The best burgers in Melbourne right now

Order the: Cheeseburger
Price range for a burger: $18 to $25

If the groovy vibes at Leonard's aren't enough to pull you in, the burgers will be. There's ten of them to choose from, so you're certainly spoilt for choice. Get yours loaded with funky blue cheese, Jack Daniels onion jam, habanero-glazed chicken thigh or a vego-friendly Beyond burger patty – at Leonard's, the sky is the limit and each one packs a saucy punch.

If you want to taste the classic iteration, opt for the cheeseburger that comes with nothing but a beef brisket and short rib patty, American cheese, special burger sauce, pickles and fresh lettuce. Is it revolutionary? Of course not. But sometimes, a simple cheeseburger is all you want. 

X-Factor: Leonard's is decked out like a '70s-inspired log cabin and bar – quite a special and unique ambience for enjoying your burger feast. In a large group? Upgrade your meal with Cherry Bomb cocktails or a round of pilsners, and apple pies for dessert. Everything here's golden.

Order the: Classic (with onions and pickles)
Price range for a burger: $15 to $19

Operating out of the Yakamoz kitchen in a Brunswick East side street, Charrd has quickly become the talk of Melbourne's foodie scene. The menu is short 'n' sweet, with just two burger options: the classic (with onions and pickles) and the Charrd signature (with added truffle aioli, chilli jam and caramelised onions). Both are available with a single and double patty. There are fries, of course, and housemade iced tea and lemonade to wash it all down.

X-Factor: The beauty of this burger is in its simplicity – the quality patties are made from a special blend of cuts from Madina Halal Butchers on nearby Sydney Road, and there's a delicious smokiness to the flavour.

Order the: Goodburger
Price range for a burger: $20 to $26

It's impossible not to fall in love with the Jollygood's delicious sesame milk bun burgers. Smash patty lovers are sorted with their own version, too, as are vegos with a meat-free option that caters just for them.

Me? I like the signature Goodburger best. A juicy custom-made Meatsmith beef patty (130 grams) is layered generously with American cheese, ketchup, mustard, and white onions, but it's the housemade sauces and bread-and-butter pickles that truly rocket this super stack to the next level. It's simply a good ol'-fashioned beef burger done well.

X-Factor: While reminiscent of an American roadside diner in both its menu and aesthetic, Jollygood's quality definitely has that Melbourne edge. From the Meatsmith patties to the ice-cold housemade peach iced tea (that's not too sweet!), everything here just freakin' slaps.

Order the: Good Good Burger
Price range for a burger: $14 to $20

You know when a burger joint consistently gets glowing reviews, something clearly fantastic is going on. Alright, where do we begin? First of all, the hand-pressed smash patties here are beyond perfection. Seasoned perfectly and with a juicy-sweet, crispy edge, each meaty bite is eyes-rolling-to-the-back-of-your-skull levels of good.

The pickles and sauces are all made in-house, and the size of each burg is generous – not too huge it's an unapproachable monolith, but not too small you'll walk away hungry. The potato rolls for the chicken burgers are delicious and the perfect vehicles to transport all that that saucy flavour into your mouth. 

X-Factor: This place has a super cute retro feel and the name is a nod to the '90s cult hit film Good Burger. Don't take away – eat in and soak up the nostalgic vibes!

Order the: Rowdy Cheeseburger
Price range for a burger: $17 to $28

Easey's is one of Melbourne's most notable venues. Where else can you dine from a train car perched five storeys above the ground? It goes without saying that the view rocks, but their burgers are just as big of a draw. James Hurlston (aka Jimmy's Burgers) has designed the menu, which includes a range of super-stacked American-style burgs like the Oklahoma fried onion cheeseburger and the Louisiana fried chicken sandwich.  

Okay, so they're messy, big and sauced to the hilt, but how do they taste? Honestly, it depends on what you look for in a burger. If you love a smashed patty – a bit thinner and crispier than other types of patties – and you're a fan of traditional American burger flavour profiles (American cheese, pickles, onions, barbecue sauce, etc) then Easey's is the place to go. Bonus points: there's also a solid roll-call of diner-style bevvies, desserts and sides that, alone, are worth the trip upstairs. 

