Adelaide's top 25 burger joints we've taste-tested to bring you the must-try places in your local area
GOURMET burger joints are springing up everywhere. Our team has trekked across Adelaide to find the top 25, divided by region. Here’s the results ...
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THERE are burger joints and there are burger joints — our intrepid local team has trekked across Adelaide taste-testing until they’ve found the best.
Some offer live music as well as a hearty feast — other offer gourmet fare or vegetarian delights.
And some offer ridiculously large bites.
Tell us if we’ve missed your favourite local.
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THE CITY, as compiled by Monique Bowley
Press Food and Wine, 40 Waymouth St, Adelaide
ALL hail the (burger) king. The Press burger is like Hungry Jack’s on heat; a perfect, mouth-watering combination of quality meat, lettuce, cheese, tomato, pickles, caramelised onion and an aioli and tomato sauce, crammed into a glazed sesame seed bun.
The Press folks are also behind Peel Street’s Bread & Bone Wood Grill, where the same burger is sold as the B & B burger — although it’s worth trying something different like the 300, which has a Big Mac-style sauce.
The onion rings and fries are also perfection. It’s $18.50 for the burger and onion rings, but you get what you pay for.
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Burger Theory, 8-10 Union St, Adelaide
DO you go the number 1 or number 2? Everyone has their go-to burger at this American-style eatery that stems from one of the city’s favourite food trucks.
The #2 is the fancier option at $11, with a minced patty from Richard Gunner’s Angus cattle, plus pancetta, onion confit and Adelaide blue cheese sauce.
The #1, at $9, has lettuce, tomato, American cheese and that amazing “truck sauce” (a homemade mayo with ingredients including Vegemite and Heinz ketchup). For anyone who’s ever seen the ‘90s film Good Burger, this is what Ed’s secret sauce must have tasted like.
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Vego ‘n’ Love’n It, level one, 240 Rundle St, Adelaide
UP a narrow flight of steps off Rundle St is this cramped but cosy eatery devoted to vegan food. Robin Eastwood has owned the place for 26 years and the 13 burgers on the menu have remained the same pretty much the whole time.
The Absolutely Fabulous burger is its most popular, which is packed with a falafel patty, hummus, avocado, tomato, carrot, tahini, sweet chilli, sauce, lettuce and lemon juice.
The Mexican burger is a more unusual one, with a vegetable, curry and chilli patty drenched in vegan cheese sauce. It comes with a side of corn chips.
All burgers come in a Portuguese rye roll and are $15 each, or $9 for a half burger.
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The Union Hotel, 70 Waymouth St, Adelaide
FOR a huge, classic pub burger, hit up the Union for its namesake burger. It has Angus beef, smoked bacon, tomato, lettuce, pickles and Gruyère cheese.
Oh and a “secret sauce”, like all good burgers have. The Terrarossa burger has Scotch fillet, brie and pickled pear and the creole burger is a flavour sensation with spiced chicken breast, guacamole and chipotle aioli. Prices range from $18.50-$21.
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Burgastronomy, 19 O’Connell St, North Adelaide
THE cosy cafe, owned by Craig Benkesser, is a popular boutique eat-and-run burger joint with window benches and a communal table. Industrial light fittings, a street art mural and cool tunes add a fun vibe to the small space.
Dine-in or takeaway burgers are made from hand-ground MSA beef or hormone-free thigh chicken. Good-quality ingredients are the key to these beauties, including house-made relishes and a killer chipotle barbecue sauce.
Prices start at $9 for a cheeseburger. For the vegetarian option, you can embrace the shroom burger for $12.
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WEST, Tom Conlin
127 Days, 127 Days Rd, Croydon Park
JUST down the road from Regency TAFE, this new and very hip burger bar offers juicy, full flavoured Angus beef patties, top-notch condiments and interesting twists on classic combos. Options cover your basic beef burgers, to the more exotic pulled pork with apple slaw and chipotle mayo and the “Mushroom Melt”, loaded with Angus beef, roasted mushrooms, jack cheese, bacon, caramelised onion, rocket and a spectacular truffle aioli.
There’s also an Italian offering with provolone cheese and roast capsicum and the challenging “127 Ways to Die” with jalapeños, habanera tabasco and hot cheese.
