We’ve left no stone unturned searching for Auckland’s best burger. In fact I’ve gained 5 kgs researching this article. I’ve personally eaten every moist, juicy, delicious burger on this list. So if you’re in the mood to try one of the best burgers Auckland has to offer then read our reviews, find a burger joint near you, and tuck in to the healthy goodness of a tasty, beefy, cheeseburger.
Fat Puku’s Smashed Burgers
This was the best burger I’ve ever eaten. I had the Fat Puku Burger and tried the Chuck Norris too. The Chuck Norris was good, but the onions were a little sweet for my taste. The Fat Puku Burger, on the other hand, was incredible. It was well seasoned, with lots of little crispy bits on the edges (you can see them in the photo), two types of tasty but not overpowering cheese, and fresh salad. There was also a delicious sauce and really fresh pickles. The pattie was juicy with crispy bits, it was the perfect smashed burger.
I eat a lot of burgers, but this was my first visit to Fat Puku’s – I will be returning on the regular.
Location : 492 Queen Street Auckland CBD
We Ate : Fat Puku $13.90 & Chuck Norris $12.90
Rating: 10/10
Smash Brothers
Smash Brothers double cheese burger is fucking fantastic. It’s my second favorite burger in Auckland. Just edged out by Fat Puku’s. Both burgers where equally delicious, however, the Smash Brothers double cheese burger was messier to eat. It’s so God damned cheesy that it’s a little on the slippery side. It is hard to keep all that deliciousness contained within the bun while you eat it. Tastewise it was incredible, the perfect salty, cheesy, juicy delicious mess. I will be back, and I would highly recommend this burger to any true burger lover.
Location : Elliot Stables Auckland CBD
We Ate : Double Cheese Burger $13.00
Rating: 10/10
Parade
Parade is sensational. The double smash burger is everything you’d hope and dream of in a burger, don’t ruin it by adding salad. Just eat as God intended. It’s cheesy, with crispy edges, like scrapings from a roast pan. So good, and great buns, best buns in Auckland, made inhouse I believe. $15 well spent.
Location : Ponsonby Road, Auckland
We Ate : Double Smash Burger $15.00
Rating: 10/10
Burger Geek
All the Burgers at Burger Geek are named after characters from TV shows. I opted for the Morty, with two wagyu beef smash patties, cheese, mustard, ketchup, and pickles. Frankly, it was delicious, almost as good as Fat Puku’s. This is a traditional cheese burger, done really really well. I’ll be back to try the rest of the menu.
The stand out for me was the pickles which I really liked, they tasted fresher than many others. But the beef patties were also exceptional, moist and juicy with crispy edges, I felt it could have used a little more seasoning. It was a quality bun too, but that wasn’t the highlight for me it was all about the beef and the pickles. It was great value, quite large for the price in this quality range.
Location : Eden Terrace, & Grey Lynn
We Ate : Morty $11.90
Rating: 9.5/10
Burger Burger
We choose the Beef and Cheese. This is a simple burger done really well. It wasn’t cheap but it was tasty. All the ingredients seemed of high quality, especially the meat and the bun. It was the best-looking burger, and it was moist and meaty tasting (in a good way). My only complaint was that the burger was so juicy that the bun had disintegrated by the last bite. But this was a great burger. Good enough to justify the high price. And it was nice to be asked how well done I wanted the burger, I choose medium rare, which may explain why it was so juicy.
Location : Ponsonby, Newmarket, Takapuna, Commercial Bay
We Ate : Beef and Cheese $15.80
Rating: 9.5/10
Hero Sandwich House
We ate the Philly Cheese Steak, you can argue is it a burger or a sandwich? Let’s not split hairs it’s delicious. Thinly sliced tender beef steak, melted cheese, pickles, and plenty of mustard on and top quality bun. This is the best Philly Cheese Steak you’ll get outside of Philadelphia (or at least the best you’ll get in NZ). It’s not cheap, but it is a high quality offering and I will be back. Hero Sandwich House is only open for lunch.
Location : Airedale Street Auckland CBD
We Ate : Philly Cheese $17
Rating: 9.5/10
Tiger Burger
Grey Lynn’s Tiger Burger is Koren flavours in a gourmet burger. My go-to burger here is the Kimcheese. A generous NZ beef patty, kimchi, aged cheddar, and gochu mayo. My kids didn’t want to like it but were forced to concede they enjoyed it more than McDonald’s, and they were keen to come back the next time we were near.
