Restaurants
Every burger on the menu of the world’s best-known chains, the regional specials you can only get abroad, and the ones I have rebuilt at home. Search by restaurant or by burger: type “big mac” and you land on the right menu.
McDonald'sSame golden arches, wildly different burgers in every country.
Burger KingFlame-grilled since the 1950s, and still defined by one burger.
Wendy'sSquare burgers on round buns, because the founder refused to cut corners.
KFCA fried chicken empire whose best burgers are sold outside America.
PopeyesThe New Orleans chicken chain whose sandwich sold out America in two weeks.
Chick-fil-AThe chicken sandwich that started the wars, and a chain that closes every Sunday.
Sonic Drive-InOrder through a speaker from your car and a carhop brings the burger.
Jack in the BoxA drive-thru that sells more tacos than burgers and still makes a great Sourdough Jack.
Carl's Jr.Charbroiled burgers, onion rings inside the bun, and ads nobody forgot.
Hardee'sBiscuits in the morning, Thickburgers the rest of the day.
WhataburgerA Texas institution with a burger too big for one hand.
Five GuysEvery burger is a double unless you say otherwise, and the toppings are free.
In-N-Out BurgerThree burgers on the board and a secret menu everyone knows by heart.
Shake ShackA hot dog cart in a New York park that turned into a global burger chain.
Culver'sWisconsin in a burger: buttered buns, cheese curds and frozen custard.
White CastleThe first fast-food burger chain, still steaming tiny square sliders on onions.
Checkers & Rally'sTwo names, one menu, double drive-thrus and fries everyone argues about.
KrystalThe South’s answer to White Castle: tiny square burgers with mustard and onions.
SmashburgerA whole chain built on pressing a ball of beef flat on a hot griddle.
Steak 'n ShakeSteakburgers ground in front of customers, back when nobody trusted ground beef.
FatburgerThe Last Great Hamburger Stand, founded by a woman and immortalised in hip-hop.
Red RobinThe sit-down burger chain with bottomless fries and a burger topped with a fried egg.
Habit Burger & GrillThe chargrilled burger Consumer Reports once called the best in America.
Freddy's Frozen Custard & SteakburgersThin, crispy steakburgers and frozen custard, named after a WWII veteran.
BurgerFiFlorida’s “better burger” chain, built on natural Angus beef and a Wagyu CEO.
Johnny RocketsA 1950s diner fantasy with a jukebox, red vinyl and ketchup drawn into a smiley face.
A&W RestaurantsAmerica’s oldest drive-in chain, and the burger that lost to bad maths.
Dairy QueenThe ice cream chain that quietly sells a lot of burgers, especially in Texas.
Cook OutA Southern drive-thru with a tray deal, dozens of milkshake flavours and char-grilled burgers.
Hwy 55 Burgers Shakes & FriesA 1950s-style North Carolina diner chain, named after the state highway it grew along.
MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & ShakesA Texas better-burger chain with fries that take a day to make and a lettuce-wrap menu for every diet.
Burger 21A Tampa burger chain from the family behind The Melting Pot, with numbered burgers and a sauce bar for the fries.
Arctic CircleThe Utah drive-in chain that gave the West fry sauce.
Kewpee HamburgersThe second-oldest hamburger chain in America, and the one that gave Dave Thomas the idea for Wendy’s.
Halo BurgerThe original Kewpee stand from Flint, Michigan, home of the Olive Burger and the Boston Cooler.
Milo’s HamburgersBirmingham’s burger shop since 1946, famous for a secret sauce, orange-dusted fries and sweet tea.
RunzaNebraska’s own fast-food chain, built on a Volga German beef-and-cabbage pocket, with burgers on the side.
Tasty BurgerA Boston burger joint in an old Fenway gas station, named after a lost Harvard Square diner.
SpanglesWichita’s 1950s-themed steakburger chain, famous in Kansas for its odd TV adverts and a six-patty burger called The Beast.
Burger LoungeA San Diego burger chain from a butcher’s son, built on grass-fed beef and fries cooked in beef tallow.
Epic BurgerA Chicago smash-burger chain with Black Angus beef, local Turano buns and a Chicago accent.
Z-BurgerA Washington, D.C. burger shop with free toppings, peanut-oil fries and 75 flavours of shake.
Ruby's DinerA 1940s-style Southern California diner that started in a bait shack at the end of the Balboa Pier.
Ford's GarageA burger bar dressed as a 1920s Ford service station, licensed by the Ford Motor Company itself.
Jackson Hole BurgersA family-run New York burger saloon since 1972, where Jennifer Aniston once waited tables.