X-Factor: If you don't mind splashing out, go for the undeniably Aussie burger called the Metropolitan Mayhem. It's packed with four beef patties, American cheddar, bacon, two potato cakes, two dim sims and all the standard burger fixings for $48 a pop. It's the ultimate burger lover's bucket list experience.

Order the: Double Cheeseburger
Price range for a burger: $19 to $30

Though fried chicken is the focus at Juanita Peaches, its cheeseburger has developed its own loyal following. It's not as simple as the name suggests: the base is a coffee-rubbed, grass-fed brisket patty topped with confit shallots and pickles.

For a bit of extra decadence, it's made with not one but two slices of cheese (one melted onto the patty and another curled up onto the top bun). Go for the double cheeseburger, though, if you want extra meaty, cheesy goodness. It's the perfect size. 

X-Factor: Owner Raph Rashid is the brain behind some of Melbourne's best eateries, including All Day Donuts and Taco Truck. He also lays claim to kicking off the city's food truck craze, so you can bet his burgers are gonna be good. 

Order the: Supremo de Resistance
Price range for a burger: $25 to $28

The Resistance's meticulous approach to handcrafting its burgers (from the buns and sauces to the patties shaped by hand) has clearly paid off. Not only is it a delightfully atmospheric spot to sip a cocktail and catch a vibe, it's also one of your best options in the eastern 'burbs for a bloody great burger. 

The Angus beef is locally sourced, 100 per cent pasture-fed and dry-aged, and every patty is cooked medium well (though you can let them know in advance if you'd prefer well done). 

X-Factor: While there's so much to love about this place (the service, the story, the vibe), it's the earth-shattering flavours you go for. Take the Supremo, for example, which comes with a 150-gram beef patty, yellow and white American cheddar, bacon, caramelised onion, lettuce, tomato, red onion, grilled pineapple and dark sauce with kewpie mayo. A burger with the lot doesn't get better than that.

Order the: Hawaiian Five-O
Price range for a burger: $18 to $22

Long before we jumped on the burger trend train, we had the humble corner shop grilling the good old Aussie burger with ubiquitous add-ons of egg, beetroot and pineapple, not giving a stuff what the rest of the world thought of us.

This home-grown burger style has become a niche and is all the more reason to seek out the guilty pleasure of a crusty white roll encasing a super-caramelised patty topped with canned pineapple and beetroot, tomato, shredded iceberg lettuce, chopped white onion and bottled tomato sauce. Set aside your pretension and support the guys who've been doing it since 1939. Fun fact: even Ed Sheeran took the time to pay these legends a visit!

The classic Andrew's burger order is The Lot, of course, but we really love the Hawaiian Five-O. It comes with pineapple, double cheese, fresh tomato, onions, beetroot, lettuce and tomato sauce. Word of warning: this is the kind of burger that warrants plenty of napkins (and don't wear a white shirt).

X-Factor: Nostalgia, nostalgia, nostalgia!

Order the: Royale with cheese
Price range: $13.50 (a burger with just beef, cheese and tomato sauce) to $45 (the Royale Joker with quadruple beef, quadruple cheese and triple bacon)

If you ever find yourself in Brighton craving a simple fuss-free feed, this recently refurbished burgers 'n' brunch spot is your saving grace. Pulp Fiction fans will recognise the reference to the Royale with Cheese, a balanced combination of everything you’d expect from a classic burger: beef, cheese, onion, lettuce, pickles, mustard, mayo and Royale sauce. As Samuel L. Jackson would say, “This is a tasty burger”. It's like a next-level Big Mac made from real food. 

X-Factor: There's no funny business here. If a real handmade burger is what you want, a real handmade burger is what you'll get – grilled to perfection, juicy and dripping with melty cheese, and sandwiched between two toasty buns. Conveniently, you can also get this bad boy delivered via Uber Eats or Door Dash.

Order the: Cheeseburger
Price range for a burger: $15.90 to $24

If you're after a late-night feed, look no further than Butcher's. The American-inspired diner specialises in all things meaty, from steak and eggs to pork tongue skewers and blood sausages. But the real standout is its burgers, available from 11.30am until past midnight, five days a week.