Tiger Burger is genuinely different with an authentic Korean influence and some ingredients/flavours you will not find at most burger joints. If you love burgers, do not miss Tiger Burger this is well worth a drive. It’s not cheap, but it is good value. It’s an exceptional burger.
Be warned they have weird opening hours. They are not open for lunch Monday to Thursday – which is disappointing if you’ve driven a while to get there. However, this makes it all the more satisfying when you finally get one.
Locations : Grey Lynn
We Ate : Kimcheese Burger $16.50
Rating: 9.5/10
Ralphs
Ralphs was a pleasant surprise. This Mt Eden gem servers up some exceptionally tasty smash burgers. Ralphs use 100% wagyu beef and an excellent quality bun. The pattie was thin (as a smash burger should be,) but extended outside the bun on all sides. So it was a fair size for the price. The addition of ranch dressing made the burger nice and moist without being soggy. The flavour was excellent with not too much onion, which can easily overpower a burger if you’re not careful. My only criticism is I’d prefer a little more seasoning, but that’s a personal taste not a fault with the burger.
Ralphs is next door to Murder Burger, just off Dominion Road, and is my new go-to lunch spot due to the friendly service, great food and proximity to my office.
Location : Mt Eden
We Ate : Easy Cheesy $14.00
Rating: 9/10
Low Brow
The Mac Daddy from Low Brow tastes like a Big Mac would taste if it was made by a real chef who actually gave a shit, using the finest quality ingredients. This burger was an attractive oval shape and had chewer bread than most burger joints use, which gave the burger a great feel biting into it. We enjoyed this delicious burger under a tree in Meyer’s Park without getting murdered.
My only issue with Low Brow was the size of the burger. It was a little small for the price. They do offer an option of an extra meat pattie for $4. If it’s dinner and you’re hungry, I’d maybe try that.
Location : Karangahape Road (St Kevins Arcade)
We Ate : Mac Daddy $15.00
Rating: 9/10
Burger Fuel
Unless you are hiding under a rock, you’ve probably had Burger Fuel. Many burger snobs like to look down on the chain as being too common. As they say, familiarity breeds contempt. Burger Fuel has grown from the single Ponsonby store I loved in the early 2000’s to a nationwide chain, and they’ve done that because they make consistently great burgers.
My go to burger is the C N Cheese with its perfect combination of cheddar and parmesan, delicious truffle mascarpone cheese. Is it as good as Fat Puku’s or Burger Burger? Nah, but it’s pretty fucking close. And you don’t have to drive far to find one. It’s a favorite dinner out for my family.
Location : Everywhere
We Ate : C N Cheese $13.90
Rating: 9/10
Ziggle
I had the Original Ziggle Burger. This is a quality smashed burger, and it’s a substantial burger for the price so great value. Because it’s a smashed burger, the pattie is fairly thin, so to make it big, the diameter has to increase, making the pattie bigger than the bun. I liked this, however, it made it difficult to pick it up. The pattie had some nice crispy edges, which is what you’re looking for in a smashed burger, but somehow, the meat was a little bland. The burger over all was flavoursome but where the meat hung out the edges you really noticed the patty itself wasn’t as tasty as it looked. Perhaps it just needed more salt?
I thought this burger was great value. Very large for the price and overall a great tasting burger. Next time I’ll be having the chicken burger as it looked amazing.
Location : Karangahape Road
We Ate : The Original $13.00
Rating: 8/10
Sneaky Snacky
Famous for their donut burgers Sneaky Snacky is an experience as much as it is a meal. Everyone should come here at least once. They make Korean-influenced burgers, but they use donuts instead of buns. You can choose glazed or unglazed, so of course, we decided on glazed. And you should too. After all, we are here for a donut burger, and if it’s not glazed, it might as well just be a bun.
I had the Juicy Lucy. You know it’s juicy when they give you disposable gloves to wear while eating it. Crispy shallots and Cheetos give the burger a satisfying crunch. The bone marrow sauce which came on the burger was really good with the fries, but I didn’t feel it went too well with the sweet donut. I do like a bit of sweet and salty, but this wasn’t quite right for me. It got mixed reviews from my kids as well, with one refusing to eat it at all, then demanding a drink to wash the taste out of his mouth. Yet he still liked going there, as I said it’s an experience that everyone should try once. Not everyone will go again. This is the most fun burger in Auckland, but maybe not the most delicious.
