Next time you're craving that fast food fix in Toronto, why not skip your usual McDonald's Big Mac order and opt for one of these incredible Toronto smash burgers that are putting fast food chains to shame?
Smash burgers are popular for a reason. First created in Asheland, Kentucky, this style of burger is characterized by its cooking process: a ball of seasoned beef is smashed flat on the hot cooking surface, resulting in a thin patty that has a caramelized exterior, juicy interior, and crispy latticed edges.
The style has fully taken off in Toronto in recent years, with plenty of hot spots now offering their own smashing takes on the smash burger.
So that you're clued up next time you're hungry, here are a bunch of noteworthy burger joints in The 6ix you'll want to sink your teeth into — just make sure to grab extra napkins!
Rosie's Burgers
Price: 💸💸
Address: 573 Queen St W, Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Simplicity and nostalgia lead the way at this acclaimed burger joint, which opened in 2020 in Port Credit and has expanded since then to include this popular Queen West outpost.
Expertly made smash burgers are topped with the usual suspects: lettuce, tomato, American cheese, pickles, and house-made special sauce. Crinkle fries, hand-spun milkshakes, and banana pudding prove perfect accompaniments, and even the vegetarians won’t be left out with Rosie’s offering a Beyond Meat option.
Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible
Happy Burger
Price: 💸💸
Address: 76 Lippincott St, Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Veteran chef Chris Kalisperas started smashing burgers as a side business when pandemic restrictions impacted the hospitality industry, and it wasn’t long before Happy Burger was born.
Happy Burger’s smash burgers see high quality beef (or Impossible plant-based beef) seasoned with salt and pepper, then topped with classics like American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles; or slightly less common options like the Pastrami Burger that add steamed pastrami to the whole deal.
The big treasure here is the Happy Sauce: Kalisperas’ take on a burger sauce is the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and piquant.
Accessibility: No automatic door
Burger Drops
Price: 💸💸
Address: 116 Atlantic Ave, Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Toronto burger stans shout this place from the rooftops, and it’s easy to see why. Liberty Village’s Burger Drops brings its A-game to a straightforward menu of burger goodness that could not be simpler.
The Original loads griddled sweet onions, house pickles, and American cheese onto a pillowy potato roll; and the American mixes it up with ketchup relish, lettuce, diced onion, and American cheese. Both are finished with the delicious homemade Drop sauce, and veggie options are available for both. Pair them with fries in crinkle and curly varieties, and prepare for comfort food bliss.
Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible
RUDY
Price: 💸💸
Address: Multiple locations
Why You Need To Go: You don’t get to expand your food business to five bustling Toronto locations without some major success, and RUDY has managed it with its standout range of smash burgers.
Classic smashes come dressed simply in cheese, lettuce, tomato, and burger sauce; and other creations include the Big Rudy, which emulates a McDonald's Big Mac (but way better) with cheese, shredded lettuce, onions, pickles, and burger sauce. Fries, poutines, and fried chicken sandwiches are the icing on the cake.
Accessibility: Varies by location
Matty's Patty's Burger Club
Price: 💸💸
Address: 923a Queen St W, Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Matty Matheson is inarguably one of the Toronto food scene’s most noteworthy figures, helming some of the city’s most sought-after restaurants.
Multiple years after the success of the since-closed P&L Burger, Matheson launched Matty’s Patty’s right by Trinity Bellwoods Park in 2020, where it remains a local favourite for its no-frills lineup of burgers.
A cheeseburger here couldn’t be simpler: 3 ounces of beef, American cheese, and a choice of sauce to finish it off. That’s it, that’s all! Vegetarian options keep things inclusive, and crispy shoestring fries complete the picture.
Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible
Cabano's Cheeseburgers
Price: 💸💸
Address: 75 St Nicholas St #104, Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Between coveted smash burgers and equally appealing fried chicken sandwiches, it’s no wonder Toronto foodies are so eager to sing the praises of Cabano’s.
The Classic is aptly named, dressed with cheese, lettuce, onions, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and mayo; but the eponymous Cabano burger is the most eye-catching draw, finished with cheese, lettuce, onions, fried jalapenos for an extra kick, and their flavourful house burger sauce. You really can't go wrong at this spot.
Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible
Cabano's Cheeseburgers website
Harry's Charbroiled
Price: 💸💸
Address: 255 Coxwell Ave, Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: If you like your smash burgers all sauced up, Harry’s Charbroiled is the place for you.
With a food truck and a brick and mortar location on Coxwell, Harry’s gets extra points for the variety on its menu. Simple smash burger options with traditional toppings like pickles and onions are present, but there’s also the Big Jane with spicy ketchup, garlic mayo, hot peppers, and two types of bacon; or the Green Burger which swaps the beef for green chorizo and finishes it with havarti, spicy pickled onion, and tomatillo relish.
Accessibility: Not wheelchair accessible
Slayer Burger
Price: 💸💸
Address: Multiple locations
Why You Need To Go: Not unlike RUDY higher up on this list, Slayer Burger has converted its popularity into multiple bustling restaurants in Toronto, where they serve up an appealing variety of burger creations alongside other treats like brisket sandwiches, Philly cheesesteaks, salads, poutines, truffle fries, and more.
One thing that makes Slayer Burger stand out is that many of their burger options come on house-made buns, and even the ones that don't are handled well by using a classic Martin's potato roll as the vessel.
The signature Slayer burger loads a smash patty with bacon, caramelized onion, aged cheddar, and house Slayer sauce; and the Slit burger is more of a traditional smash option with lettuce, cheese, and burger sauce. Don't worry, vegetarians: they've got a Beyond Meat option too!
Accessibility: Varies by location
