It can’t really be argued, Cape Tonians have quality restaurants that offer a wide variety of delectable, gourmet cuisine. While we all like to test out culinary creations that are bound to tantalise our pallets, sometimes it’s nice to revert back to some old favourites. A greasy burger, every once in a while, is just what you need to recover from a stressful workday, or a hard night’s partying. To ensure that you sink your teeth into the juiciest, most appetising burger around, we have compiled a guide for the best burger eateries in the Mother City.

Ragafellows

Hout Bay’s Ragafellows was built from the ground up by two brothers who have a penchant for cooking up culinary masterpieces. While the restaurant offers a wide variety of quirky, fun foods, their burgers are a firm favourite among locals. The burger patties are cooked medium and instead of the standard greasy French fries, are served with smash potato, or a side salad.

We suggest you give the ‘Ulysses’ a try. This dish comes with a lamb and feta patty that is topped with olive tapenade, red onion, and slathered in a tzatziki sauce.

If you’re looking to wash down your burger with a drink, why not switch up that beer for one of Ragafellow’s signature cocktails? While an unusual pairing, the two complement each other well.

Cocoa Oola

Cocoa is a family-owned chain of café-styled restaurants, all of which are scattered around Cape Town. Through the years, the public has come to enjoy many Cocoa meals because of the generously-sized portions, original recipes, and the unique, quirky character of each eatery.

Cocoa Oola, in Gardens, is renowned for their mouth-watering burgers. For those who prefer a chicken fillet over a beef patty, the ‘Espania Chicken Burger’ is just for you. This scrumptious burger is topped with mozzarella, olives, tomato, basil pesto, and served with some crispy wedges.

Knife Restaurant

Knife Restaurant is styled to resemble a Deep South ‘smokehouse’ meets cosy New York loft. The owners, restaurateur Ed Saunders and chef Jonathan Japha, are the co-creators of this unique eatery as well as Knife’s sibling restaurant, ‘Fork’.

For artery-clogging grub, ‘The Texan’ is the one to beat. This monster meal consists of a pure beef patty that is topped with chorizo, potato, onion rings, and a fried egg.

Rick’s Café Americain

Rick’s Café Americain is situated on the trendy Park Road in the heart of Cape Town. This eatery is a fusion of rich, North African cultures, and offers a selection of cross-continental dishes.

While it may seem unlikely, Rick’s Café are renowned for their burgers. Blending the ‘authentic’ beef burger with unusual toppings and spices, revellers flock to Rick’s Café on the weekend to line their stomachs with these tasty numbers.

‘The Popper Burger’ is geared toward diners who enjoy hot and spicy foods. This 220-gram natural beef patty is topped with deep-fried jalapeños (stuffed with feta and cream cheese), tomatoes, peppadews, salsa, rocket, and white cheddar. The patty is sandwiched between a sesame roll and served with coleslaw and a basket chips.

The Odyssey Gastropub

The Odyssey Gastropub began humbly. It was started up by two childhood friends who have an unquenchable passion for good, simple food and music. Today, it is one of Cape Town’s premier gastropubs that serves great food and beer, accompanied by live music and entertainment.

While the burgers are themselves quite tasty, what makes the grub even more desirable are their use of locally sourced produce as well as sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices.

‘Mushrooms and Fontina’ is a large, 200-gram beef patty with sautéed mushrooms, fontina, and basil aioli. If you’ve got a hankering for a burger but are cursed with a gluten allergy, don’t fret, you can order a gluten-free burger for an additional 15 bucks.

Saint’s Burger Joint

Bikes, burgers, rock ‘n roll and freedom are the words that Saint’s Burger Joint live by. If you’re picturing a group of hardcore, meat-loving bikers, think again. This eatery caters to all tastes – from the meat-free vegetarians to the self-proclaimed carnivores.

A trip to Saint’s will feel like you’ve been transported to an old-school American bar, complete with an old-fashioned jukebox standing in the corner as well as graffiti-covered tables.

As we all know, one cannot beat the age-old pairing of a burger and ice-cold beer. Saint’s Burger Joint takes this need seriously by providing six craft beer brews on tap or in the bottle. The quality of the beef patties themselves are fresh, with no shortcuts being taken as the meat is ground on site.

If you’re looking for the burger to top all burgers, feast on ‘Sweet Child ‘O Mine’. This dish is a char-grilled ground pork and chorizo burger on brioche, topped with smoked mozzarella, pickled cucumber, and a honey and mustard aioli.

Café Manhattan

This Madame Zingara offshoot is located in the vibey De Waterkant village and is a firm favourite for locals and holidaymakers. The eatery boasts an industrial ‘chic’ meets Wild West design, a design which passed diners have thoroughly enjoyed.

With its southern-styled menu, it will come as no surprise that Café Manhattan makes a mean burger. The ‘burger for breakfast’ meal that is the ‘Train Wrecker’ comes highly recommended. This dish consists of an aged sirloin patty that is topped with bacon, sausage, tomato, and a mushroom sauce. The burger is accompanied by double-dip fries, onion rings, and house sauces.

Hudson’s Green Point

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll have heard about the chain of Hudson’s branches. These eateries are styled to emanate a typical American diner, and are fused with a contemporary twist.

Here, no two burgers are the same. Each burger has its own story, a quirky name, and the innovative combination of unusual ingredients.

Take a seat outside, watch the hubbub of Green Point’s metropolis, and munch on the popular ‘The Player’. The burger is a tasty, calorie-laden monster meal providing you with the works – a 180-gram or 250-gram beef patty with streaky bacon, feta cheese, and avocado strips.

Green Vine Eatery

 

The on-site restaurant of the popular Silvermist Organic Wine Estate offers diners fresh, tasty, and simple meals.

Their gourmet beef burger, ‘The Triple B’, is no ordinary, grease-laden burger. It is a decadent delight offering up a beef patty that is topped with blue cheese, brie, and biltong dust. It is served with either fries, potato wedges, or a seasonal salad. Accompany your burger with a crisp glass of wine, while taking in the sites of the vineyards and sprawling mountains.

Cafe Caprice

Cafe Caprice, situated in upscale Camps Bay, provides diners with an unparalleled cosmopolitan experience.

Following a stressful work day, sit on the outside terrace and be enthralled by the sun setting over the sea. While admiring the view, take a few sips of your cocktail and devour one of their popular burgers.

Go back-to-basics with their ‘Old School Burger’, a beef patty layered with wholegrain dijon mustard, cheddar cheese, pickles, and fresh red onions.