There’s nothing like biting into a good, juicy burger. These days you can get pretty much anything on a bun, from a chunky beef patty smothered in Pinotage-and-onion marmalade, to a succulent lamb burger with freshly made tzatziki.

But when it comes down to it, we’re just as happy with a classic cheeseburger – especially when it’s handmade with local grass-fed beef and served with shoestring fries and crisp, light onion rings.
Craving a burger yet? Here’s a list of our favourites around the country.

Johannesburg
2B Cuisine
Try: The 250g lamb and mint burger topped with rocket, red onion marmalade and mint mayonnaise on ciabatta.
Or: The pork and sage burger topped with rocket, cranberry jelly mayonnaise and crispy bacon.
Side: None.
Price: R79 and R76 respectively.

Dukes
Try: The flagship Dukes burger, a pure beef patty topped with tomato relish, Cheddar, egg, mushroom, pineapple, bacon, deep-fried tomato, gherkins and onion rings.
Side: Sweet potato wedges, potato wedges, chips or salad.
Price: R77.

Fire and Ice
Try: The Jaw Breaking burger, a spicy 300g beef patty topped with lettuce, tomato and Cheddar cheese.
Side: Crispy chips, wedges or a side salad.
Price: R90.

Fruits and Roots
Try: The Mighty Burger, a patty made of borlotti beans, quinoa, butternut and shiitake mushrooms, topped with a tofu mayonnaise.
Side: Chips or salad.
Price: R52.

Gourmet Garage
Build a burger of your own choice, using ingredients such as bacon, egg and five different types of cheese. Choose from 18 sauces, including peanut butter sauce.
Side: Chips, mash, salad, onion rings or stir-fry veggies.
Prices vary.

The Grillhouse
Try: The basted, flame-grilled 200g beef burger.
Side: Chips, rice, baked potato, veggies or salad.
Price: R55.

The Local Grill (Boksburg)
Try: The bacon and avo beef burger, topped with sweet chilli sauce.
Side: Fries, baked or mashed potato, pap, onion rings, side salad, mushrooms or onion rings.
Price: R70.

The Local Grill (Parktown North)
Try: The blue cheese and rocket beef burger.
Side: Fries, baked or mashed potato, pap, onion rings, side salad, mushrooms or onion rings.
Price: R68.

Salvationcafe
Try: The Salvation Burger, a grass-fed beef mince patty topped with bacon, Jong Belegen cheese and guacamole.
Side: Home-made potato wedges and home-made sweet chilli tomato relish.
Price: R86.

Thunder Gun Steakhouse
Try: the Wizz burger, a beef burger topped with Cheddar cheese, a cheese sauce and a spicy Wizz sauce.
Side: Chips, baked potato, rice, vegetables or salad.
Price: R57.

Pretoria
Ed’s Diner
Try: Ed’s 5 in 1 burger, with a beef patty, bacon, mushroom sauce, cheese and egg.
Side: Chips, side salad, onion rings or veggies.
Price: R80.

Lollipop Roadhouse
Try: the Cadillac Burger with a 130g beef patty, bacon cheese, egg and mushroom sauce.
Side: Chips, salad, veggies or deep-fried onion rings (extra).
Price: R37.

Durban

Aubergine Bistro
Try: The beef burger on the special menu (call ahead to find out when it will be served). A chargrilled home-made medium rare beef patty is topped with sautéed onions, pickles, crispy smoked bacon, mature Cheddar cheese and truffle mayonnaise.
Side: Skinny fries.
Price: R75.

Billy the Bums
Try: The Billy Triple Challenge of three 200g beef burgers topped with cheese, bacon and BBQ sauce. If you finish this in 20 minutes, along with a Black Label quart, you will receive a certificate and a reward worth R50.
Side: Chips or onion rings.
Price: R150.

Freshly Ground Café (now closed)
Try: The basted beef burger topped with cream cheese and sweet chilli sauce.
Side: Chips or salad.
Price: R57.

Unity
Try: The blue cheese and onion marmalade beef burger, with lettuce and tomato.
Side: Chips.
Price: R75.

Cape Town

Beefcakes
Try: Buffy the Hamburger Slayer, a 200g beef patty topped with a thick slice of Cheddar cheese, caramelised onion, avocado and bacon and drenched in a creamy mushroom sauce.
Side: French fries, spicy wedges or a house salad.
Price: R85.

Bistro Sixteen82
Try: the Steenburger; an 80% beef fillet and 20% pork burger patty, with fresh rocket, red onion, a tangy tomato ‘konfyt’, and goose liver and truffle aioli. Only 10 are made a week, and served on a Friday, so pre-order if you’ve got your eye on one!
Side: hand cut potato chips with Parmesan.
Price: R105

Café Manhattan
Try: The Tons of Fun burger, a 250g beef burger with Cheddar cheese, camembert, blue cheese and caramelised onions.
Side: Chips, salad, rice or mash.
Price: R72.

Clarke’s
Try: The cheese burger with optional bacon.
Side: Fries (extra)
Price: R50.

The Dog’s Bollocks
Try: The Mega Slider, a beef patty with cheese and onion.
Side: None.
Price: R55.

Fire and Ice
Try: The Jaws, a spicy beef patty topped with lettuce, tomato and Cheddar cheese.
Side: Crispy chips, wedges or a side salad.
Price: R90.

Hudson’s Kloof Street; Claremont and Greenpoint
Try: The Original Royale, a beef patty topped with bacon, Cheddar, chilli and two beer-battered onion rings.
Side: Fries or a house salad (extra).
Price: R55 to R67.

Knife
Try: The bacon, cheese and avo burger
Side: Chips.
Price: R75.

Manna Epicure
Try: The beef burger topped with balsamic caramelised onions, Brie, rocket and aioli.
Side: Skinny fries
Price: R80.

Royale Eatery
Try: The Sweet Petunia, a beef patty topped with rocket, grilled mushrooms and homemade mustard mayo.
Or: The Federale, a blended patty made from beef, chorizo, chilli and coriander and topped with guacamole.
Side: Fries, sweet-potato fries or a side-salad.
Prices: R65 and R70 respectively.

Saints Burger Joint
Try: The Heartbreaker, a chargrilled beef burger served on ciabatta roll, topped with white Cheddar, grilled mushrooms and creamy pepper sauce.
Side: Fat chips, skinny fries, sweet potato fries or crispy onion rings and a simple green salad, house pickles, simple tomato salad or simple cucumber salad.
Price: R85.

The Woodlands Eatery
Try: The 250g beef burger with crispy streaky bacon, onion rings, pickled cucumber, lettuce and home-made tomato sauce.
Side: Roast baby potatoes and onion rings.
Price: R65.

Winelands

The Farmer’s Kitchen
Try: The home-made grilled lamb burger with red onions, red pesto, feta and tzatziki.
Side: chips or salad.
Price: R68.

Goederust Farm Kitchen
Try: the homemade beef burger on ‘roosterkoek’ topped with bacon, mature cheddar and sweet potato.
Side: hand cut regular or sweet potato chips
Price: R65

La Vigna
Try: The gourmet sirloin burger with mature Brie, bacon, red-onion chutney and slow-roasted tomatoes.
Side: French fries or salad.
Price: R78.

The Red Leaf Restaurant
Try the: Signature Pinotage Burger, a 250g beef patty served with Pinotage onion marmalade.
Side: Chips or salad.
Price: R85.

Have you had one of these burgers? Write us a review. Or, have we missed one of your favourites? Drop us a line on info@eatout.co.za.

By Katharine Jacobs and Kelly Pluke
Photograph on homepage: James Langlois