Red Mill BurgersSeattle’s cult burger stand, known for peppered bacon, Mill Sauce and the Anaheim-chile Verde.
Burger StreetA Texas double drive-thru burger chain from the man who created Taco Bueno and Casa Bonita.
Friendly'sThe New England ice-cream parlour turned family restaurant, home of the Fribble and the PattyMelt.
7th Street BurgerA late-night New York smash-burger counter with a four-item menu and onion-smashed patties.
Au ChevalThe Chicago diner whose stacked double cheeseburger is routinely called the best in America.
Harlem ShakeA retro Harlem diner serving smash burgers, jerk fries and thick shakes, ranked among the world’s best burgers.
NowonA Korean-American gastropub from New York whose kimchi cheeseburger ranks among the world’s best.
Emmy SquaredThe Detroit-style pizza chain from the Pizza Loves Emily family, home of Le Big Matt and the much-copied Emmy Burger.
Little Big BurgerA tiny-menu Portland burger chain: quarter-pounders on brioche, Tillamook cheese and truffle fries.
Wayback BurgersA Delaware burger stand that grew into a franchise from Buenos Aires to Tokyo.
Hopdoddy Burger BarAustin’s burger bar, where the menu runs from bison with fig jam to a rare tuna burger.
Umami BurgerA Los Angeles burger built on the fifth taste, from parmesan crisps to shiitakes.
Black TapThe New York burger bar famous for Instagram milkshakes and a Wagyu blue-cheese burger.
Dick's Drive-InSeattle’s drive-in with four burgers, no substitutions and college scholarships for staff.
BurgervilleThe Pacific Northwest drive-thru that builds its menu around the local harvest.
Farmer BoysA Southern California drive-thru started by brothers from Cyprus.
Good TimesColorado’s own drive-thru, built for burgers, sliders and frozen custard.
P. Terry'sAustin’s retro burger stand, with a short menu and a Texas-sized following.
BareburgerAn Astoria burger bar that put elk, bison and organic beef on the same menu.
FuddruckersThe original build-your-own burger bar, with a produce counter and elk on the menu.
Back Yard BurgersA Mississippi Delta drive-thru that grills its burgers over an open flame, like at home.
The CounterThe burger bar where you build your own on a clipboard checklist.
Elevation BurgerThe Virginia chain that called itself the first organic burger joint, with fries cooked in olive oil.
Slater's 50/50Half beef, half ground bacon, and a peanut butter and jelly burger for good measure.
Big BoyThe chubby boy in checked overalls, and the double-decker that came before the Big Mac.
Original Tommy'sThe Los Angeles chili burger stand so famous it has dozens of imitators.
Blake's LotaburgerNew Mexico’s own burger stand, where green chile is the default topping.
WahlburgersThe burger bar run by Mark and Donnie Wahlberg’s chef brother, famous from its own TV show.
Roy RogersA Mid-Atlantic chain named after a singing cowboy, where you dress your own burger at the Fixin’s bar.
Jack'sAlabama’s home-grown fast-food chain, where biscuits share the menu with the Big Jack.
Pal's Sudden ServiceThe Tennessee drive-thru with giant burgers on the roof and a national quality award.
SwensonsThe Akron drive-in behind the Galley Boy, a double cheeseburger with two house sauces.
Bobby's BurgersBobby Flay’s burger chain, where you can crunchify any burger with potato chips.
IslandsA Hawaiian-themed burger restaurant from Los Angeles, with surf names on every burger.
Crown BurgersThe Greek family burger joint that made the pastrami burger a Salt Lake City staple.
Nation's Giant HamburgersThe East Bay diner chain known for giant burgers and pie.
Zip's Drive-InThe Inland Northwest’s cult drive-in, born feeding the workers of the Hanford nuclear site.
Killer BurgerPortland’s loud, bacon-heavy burger bar, home of the peanut butter pickle bacon burger.
Braum'sAn Oklahoma burger and ice cream chain that milks its own cows and bakes its own buns.
MrBeast BurgerThe YouTube star’s burger brand, cooked in other restaurants’ kitchens and ordered through an app.
A&W CanadaCanada’s A&W, a separate company with its own Burger Family and a Beyond Meat first.
Harvey'sCanada’s burger chain where you watch them dress your burger exactly the way you ask.
White SpotCanada’s longest-running restaurant chain, a Vancouver institution built on the Legendary burger and its secret Triple “O” sauce.
Burger BaronA bankrupt 1950s drive-in chain kept alive by Lebanese-Canadian families across Alberta, and their mushroom burger.
Hero Certified BurgersA Toronto burger chain that built its brand on traceable, hormone-free Angus beef.
Big Smoke BurgerToronto’s burger-and-poutine joint, named after the city’s nickname.