Location : Karangahape Road
We Ate : Juicy Lucy $15.50
Rating: 7.5/10
The Burger Bach
Located in Takapuna, The Burger Bach make a decent burger. It was pleasant but not exceptional. The price was a little on the high side but not too excessive given the location. The burger was juicy and fresh tasting. I liked the tangy relish. This is what I would call a classic NZ-style burger, done well. It’s similar in quality to Murder Burger. The burger wasn’t huge, and I could have happily eaten a second. We also ordered the onion rings, which were obviously made in the store and really, really good.
The location has put a fair bit of effort into the kiwi bach theme, which gives it a unique feel. There are board games while you wait for your food, but it’s pretty quick, so there’s not much time to play. It’s a nice place for lunch, dinner, or just a delicious burgery snack if you’re in Takapuna. But it is not worth a long drive just to try it. There’s also a Burger Burger a 3-minute walk away in Takapuna’s Eat Street, which I would recommend.
Locations : Takapuna
We Ate : Bach Classic $13.50
Rating: 7.5/10
Murder Burger
I’ve eaten a lot of Murder Burger over the years since they first opened. It’s still a good burger but not as good as it once was. They changed the menu items for the worse and made the brand less edgy (they’ve ruined the place). I had the Cheese Burger Grande from the Ponsonby Road store. The service was good, and the burger was beautifully presented on a wooden plate. Taste wise it was nice, but not great. And I was annoyed that they have changed it. It used to have gooey melty delicious cheese sauce, and now sadly, it just comes with a slice of regular cheese that’s not melted at all.
The burgers nice enough if you are hungry and passing by but I wouldn’t go out of my way to get one anymore. The price is fair for the size and quality of the burger. It’s still a step up for the international chains.
Locations : Ponsonby, and Dominion Road
We Ate : Cheese Burger Grande
Rating: 7.5/10
Shake Out
Shake Out is a new cheaper offering from Burger Fuel. It’s aimed at the same section of the market as Better Burger. The menu is based around keeping things simple and doing them right. I ate a single cheeseburger which wasn’t huge (sensibly sized), I also had fries with cheese sauce and a shake. The fries were exceptional, the burger was nice but nothing special. The shake comes with a paper straw but a plastic cup WTF. I would eat here again, but I wouldn’t go out of your way to try it.
Location : Smales Farm
We Ate : Cheeseburger $9.60
Rating: 7.5/10
Better Burger
Better than who? Well the burgers are certainly better than many larger international fast-food chains, as Better Burger cook their burgers to order. But better than Fat Puku’s Smashed Burgers? Nah, not even close.
Better Burger Keep things simple with meat, cheese, bun, lettuce, tomato, onion, and “special sauce,” They serve a reliably good burger. But it’s not worth going too far out of your way to get one. That said, you won’t need to go too far out of your way to get one as this homegrown burger chain is spreading fast.
Locations : Ponsonby, Sylvia Park, and CBD
We Ate : Cheese Burger $8.00
Rating: 7.5/10
Happy Boy
We ate Bao Bun Cheeseburger. Which seemed like a great idea, but I guess I now know why this isn’t a thing. Maybe it would be better with the pork belly burger but this was below average. The meat pattie was lacking any seasoning and the entire burger was bland. I only gave a 6.5/10 because I like the design of the store. It’s a fun place to go. The coolest thing was the viewmasters on the tables with pictures of the waffles.
Locations : Penrose
We Ate : Bao Cheese Burger $15.00
Rating: 6.5/10
The White Lady
An Auckland institution, The White Lady has been around since 1948. For me, it’s drunk food. Yesterday I made the mistake of consuming it sober. It was like seeing the inside of a nightclub in broad daylight, the mystery was gone and you noticed it was a bit shabby. The White Lady Cheese Burger I remember from all those drunken nights with friends is really just a simple takeaway burger.
It’s not bad, but on the same day, I had already eaten Burger Burger, Fat Puku, Ziggle, Murger Burger, and Low Brow. The White Lady was similar in price, but it was nowhere near as good as the others.
