James AllenBeing down in the dumps isn’t fun, but I know exactly the one thing that makes me feel better: a fantastic burger. Listen, I know a burger isn’t the healthiest treat, but desperate times call for desperate measures, okay?
There’s just something about the juicy and greasy patty paired with the sweet, slightly tangy (and sometimes spicy) sauce and lightly toasted, fluffy buns that just hits the spot.
If you’re like me, who loves burgers a little too much, then you need to visit the following restaurants. In my opinion, these are the best burger joints in Toronto.
The Burger’s Priest
– From: theburgerspriest
Address: 212 Adelaide St W
Operating Hours:
- Sunday to Wednesday—10:30 am to 12 am
- Thursday—10:30 am to 3 am
- Friday and Saturday—10:30 am to 4 am
Contact Number: +16473477757
The Burger’s Priest is one of the classic burger joints in the city, and in my opinion, it deserves the fame it’s gotten over time. Their smash burgers—made with premium Canadian beef—are just perfection!
My favourite thing to get is The Vatican (devout Catholics, look away), which also happens to be their most calorie-heavy option (people on a diet, also look away). This is a double cheeseburger between two grilled cheeses, so it’s incredibly rich and savoury. The sauce adds a sweet tanginess that makes every bite better.
| Pro Tip: Planning a special event? You can book their catering services. |
Johnny’s Hamburgers
Address: 2595 Victoria Park Ave
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Thursday—10:30 am to 1 am
- Friday and Saturday—10:30 am to 2 am
Contact Number: +14164917222
Johnny’s Hamburgers has been a family-run operation since 1967, and I’m not surprised it’s still running to this day. The burgers here are old-school, but they definitely hit the spot.
My go-to order is the Banquet Burger. The patty is char-broiled, so it has a nice smoky flavour that complements the savoriness. It also has mustard, ketchup, pickles, cheese, and bacon, so every bite tastes sharp and tangy.
I recommend adding onion rings on top of the patties. The extra crunch is so satisfying!
| Pro Tip: This burger joint doesn’t have a dining area, so I recommend driving here so that you can eat your burger while it’s still hot inside your car. Don’t worry because the parking lot here is free. |
Richmond Station
– From: richmondstation
Address: 1 Richmond St W
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Friday—11:30 am to 2:30 pm, 4:30 pm to 10:30 pm
- Saturday and Sunday—3:30 pm to 10:30 pm
Contact Number: +16477481444
Technically, Richmond Station isn’t a burger-exclusive restaurant. If anything, it’s a fancy restaurant in the West End, best known for its unique and innovative dishes. That said, personally, the Station Burger is the standout from the menu.
It’s unbelievably hefty; it has a thick beef patty, pickled onions, iceberg lettuce, and rosemary fries. The beef came from a pasture-raised cow, so it’s incredibly rich and savoury.
The burger buns are also slathered with beet chutney and aged cheddar, so there’s a sharp tanginess with a slight sweetness that comes with every bite.
| Pro Tip: You can host special events here. |
Aloette Restaurant
– From: aloette_restaurant
Address: 163 Spadina Ave. 1st Floor
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Thursday—5 pm to 10 pm
- Friday and Saturday—11 am to 10:30 pm
- Sunday—11 am to 10 pm
Contact Number: +14162603444
Aloette Restaurant is another fine-dining establishment that serves bomb-ass burgers.
The Aloette Burger is the classic option, and it looks like your typical burger, but when you bite into it, you’ll realize that its flavours are much more enhanced. It also has a kick of rich nuttiness, thanks to the Beaufort cheese.
As much as I like the Aloette Burger, the Black Truffle Burger has my heart. This one has Gruyère, black truffle, and jus, so its flavour profile is a combination of rich and earthy. In fact, it almost tastes like steak but in burger form.
| Pro Tip: Every Saturday and Sunday, this restaurant has a separate brunch menu. It also has a burger option (Brunch Burger), and it’s amazing as well. It’s like a breakfast sandwich, but with a patty added in the mix. |
Burger Drops
– From: burgerdrops
Address: 116 Atlantic Ave
Operating Hours: Monday to Sunday—11:30 am to 10 pm
Burger Drops only has burgers, sandwiches, and desserts in its menu, and let me just say, they’ve really nailed all the dishes they have to offer.
The Original Cheeseburger is the best thing to get here, if you ask me. This burger has a slight sweetness to it because it has griddled sweet onion. It also tastes a bit tangy because of the house pickles and the in-house sauce.
