We’re searching for the Best and @Sydney_Burger_Boy has hit enough burgers to give us an excellent view of the best burgers out there in the Harbour City. Check out his tips and insights:

1. Tough question first, after 300 reviews, what’s your burger preference? Beef vs chicken? Cheese? Stack size? Bacon? Bun type? Condiment/sauce game? Spice? Anything funky? 

It’s really hard to say as it generally depends on what mood I’m in. I don’t discriminate when it comes to burgers, but I guess there are a few things I prefer.

I definitely prefer a burger that you can pick up. I’m not really into a lot of those super over-the-top burgers you see on Instagram. It’s just not enjoyable if I’m struggling to eat it.

Sauce can really make or break a great burger. I want it overflowing over the sides, I hate it when they skimp!

And on the meat front, if it’s beef, I generally like my meat well done, while I’ve rarely encountered a situation where the addition of bacon did not improve a burger.

2. Is there anything that should just never go on a burger?

I love when people get experimental and creative with burgers. I honestly think you can put anything on a burger you want. Everyone has their own tastes and what they like to eat.

Although in saying that, there was this one time I had vegan cheese on a burger. It was awful and ruined the burger for me. Although I think that’s just vegan cheese in general.

What are your top 5 burgers in order with ratings? 

In no particular order, the burgers that make my top 5 list are…

Cheeseburger from BUSH

Bush is a small unassuming restaurant in Redfern with a funky Australian bush vibe and very simple menu. I heard from a lot of people that this was the best cheeseburger in Sydney. As Sydney’s leading burger reviewer and influencer, I’ve honestly lost count of the number of times I’ve been told of supposedly the “best burger”… but omg they were right.

At first glance this appears to be a simple cheeseburger, however the true magic happens once you take a bite into its soft pillowy buns and that tender juicy meat enters your mouth. This burger was built with love. The best way to describe this burger would be – imagine if you went around to God’s house for dinner and he made you a burger, this would be it. They also do a vegetarian option as well (with a mushroom patty) that’s also very good.

Blame Canada Burger from Bar Luca

Simply one of the nicest burgers I’ve had in my life. My pants felt like they were about to burst and I struggled to walk home as I was really full after eating it.

Randwick Burger from Suburgia

OMG this was such a great burger. Wagyu beef patty, smokehouse bacon, cheese, egg, grilled onion, pineapple, beetroot, lettuce, tomato, pickles and seriously tasty burger sauce. This was not a mere burger constructed by man, but that of a god… it took my tastebuds on a journey through both time and space. Just be warned – this burger is messy!

Shroom Burger from Mookie Burger

Ok so this one was from Canberra not Sydney, but it’s so good that it still makes my top 5. Particularly because mushroom burgers can often prove challenging to pull off.

More often than not, the flavours of the mushroom patty risk overpowering the burger. But this burger absolutely nailed it.

The burger was soft and cheesy, with the sauce giving it a surprisingly sweet kick. Although much like making love to a beautiful lady (or man) – unfortunately it was over way too quickly.

Double Beef Burger from Evolve Wahroonga

This café isn’t hugely known for burgers but are worth checking out. Firstly this burger is absolutely massive. Having reviewed nearly every burger worth eating in Sydney, I can easily say this would have to be one of the biggest. I struggled to pick this up it was that big. And while I did say I liked a burger you can hold, this just made it in.

And what did it taste like? One word… AMAZING! This baby was a meat lovers (i.e. me) dream. I was in heaven. Such a great value burger for the size and also this café does absolutely amazing service.

4. How many burgers have you had that are 5 out of 5?

Although my scoring system is a secret which I will take to the grave – I rate burgers on a number of things (taste, size, value, ambiance, etc).

I’ve now reviewed over 300 burgers that received my coveted “5 stars”. Look… people tend to comment that I review every burger 5 out of 5 stars but I disagree. I generally tend to go for burgers I know I’ll love which is why they score so high.

5. I see you’ve done a lot of traveling, what was the best burger you had in a random out of the way place you never expected?

The burgers and restaurants from Canberra really surprised and impressed me, there’s quite a hip and up-and-coming foodie scene going on there which I didn’t expect.

One of the standouts there of course that I really enjoyed was the Shroom Burger from Mookie Burger (see above).

I’d also say the same for New Zealand in terms of a good scene. I’ve had some pretty good burgers from there too which I didn’t expect (Fergburger and Five Boroughs are both worth mentioning).

