Rich, stacked and indulgent – where to find Brisbane’s best restaurant burgers

Walter’s Steakhouse, Brisbane City
When it comes to the must-try dishes of Brisbane’s dining scene, the signature dry-aged porterhouse at Walter’s Steakhouse sits at the top of the list. But did you know that the venue’s bar is also doing one of the best burgers in town? This beauty is anchored by a drool-worthy patty made with a fifty-fifty dry-aged beef mix featuring trimmings from the restaurant’s New York striploin, layered with a melty medley of provolone and gruyere, a dollop of house steak sauce, pickles and red onion on a soft milk bun. 

SK Steak & Oyster, Fortitude Valley
Though steaks are the headline act at SK Steak & Oyster, the burger is far from an afterthought. In fact, there’s something compelling about ordering a burger and having it executed at the highest possible level. Here, the SK team is grinding Stockyard wagyu and Black Angus beef in-house, mixing it into a thick patty and cooking it over wood fire. Then, the meat is layered with American cheese and paired with a purpose-built bun boasting a schmear of American mustard, ketchup and thick-cut sweet-and-sour pickles made in-house. The burger is served with lettuce and tomato on the side, with shoestring fries also in accompaniment. This dish is proof that in the right hands, ordering the burger isn’t settling – it’s simply choosing to enjoy a restaurant’s best work through a different lens.

Marlowe, South Brisbane
At lunchtime, Marlowe dishes up one of the best restaurant burgers you’re likely to find in Brisbane. It starts with a custom brioche bun from Milano Bakery, which is brushed with caramelised wagyu fat and kissed over the fire for a smoky finish. The 200-gram patty, made from smoked wagyu brisket and aged wagyu fat, is cooked to a juicy medium over wood fire, then layered with a rich onion jam slow-caramelised with brown sugar and sherry vinegar, sharpened by bursts of caper acidity. A classic blend of Dijon mustard and tomato sauce ties it all together, while melted cheese drapes over the patty for that perfect finish. Soft, smoky, juicy and salty – this burg easily earns its place among the city’s best.

The 203, Fortitude Valley
Trust the team at The 203 to deliver the goods when it comes to its burger. The Stanbroke Beef-backed restaurant doesn’t skimp when it comes to the Signature 203 double smashed cheeseburger. Two patties of grass-fed Stanbroke beef are stacked atop a brioche bun, which has been smothered in burger sauce, pickles and onions before crowned with a couple of rashers of salivation-worthy beef bacon. For a limited time only, The 203 is giving burger lovers a deal, with one burger and a beer available for $30. Sounds like a bargain to us!

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Rothwell’s Bar & Grill, Brisbane City
If you’re famished after shopping or seeking some sustenance to follow an ice-cold martini or two, it’s hard to look past the burger on the bar menu at Rothwell’s. Though straightforward in form, this burger nails everything needed in a classic burger, starting with a soft yet structurally sound potato bun, which is loaded up with a juicy wagyu patty, a slice of American cheese, lashings of special sauce (a mix of raw eschallot, Dijon mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and olive oil) and pickled cucumber.

Petite, Fortitude Valley
Petite has a burger so nice, it’s giving it to you twice. During lunch hours, the French-inspired East Street bistro is serving two Petite burgers with a side of fries. Smaller than a regular burger but larger than a slider, these twin tasters feature patties crafted from wagyu bavette trimmings, a syrupy ketchup made from a cognac reduction, seeded mustard and herb mayo, gruyere cheese, pickled cucumber and diced red onion. Double the burgers, double the happiness.

Bar Miette, Brisbane City
From 4:00 pm on Mondays, Trader House’s European-inspired terrace bar and eatery Bar Miette serves a burger that’s so delicious, you’ll wish it was available every day of the week. This beauty (which comes with fries on the side) is made with an Angus-beef patty, melted cheese, lettuce, onion, tomato and Westmont pickles, all layered between a pillow-soft Martin’s potato bun that is lathered with a healthy dollop of Bar Miette’s own burger sauce. 

Fatcow on James St, Fortitude Valley
It’s a safe bet that a good steakhouse will have a top-notch burger on its menu, and Fatcow’s offering validates that hypothesis. The restaurant’s cheeseburger features a 220-gram patty made using a blend of full-blood wagyu off-cuts mixed with some grass-fed beef to cut through the richness. This patty is then topped with two slices of melty cheddar, a dollop of beef-bacon jam and Fatcow’s own take on a burger sauce – all served on a brioche bun with a pickle and serve of fries on the side. Simple, yet delicious.

The Brasserie at Naldham House, Brisbane City
If you’re seeking a high-quality burger served with a side of nostalgia, you’ll get a kick out of the option served at Naldham House’s ground-floor brasserie. The Naldham House cheeseburger features a classic combo of a wagyu-beef patty, gruyere cheese and lettuce, while its shoestring fries are served in a cardboard sleeve reminiscent of a popular fast-food joint that boasts a clown for a mascot. 

Bar Cooper’s, Coorparoo
While Leaham Claydon and Jianne Jeoung’s suburban bistro Bar Cooper’s takes cues from contemporary pub dining, there’s nothing low key about its dry-aged wagyu cheeseburger. This bad boy boasts a patty made from a double-ground mix of wagyu, pork back fat and dry-aged beef. Seasoned well and cooked to medium in a cast-iron skillet in the kitchen’s woodfire oven, the patty is basted before being rested with cheese on top. The glistening slab is then laid atop a sesame milk bun that has been grilled over charcoal and laced with a sweet and spicy mayo with plenty of diced eschallots and pickles. 

Blackbird, Brisbane City
Available on the venue’s all-day bar menu, Blackbird’s wagyu and bacon cheeseburger hits the perfect ratio – the wagyu chuck is rich with just enough fat to stay juicy, never greasy – seared over ironbark flames that lock in smoke and flavour. Swiss melts, bacon crackles and layers of sauce bring the punch – we’re talking tangy, smoky and just a little sweet. Crisp lettuce, ripe tomato and a sharp pickle cut through it all, tucked into a soft, toasted brioche that holds everything together.

Bisou Bisou, Brisbane City
Bisou Bisou’s burger is all about the smash – Angus beef pressed onto a hot chrome grill for a deep, caramelised crust. It then stacks melted Swiss, smoky bacon and a sly hit of salami that brings a warm, spiced edge. The milk bun is toasted then steamed under a dome until impossibly soft, hugging the layers of lettuce and tomato in a rich, juicy blur – messy, melty and dangerously addictive.

Le Royale, Brisbane City
While more of a bar than a restaurant, Le Royale’s signature burger is still worth a quick mention. The Le Royale with cheese boasts a beef-and-bacon patty, cheese, special sauce, pickles and lettuce – best enjoyed with a side of live music.

Got more burger cravings? Click here to read through our list of Brisbane’s best patty flippers.