Burgers range in prices from $8 to $12, or grab a combo meal ($14-$16) with a drink.
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Lucky Lupitas: 1/4 Rupert Ave, Bedford Park
THIS is not the place to come if you want a bonza Aussie burger. Instead, Lucky Lupitas offers you a taste of the new breed of burgers taking over our town.
That’s once you’ve braved the hordes of hungry diners queuing to get their fill of the tasty Mexican treats dished out from this tiny restaurant in the shadows of the Flinders Medical Centre.
The Lupe burger ($15.90) comes with its beef patty slightly pink inside, stacked with cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado, salsa and a choice of three tangy sauces.
It is served with some more-ish lightly pickled red onion rings that should be loaded straight into the burger, along with sliced jalapeño peppers if you’re feeling adventurous.
The burger’s soft, pillowy bun enhances its designer burger credentials.
Adding a small side serve of crispy crinkle cut chips will set you back an extra $2. Lucky Lupitas also does takeaway.
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Relish’d, 730 Anzac Highway, Glenelg
SLIGHTLY removed from Jetty Rd, Relish’d burger bar on Anzac Hwy is worth the short walk from the main drag.
The menu isn’t extensive, but includes a diverse range of burger options packed with punchy flavours.
The small shop, which offers dining or takeaway meals, is filled with the aroma of grilling meat and fresh herbs.
The traditional Relish’d Burger ($9.50) doesn’t skimp on flavour. The soft, glazed, sesame seed bun only enhances the thick, juicy and well-seasoned meat patty.
Lettuce, tomato, red onion and a generous lug of herb aioli adds a freshness. And in keeping with the shop’s name, the burger is topped with a full-flavoured tomato relish.
Sides include onion rings ($4.50/$6.50) and crunchy, thick cut chips, which are fluffy in the middle and seasoned with rosemary ($3.50/$5.00).
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The Stunned Mullet, 8 East Tce, Henley Beach
IN summer this excellent fish and chip shop always has people queuing out the door. And with good reason.
Owners Dino and Amanda Papadopoulos proudly display the numerous accolades they have received through the years, including several SA Seafood Industry awards.
But they also make a tasty burger. A generous well-seasoned meat patty is topped with cheese, egg, iceberg, onion and tomato, sandwiched between a continental bun.
This isn’t a designer burger — no brioche roll, no house-made relish, garlic aioli or Wagyu beef — just good honest filling fare at a wallet friendly $8.50.
Service is excellent, as are their addictive chunky chips ($4 minimum).
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Red Lime Shack, 158 St Vincent Street, Port Adelaide
FOR those who prefer a vegetarian option, it’s hard to go past the sweet potato and pecan burger ($9.50) at Port Adelaide’s Red Lime Shack.
Veggos will appreciate the pleasant surprise of a veggie burger that won’t fall apart in your hands.
The sweet potato and pecan combo packs a delicious hint of maple and makes for great textured patty.
Onion jam, house-made mustard and Red Lime’s signature tangy tahini top off the burger, while its simple salad provides a burst of freshness.
Red Lime Shack make their patties from scratch and sandwich them between fresh vegan paninis from a local bakery.
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EAST, Meagan Dillon, Sarah Spencer & Kurtis Eichler
Fancy Burger Blackwood, 4/237 Main Rd, Blackwood
FANCY Burger is home to the Legend, a burger with “unexpected flavours”.
Owner George Fantis says the inspiration behind the burger comes from its “prestigious ingredients which have the makings of a legend”.
“We wanted to come up with something that was new and hadn’t been experimented with before,” Mr Fantis says.
“This isn’t just a stock standard burger with cheddar cheese and bacon. It has more of an earthy tone with great flavours including the avocado, goat’s cheese, caramelised onion, lamb patty and mushroom.”
Mr Fantis says the Legend burger is the most popular because of its flavours.
“It’s something people already know but wouldn’t have thought of putting it together,” he said.
The Legend is $13.90, but Fancy Burger Blackwood celebrates its fourth anniversary this Friday (August 16) is giving customers half-price burgers all day to celebrate.
