Nothing quite says ‘weekend‘ like throwing the whole diet out of the window and when the food is this good, how can anyone blame you? The Secret Manchester team has rounded up the best burgers to try in Manchester if eating well is on your agenda. Good luck with choosing…
1. What’s Your Beef
With their tongue-in-cheek name, What’s Your Beef gets straight down to business with their no-nonsense, grass-fed, locally sourced beef burgers. Whether you fancy a Stateside Deluxe, with beef, streaky bacon, cheese, spinach, and pickle, the Freebird chicken burger, or the vegan twist with the Got No Beef, they have something for everyone. What’s more, What’s Your Beef also have their own curated range of sauces, including the chipotle ketchup, habanero hot chilli, and garlic sweet chilli, meaning you can completely cater your burger to your taste!
đź“Ť What’s Your Beef, Kargo MKT, Central Bay, Unit 32, Quayside Media City, Salford, M50 3AG.
2. Almost Famous
One of Manchester’s most-loved burger joints – Almost Famous serves up a real messy burger, and it’s worth every finger-lickin’ minute! Each burger is stacked high and smothered in all the cheese and sauces you could dream of, resulting in a delicious, taste explosion. I’m salivating at the thought…
Options vary from double to triple cheeseburgers, with a chicken option, veggie option and vegan burger chucked in there too. The portions of fries are big enough to share, although we’re not gonna lie – they’re so good you probably won’t want to. Be sure to try out the Pizza Fries at their NQ restaurant on your cheat day for a real treat.
đź“ŤAlmost Famous, 49-51 Edge Street, M4 1HW.
3. Burgerism
A burger shop that many have raved about in Manchester, Burgerism serves seriously good double-stacked burgers, with both vegan and meaty options to choose from. Enjoy burgers featuring smashed Cheshire beef patties, classic cheesys, and those of the deep fried chicken variety, as well as skin-on fries, BBQ or Buffalo wings for those fancying something a little different.
Burgerism has a spot in Salford as well as one nestled within the Manc-fave Freight Island, alongside a number of drinks vendors to wash your stacked burger down with. They have also opened more spots including one in Stockport and more recently Denton due to demand and success, boldly claiming that they serve “lean, mean, Burgerism cuisine”. The spot is well worth a try if you’re a bonafide burger lover.
đź“ŤBurgerism, 18 West Ashton St, Salford, M50 2XS | Freight Island, 11 Baring St, M1 2PZ | 7 Stonepail Rd, Gatley, Cheadle, SK8 4EZ | Unit 1B, 31 Stockport Rd, Denton, M34 6DB.
4. Yard & Coop
The only just-chicken option on the list, Yard & Coop is pretty unbeatable when it comes to buttermilk chicken. The restaurant serves up ‘proper fried chicken’ in a variety of ways, but if you’re in the mood for a burger – these one’s are worth ditching the beef for.
Their star menu item is the ‘Massive Cock’, a skyscraper of a burger that sits at over 12 inches tall and definitely isn’t for the faint-hearted. It double-stacks buttermilk fried chicken breasts with chicken thigh, Yorkshire puddings, pea and onion fritter, chicken tots, bacon jam, cheese, gravy, hash brown and mac & cheese. Not only that, but it’s also tastily finished off in a brioche bun with stuffing balls on top and fries on the side. I’m out of breath just listing it… If that’s a tad too much for you to handle, there are of course more modestly sized menu items to choose from! Halal-friendly options are also available here.
đź“ŤYard & Coop, 37 Edge St, Manchester, M4 1HW.
5. Honest Burgers
Specialising in local burgers and beers, Honest Burgers believes in sourcing everything they serve honestly, which is why their burgers are made in their very own butchers. The brand has quickly grown across the country, originally calling only Brixton home, and now serves up a perfectly curated menu of delicious food for some juicy casual dining.
One thing that Honest Burgers does differently (and has done from the very beginning) is make many of their items in-house, meaning their chips, relish, patties and even the pickles are all made fresh from scratch. Because of this, you can expect high quality and serious flavour whenever you visit – giving it a worthy place on this list.
đź“ŤHonest Burgers, 36 Bridge St, Manchester, M3 3BT.
6. Archie’s
A late-night favourite for Mancs everywhere, Archie’s has seen rapid growth since its 2010 opening. The burger joint currently has six restaurants in Manchester alone, providing seriously good grub wherever you are in the city.
There’s a huge array of stacked, juicy burgers to choose from, topped with naughty items such as chicken, bacon, lamb donner, chilli con carne and all the sauces you could dream of. Guests can finish off their burgers with sides of chicken, tater tots, nachos and milkshakes, with tons of milkshake flavours to choose from and an accompanying waffle menu for those with a sweet tooth.
