40 burger joints to try in Melbourne’s east
FROM Collingwood to Croydon, Box Hill to Healesville, here’s our guide to the hottest burger joints in Melbourne’s east.
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MELBOURNE’S love affair with burgers is showing no signs of slowing down.
These days hamburger joints are as prolific and sought after as local cafes, with new openings luring crowds of hungry customers.
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And it’s not just the inner suburbs being treated to all the burger action.
Chefs have brought the burger to the ‘burbs, from Collingwood to Croydon, Box Hill to Healesville.
Here’s our guide to the best burgers in the eastern suburbs.
WHERE TO GET YOUR BURGER ON IN THE EAST
ABBOTSFORD
349-351 Victoria St. Abbotsford
You’ll want to get on the carb or, in this case, chook loading with On It Burgers’ Spicy Chick burger with sriracha mayo and slaw on a charcoal bun. Instead of chips, grab a side of onion rings.
70 William St, Abbotsford
Small cafe, big burgers. Huge, even. If you’re feeling hungry, try your appetite at the 16000 Skips — that’s triple Wagyu beef, triple cheddar and triple bacon layered with onion, pickles and Skipping Girl sauce. They even brand their own buns.
271 Johnston St, Abbotsford
It might be named for its fresh sangas, but it’s the burgers that keep people coming back for more. The Classic is filled with all the usual suspects — beef, cheese, pickles, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato and mayo and vegos can even substitute the beef for fried, pickled tofu.
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BALWYN
266 Whitehorse Rd, Balwyn
Asian-fusion is big in the burger world right now. One Plus Piece’s menu gives this trend a subtle nod by including ingredients like sriracha and wasabi in their mayo to amp up the oriental appeal without overpowering the meats. The Northern Fried Chicken burger, which is a succulent tower of sriracha and maple glazed bacon, cabbage and carrot slaw, pickles, waffle cut fries and wasabi mayo on a charcoal bun, has been getting a good workout on the socials. Why? Because it is, to paraphrase the people, finger-lickin’ good.
3 23A Doncaster Rd, Balwyn North
There’s nothing fancy about these burgers, they’re just good, old-fashioned burgers made with top-notch ingredients and fresh buns. Try them fully loaded or strip them back and have them naked between two lettuce leaves.
BORONIA
Boronia Village, 5/159 Boronia Rd, Boronia
If this was the kind of food coming out of my mum’s kitchen growing up, I’d have been a very happy camper. Mum’s is all about tasty burgers, well-seasoned chips and a burger challenge that is sure to push your digestive system to its limits.
BOX HILL
5/1031 Whitehorse Rd, Box Hill
Burgers are one of the ultimate comfort foods and, at La’Burgery, you can take comfort in the fact that all their creations are made using meat from happy, hormone and antibiotics-free cows that have grown up on pastures in Geelong. The slam dunkin’ Mike Jordan comes with beef, pickled beetroot, lettuce, grilled onion, a fried egg, Swiss cheese and tomato jam on a seeded roll.
BURWOOD EAST
Inside II Amalfi, 1/2 Burwood Hwy, Burwood East
A Malaysian-inspired burger joint hidden inside a pizza shop? That’s about as Melbourne as it gets. Ramly burgers were founded in Malaysia in 1984, with the aim of giving people high-quality halal fast-food. Now, a burger brother in Burwood East is bringing the cult Malaysian street food to Aus with his bold and beautiful burger creations. Be prepared to make a mess because these buns are extra juicy.
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CAMBERWELL
736 Burke Rd, Camberwell
When it comes to burgers, Phat Stacks has the Midas touch. As well as using preservative and chemical-free meats, the Burke Road burger bar also boasts Australia’s first 24-carat gold bun making it very Instagrammable.
Shop 11/1405-1411 Toorak Rd, Camberwell
Fresh dumplings, fat burgers and fried rice don’t seem like the most natural menu mates, but at Hills Pan they are a match made in carbohydrate heaven. If you want a regular double stack beef burger or plate of steaming hot dumplings, eat your heart out. Or, you could try one of Melbourne’s freshest new fusion foods — the rice burger — for those nights when you’re craving teriyaki chicken, black pepper or bulgogi beef, but instead of being served with rice on the side, they come between two crispy rice buns. Genius.
1378 Toorak Rd, Camberwell
Souvas, snack packs and stacked burgers. It’s fresh, unfussy and, most importantly, tasty food, dished up with generous portions and friendly service. That’s pretty much everything you could ask for from your go-to burger dealer.
CHIRNSIDE PARK
Chirnside Park Shopping Centre, 3/239-241 Maroondah Hwy, Chirnside Park
Bobo’s worships all things American: burgers, wings, Texas-style ribs, steak sangas, hot dogs. If the US digs it, it’ll be on the menu. They also do parmas and sides.