Holy BurgerSão Paulo’s classic downtown burger bar, ranked the second-best burger in the world in 2026.
The Food Truck StoreBuenos Aires’s American-style burger brand, now in Miami and Barcelona and among the world’s top 25.
Bob'sBrazil’s first fast-food chain, founded by a Wimbledon champion.
GiraffasThe Brasília fast-food chain where the burger comes with a fried egg.
MaderoThe Curitiba steakhouse chain that sells itself on “the best burger in the world”.
El CorralColombia’s own burger chain, bigger at home than any American import.
MostazaArgentina’s number two burger chain, known for oversized “Mega” burgers.
BembosPeru’s own burger chain, with fried plantain and egg on the menu.
Rekas BurgersMalmö’s smash-burger favourite, with beef from its own butcher’s and a place among the world’s best burgers.
PasibusWrocław’s food-truck burger brand turned Polish chain, with freshly ground beef and cheeky names.
Old Wild WestItaly’s big Wild West–themed burger and steakhouse chain, with more than two hundred restaurants.
Franky'sA Stockholm burger bar that began as a tiny street grill, home of Sweden’s best classic cheeseburger.
Bastard BurgersA New York–inspired street-food burger chain from Luleå, in Sweden’s far north, with Swedish beef and a big vegan menu.
Max BurgersThe Swedish chain from above the Arctic Circle that beat McDonald’s at home.
BDP BurgerA Madrid burger group raising its own cattle, famous for the bacon-jam Nicky Jam and ranked among the world’s best.
BriochefA Madrid fusion-burger chain built on dry-aged Galician beef, ranked among the world’s 25 best burgers.
Burger & BeyondA London burger brand that began in a vintage Citroën van and now ranks among the world’s top five burgers.
Hundred BurgersThe Spanish burger bar voted best in the world three years running, from two friends who ate their way around the planet.
Bleecker BurgerA London burger bar started from a food truck by a New York lawyer, with two Burger of the Year titles.
VICIOSpain’s delivery-born smash-burger brand, started in the pandemic by a MasterChef winner.
RollsFinland’s roadside burger chain from Seinäjoki, famous for the MaMa and the pineapple-and-ham PaPa.
HesburgerThe Finnish chain that outsold McDonald’s in the Nordics and the Baltics.
QuickThe Belgian burger chain that took on McDonald’s across the French-speaking world.
Burger & LobsterA Mayfair restaurant that opened with no menu: a burger or a lobster, same price.
Gourmet Burger KitchenThree New Zealanders brought the gourmet burger to London in 2001.
Honest BurgersThe London burger chain that comes with rosemary salted chips.
Eddie Rocket'sIreland’s favourite 1950s-style American diner chain, serving Irish-beef burgers and shakes since 1989.
BunsenThe Irish burger bar with a menu that fits on a business card: four burgers, three kinds of fries, done perfectly.
Supermac’sIreland’s own fast-food chain from Galway, which took McDonald’s to the EU courts over the word “Mac”.
Goody’s Burger HouseGreece’s biggest fast-food chain, from Thessaloniki, with burgers built on a Greek-style biftéki patty.
Sunset BoulevardDenmark’s biggest home-grown fast-food chain: a sandwich shop from Odense that became a burger chain with a béarnaise habit.
FEBOAmsterdam’s wall of little hatches: the automat chain where you buy a burger or a kroket by dropping coins in a slot.
ByronThe London chain that led Britain’s gourmet burger boom, then shrank back to a handful of restaurants.
Patty & BunThe London burger joint that names its burgers after TV characters and soul singers.
MEATliquorA burger van turned into a dark, loud London bar famous for the Dead Hippie.
WimpyAn American burger bar named after Popeye’s hamburger-loving friend, now a South African institution.
GoikoSpain’s burger obsession, where the bestseller is named after Kevin Bacon.
Hans im GlückThe Munich burger grill with birch trunks inside and a fairy-tale name.
BurgermeisterThe Berlin burger chain that started in an old public toilet under the U-Bahn.
Jim BlockHamburg’s own burger chain since 1973, the burger sister of the Block House steakhouses.
Peter PaneThe German burger-and-cocktail chain that split from Hans im Glück.
PNYParis New York: flame-grilled burgers of aged grass-fed beef, with a different exclusive burger in every branch.
Big FernandThe Paris chain that calls its burgers “Hamburgés” and fills them with French cheese.
Holy Cow!The Lausanne gourmet burger chain built on Swiss beef and Swiss cheese.
Vkusno i TochkaWhat McDonald’s turned into in Russia after it left in 2022.