Starting at $15.90 for an old-school hamburger, the eats here are budget-friendly but don't skimp on quality. As the name suggests, all the patties are prepared in-house by the team's dedicated butcher, and cuts rotate day to day depending on availability.

The cheeseburger is perhaps not as sauce-slathered or loaded with the accoutrements as some other burgers on this list, but the simplicity of its construction really allows the slightly caramelised flavour of the meat to shine. A great pick for true carnivores. 

X-Factor: Just like those old American-style diners, Butcher's serves filter coffee all day. We recommend pairing a cup of Joe with the aged cheddar and housemade bacon burger. Oh yeah, baby.

Order the: Hot Bird
Price range for a burger: $14 to $20.50

300 Grams opened its Northcote doors to much fanfare in 2019. Since then, more stores have launched in Coburg, Richmond and Prahran to meet demand for the beloved burgers. The secret to its moreish quality is its smash patties, which get pressed onto the grill until they develop a delicious and crispy finish.

The 300 Gs burger, which comes with all the classic fixings plus the shop's secret sauce, is a foolproof option. But if you can handle the heat, the super spicy Hot Bird fried chicken burger is also well worth a try.

What do we love about this joint? The curly lettuce adding extra crunch and texture. The fact the beef is 100 per cent hormone-free. The enticing selection of so many different burgs to cater to all tastes. The generous size. And let's be real: pretty much everything else. Seriously, this is one of Melbourne's best.

X-Factor: IYKYK, beef burgers aren't 300 Grams' only claim to fame. The team make a delightfully nostalgic fish fillet burger (inspired by a certain fast-food chain), and they even have an Essendon store called Scaleable devoted entirely to seafood. 

Order the: Rizin's Classic Burger (Triple)
Price range for a burger: $11 to $16.45

Not only are the burgers at this Dandenong gem super affordable, they're insanely delicious. All ingredients are 100 per cent halal and you can tell these grill masters really care about what they're dishing up. Yes, you might have to wait a bit on busy nights, but it's worth it for one of their freshly made burgers. Cloud-soft, fluffy buns. Not greasy. Filled with juicy, quality meat and salad. Just perfect. 

The fried chicken burgers are also excellent here, standing well up to the standard of the beef options, and there's even a crispy panko-crumbed 'shroom burger to satisfy your plant-preferring pals. 

X-Factor: Rizin's is open daily from 11am to 10pm, ready to fix you up whenever a burger craving strikes.

Order the: Hot Chicken Burger 
Price range for a burger: $25 to $26

You'll only find three burgers at this fried chicken bistro (plus the occasional special) – but rest assured, each of them pack a punch. If you're someone who prefers chicken to beef between your burger buns, Bird is one of the best spots in town (if not, the best.)

We love the Hot Chicken Burger: a spicy meal of fried thigh tossed in smoked hot sauce with cheese, pickled onion, cabbage and jalapeno mayo in a sesame milk bun. 

X-Factor: Bird is currently numero uno on our round-up of Melbourne's best fried chicken, thanks to their buttermilk-soaked, brined, coated and golden-fried approach. 

Order the: Classic Burger or Veggie Burger
Price range for a burger: $13 to $24

Richmond locals are blessed with 1090, a fastidious burger purveyor that sticks to a ten per cent fat and 90 per cent meat golden ratio for all its burgers – hence the biz name. Owner Son Nguyen took the business to a brick-and-mortar store on Swan Street in 2015 after operating it from a Northcote-based trailer.

But history shmistory, let's talk about the burgers. Why are these so good? Well, there's a few reasons. Aside from that ratio method, there's also the quality of the meat. 1090 only uses grass-fed black Angus sourced from Mt Beauty, which is aged and minced on site daily. Another reason is the exceptional nine-ingredient secret seasoning used to increase the umami hit from its patties. 

But if you can't eat meat, don't overlook the Veggie Burger! On a delightful milk bun, it comes with a super tasty veggie patty, cheese, mayonnaise, ketchup, beetroot, pineapple, pickles, lettuce, tomato and red onion. One of the better veggie burgers in town, for sure.

