Best Burger Joints In New Zealand

Auckland's Better Burger has become hot property for foodies and friends, with classics on the menu and a no-fuss attitude.

Whether it's the pickle, smoked jalapeno sauce or a double-serving of halloumi, there's always that one ingredient that'll tip you over the edge. In a good way. Well, most of the time. Regardless of the sometimes messy aftermath, we love them burgers and we'll always go back for seconds. And thirds. And when we break to come up for air, it appears another burger shack has popped up just around the corner from the last. With so many new hot-spots popping up left, right and centre, we wanted to take a fresh look at the Kiwi burger scene. We've gathered our favourites from across the country - make sure to take notes so you can plan em' into your next burger fuelled road-trip. (subliminal promo pun not intended)

(Tenth place) Due to the scheduling of my visits to Auckland’s oldest foodtruck, The White Lady and I don’t always have the clearest picture of our relationship, but I know for sure that I’m a happy customer. The burgers are large and delicious and the staff are always friendly, even after more than 60 years serving the nightlife on the city’s streets. The menu has maybe too many options for the functionally drunk to safely navigate, but no matter what you pick you’ll be greedily spilling burger fillings onto the moonlit street with a grin on your face, that much I can guarantee.

The Food Truck Garage does a great healthy version of a burger, the pattie is 50% vegetables. Choose from Beefroot, Spinkin or the Chickette and opt for some oven baked, chunky root vege chips on the side.

The chips and gravy here are good but the burgers, they are bloody good, just like this quality establishment's tagline says. A sucker for good-quality Angus beef, if it's on a burger menu, I get hamstrung and can't order anything else. And if a burger joint combines this kind of beef with blue cheese then you've got me as a customer for life. That's why every time I come to Christchurch, I head here and order a Billy Beef & Blue to satisfy that craving. Oh and don't forget to be a good bugger and accompany your burger with a beer because that's what this place is all about.

Monterey - they’re like that kid at school that’s good at everything who you get uber jealous of, but once you get chatting they’re actually really cool and super lovely so you want to hang out with them all the time and learn from them. Monterey’s burgers are an easy choice for second, their popularity and flavour is only just out-done by Ekim. It’s creations like the house smoked snapper, red pepper and tartare sauce burger that had them oh so close to first place, it’s even tempting to put them in at first equal. Monterey’s got the goods on the burger front, and they do it all with just enough swag to top it off.

Cool environment and great food.

Grill Meats Beer is a relative newcomer to the upper Cuba St scene, but early indications are that it’s definitely one to watch. As for its specialty, the clues are in its name: it’s a grill bar that specialises in meat – sausages, ribs, burgers, steaks, you name it. There is also beer. Perhaps, on balance, not somewhere you’d take your vegetarian friend.

World famous in New Zealand, Fergburger is seriously good. The line may stretch way outside the door from morning until tonight here, but the wait is worth it.

This is one of the newer Velvet Burger establishments and it has quickly become a popular burger joint in Christchurch. I like the fact that Velvet Burger do mini burgers (about three-quarters of the size of their regular offering) so that if you have a smaller appetite, you can still indulge in burger goodness. My favourite is the mini Velvet Burger with a vension pattie.

One of the better inner-city places to drink (and dine) spots in CHCH, The Fox Riccarton sort of has become this by default after the earthquakes, and while the beer is on the pricier side, the free viewing of some local talent cannot be ignored. Best avoid business meetings or intimate dinners there on Friday and Saturday nights.

An Auckland institution. If you haven’t been to Handmade yet you definitely have a friend who has, and you might need to have a chat about your friendship because why isn’t that guy inviting you along? Of the top five on this list, Handmade has the widest range of burger options (especially for vegetarians!) so if you’re partial to extras like blue cheese or plum sauce on your burger then Handmade is the place to go. Infinitely customisable, always made with care, and always tasty.

The Late Night Diner is the perfect place to go if you're hungry for a good meal after trekking up and down Franklin Road, or even if you're just after a great dessert. This place is open pretty late as the name suggests and the food is top notch but without the expensive price tag for its location. I'm a big fan of their veggie burger which is one of the best I've tasted and of course I have to follow it with their chocolate and peanut butter fondant which is sublime.

For a dependable burger joint that’s open late, Better Burger in Britomart has its act together. You can get a hamburger, a cheeseburger, a double cheeseburger, or a vegeburger, and adding hand-cut fries and a soda will set you back not much over ten dollars. No fancy extras, just a well-made burger with quality ingredients every time.

Well worth the trip to Mt Wellington, Big J’s is a classic neighbourhood burger joint. Beef makes friends with the likes of cheese, bacon, and mushrooms, and there are a couple of chicken and fish options on the menu too. All reassuringly what you’d expect, until you get to the special of the week. Announced weekly on their Facebook page, the guys at Big J’s clearly put a lot of thought into the creations they unveil, which have included inspired combos like thai beef with crispy noodles, rosemary lamb with kumara chips, and chicken with wild mushroom ragout. If you’re looking for well-made standard options and an exciting weekly wildcard then look no further than Big J’s.

Yes, you guessed it. The new guy that’s been causing all the fuss. You’ve probably heard by now about how incredible the burgers are at this Ponsonby favourite. Every option has achieved peak delicious. One of each kind of beast trapped in pillowy bread, with house-made sauces and extras. You know how good meats can be, and these are exemplary representatives of their species. It’s what’s wrapped around those fillings that I found most striking: about as perfect a burger bun as I’ve ever come across. Buttery and toasted from the grill-top, airy and soft so your fillings don’t spill out with every bite, yet strong enough to hold together till the end without getting soggy or making you feel like you’ve eaten a bagel’s-worth of wheat. If you’ve had enough burgers you’ll know how important those wheaty bookends can be - they can make or break a burger despite the quality of the fillings, and these quality fillings are thankfully elevated by a bun that knows its job. And if after all of that you’re still strong enough to reject gluten, these chefs will hollow out a cos lettuce and nestle your burger ingredients in there so they’re all cuddled up in a crispy green parcel. I would be going to Burger Burger for those buns alone though if I weren’t already going for the potato skins. You think you’ve tasted the best that a potato can be, but you haven’t yet tasted perfection till you’ve had Burger Burger’s potato skins. I’m guessing they must get gifted extra skins from the neighbouring restaurants because there’s no way they’re getting through all the potato innards this treat is leaving behind. Crispy little curls of golden potato, full of that earthier potato-skin flavour and nestled in beside a glistening little pool of truffle aioli. I probably cried a little the first time I had these. That’s how you know it’s true love.

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