I recommend adding jalapeño relish if you want a kick of spice as well.
| Pro Tip: If you want to book them for catering, fill out and send this form. |
Rudy
– From: rudyresto
Address: 619 College St
Operating Hours:
- Sunday to Wednesday—11 am to 11 pm
- Thursday—11 am to 2 am
- Friday and Saturday—11 am to 4 am
Contact Number: +16477487839
Rudy may seem like a humble spot from the outside, but this is one of the most popular burger joints in Toronto. It actually has several outlets in the city, but my go-to is the one on College Street.
You can’t go wrong with the Big Rudy, which comes with three bun slices and two patties. It also has a generous helping of the secret sauce, shredded lettuce, cheese, and pickles. This burger is incredibly hearty, and the flavours are a combination of savoury and tangy.
| Pro Tip: You can book their catering services if you’re planning an event. |
Lobster Burger Bar
– From: lobsterburgerbar
Address: 214 King St W Suite 100
Operating Hours:
- Tuesday—4 pm to 10 pm
- Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday—11:30 am to 10 pm
- Friday—12 pm to 12 am
- Saturday—11:30 am to 12 am
Contact Number: +14165982929
To no one’s surprise, the best thing to order at Lobster Burger Bar is the lobster burger. The lobster is perfectly tender and sweet, and the cheddar and tartar sauce add a sharp and sour contrast. The pickles add even more tanginess.
If you prefer the traditional burger, then you might like the classic double cheeseburger. It’s savoury, tangy, and a bit sharp from the aged cheddar. If you want even more flavours, especially savoury-sweet, then I recommend adding bacon onion jam to your burger.
| Pro Tip: If you want to host an event here, fill out this form. |
The Bullger Burger and Steak
– From: blogsofood
Address: 348 Queen St E
Operating Hours:
- Sunday to Thursday—11 am to 11 pm
- Friday and Saturday—11 am to 12 am
Contact Number: +14163071002
I’m always down to check out small businesses, and one of my most recently discovered small burger joints that I ended up loving a lot is The Bullger.
Their titular burger caught my attention because it’s essentially a heart attack in burger form. It’s made up of three beef patties, an herb-crusted portobello mushroom stuffed with cheese, and beef bacon in between two grilled cheese buns!
Seriously, I can feel my arteries clogging after every bite, but I have no regrets. I try not to devour this in one go, though.
| Pro Tip: This restaurant has no parking lot, so I don’t recommend driving here. |
The Fancy Induced Burger
– From: bon.bon.kitchen
Address: 565 Bloor St West Toronto
Operating Hours: Open 24 hours
Contact Number: +14165362834
The Fancy Induced Burger is open 24/7, making it one of my stops if I’m having a late-night craving.
The Beast Beef is the ultimate burger here. It has double patties, relish, mustard, tomatoes, a cheese slice, and a syringe cheese shot.
What’s a syringe cheese shot, you ask? It’s exactly what it says on the tin: a syringe full of cheese that you can shoot into your burger to make it cheesier.
Once again, this is the type of burger that doctors warn you about. It’s super juicy, greasy, and cheesy, but it definitely fills up the stomach and the soul.
| Pro Tip: You can order the burgers as is, but if you want to have a full meal with a drink, I recommend ordering the combo version. |
Firefly Burger Toronto
– From: sippinginsix
Address: 355 Yonge St
Operating Hours:
- Sunday to Thursday—11 am to 2 am
- Friday and Saturday—11 am to 4 am
Contact Number: +16472313473
Looking for a halal restaurant that’s serving up delicious burgers? Then, you might want to hit up Firefly Burger Toronto.
The Wallstreet is my favourite burger here. The patty is made with Black Angus beef, so its beefy flavour is much more intense and distinct, and it’s also fatty in a good way. This burger also has caramelized onions, pickles, and the secret sauce, all of them adding sweet, tangy notes to every bite.
| Pro Tip: You can book their catering services for your special event. |
Happy Burger
– From: happyburgerto
Address: 76 Lippincott St
Operating Hours:
- Sunday to Wednesday—11 am to 1 am
- Thursday to Saturday—11 am to 2 am
Contact Number: +16473527777
It’s hard not to be happy when dining at Happy Burger. The vibe here is chill and easygoing, and the burgers are amazing. What else is there to ask for?
The Happy Stack is a winner in my eyes. It reminds me of the Double Big Mac from McDonald’s because it’s essentially two burgers stacked on top of each other, but it definitely tastes much better. The beef patties taste fresh and rich, and the stack sauce has a nice sweetness that complements the beef well.
