The five best burgers I’ve ever had
The best burgers I’ve eaten in my life have always come by accident. I didn’t leave my house or order in, in pursuit of finding the perfect burger. Shake Shack is the exception. I sought it out with intent. I needed to taste it. And it didn’t disappoint. You did not find me queuing at the Foreshore in 2013 when Burger King first opened in South Africa but the Whopper is easily in my top 10 favourite fast-food burgers. It’s the freshness of the lettuce, the tomato to patty ratio, the bun …
That said, I’ve eaten many forgettable burgers and my eyes will always peruse the burger selection just to see … and maybe even order. I’ve also eaten a handful of spectacular ones. I thought there would be an agreed-on, official judging criteria so I searched and found the opposite: There's no Michelin of burgers, no single body, no shared scorecard everyone defers to. What exists instead is a handful of competing bodies. For one, there is World's 101 Best Burger Places, run out of London, with paid anonymous judges working through more than a thousand burgers a year according to seven criteria. It takes itself quite seriously with criteria such as burger composition and execution, meat quality and provenance, compliance with HACCP Standards, online presence and reputation… none of these have anything to do with what’s between the buns!
I have my own:
The stand-alone flavour and juiciness of it. Could I eat this patty on its own
The bun choice: Brioche, potato, seeded … whatever it is, it should become one with the patty. Not by melting into it by way of the sauce, mind you, but by moving with it, in unison, in mutual understanding.
Holdability: Whether the whole outfit survives contact with your hands or knife (if you’re partial to cutting your burger in half) long enough to be enjoyed in a cute and dignified fashion.
Fullness: No one wants to leave the table in discomfort after greedily scoffing one down. You should feel sated, and nowhere “I couldn't eat or drink another single thing!”
Freshness: We’re going to need some fresh ingredients – lettuce, tomato, something green …
Pickles: Non-negotiable. What else is supposed to cut the patty grease?
Against those six, here’s how my best five stack up:
NUMBER 5 | POPL, COPENHAGEN
René Redzepi's Noma-chef burger spot in Christianshavn: a breaded, fried fish fillet on a toasted bun with melted cheese and a heavy scattering of chopped chives.
Patty: Fresh, flaky and crumbed and crispy! Good on its own.
Bun: Toasted, rich brioche bun.
Holdability: Perfect size and if we weren’t sharing, I would have inhaled it.
Fullness: Two more bites and it still would have been good.
Freshness: Packed with chives.
Pickles: An assortment of pickles served on the side is genius!
NUMBER 4 | SHAKE SHACK, KYOTO, JAPAN
The ShackBurger doesn’t try to reinvent anything, and that’s what I enjoyed about it. A 100% Angus beef patty.
Patty: Smashed thin, griddled hard, with the kind of char that also comes with a crunch! Good enough to eat on its own.
Bun: A potato roll, soft but not flimsy with just enough sweetness. Patty and bun move together; no complaints.
Holdability: Excellent! We tend to be greedy when it comes to scoping out ‘value’ of a burger. Size often impresses. So at first glance, you might feel cheated but … what matters more than people give it credit for is whether it is built to hold when you’re standing up on a Kyoto street corner with nowhere to sit down. Ok, so I had a place to sit but if I didn’t …
Fullness: Just right. Was hungry for supper again that night and didn’t feel guilty.
Freshness: Covered. Crisp lettuce, a proper slice of tomato – nothing wilted, nothing there for show.
Pickles: Absent, which is the one and only non-negotiable. Their absence wasn’t felt so perhaps the sauce was that good!
NUMBER 3 | LA BACHINA, REFSHALEØEN, COPENHAGEN
Deep-fried cod burger on a golden bun served at the coolest waterside wine bar in CPH.
Patty: Deep-fried, but not oil-saturated and oh so tasty, firm, hot fish with a crunchy finish.
Bun: Golden and soft is the only way I can describe it. A soft soaking of grease through the bun from the warm fish
Holdability: Fits in the palms of two hands
Fullness: I ate this alongside two two bodegas of Les Bulles Pétillant Naturel and felt slightly tipsy but fully satisfied.
Freshness: Fresh lettuce leaves yes!
Pickles: Generous
NUMBER 2 | DUKES BURGERS, MELVILLE, JOHANNESBURG (shuttered in 2025)
Sadly, I never sat inside this restaurant, but ordered the same burger on Mr D and Uber Eats more times than I care to remember.
Patty: Loosely packed and heavenly spiced – led by cumin and garlic. On its own, this patty could have carried a plate by itself.
Bun: Sturdy despite carrying quite the heavy load of not just a patty, but also slices of halloumi and tzatziki.
Holdability: It falls apart slightly here – between the tzatziki and the halloumi I had to eat the burger leaning forward most of the time, wiping my hands and mouth after each bite. But I didn’t mind at all.
Fullness: Generous in the way that lamb and halloumi go together.
Freshness: Covered, and then some with the fresh coriander and onion but honestly, it’s the tzatziki, dill-vinaigrette cucumber salad and that gives it that overall freshness
Pickles: None. I’ll allow it.
NUMBER 1 | OUR LOCAL, KLOOF STREET, CAPE TOWN
A double beef smash burger, pickles and cheese with a house sauce. Nothing about the description suggests it should outrank a lamb burger with fried halloumi, but ladies and gentlemen, it does.
Patty: Properly named, wide, thin – and the flavours oozed into my mouth with the first bite. Ratio to bun was immaculate.
Bun: Toasted, buttered, structurally unbothered by everything happening inside. Patty and bun aren't just compatible here – they move as one thing. This is the bun every other burger on this list should study.
Holdability: Not even the pickles could unseat this bun.
Fullness: Exactly right. I even finished the chips, which were so, so good. The requisite amount of greasiness and crispiness.
Freshness: None needed. These are my rules – I’m also allowed to break them.
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