6. What was the at first strangest combo of ingredients on a burg you had that turned out to be amazing?

Ice Cream and Chocolate

I didn’t think I’d enjoy ice cream and chocolate, on a burger but it was great. Huxtaburger’s Ice Cream Burger combined two of my favourite meals – dinner and dessert. 

Fake Meat

I think it’s come along way over the past few years and (almost) passable for real meat. Best to get from Huxtaburger, Grilld, and also the Rebel whooper from Hungry Jacks.

Popcorn

Popcorn’s something I normally enjoy at the cinema, not something I’d have on my burger. I tried the Snap Crackle Pop Burger from The Milk Bar by Cafeish. It was actually delicious and gave the burger extra crunch.

7. Have you had a burger defeat you?

I’m proud to say no burger has ever defeated me (although the Double Beef Burger from Evolve Wahroonga came close).

However, there’s been burgers which I haven’t finished for other reasons (ie. it was awful).

8. Is there a burger you haven’t had yet but that is on your list?

Yes there’s HEAPS!

At the top is Sneakies out in Homebush, especially the infamous pizza burger. I’ve seen this alot on both insta and tik tok – but it’s two double beef patty burgers, two fried chicken burgers and served between two large cheese pizzas. 

9. What’s your burger map look like? Are there parts of the Sydney you’ve yet to get into? I can see you have covered a lot of the world, is there a particular international city you are looking to get to for the burger game?

I would like to travel out further to Western Sydney, I’ve heard there are some great burger joints out there. Internally, when it comes to burgers I’ve heard great things about Berlin, Germany. I also haven’t been to the UK or London, so would be willing to try some burgers from there.

10. Do you cook homeburgs? Anything you have bought that you’d recommend for that?

I don’t really cook too many homeburgs, half the fun is having other people cook for me. But when I do, some general tips:

It’s all about the meat. A good cut of meat can make or break a burger. I can highly recommend the Australian Meat Emporium in Alexandria, they have a great range and top quality cuts.

Invest in a proper patty smasher and keep the seasoning of your meat simple (just salt and pepper).

Always toast your buns.

Add lots of sauce.

11. I know you do chips too, what were the best 5 chips? Scores for each please. 

In no particular order, and all five out of five:

The Bacon and Cheese Loaded Fries from Suburgia. Simply delicious!

Fries from Milk Bar by Cafeish. Handcut and twice cooked, served with chicken salt and aioli sauce. 

Fries from KFC Australia (although Hungry Jack’s have upped their fry game in recent years and come a close second). Can’t beat the classics.

Fries from Chicky Char Char

Fries from Belles Hot Chicken

12. What were the best sides you’ve had with a burger that weren’t chips?

I usually prefer chips, but BUSH does amazing side salads which are as good as their burgers and a healthier alternative to chips. And you can’t go past good onion rings as a change from regular chips, Bar Luca Sydney does some of the best onion rings in Sydney.

Lol and does dessert count as a side? I’m a huge dessert fan! 

12B. YES DEFINITELY THEY DO. Please do expand and let us know where?

I really love gelato from Gelato Messina, too many to list as my favourite but I really like to explore and try new flavours when I’m there. Also Bay Vista Parramatta is great, a huge range of desserts for all different tastes. And they are huge!

13. Any other dishes you have had that you think were the best?

Yes, I like to occasionally mix it up and surprise my fans, generally anything I can eat that tastes delicious I’ll review – ice cream (Gelato Messina), hot chips (see above), pizza (Dominos), hot chicken rolls (Red Rooster), milkshakes, meat pies (Village Bakehouse Dubbo), egg and bacon rolls (Vespa Northern Beaches) and sausage sandwiches (Bunnings).

14. Of the burger places- who has given you the best service and vibes?

Suburgia is always super friendly every time I’ve been, real personal service.

For atmosphere Burgers by Josh at Annandale was great but might be closed now, but it had live music, arcade games and pinball machines, so I’d like to see more like that. Bar Luca Sydney also has a cool atmosphere on Friday nights and weekends.

15. What are your tips for taking a solid insta shot of your burg? 

People in the past have referred to photography style as somewhat Guerrilla. I like to operate fast – one of my biggest pet peeves is people who spend way too long taking photos of their burger. You’re there to eat it and you’re letting it get cold!

Whenever possible, shoot in natural light and take several shots in case you screw one up. Get creative and don’t be afraid to play with different angles

Regarding equipment I like to keep it simple. I try to avoid big heavy cameras and stick with the simple iPhone camera. As I review all my burgers undercover, it also allows me to take photos incognito and on the fly.

Check out the full list of all of Sydney Burger Boy‘s recommended items above.

What’s your favourite burger? Let us know in the comments!