COLLINGWOOD
3/48 Easey Street, Collingwood
Take your tastebuds on a trip down Easey street with these epic buns. Plus, you can eat them sitting in a train carriage on top of the building. It’s pretty hard to top that. See what we did there?
106 Smith Street, Collingwood | Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn | Eastland SC, Ringwood
Burger for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Don’t mind if we do. Buns are buttery, meat is melt in your mouth and interior is hipster.
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CROYDON
2/131 Main St, Croydon
Greek-style souvlaki, burgers and mixed grill. Try a Shepherd burger, which is lamb gyros in a bun.
1 Exeter Rd, Croydon North
This Croydon institution prides itself on making everything in-house — from the beef patties to the hollandaise sauce.
114 Bayswater Rd, Croydon South
American-style burgers, done well. That’s the calling card of this Croydon company, which is keeping it simple but delicious. Their beef, bacon and cheese burger is popular, as is the buttermilk fried chicken burger.
DONCASTER
479 Whitehorse Rd, Mitcham | 62 Tunstall Square, Doncaster East
Eat your heart out at this humble Whitehorse Road burger joint. Their star-studded menu has all your faves, as well as the Red Alert — beetroot patty, cheese, fresh beetroot, coriander, lettuce, tomato, avocado and basil pesto mayo, and the all-Australian Under The Sea burger with a barramundi and prawn patty, pickles, coleslaw and mayo. Don’t pass up on the potato gems, sweet potato fries or onion rings.
286 Blackburn Rd, Doncaster East
Less is more for this local burger shop. Up The Road is putting the focus back on the burger, with a menu that features six beautifully constructed base options that you can build on or add to. No gimmicks, just seriously good buns.
1001 Doncaster Rd, Doncaster East
One of the best things about this Donny burger bar is its specials menu. At the moment it boasts a united burger front — a Donald Truff burger that comes stuffed with a grass-fed beef brisket patty, southern fried chicken, Swiss cheese, American cheddar, bacon, pickles, slaw, Spanish onion and truffle mayo. This can be accompanied by side kicks such as American waffle fries, nacho waffle fries and old-school mozzarella sticks. Or, if you’re feeling like something on the healthier side, they also do grilled fish and salads.
DEEPDENE
41 Whitehorse Rd, Deepdene
Burger all day long at Burgled Burger. With stores in Huntingdale, Officer, Carrum, Westall and Balwyn (Deepdene), this suburban burger bar has something for everyone. From Cyprus to China, Italy to India, their crafty creations are inspired by tastes from all corners of the world.
ELTHAM
902 Main Rd, Eltham
After a healthier take on your traditional burger? These wholesome stacks are made using certified organic beef sandwiched between La Madre sourdough buns. They also offer low-carb lettuce bun options. Try their 100 per cent balsamic-basted beef burger stuffed with havarti cheese, pickled cucumber, red onion, lettuce, tomato, relish and herbed aioli.
FAIRFIELD
89 Station St, Fairfield
Melbourne’s love affair with wicked wings, burgers and behemoth shakes shows no signs of slowing down, as the menu at Burger Road attests. Try chipotle wings and sweet potato fries as sides.
KEW
309 High St, Kew
Good luck fitting your face around the indulgent Gluttony burger, which is loaded with southern fried chicken, two beef patties, two rashers of smoky bacon, Swiss cheese, tasty cheese, caramelised onion, fresh red onion, lettuce, tomato and bacon mayo between brioche buns.
85 Willsmere Rd, Kew
For Asian-fusion, sugar-free, low-carb and keto-friendly burgers, these are the best kids on the block. The Fat Boy Slim comes with a low-carb cheesy beef patty topped with bacon, fried egg, American cheese, jalapeños, pickles, lettuce, aioli and hot chilli on a low-carb cheesy bun. This is high-fit, high-protein heaven. They also have plenty of carb-loaded burgers, too, including a fried ramen noodle bun option and a 3kg Chainsaw Massacre challenge that comes with a whopping 16 beef patties, 16 slices of cheese and 16 rashers of bacon.
1337 Burke Rd, Kew
Keep it simple with an Old Fashioned, which comes with all your fave fillings. Or go all out with the Juicy Lucy — a double decker burger with double beef, double bacon, double cheese and a chicken patty — or the triple-stacked Dirty Dancer.