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Burger Foundry, 367 Magill Rd, St Morris
BURGER Foundry has become a favourite among those in the northeast, so much so it moved 100m down the road three weeks ago into a bigger shop to cater for its growing clientele.
Authentic North American-style handcrafted burgers can be devoured here.
Co-owner Paul Brown says it is the large, unprocessed burger patties and the homemade sauces that set his shop a part from the rest.
Mr Brown says The Rock Mountain High and Texan Madness burgers are crowd pleases.
“The difference is really the size because our meat which we make from scratch,” Mr Brown says.
“We use 100 per cent, grain-fed cattle and even our chips are handcrafted.
“The Rock Mountain High seems to be popular because of the sweet caramelised onion and the tomato spices and the Texan Madness because it has a nice whacker of chilly on it.”
Burgers start from $10. The most expensive, which contains Angus beef, is $19.
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Burger Republic, 110 King William Rd, Hyde Park
BURGER Republic has made its presence on King William Rd known.
The burger shop has only been open on the popular strip since last November and its popularity among those living in the inner south is growing.
Owners Paolo Brustolon and Mark Ludgate are proud of being able to offer customers burgers made with local produce.
“We use grand Angus free-range beef and we roll all our meat in-house,” Mr Brustolon says.
“I think that is what sets us a part from other burger shops. We use all local products — which isn’t difficult in South Australia.”
Mr Brustolon says Burger Republic has a regular list of burgers but also has special list each week.
He says if any of the specials are crowd favourites, they may become part of the regular list. The Gaucho burger made its way to the regular menu after being a popular special.
It has a beef pattie, onion rings, spicey BBQ sauce, ranch dressing and salad. Burgers start at $11.
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Grill’d, Corner The Parade and George St, Norwood
GRILL’D prides itself on being a healthy burger restaurant.
Owner Brea McClune says it is the quality of the burgers that sets Grill’d a part from the competition.
“What we hang our hat on is that we’re making healthy burgers,” Ms McClure says.
“We make sure everything is healthy — from our beef to our buns.”
Grill’d promotes itself as using “beef that is hormone free, free-range chicken and eggs and locally sourced fruit and vegetables”.
“A lot of the other restaurants have buns with a high sugar content but our buns have no sugar whatsoever,” she says.
Grill’d opened on The Parade in June and has become increasingly popular with locals.
Ms McClure says the Mighty Crow-Eater and the Crispy Bacon and Cheese burgers are the most popular. Prices start at $9.90.
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Chuckwagon, 175 O’Connell St, North Adelaide
THE “most popular, and the best, burger this side of the city” is summed up rather simply by Chuckwagon waitress Sarina Nababan.
“It’s basically double of everything,” Ms Nababan, 27, says.
The Ultimate Burger is a towering work of food art. Two 320g meat patties, cheddar cheese sauce, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion and garlic aioli sit between two toasted brioche buns.
For $14, it is well worth a try.
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SOUTH, Emmie Dowling
Carmel’s Bar and Grill, 250 Main Rd, McLaren Vale
CARMEL’S is home to the Ssasquatch, a beast of a burger held together with six bread slices.
Customers who eat the 20cm-high burger and a side of chips in 30 minutes win bragging rights, a beer, and get their name on the restaurant’s chalk board.
Owner Carmel Sullivan started the burger challenge eight months ago and since then, more than 50 people have completed it.
“A lot of people — young and old — come in to do the challenge,” Ms Sullivan says.
“We had two girls successfully finish the burger, but they weren’t walking too well afterwards.” The restaurant also has five other — smaller — burgers on the menu.
The Pulled-pork burger was also mentioned as a favourite in comments on the Messenger South Facebook page.
The Sasquatch costs $26.
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Aldinga Bay Fresh Fish & Seafood Takeaway, 15 Old Coach Rd, Aldinga
THE range of seafood pies has put this place on the culinary map — and so it’s no surprise it is the Fish burger here is the most popular menu item.
Owner Derek Matheson sources his seafood from local fisherman and Safcol Central Fish Market, Mile End.
“Being a seafood shop, people tend to lean towards the fish burger,” Mr Matheson, of Sellicks Beach, says.
