto aioli. This is a Most Loved Restaurant on DoorDash.

Happy Burger

The menu here will most certainly put a smile on your face. Smash burgers are the specialty, but with creative options. The Happy Stack is two patties covered in lettuce, onions, pickles, and cheese, stacked between three sesame-seed buns, while the Pastrami Burger is a smash burger topped with thick slices of steamed pastrami and the standard house dressings all sandwiched inside a potato bun. Also on offer, plant-based burgers, beef hot dogs, crispy fried chicken sandwiches (including a spicy option), and waffle fries, including a poutine version. For a spin on a classic, try the Happy Melt, a smash burger patty topped with caramelized onions and swiss cheese between two slices of Texas toast. Is this when a burger becomes a sandwich? You decide.

Holy Chuck Burgers

This midtown spot, near Yonge and St. Clair, has been serving up fresh beef burgers since 2011. Creativity is their specialty. The signature Holy Chuck burger is topped with maple smoked bacon, cheese, and caramelized onions, and they discourage adding additional toppings that might mess with those rich umami flavours. The Big Yianni stacks panko-crusted onion rings, maple smoked bacon, cheese, and chipotle mayo on top of a beef patty, and The Holy Duck sings with Quebec flavours  —  the burger is topped with maple-smoked bacon, Canadian maple syrup, and Quebec foie gras. The Venus My Nutty Cow might be able to double as dessert — it’s a burger smothered in warm Nutella (yes, really) — but don’t miss their diverse milkshake list. Handspun shakes include the classics (chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry) as well as creations like Peanut Butter and Jelly, Banana Split, and Bacon, Fudge, and Sea Salt.

Jumbo Burgers

True to its name, Jumbo Burgers, in the Junction, serves up hearty beef burgers. The base of every burger is a housemade AAA beef patty, with cheese and bacon options available. When ordering you customize the toppings to create your ideal meal — whether it’s pickles, onions, and tomatoes, or mayo, mustard, and hot sauce. Sides include chicken fingers, poutine, crispy onion rings, and hand-cut fries; if you don’t want to choose, opt for the fries and rings combo.

Local Public Eatery

With locations in Leaside and Liberty Village, and a new spot downtown, this high-end pub chain is always busy thanks to its diverse menu. The Truffle Cheeseburger is topped with Swiss cheese, truffle and mushroom jam, red onion, and arugula, while the Brooklyn Burger comes with smoked cheddar, onion rings, arugula, red pepper relish, honey dijon, and horseradish aioli. They also cook up a Blackened Chicken sandwich and a housemade Veggie Burger. Pair with Yam Fries or a Caesar salad.  This is a Most Loved Restaurant on DoorDash.

Matt's Burger Lab

This burger shop in Parkdale (with other locations in the Entertainment District and Etobicoke) serves up grass-fed strip-loin beef burgers on freshly baked buns, loaded up with locally sourced toppings. Karma is Back is a four-ounce patty topped with two chicken tenders, beef back, American cheese, onion, lettuce, pickles, and smoked chipotle and barbecue sauces. Hawaii Fever tops a patty with grilled pineapple, beef bacon, American cheese, onion, lettuce, and spicy barbecue sauce. Add a milkshake for dessert; flavours include Vanilla, Lotus Biscoff, Oreo, Caramel, Cinnamon Crunch Toast, and Cookie Dough.

Mayday Burger

The pared-down menu at this spot near Yonge and Dundas contains delightfully delicious surprises. There’s an Asian influence throughout the menu of burgers, hot dogs, fried chicken, and sides. Cheeseburgers are available in singles or doubles, with a bacon version. The hot dogs are all-beef sausages in a bun. Options include the Beef Chili dog, topped with chili, cheese, and spicy gochujang sauce, while the Frenchy is covered in French fries, crispy onions, pickles, and creamy Mayday sauce. Try the indulgent Katsu Loaded Fries, topped with fried chicken thigh, sweet and savoury Katsu sauce, red Thai chili peppers, scallion, and toasted sesame.