HAWTHORN
789 Glenferrie Road, Hawthorn
Tuck into burgers inspired by global flavours. We’re talking the classic New York, which of course comes with double beef and bacon; Frenchy, which boasts beef, a potato rosti, herbed hollandaise, mayo and cornichons; the Tokyo taste sees an edamame patty topped with tomato, lettuce, Japanese mayo, onion, daikon and yak sauce, and the Saigon-style marinated chicken, chicken parfait, cucumber, carrot, coriander, onion, chilli, mayo and nuoc cham. And why go for regular fries when you can get disco fries — smothered in homemade cheese whiz — instead.
862 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn
As well as a dedicated wagyu burger menu, Ribs & Burgers also has allergy-friendly and Halal options.
329 Burwood Road, Hawthorn | Federation Square, Melbourne
This brew hall might be all about beer, but the drink pairs well with burgers. Whether you’re after a pint and a cheeseburger or a saltbush lamb burger and a bottle of something a little more fancy — Beer Deluxe has your beer enhancement needs covered. They even do Philly cheese steak sangas and super dogs.
460 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn
Just because you’re vegan, it doesn’t mean you want to miss out on all the burger action. Thankfully, Ubuntu has a few plant-based options to tickle your tastebuds. Their triple cheeseburger comes with a crispy tempeh patty, Swiss cheese, haloumi and mornay sauce with mustard, tom sauce and pickles on a charcoal bun. But it’s the mushroom burger stuffed with haloumi, roasted red pepper, pineapple and onion jam on a beetroot bun that has all the ‘grammers ‘gramming. #foodporn
6/672 Glenferrie Rd, Hawthorn
Join the resistance and get your gob around a good old fashioned burger. The Chilli Cheese Burger (Angus beef, double cheddar, onion, shallots, chipotle aioli and chilli sauce) and the Pollo Escobar (grilled or fried buttermilk bird, cheddar, bacon, pickles, lettuce and special sauce) are pretty hard to beat.
HEALESVILLE
228 Maroondah Hwy, Healesville
If you don’t get a serious case of the drools while reading through the burgers on offer at Monroe’s, we can’t help you. Try the Dirty Bird or The Tribute — which has prime beef, double cheddar, chipotle mayo, streaky bacon, grilled onion, lettuce and hickory BBQ sauce between two pillowy soft milk buns.
LILYDALE
245 Main St, Lilydale
Louisiana pulled pork, Middle Eastern chickpeas, Texan brisket and crumbed Queensland barramundi are just some of the superstars around which Hello Harry has modelled its burgers. You also have the option of undressing them (naked buns) or going gluten-free.
MONT ALBERT
17 Hamilton St, Mont Albert
Get around the Asian-fusion flavours at JD’s. The menu includes the Black Goku, which comes with MSA certified, grass-fed Angus beef, black pepper sauce, American cheese, streaky bacon, mushrooms, Spanish onion, lettuce, tomato and Japanese pepper mayo on a French-style brioche bun.
MOOROOLBARK
25 Paul St, Mooroolbark
If you like beers, barbecue and burgers, then pay the friendly folk at Good Company a visit. Did we mention they have mushroom and halloumi burgers?
RICHMOND
424 Bridge Rd, Richmond
Forget the burgers, this place is all about freakshakes, loaded fries and potato gems, nachos style. They also offer bun-less chicken parma burgers, if you’re into the double-chicken-patty-instead-of-bread kind of thing.
181A Swan St, Richmond
If you’re looking for the holy grail of burgers, you might just find it at 181 Swan St. Described by some as ‘burger nirvana’ — 1090 Burger embodies the idea of having a smaller menu but making sure every item is stacked to perfection. The double bacon burger comes highly recommended.
112 Swan St, Richmond
Gourmet burgers and specialty beer. What’s not to love about that? Options include a slow-cooked lamb burger with smoked bacon, tomato, rocket, red onion, feta, harissa and yoghurt; pulled pork burgers with grilled pineapple, apple relish, Asian slaw and salted pork scratchings and ground beef burgers in a tomato sauce with jalapeños and American cheese.
SURREY HILLS
135 Union Rd, Surrey Hills
Burgers made with love using the finest ingredients. Support local and try the Full Monty Albert (double wagyu, double cheddar cheese, double bacon, jalapeño, pickle, cos lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, BurgerBurger sauce, brioche bun) or the Burwood Beast, which is similar to the FMA but also has a southern fried buttermilk chicken patty and onion rings. You’ll definitely want to perfect the pinky finger technique to tackle this one.
VERMONT
Brentford Square, 502 Canterbury Road, Vermont
For a gourmet burger delight, this Brentford Square burger joint does not disappoint. It might be called The Big Kahuna, but with a beef patty, lettuce, tomato, smashed avo, pineapple and sharp American cheddar — it was made for Melbourne. And, if you like ‘em hot, the Hellburger, with jalapeños and ‘cardiac arrest hot sauce’ is not for the feint hearted.
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