It used to be pretty tricky to get a really good burger in Perth, but these days there are so many burger joints popping up that it can be hard to keep up.
Perth's Best Burgers At A Glance
- Jump to Perth's best beef burgers
- Jump to Perth's best smashburgers
- Jump to Perth's best chicken burgers
Around the Urban List office, we've been known to debate the merits of beef burgers over chicken burgers, potato buns over brioche. To settle the debate, we invited Perth Dude Food himself, Lachie Sherridan, to curate the ultimate burger list for us.
A former chef, Lachie has the insiders knowledge on just what it takes to pull together the perfect burger, and now spends his time hunting down the best of the best around Perth. Read on for where to find all his favourites around Perth.
The Best Beef Burgers In Perth
Short Order
Fremantle And Perth
Image credit: Short Order Co | Instagram
Oh sweet beefy goodness me, the buns are soft and the handmade beef patties are spiced and cooked to pink perfection at Perth burger joint Short Order. Run to your car now to sink your desperate burger-loving face into the BBQ bacon cheeseburger; beef patty, smoked mozzarella, American cheddar, caramelised onion, Short Order BBQ sauce, whole egg mayo, pickles and maple candied bacon. They also do plant-based patty substitutes so even your vegetarian mates can get involved.
“I personally think Short Order has the best Nashville-style chicken burger in town in their FNZ Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich,” Lachie tells us.
His go-to order however? The off-menu Oklahoma Smash Burger, with a special nod to the Manjimup Truffle Chicken Burger, available during truffle season, which he calls a bucket list bite.
RoyAl's Chicken & Burgers
East Victoria Park, Northbridge And Wembley
Image credit: RoyAl's Chicken & Burgers | Instagram
Perth burger fans know that RoyAl's Chicken & Burgers is the place to go for a good American-style feed. Whether you're after a good ol' meat pattie, buttermilk fried chicken, pulled pork or vego, the team here will sort you out.
“The ODB is my most ordered burger of all time in Perth,” Lachie tells us. “In my opinion, it’s the perfect thick triple cheeseburger. But the fried Buffalo Po-Boy would be a close second.”
The OBD is stacked with three generous beef patties, triple cheese, onion, pickles, and ketchup and mustard, while the Po-Boy boasts popcorn chicken, lettuce, onion, blue cheese sauce and, of course, buffalo hot sauce, all stuffed inside a brioche roll.
Need even more menu inspo? We like to spice it up with The El Diablo, an angus beef and cheese burg with jalapenos and tater tots.
Christo's Burgers
1/20 Christable Way, Landsdale WA 6065
Image credit: Christo's | Instagram
Christo's is best known for its premium 180gr smash burgers loaded with good stuff like caramelised onion, homemade sauces and cheesy panko crumbed mac and cheese, but the fried chicken ones slap too.
According to Lachie, Christo’s is one of those rare spots where it’s all good, and the chicken is as good as the beef.
“You can’t go wrong with the Bombay Banger in the hot dusting, and the OG Christos is a the perfect double cheeseburger deluxe.”
They also happen to be some of the most affordable burgers around, with the OG burger going for a measly $14. If you're a Landsdale local, consider us jealous.
Upperhand Burgers
137 Claremont Cres, Swanbourne WA 6010
Image credit: Upperhand | Instagram
While there are plenty of American style burger joints in Perth, Upperhand is one of the few LA burger spots we've come across, and we dig it. Using potato rolls for all their burgers instead of the brioche buns we've all become so fond of, you can expect something a bit different—but equally delicious—at Upperhand.
Head to Upperhand for Lachie’s favourite single cheeseburgers around Perth. On a Wednesday, they’re grilling them for just $6 a piece, and you can grab a pint for just $6 too, and midweek deals don’t come much better than two burgers and a beer with change from a $20.
It’s also Lachie’s pick for a chilli cheeseburger around Perth, but his hot top? This one will get messy af.
Charlie's BBQ
7/1 Glenelg Pl, Connolly WA 6027
Image credit: Charlie's BBQ | Instagram
Hardcore burger fans flock straight to Charlie's BBQ for their over-the-top, heart-attack-inducing American style burgs. No matter which burger you get, you can expect oozing sauce, loads of melty cheese and plenty of pickles. Top it off with a shake or soda and plenty of chips and you're in for a good night.
“My order has to be the Risk It For The Brisket burger,” Lachie tells us. “A double smashburger with thick slices of smoked brisket.”
The burger is a stacked toasted potato bun, with the brisket smothered in American cheese, crispy onions and jalapenos, with chipotle mayo and American mustard. Lachie recommends throwing a couple of chicken tenders into the mix too, for good measure.
3230 Smoke + Grill
Jandakot And Como
Arguably some of the best burgers south of the river will be found at 3230 Smoke + Grill. With combos of bacon, chicken, spices, beef, literally everything under the sun, you won’t go hungry here. If you have a real big appetite, you can stack their burgers up sky-high.
At 3230, Lachie likes to go a little off menu. Grab a single cheeseburger, he tells us, and add brisket, for a great brisket cheeseburger.
Big Rigz Burger Co
223 South Terrace, South Fremantle WA 6162
Image credit: Big Rigz | Instagram
These guys have so many burger options you won’t know what to do with yourself. Think grass-fed beef with streaky bacon, caramelised onions and chipotle mayo slaw. Or free-range chicken with kimchi, pickled daikon and Korean sauce. Of course, there's also vegan, vego and gluten free options too. But the best part of these burgers is the Big Rigz secret recipe buns which will have you coming back over and over again.