X-Factor: The crispy fried onion rings and old-school milkshakes are the perfect way to round out your meal.

Order the: Hamburger with the Lot
Price range for a burger: $15 to $23

Danny's is another old faithful amongst Melbourne's saturated burger scene. The Fitzroy North institution opened in 1945, and, understandably, prices have hiked up a fair bit since then. But the quality and lovable simplicity of this nostalgic burger offering remains. Last we checked, a standard beef burger with lettuce and diced onion starts at just $15. It's always tempting to tack on a few extras, too, which could range from bacon, beetroot and jalapeños to pineapple and a fried egg. 

If you're a fan of no-nonsense burgers that take you back in time – the homestyle kind that you can customise to your heart's content – then Danny's is the GOAT.

X-Factor: If one burger isn't enough to fill you up, go for a heaping side of hot chips. Even the small size is surprisingly large and always seasoned to perfection.

Order the: Cheeseburger with as many toppings as you want
Price range for a burger: From $17.90 (a simple hamburger) to $22.90 (a bacon cheeseburger) – all toppings are free

When one of the most famous burger brands in the world set up shop in Southbank, (and then, not long after, opened a second spot within the QV precinct), Melbourne's burger lovers rejoiced. Hailing from the D.C. area in the US, Five Guys is so loved by Americans that it was voted "Number 1 Burger" by Washingtonian Magazine for seven years. Even former president Barack Obama is a reported fan. 

But what is it exactly that makes these burgers so good? Well, there's a science behind the unique recipe, of course. The meat is a perfected 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio. Patties are handmade seven days a week on-site. And the bread, which is Five Guys' only proprietary item, is baked fresh five days a week and never frozen.

X-Factor: Sure, the burgers are solid (if a little too tall for my liking), but on my last visit here I was also bowled over by the cleanliness of the Southbank location and the friendliness of the staff. It's a well-oiled operation with an open kitchen so you can watch your burger as it's being made. 

Order the: Huxtaburger
Price range for a burger: $13.95 to 19.95

No list of best burgs in Melbourne would be complete without a mention of dear old Huxtaburger. Their now permanently closed CBD location was dank, dark and greasy (just the way we like our fast food joints), but the original HQ in Collingwood remains a fun, characterful journey into burger town.

Here, you get to taste the legendary take-no-prisoners American-style burgers that see meat, cheese and condiments as king, and all other accoutrements as crazy gourmet tat. It's a place that keeps things simple, offering only pilsner or tinnies of Carlton, fifteen no-nonsense burgers and sliders, crinkle cut fries and a list of other dirty (read: delicious) sides. 

X-Factor: The super-soft sweet and buttery brioche buns here add extra richness to the burger.

Order the: Shroom Burger
Price range: $10.50 to $18.90, not including add-ons

Betty’s has been the quiet achiever sneaking through the back door to claim some serious burger cred over the last few years. Things are more fun than fancy here, with options like the surf and turf-inspired Noosa made with a beef patty and battered prawns.

There are also veg options galore, including a plant-based beef patty and another made with puffed rice. But we suggest going for the Shroom Burger, made with a slab of melted gouda and gruyere sandwiched between two field mushrooms before being crumbed and fried. Warning: it will induce food envy amongst your beef-eating friends. 

X-Factor: For eyes-bigger-than-your-stomach vibes, add a loaded soft serve, which they call a 'concrete', for dessert.

Order: The King
Price range: $15.20 to $22.90

If you’ve ever been to the US, you would have heard of a little burger chain called Shake Shack. Dani Zeini has taken some inspiration from Danny Meyer and isn’t afraid to admit Melbourne’s burger culture has something to borrow from its American friends. He ensures quality control at Royal Stacks with his 100 per cent Australian grass-fed, GMO-, hormone- and antibiotic-free beef and proudly uses local products across the board.

If you must choose just one burger, go for the King. It proves bigger is better with an incredibly cheesy mac and cheese croquette stacked onto a charred single patty with American mustard, secret sauce, butter lettuce and tomato. You may wish you had a bigger mouth. 

X-Factor: Double down on the fried stuff with some potato gems and get a milkshake made with Royal Stack's creamy frozen custard, which they churn in-house.