Will I eat it again – Yes, of course, I will. But I’ll do it the way the good Lord intended me to, drunk at 2 am standing next to a rubbish bin in the rain. Under which circumstances it will no doubt taste as good as I remember.
Locations : K Road, Commerce Street
We Ate : Cheese Burger $13.00
Rating: 6/10
Burger Boy
I’ve eaten a lot of great burgers to write this post. Sadly this wasn’t one of them. There was really nothing I liked about the Good Boy. It’s a long burger (think BK Chicken sandwich) but then they cut it half so it’s not even long anymore. It’s great to try something a little different, and maybe if it tasted amazing I wouldn’t be talking about the shape, but the burger just wasn’t that good. The meat pattie had a few hard to chew lumps, it was bland and lacking seasoning, and I really didn’t like the sauce. I did finish it, (I was hungry) but I won’t be going back in a hurry. Auckland has too many great burgers for for anyone to charge $12.50 for a burger like this.
Locations : Viaduct
We Ate : Good Boy Burger $12.50
Rating: 5/10
Handmade Burgers
I’ve eaten a lot of burgers from Handmade Burgers over the years, it seems to be under new management the menu has changed and not for the better. The blue cheese burger I loved is gone so I had the beef and cheese. The bun was really stale, the beef pattie was dry and the salad in the burger was bitter. This is the worst gourmet burger I’ve eaten in some time. I wanted to like it, they used to be so good. This is the first burger on the list I didn’t even finish, and no because it was big. It just wasn’t nice enough to want to eat all of it. If you’re looking for the best burger in Auckland you won’t find it here.
Locations : Kingsland
We Ate : Beef and Cheese Burger $13.90
Rating: 4/10
Other Notable Burgers in Auckland.
The job is not done. We know we haven’t yet reviewed all the great burgers in Auckland. Here’s a list of those yet to be reviewed.
BabyG – This elusive popup is widely regarded to be Auckland’s best burger. I can not wait to see if it as good as Fat Puku’s. Drove a hour to get one today only to find they had sold out. The wait continues.
Corner Burger – I ate in the Newmarket one when it first opened ,so time to revisit for a formal review. It was nice but I remember the sides being ore remarkable than the burger.
Big J’s – I’ve heard great things about this unassuming suburban takeaways. I look forward to trying it, as it’s not to far from Sylvia Park.
Rosier Burgers – Apparently this Glen Eden gem is worth the drive. I’ll let you know once I’ve made the trek.
Burger Wisconsin – My daughter ate one at the pop up in Mexicali Fresh Pukekohe. Looked OK but I haven’t had one in 10 years.
Saltwater Burger Bar – I tried to go here but found it closed. Will try again as I have heard good things. Close to Dress Smart in Onehunga.
The Flaming Onion – 4 locations and growing. Somehow I’m yet to try it.
Black Dog Burger – Another Burger that’s just asking for it. But I’m yet to smash one. 2022 Goals.
The Chosen Bun – With two location in Stonefields and East Tamaki this looks great, although at the high end price wise. I’m keen to try it.
Styles of Burger in Auckland
I would class all beef burgers into one of 4 styles, smash burgers (the best kind), gourmet burgers, traditional burgers, and fusion burgers.
Smash burgers are trendy now, and that’s a good thing because they are sensational. Made from taking a round ball of raw mince and smashing it flat on the grill. This pressure creates a crispy caramelized crust on the burger which as any chef will tell you makes it more delicious.
The best Smash Burgers in Auckland
Gourmet Burgers are typically huge with a thick juicy pattie, and known for having fancy sauces and additional premium non traditional ingredients like camembert cheese, blue cheese, onion rings or avocado.
Notable Gourmet Burgers in Auckland
Traditional Burgers are typically smaller than gourmet burgers and stick to the traditional ingredients beef, cheddar cheese, tomato, iceberg lettuce, mustard and ketchup, or perhaps burger sauce.
Traditional Burgers in Auckland
Fusion Burgers are a mixture of burger techniques with ingredients and flavours from other cultures and traditions. In Auckland many of the best have a strong Korean influence.
The Best Fusion Burgers in Auckland
Have we missed your favorite burger? Let us know in the comments.
Missed out The Flaming Onion.
Would you like me to come and try one?