“Butterfish is the staple, but people can choose whether garfish or flathead. We also have beef burgers with patties made from scratch and the tartare sauce is homemade.”
Burgers start from $5.
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Fuse Food & Wine, 50 Esplanade, Christies Beach
WHO says bigger is better? The five varieties of sliders — mini burgers — on Fuze’s menu are packed with flavour.
The most popular is the smoked chicken burger, which comes with fried bacon, hollandaise and onion relish.
The calamari slider includes cucumber and a fennel salad with lime, chilli and coriander. While the pulled-pork belly burger is filled with a watercress salad, chilli jam and duck fat aioli.
The Sunday Roast has beef, pumpkin, grilled onion and gravy.
There’s also something on the menu for vegetarians who like haloumi, asparagus, rocket and a shiraz wine reduction.
Each slider costs $4.50.
Agatha’s Licensed Cafe, 1 Gawler St, Port Noarlunga
THE US’s wild west was the inspiration for Agatha’s Sheriff burger. It is made with pulled beef, which is cooked on a low heat for about 10 hours.
It has a smoky flavour, is cooked with a dash of Jack Daniels whiskey and served with coleslaw, cheddar cheese, a side of fries and aioli.
People with an appetite for something with a Mediterranean twist can opt for the “saltbush lamb” burger.
Burgers cost from $18.
The Old Vine, Aldinga, 22 Old Coach Rd, Aldinga
LOCAL produce is used to make The Old Vine’s burgers. The beef is from Myponga and Yankalilla, lamb is bought from Willunga and the chicken is from Strathalbyn.
“We source all of our ingredients locally, mostly from the Fleurieu Peninsula,” co-owner Graham Marshall says.
Vegetarians can enjoy the restaurant’s vegie burger packed with haloumi, tomato, lettuce, hummus and a quinoa, zucchini and sweet potato pattie. The restaurant also offers free-range chicken breast and beef burgers.
All burgers cost $14.
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NORTH, Eugene Boisvert
Louisiana Tavern, 50 Elizabeth Way, Elizabeth
THERE aren’t too many gourmet burger options far up north, but the Louisiana Tavern’s range of southern-style sandwiches stand out for us.
The Cajun Chicken burger ($12.90) includes spices from down New Orleans way, while the BBQ Bacon Burger ($13.90) features the flavours of Texas.
Be entertained by live bands on Friday nights and a DJ on Saturdays.
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Goldburger and Steak, 1 aeolian Drive, Golden Grove
GOLDBURGER and Steak only opened six months ago but is already making its mark as the place to go in the northeast for good hamburgers.
Patties are made from 100 per cent top quality Australian beef and free range chicken.
Prices start at $8.90 for the Goldburger. You can wash it down with a milkshake made from homemade syrup.
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Burger Club, 1 Main St, Mawson Lakes
MIKAEL Hashoul moved from California four years ago and found there weren’t any burger places to his liking so he set up his own in Mawson Lakes and called it Burger Club.
Patties are all made from scratch from fresh and local ingredients.
“We cook our burgers to order and don’t use any binding agents, like flour, so our patties are all gluten-free,” Mikael says.
Prices range from $9.90 for a gourmet club to $25 for a mega club burger, (which is a burger with the lot times two).
Mikael says he is opening a second store at Kilburn’s Churchill shopping centre next month.
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Cavan Steakvan, Port Wakefield Rd, Cavan
TRUCKIES get to sample a lot of steak sandwiches and hamburgers on the road but the Cavan Steakvan with its wide carpark has been a particular industry stopping point for three decades.
The van has been operating pretty much all day, every day for more than 30 years from out the front of the Cavan Hotel.
The burgers aren’t fancy but they are delicious.
A hamburger with the lot is $7.80, or $10 including a Farmers Union Iced Coffee or Coke.
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Chuck Wagon, 175 O’Connell St, North Adelaide
THE most popular burger this side of the city is summed up rather simply by Chuckwagon waitress Sarina Nababan.
“It’s basically double of everything,” Ms Nababan says.
The Ultimate Burger is a towering work of food art.
Two 320g meat patties, cheddar cheese sauce, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion and garlic aioli sit between two toasted brioche buns. At $14, it is worth a try.