đź“ŤArchie’s, 6 & 7, Gateway House, Piccadilly, M1 2GH | 115 Oxford Rd, M1 7DU | Manchester Arndale, M4 3AD | 72 Oxford St, M1 5NH | NERF Action Xperience, Trafford Palazzo, Trafford Park, Stretford, M17 8AS | The Trafford Centre, 132-134, The Orient, Trafford Park, Stretford, M17 8EH.
7. Hawksmoor
The home of seriously good meat, Hawksmoor really knows how to cook up some tasty beef – and their burgers are no exception. Set in an old Victorian Courthouse boasting some pretty fancy decor, the restaurant might only serve a couple of burgers, but that doesn’t make it any less worthy of a mention.
The burgers join a huge list of steak cuts to choose from, all created with 100% grass-fed British beef and the best of the best ingredients – such as Ogleshield cheese, beef short-rib and beef dripping fries.
đź“ŤHawksmoor, 184-186 Deansgate, M3 3WB.
8. Slap and Pickle
Taking up residence at Manchester food hall, Society MCR, Slap and Pickle knows what’s up when it comes to creating seriously delicious burgers – with each and every burger made with smashed patties crafted from local Yorkshire beef. Going heavy-handed on the cheese, guests can expect seriously drool-worthy creations absolutely smothered in the stuff, with super stacked patties, plenty of gherkins, spicy toppings, and even Bury black pudding.
And while the burgers are, most definitely, the star of the show, the burger joint also has a fantastic menu of loaded fries, too, all slathered in tasty American cheese, with toppings such as bacon, chicken kiev, and gravy. For the vegans, expect a great variety across both burgers and loaded fries, with tons of toppings of offer.
đź“ŤSlap and Pickle, Society, Basement, 100 Barbirolli Square, M2 3BD.
9. Fat Hippo
Finding a home in Manchester’s new entertainment complex, Lane7, Fat Hippo has some pretty interesting burgers on the go – including a double stacked burger that’s absolutely lathered in peanut butter. Specialising in both beef and double-fried buttermilk chicken, Fat Hippo is so much more than just a cheeseburger pitstop.
Boasting a massive menu, guests can expect plenty of saucy concoctions alongside better-than-your-average toppings – including jerk bacon, candied pineapple, braised pork rib and vegan cajun bacon.
đź“ŤFat Hippo, Lane7, 235 Deansgate, M3 4EN.
10. Super Awesome Deluxe
Located at the former Lono Cove on Manchester’s Thomas Street in the Northern Quarter, Super Awesome Deluxe is the first ‘takeout’ smashed burger joint in this part of the city. Burger fans can find a “slick, big counter service with a tight menu of three core burgers done well”, with no reservations, no bookings, no chicken, just great quality smashed beef.
You can expect rich and tender smashed beef, gooey and melty cheese, buns as soft as clouds, golden hand-cut fries, and homemade house sauce. The meat for the smash burgers is sourced super locally from W.H Frost with a house blend of chuck, brisket, and aged marrow for a rich buttery flavour, ground for a steak-like texture and smashed hot to create a super caramelised, super juicy burger to drool over.
đź“Ť Super Awesome Deluxe, 12 Thomas St, Manchester, M4 1DH.
11. Doug’s
After some time absolutely smashing it in Norway, smashed burger joint Doug’s has expanded and made a beeline for Manchester. Led by the team behind the North’s much loved Madre, Medlock Canteen and London’s Breddos tacos, the Oslo-based burger spot has brought their smash-hit to Manchester, marking its fourth location.
The star of the show is the Classic Cheeseburger – smashed patty, onions, cheese, mustard, ketchup, pickles and Doug’s special sauce. Other burgers on Doug’s menu include Double Royale, Triple Cheeseburger, Oklahoma Chilli Cheese and The Lucky Chip which consists of a smashed patty, grilled and steamed onions, blue cheese, pineapple pickled jalapeños, bacon and ranch. Also featured on the menu is a selection of fried chicken sandwiches, hot tenders and fries – yum.
đź“Ť Doug’s Hamburgers, No.1, Circle Square, 3 Symphony Park, Manchester M1 7FS.
12. Meatworks
Serving steak house classics, bold small plates and iconic burgers, Meatworks offers proper meat from high quality suppliers of Irish, grass-fed Aberdeen Angus beef. On the menu, diners will find a mixture of traditional burger patties and smash burgers with plenty of unique flavour combinations – think smash patties with mozzarella, sun dried tomato confit, wild rocket and basil mayo or beef bacon jam, club sauce and American cheese.
You can also tuck into a range of succulent steaks at Meatworks in Manchester ranging from picanha to sirloin, ribeye to fillet. Other showstopping dishes include their Korean BBQ beef short rib, sizzling bone marrow, signature cheeseburger dumplings and slow-cooked short rib pancakes, in case you’re all burger-ed out…
đź“Ť Meatworks, 15 Symphony Park, Circle Square, Manchester, M1 7FS.