“Dope beef and chicken burgers,” Lachie tells us. ‘I can never pick a winner between the Korean Flying Rigs, a fried chicken burger with kimchi and gochujang mayo, or the Smoky Rigz, which is an unconventional beef and bacon burger with slaw that just works and slaps hard.”
There’s also the new Cajon range just waiting for you to sink your teeth into, which Lachie says not to sleep on, and which you can also order from across the road at newly minted New Orleans bar, Big Easy.
The Best Smashburgers In Perth
Bad Love Burger Co
39 Harrogate St, West Leederville WA 6007
Image credit: Bad Love Burger Co | Instagram
Taking up residence on Harrogate Street in West Leederville, Bad Love Burger Co is the first bricks and mortar shop from the legends behind the popular Smashburger BBQ pop-up and nearly three years on, it sits firmly at the top of our favourite burgers. They're serving plenty of those iconic smashed burgers with the perfect lacey edges loaded high or straight up.
While Lachie does wax lyrical about the Beast Of Bourbon burg that has since left the menu (this may be the start of our official petition to get it back), his go-to now is the Smokin’ Mike’s BBQ Burger just on the sauce alone. Insider tip? All salt, he tells us.
The Cherry Bomb is our go-to, with that cherry bbq sauce adding a sweet little balance but if you like heat (and a lot of it), give the Hot Lovin fried chicken burger a whirl.
Hoodburger
Duncraig, Applecross, Northbridge, Inglewood And Mandurah
Image credit: Hoodburger | Instagram
The cheeseburger kings at Hoodburger don’t do things by halves. Get yourself a triple burger with cheese or one of their incredibly juicy chicken tender burgs that will no doubt leave you with a waterfall of sauce running down your arm, but hey it’s worth it.
“As much as the beef burgers here are great, my burger order forever and a day would be the Tender Mash n’ Gravy, add bacon.”
You’ll be served up a burger packed with two generous chicken tenders, with American cheddar, some creamy mash and their house chicken gravy. Fries come shoestring, and by the tray, which Lachie describes as “basically bottomless”.
Big Dog's Burgers
3/54 Walter Rd W, Bedford WA 6052
Image credit: Big Dog's Burgers | Instagram
Unless you're a Morely local you might have missed Big Dog's Burgers, but boy would that be a shame. These legends have a belting range of chicken burgers, smashed patties, wings and hand cut fries to get you through your week.
The standout here, says Lachie, is the high quality ingredients. His order is the Aristocrat, a beef burger with blue cheese and apple.
“Sounds a bit out of the box, but it works. Plus, hand cut chips for the win.”
Looking for more? Their Big Dog Deluxe is practically perfect, but for something a little extra, you can't go wrong with the Big Bad Wolf—freshly ground beef, buttermilk fried chicken, bacon, homemade pickles, BBQ and Woof Woof sauce. Drool.
Two Stacks
309A South Terrace, South Fremantle WA 6163
Image credit: Two Stacks | Instagram
For Lachie’s favourite lacy smashburgers around town, head straight to Two Stacks. And given smashburgers are their special sauce, if you will, we’re glad to hear they’re doing it right in Lachie’s book.
“My go-to would be the Chipotle Cheese Smash. Add bacon, and ask nicely if they’ll add some of the spice dust they drop on their loaded smash fries.”
Maybe tell them Lachie sent you?
Here the menu is short and sweet, and it’s all about those smashburgers. Think four varieties, including a play on the infamous In-N-Out burgers.
The Best Chicken Burgers In Perth
Local Bird
91 Wanneroo Rd, Tuart Hill WA 6060
Image credit: Local Bird | Supplied
For the biggest, crispiest fried chicken burgers, the Local Bird in Tuart Hill is definitely the word. Like the rest of Perth, we're wildly obsessed with those buttermilk fried chicken burgers (just look at them) but that doesn't mean you should ignore the smashed beef burgers—don't worry, they'll let you add a smashed patty to your chicken burger if you just can't decide, just like Lachie.
“I can’t choose between their Spicy Smash, which is my pick for the best Oklahoma-style onion beef burger in Perth, or the Spicy Bird, a take on a classic Nashville hot chicken sando bit on steroids.”
He’s not kidding. This one is packed with spicy fried chicken breast, as well as gochujang aioli, jalapenos, pickles and a creamy slaw. And if spice isn’t your bag?
“Ask for a double Montreal, with onions smashed into the patties like they do on the Spicy Smash,” says Lachie. “Thank me later.”
The Peach Pit
Scarborough
Image credit: The Peach Pit | Supplied
There's no denying that The Peach Pit is flipping some of Perth's best burgers. The Henny Penny—with its cornflake crumbed chicken and ranch sauce—is a thing of beauty and only gets better with a cold pint or a cheeky cocktail and the unbeatable beachside views.
For Lachie, The Peach Pit is the local king of monthly burger specials, and he recommends checking out whatever creation they’ve rotated in for that month. On the regular menu, however, he says both the beef and chicken options are equally great.
Still hungry? Try the best fish and chips in Perth.
Main image credit: Bad Love Burger