Odd Burger

Owners James and Vasiliki McInnes launched their vegan burger in London, Ontario, at a Ribfest of all places. When they quickly sold out, they knew they were on to something. They now have a location in Little Italy, and they have plans to open more across the city soon for delivery near you. Try the Famous Burger, their claim to fame, two smash patties topped with cheese, lettuce, and sauce, stacked between three buns. They also serve several ChickUn burgers, including the ChickUn Cordon Bleu, a hand-formed seitan ChickUn fillet, with plant-based ham and dairy-free “cheeze.” If you’re after something different, they also serve ChickUn souvlaki wraps and vegan gyros. Salads, fries, and poutines are options for the sides, and there’s a fulsome gluten-free menu, including Tater Tot Poutine, too.

Ozzy’s Burgers

Ozzy’s is the spot for gourmet burgers in Kensington Market. The restaurant claims they’re “high level” — I like to think that refers to the height of these generously sized burgers. Patties are six ounces and are offered with a variety of fun toppings. The Notorious BLT comes with a slice of Canadian cheddar, a fried egg, crispy beef bacon strips, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, and pickles, while the gargantuan Mustang Sally consists of two prime beef patties, cheddar and mozzarella cheese, two onion rings, smoked bacon, caramelized onions, Ozzy’s special sauce, and house-made barbecue sauce. Sides include hand-cut fries, onion rings, and veggie fries, which are topped with jalapeños, grilled peppers, sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, and Cajun sauce. This is a Most Loved Restaurant on DoorDash.

Riverside Burgers

Burgers, sandwiches, and sides are all made in-house at this neighbourhood spot in, you guessed it, Riverside. (They’ve also got a location in Parkdale.) The Banquet Burger is a favourite, a five-and-a-half-ounce beef patty adorned with cheddar, bacon, red onion, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and garlic aioli. But if you’re really hungry (and I mean really), The Big Boy Burger will satiate: two patties, double cheddar cheese, red onion, pickles, fried egg, garlic aioli, jalapeño, lettuce, and tomato. The sides are fun. There’s arugula or Greek salad for something lighter, as well as fries, poutine, breaded cheese sticks, and fried pickles. This is a Most Loved Restaurant on DoorDash.

Rosie’s Burgers

Rosie’s put a modern spin on classic diner smash burgers. Fresh lettuce, pickles, and tomato are the perfect balance to the savoury patty covered with cheese on their signature Rosie burger. Burgers come with two patties as standard issue, but you can opt for a single when ordering. There’s a bacon cheeseburger option, as well as a vegetarian burger (Beyond Meat). Also very popular: their chicken sandwiches. The Original Chicken Sando is buttermilk fried chicken with lettuce, pickles, ranch, and hot sauce — a spicy version is available. Pair with crinkle cut fries or onion rings, or both!

Rudy's

There are moments when you really need a cheeseburger and a movie on the couch. And for those nights, there's the Rudy Night In, a meal featuring 1 cheeseburger, 1 double cheeseburger, a large poutine, 2 pop cans, and a homemade brownie. This eight-year-old local chain known for its Rude Dude smashburgers (that's a double cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, and Rudy Sauce) is as no-pretense as it gets. There's also fried chicken sandos, fried pickles, milkshakes... Really, what else could you want?

Simple Burger

This halal smash burger spot by Christie Pits serves up luscious options on its focused menu. The House Burger consists of a four-ounce patty with lettuce, pickle, caramelized onion and mushrooms, bacon, and sauce on a potato bun. Varieties include cheeseburgers (with single or double patties), Beyond Vegan burger, spicy Nashville Hot Chicken Burger, and the Easy Burger  —  topped with just cheese, pickle, and ketchup, it’s a great option if ordering for a little one in your life. Sides include chicken fingers, fries, onion rings, and house salad or coleslaw. 

Slab Burgers

Everything is made and cooked fresh at Slab Burgers, even the soft brioche buns that envelop every burger. The comprehensive menu includes a variety of options; there’s the signature Single Slab, a certified angus beef patty that is customizable with your toppings of choice, whether that’s chopped pineapple and guac, or banana peppers and pickles. There are also more curated burgers, like the meaty Memphis Bacon Burger, topped with fresh bacon, crispy onion, ketchup, barbecue sauce, and pineapple. Halal, black bean, and Beyond Meat options are available, too. Sides include Yukon Gold potato fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, and chips with guac. Slab Burger places a priority on minimizing packaging waste, and wrapping for burgers, poutine, salad containers, and other utensils are biodegradable. This is a Most Loved Restaurant on DoorDash.

