Best burgers in Calgary

Some say that the test of a truly great restaurant is how well they do a burger. The beauty of a beef patty wedged inside a bun with toppings ranging from simple ketchup and cheese to house made aioli or a premium cheese is hard for a carnivore to resist, and Calgary has more than its fair share of excellent burgers. While it’s hard to pick favourites, here are the Calgary spots I turn to when I want to sink my teeth into a perfect burger.

Bastion Burger

The in-house food providers at the pinball-themed Pinbar, Bastion offers up burgers with a chef’s touch and some punk rock heart. The burgers feature proper smash patties with crispy edges and Maillard reaction for a deep beefy flavour. Made with a bespoke blend of Alberta beef, American cheese, and a special burger sauce, these burgers mean business. Don’t skip the pickle-brined fries, served with a burnt garlic and dill aioli.

Address: 501 17 Ave SW

Boogie's Burgers

The original Boogie’s Burgers   location in Renfrew has been a Calgary institution since the late 1960s, but the restaurant’s newer  Marda Loop  outpost also has solid sense of nostalgic charm as and collection of legendary arcade games. The fun factor is high here, but Boogie’s is serious about the quality of its burgers. Both locations boast over a dozen cheekily named burgers, topped with anything from deep fried mac and cheese to mini corndogs.

Address: 908 Edmonton Trail or 2129 Ave SW

Bussin

A growing local empire, Bussin not only serves up tasty smash burgers, it also offers over a half dozen variations on its basic burger to satisfy any craving. Customers can top their burgs with anything from onion rings to a full piece of peri chicken or if they’re feeling adventurous, opt or a pair of grilled cheese sandwiches in place of the standard brioche bun. Best of all, the entire menu is halal, making it accessible to a wider range of burger lovers.

Address: 715 17 Ave SW  and 1121 9 Ave SE

charbar

charbar’s  double stacked gaucho burger, topped with dry-aged provoleta cheese and crushed avocado is a deliciously sloppy belly buster, made all the better with a side of parilla beef fat fries. As far as restaurant-style burgers go this is one of Calgary’s gold standards, though it’s also worth trying out the rest of charbar's more refined Argentinian-inspired menu.

Address: 618 Confluence Way SE

Class Clown

A seemingly simple burger joint, Class Clown earned almost instantaneous acclaim when it opened in 2023, thanks to its outrageously delicious smash-style burgers. Operated by a couple of veterans of Calgary’s burger scene, Class Clown grinds the meat for its pasture-raised beef chuck and brisket patties every day and serves them between squishy buns with simple toppings or, if you’re in the mood for a Winnipeg Fat Boy, housemate coney sauce. Add in suitably kitschy retro decor and an intentionally “weird” natural wine list and you’ve got what’s become one of Calgary’s most beloved restaurants.

Address: 1711 4 St SW #106

Clive Burger

Clive   keeps its burgers relatively simple, but the secret is in quality Alberta ground beef and a delightful concoction known as Clive sauce. “Clive style” your burger with the sauce, pickle, lettuce, tomato and cheddar and be sure to wash it down with a signature custard shake. Clive fans can also get their fix Downtown at the Pineapple Hall food court, located inside Stephen Avenue Place.

Address: 736 17 Ave SW  or 225 7 Ave SW #205

Dairy Lane

One of Calgary’s oldest restaurant spaces, Dairy Lane started life as a milk bar in the 1950s and while it has modernized considerably, it has never lost its community roots. The DL burger is made with local free range and hormone-free dry-aged beef and topped with fresh lettuce and tomato and pickled onion. From there, you’re free to build the burger of your dreams by adding bacon, your cheese of choice, garlic mushrooms, or even a fried egg. Bison and veggie burgers are also on the menu.

Address: 319 19 St NW

Hi5 Burger

Located inside the First Street Market food hall, Hi5 creates a no-fuss classic burger. Going with top-quality all-beef patties (two patties are standard here), American cheese, burger sauce, and a toasted potato roll, they aren’t reinventing the wheel here, but they really don’t have to. Chicken burgers, hot dogs, and Dole Whip shakes are also available for a fully indulgent experience.

Address: 1327 1 St SW

iyccburg

A powerful local player on the Calgary burger scene, iyycburg (pronounced “iceberg”) looks like a fast food joint, but it’s much better than your typical international chain. Sourcing quality ingredients from local suppliers, these Alberta beef burgers are approachable, affordable, and always tasty. And with multiple locations, they’re easy to find no matter where you may be in the city.

Address: 234 19 St NW , 220, 129 Sage Valley, Sage Hill Common NW , 19 Sunmills Dr SE , or 9620 Elbow Dr SW

Lil’ Empire Burger

The fun and lively Lil’ Empire deals in thin and crispy smash burgers crafted from ethically raised beef. Its Empire with Cheese is already a Calgary classic, thanks to those perfectly cooked patties, a nice slice of American cheese and a dollop of tangy signature sauce. This is a burger designed to evoke feelings of simple childhood pleasures, without skimping on quality or flavour.

Address: 1837 20 Ave NW , 1105 1 Ave NE  or 4321 1 St SE  (inside Annex Ale)

Native Tongues

Native Tongues   may be a Mexican taqueria and mezcal bar with a menu full of seriously delicious tacos, but counterintuitively, one of the best items on its menu is the mouth-watering hamburguesa al carbon. This is not to disparage the excellent Mexican fare on the menu, the burger is just that good. There’s nothing particularly Mexican about the hamburguesa — it’s a messy thin-patty burger styled after a Big Mac or an In-N-Out burger — but it is nearly impossible to resist.

Address: 235 12 Ave SW , 829 49 Ave SW  or 4014 University Ave NW

RE:GRUB

“Regrub” is “burger” spelled backwards and this whimsical restaurant has been known to turn the idea of a standard burger on its head.  RE:GRUB   offers several versions of its Alberta beef brisket burgers, with topping combinations that may include habanero pineapple salsa, a fried egg or a deep-fried block of cheddar. This place is also known for its milkshakes, which range from the classic to over-the-top confectionary creations.

Address: 901 64 Ave NE

Rocky's Burger Bus

Another veteran burger slinger, Rocky's Burgers   is a family run business that has been serving up big and juicy hand-rolled burgers made with Alberta beef since 1995. Not too worried about smash burger trends, every one of Rocky’s burgers is made from 8.5 ounces of premium AAA Alberta ground beef. Find them in the big red bus permanently parked outside of  Crossroads Market .

Address: 1235 26 Ave SE

True Wild Distilling

A beautiful distillery located in a historical electrical station, True Wild is aiming to become one of Calgary’s greatest whisky distillers, but it’s also a wonderful little restaurant. While you can certainly get much more fancy bites here, True Wild’s burger is a showstopper, consisting of little more than a thick and meticulously seasoned house-ground patty (cooked to each guest’s preferred temperature) on a potato bun with cheese, dill pickles, and aioli. Perfection.

Address: 3115 11 St SE