Ask a group of kids with their favorite dinner food is more than a few will likely give you the answer of “hamburger.” And let’s be honest, a hot, juicy burger is the preferred meal of many an adult. Thankfully, there’s plenty of restaurants offering the best burgers in Toronto, so your family’s craving for the perfect patty has plenty of options.
Of course, who makes the best burgers in Toronto is nearly as controversial as what toppings you should use. After consulting with a number of Torontonians, we’ve rounded up a dozen of the city’s best hamburger joints.
Please note that this list is organized alphabetically; your family can make its own judgment call on which spot comes out on top.
And since we know more and more families are incorporating plant-based meals into their dining plans, we’ve noted which spots offer vegetarian/vegan options. All of the restaurants listed below offer takeout and delivery and in pre-COVID times, most spots also offered some form of dine-in service (even if that just meant a few stools at a counter). During COVID, dine-in and patio service details vary, so be sure to check out your selected restaurant’s website before heading out with the family to eat.
12 of the Best Burgers in Toronto
Bullseye Burgers N’ Fries
940 Pape Ave, Toronto
Vegetarian option: Beyond Meat burger available
Bullseye only opened its doors in the spring of 2021, but it’s already become an east-end favourite. Burgers, which are made fresh in-house every morning, are cooked over a classic, charcoal grill then topped one of nine different ways. Someone in your family not in the mood for beef burgers? Bullseye also offers a variety of chicken breast burgers, a couple cheesesteak options and even salads. Be sure to leave room for ice cream, which can be scooped into a made-on-demand bubble waffle cone.
The Burger’s Priest
Locations across the GTA
Vegetarian option: Vegan burger available
For a while this was the go-to place for burgers in Toronto. And while the buzz might have cooled, the Priest’s smash-style burgers are still sizzling and perfectly worthy of a spot on your dining table. A wide variety of toppings are available, as is a fried chicken breast sandwich (also available with an assortment of toppings), hot dogs and even chicken strips. The Burger’s Priest is now found throughout Toronto and Ontario, making this restaurant the easiest one on this list to access.
The Burgernator
269 Augusta Ave, Toronto
Vegetarian option: Vegan burger and cheese and portobello mushroom burger available
Tucked away in Kensington Market, this small space is bursting with all kinds of different patties and combos. At the Burgenator, your family can choose from the “Burger of Massive Destruction” list, such as the Fully Loaded, which includes a double beef patty, fried egg, caramelized onions and more. Or keep things simple with a selection from the Classic Arsenal, where you’ll find the traditional cheeseburger. Also available is a chicken breast option, fries, milkshakes, and something you rarely see at a casual burger place: A salmon patty made with grilled Atlantic salmon.
Fearless Meats
884 Kingston Rd, Toronto
Vegetarian option: Beyond Meat vegan burger available
This place is founder by a butcher, so you know you’re getting the real deal. Its signature burgers are made with 100 percent Canadian Angus beef and are offered in two sizes: six ounce and three ounces. Meat lovers will adore the Beach Burger Raptor, which features—in addition to the burger patty—peameal bacon, Montreal smoked meat and two kinds of cheese. Need another reason to check this Upper Beaches restaurant out? It also offers plenty of dessert options including soft serve ice cream, milkshakes and something called an Oreo bomb.
Harry’s Charbroiled
293 Palmerston Ave, Toronto
Vegetarian option: Impossible burger available
For over 50 years Harry’s was Parkdale go-to spot for hot and juicy, cooked-on-the-grill burgers. Now this Toronto institution calls Little Italy home and while its location may have changed, the burgers are just as belly-pleasing as ever. The menu at Harry’s is pretty simple, mostly burgers and fries, and the toppings are pretty traditional, but fans of Harry’s swear that the classic Plain Jane it sure to hit your burger-craving spot.
Holy Chuck Burgers
Three locations in and near Toronto
Vegetarian option: Vegan burger available
If your family already loves The Burger’s Priest, then check out Holy Chuck, which also offers griddle-cooked, smash burgers available with all kinds of toppings. Tired of the usual beef patty? Try the Uncle Georgie Porgy, which features beef mixed with lamb and crispy chicken. Got a kid with a small appetite? Then order the Jr Cheeseburger. Finally, want to end your meal off on a sweet note? Check out Holy Chuck’s many milkshake flavours or indulge in a funnel cake. Holy Chuck has two locations on Yonge Street (one downtown and one in Deer Park) as well as one outpost in Woodbridge.
Johnny’s Hamburgers
2595 Victoria Park Ave, Toronto
Vegetarian option: None
The family behind Johnny’s has been flipping patties over a charcoal grill since 1967. With all that experience it’s no wonder that this restaurant is the go-to spot for generations of hungry Scarborough residents. The burgers are smaller and simpler here than at many of the other spots on this list, but sometimes all your kid (or you) needs is a classic four-ounce cheeseburger. Several non-beef burger options available including hot dogs, fish and chips, and pork souvlaki.
Mama’s Boys Burgers
480 Danforth Rd, Toronto
Vegetarian option: Veggie burger
Yes, there really is a mama behind this old-school burger spot, which uses a “propriety blend” of fresh, premium beef in its patties. While the topping options are minimal, you can choose between “classic American on the griddle or Mama’s original on the charcoal.” Besides burgers, your family can order some of the tastiest fries in the city, which are available in a few different styles, including pulled pork poutine.
Matty’s Patty’s Burger Club
923 Queen St W, Toronto
Vegetarian option: Impossible burgers available
Lineups are common outside this popular Trinity Bellwoods burger joint so order ahead or choose delivery. Founded in part by famed Toronto chef, Matty Matheson, the Burger Club serves up smash burgers made with triple AAA beef brisket and chunk. And burgers are pretty much the only thing on its menu, though you can top your meat with bacon, cheese and a trio of speciality sauces, as well place a side order of fries.
Planta
4 Temperance St. & 1221 Bay St., Toronto
Vegetarian option: Planta is entirely vegan
If your family is strictly vegan, then Planta’s plant-based take on the classic burger is a must-try. The Toronto-born collection of renowned vegan restaurants uses black beans, lentils, and mushrooms in its patty, and pairs each burger with almond parmesan truffle fries. All of this adds up to what many vegans consider as the best plant-based burger in Toronto. Note that Planta does have a couple of other locations in Toronto but only the Temperance Street and Bay Street locations offer the burger.
Rudy
Locations across Toronto
Vegetarian option: None
Rudy’s regularly tops best-burger-in-Toronto list for a good reason: Its smash-style burgers are simply delicious. And with five locations across the city to choose from, there’s likely a Rudy’s near your neighborhood. Want to take your family’s dining experience with Rudy’s to the next level? Then swap out fries for pickle chips, which are deep-fried slices of dill pickles and are positively delicious. These crispy creations will have your family wondering why you ever bothered with potatoes.
Zeal Burgers
1926 Weston Rd, Toronto
Vegetarian option: None
Let your family’s burger-creating imagination run wild at this Weston neighbourhood’s beloved restaurant. While a handful of “Chef Creations” are available, Zeal specializes in letting you craft your perfect burger. Select the size of your patty (from as small as a quarter pound to as large as a whopping one pound), then top it with various cheeses, veggies, sauces and more, including an egg, bacon and even guacamole. A crispy (and halal) chicken breast option is also available as are such burger joint classics as milkshakes, fries, and poutines.
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Category: restaurants