If you want an extra kick of spice, I recommend adding jalapeños and hot peppers to your burger.
| Pro Tip: This restaurant has its own app. You can download it and skip the line by ordering ahead of time. You can also earn points for every dollar you spend, which you can redeem for rewards like free food and drinks. |
B Boyz The Burger Architects
– From: vaneriveran
Address: 699 Markham Rd Unit 2, Cedar Heights Plaza, Scarborough
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Friday—11 am to 4 am
- Saturday and Sunday—12 pm to 4 am
Contact Number: +14164220800
A local recommended B Boyz to me when I was visiting Scarborough one day, saying that this is one of the best burger spots in town. Curious, I checked it out, and I can understand why this place has become a local staple.
The burgers here may seem simple, but they’re full of surprises. Of the ones I’ve tried, the BB Firefly perfectly encapsulates that statement. At first, this is just a typical burger—thick patty, with tomatoes and lettuce—and then bam! Melted cheese and jalapeños ooze out from the center, bringing about a spicy and cheesy explosion.
| Pro Tip: During rush hours (from 8 pm to 11 pm), service might be slow. So, I recommend coming here earlier. |
W Burger Bar
– From: wburgerbar
Address: 10 College St
Operating Hours:
- Sunday to Wednesday—11:30 am to 12 am
- Thursday—11:30 am to 1 am
- Friday and Saturday—11:30 am to 2 am
Contact Number: +14169612227
W Burger Bar is aptly named because it’s always a W here (am I using the slang properly?). The atmosphere is lively, and the menu is full of a great variety of burgers—from classic renditions to innovative versions.
If you can afford to splurge, you should get the Kobe Burger. This is just pure luxury in burger form. The patty is made from Kobe beef, hailing all the way from Japan, and its marbling adds a nice fatty goodness to its already intense beefy flavour.
The patty is then grilled, giving it a charred, caramelized layer that makes it taste both smoky and slightly sweet. I can’t get enough of this burger!
| Pro Tip: This restaurant has a special burger available only during lunch every day (from 11:30 am to 3 pm) |
The Burgernator
– From: tburgernator
Address: 269 Augusta Ave
Operating Hours:
- Sunday to Thursday—10 am to 10 pm
- Friday and Saturday—10 am to 11 pm
Contact Number: +16477480990
The Burgernator describes their burgers as “burgers of mass destruction,” and I suppose that can work as a low-key threat. Because every time I come here, my stomach gets absolutely shredded—in a good way—and I’ll be full for the whole day!
I’m obsessed with the Drop Down and Give Me Spicy burger. It has a double patty, a generous helping of chipotle BBQ sauce, and sautéed jalapeños, so I can enjoy a symphony of savoury, smoky, and spicy flavours all at once with every bite.
| Pro Tip: If you’re ordering the fries, I recommend asking the staff not to add salt because the garlic dip it comes with is already salty and delicious. |
Desi Burger
– From: lishka_anand
Address: 1342 Gerrard St E
Operating Hours:
- Sunday to Thursday—2:30 pm to 4 am
- Friday and Saturday—2:30 pm to 5 am
Contact Number: +14164618757
A burger infused with Indian flavours? Say less! If this excites you as well, then you need to head to Desi Burger ASAP. The best part is that the burgers here are pretty affordable, so you can satisfy your cravings without breaking the bank.
The Beef Shami Burger is a standout here. The beef patty is wonderfully spiced, giving it an earthy, spicy flavour combination. It also comes with a chutney that adds a bold, juicy, and sweet contrast.
If you want to make it richer, you can have an egg as an add-on.
| Pro Tip: This restaurant offers a wide variety of services as well, such as private dining and catering. You can also host a birthday party or film a commercial video or movie. |
Riverside Burger
– From: riversideburgers
Address: 688 Queen St E
Operating Hours:
- Sunday to Thursday—11 am to 1 am
- Friday and Saturday—11 am to 2 am
Contact Number: +14168507026
Having opened in 2019, Riverside Burger is relatively young as a business, but it’s already won over many burger enthusiasts, including me.
If you’re up for a challenge, then you should get The Big Boy Burger. This burger is incredibly hefty—it has a double patty that weighs 11 oz altogether!
It also comes with a lot of other toppings, such as fried egg, double cheddar cheese, and jalapeños. So, this burger tastes super rich and savoury, with a wonderful kick of tangy and spicy notes.
| Pro Tips: If you don’t eat meat, you can swap any of the burgers with a meatless patty for an extra fee of C$1. It’s hard to find parking here, so I recommend using public transportation to reach this burger joint. |