Soy Boys

Soy Boys is a 100 percent plant-based menu in the heart of the Gay Village, and open for orders until 3 a.m. for late-night cravings. Choose from single or double burgers, made with Impossible beef burgers, or single or double chicken burgers, made with Lightlife breaded fillets. All are topped with lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles, and house sauce. Chicken tenders and waffle fries are also available, as is soft serve ice cream and cookies, all vegan-friendly, all delicious. This is a Most Loved Restaurant on DoorDash.

The Bullger

A warning before you order from one of their three locations across east Toronto, Regent Park, the Danforth, and Maryvale in Scarborough: These burgers here aren’t for the faint of heart. If your appetite is big, browse the Butcher’s Burger menu. The Bulls Eye, for instance, stacks mozzarella, a fried egg, sautéed onions and mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, and their signature sauce on top of a burger. With The Mighty Bull, the bun contains two patties, three crispy onion rings, mozzarella, pico de gallo, lettuce, tomato, and chipotle aioli. The most ambitious? The titular Bullger: Two grilled cheese buns (yep!) surrounding three patties, crusted portobello mushroom, sautéed onions and mushrooms, beef bacon, lettuce, tomato, and sauce with crusted jalapeños on the side. For something tamer, there’s veggie burger options as well as steak sandwiches. 

The Burger’s Priest

While Shant Mardirosian, The Burger’s Priest founder, has since moved on to other food specialties (check out his pizzeria Fourth Man in the Fire), his legacy remains. Mardirosian originally planned to be a pastor, but his entrepreneurial spirit won over his religious inclinations, and he birthed Burger’s Priest  —  one of Toronto’s original (and best!) smashburger restaurants. The menu choices are almost overwhelming. OG Burgers are traditional burgers and cheeseburgers topped with lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles, and signature sauce. There are veggie options, too, as well as crunchy chicken sandwiches and hot dogs. But the essence of Burger’s Priest lies in its Signature Burger menu. Holy Smokes, for instance, is a double cheeseburger with deep-fried panko-crusted fried jalapeños  —  the smoke  —  lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and their secret “Deception” sauce. The Vatican is a double cheeseburger topped with lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion, and signature sauce, sandwiched between two grilled cheese buns. A mouthful, to say the least. Sides include fries and poutine, and they serve up handspun shakes for something sweet.

Ugly Delicious

Whether they look pretty or not is up to you, but I guarantee the burgers here are tasty. Made with a signature Halal blend of Australian Wagyu and premium AA beef and ground fresh daily, Ugly Delicious has a streamlined menu that they’ve perfected. Variations of The Classic, a smash patty with cheddar, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and Ugly sauce, come with onions and japaleños. For the daring, try the Ugly Delicious, which has seven (!) patties. For a non-meat option, the Earth Burger is an Impossible patty with vegan American cheese and Green Goddess sauce. The Burger Royale is a standout: cheddar, pickles, and Ugly sauce on a patty sandwiched between slices of sourdough bread. Fries and onion rings are available as sides. If you want to indulge, order the Ugly Fries, which are covered in smashed onions, cheddar, Ugly sauce, a smash patty, and chives.

W Burger Bar

The options here are as diverse as you’ll find at any Toronto burger restaurant. Along with the traditional beef burger (sourced from local Ontario farmers), there’s chicken and turkey, kobe beef and bison, brisket and lamb, veggie and portobello mushroom. But that’s not all. The kitchen cooks up elk and wild boar, sourced from western Canada, and even kangaroo from (perhaps obviously) Australia. Try one of their slider samplers for delivery near you to get a taste of a few: The From the Farm Sampler comes with beef, brisket, lamb, and turkey sliders, while the From the Wild Sampler includes wild boar, bison, elk, and kangaroo sliders. Add a Caesar or House Greens salad for balance, or go all in with fries or poutine.

New customers get $0 delivery fee on their first order. First-time users only, on orders that meet minimum subtotal. Other fees (incl. service & small order fees), taxes & gratuity apply. Terms apply.