Black Star BurgerThe Moscow burger chain from rapper Timati’s Black Star label, famous for its black gloves.
Burger HeroesMoscow burger bars with Black Angus beef, cherry on the Black Mamba and burgers cooked to order.
HerfySaudi Arabia’s home-grown burger chain since 1981, with its own bakeries and meat plant.
BurgerizzrThe Riyadh burger chain that grew to 120 branches on chilled, never-frozen beef.
AlbaikSaudi Arabia’s biggest restaurant chain: broasted chicken from Jeddah since 1974.
PicklDubai’s homegrown smash-burger joint, with house pickles and a fiery “Jeff” spice.
Roadster DinerLebanon’s best-known American diner chain, born in Achrafieh and serving burgers in classic diner booths.
SALTWagyu sliders from an Airstream on Dubai’s Kite Beach, the food truck that became a Gulf chain.
AgadirAn Israeli burger-bar chain grinding its beef fresh in every branch since 1997, open late into the night.
Burgers BarIsrael’s kosher burger chain, born in Jerusalem’s German Colony in 1999.
Buffalo BurgerEgypt’s own burger chain, started in 2008 as a delivery-only kitchen in Cairo.
SteersSouth Africa’s flame-grilled burger chain, home of the King Steer.
RocoMamasSouth Africa’s loud smashburger chain, with ribs, wings and a build-your-own menu.
MOS BurgerJapan’s answer to McDonald’s, where the buns can be made of rice.
LotteriaThe Korean chain that once had more than double McDonald’s market share.
Freshness BurgerTokyo’s relaxed burger café, famous for a yellow bun made with pumpkin.
Dom Dom HamburgerJapan’s first hamburger chain, born when a supermarket and McDonald’s could not agree on one percent.
First KitchenA Tokyo burger chain since 1977, famous for its Bacon Egg Burger, flavoured fries and pasta, now run together with Wendy’s.
Laya BurgerOne of Taiwan’s big three breakfast chains, now baking its burger buns from an 18-hour sourdough.
myBurgerLabThe Malaysian gourmet-burger brand that made black charcoal buns famous, with local twists like kobis goreng and salted egg.
Burger BangorIndonesia’s fast-growing local burger chain, started by a basketball star, with burgers named after social ranks.
TastienChina’s fast-growing “Chinese burger” chain, with hand-rolled buns baked to order and fillings from Chinese cooking.
Q BurgerTaiwan’s fast-growing breakfast chain, where burgers are what you eat at seven in the morning.
Lucky PierrotHakodate’s beloved local burger chain, with circus-themed shops and a sweet-and-spicy Chinese Chicken Burger.
ZetteriaThe new name of Lotteria Japan: the shrimp burger of 1977 and the “Zeppin” cheeseburger, now under the owners of Sukiya.
Kua 'AinaA North Shore surf-town sandwich shop that became a Hawaiian burger chain in Japan.
JollibeeThe Philippine chain that beat McDonald’s at home, with sweet spaghetti on the side.
Tropical HutThe Philippines’ veteran burger chain, older than Jollibee, famous for the egg-topped Rancho Ranchero.
Burger Machine“The burger that never sleeps”: the Philippines’ round-the-clock roadside burger stand.
Minute BurgerThe Philippine burger kiosk where every order comes as Buy 1 Take 1.
Mom's TouchKorea’s chicken burger chain, famous for a whole fried thigh in a bun.
Frank BurgerSouth Korea’s biggest craft-burger chain, grilling American-style patties to order alongside bulgogi and hanwoo burgers.
No Brand BurgerA Korean burger chain built on a supermarket’s budget label.
WallaceChina’s budget fried chicken and burger chain, with more restaurants than KFC.
DicosChina’s home-grown rival to KFC, built on Texas-style fried chicken.
Biggies BurgerA Bengaluru-born chain that calls itself India’s biggest grilled-burger brand, with lamb, chicken, paneer and tandoori flavours.
Burger SinghBig Punjabi burgers: paneer, mutton and makhani sauce, and no beef.
Wat-a-Burger“India ka Burger”: aloo tikki, paneer and tandoori makhani burgers from Noida.
Hungry Jack'sBurger King by another name, because in Australia the name was already taken.
Grill'dAustralia’s “healthy burger” chain, where your change goes to a local cause.
HuxtaburgerMelbourne’s cult smash-burger bar, born as the casual offshoot of a hatted Collingwood restaurant.
Burger UrgeBrisbane’s gourmet burger chain, as famous for its provocative marketing as its burgers.
OportoPortuguese-style flame-grilled chicken from Bondi, and the Bondi Burger.
Ribs & BurgersAn Australian grillhouse chain started by butchers: flame-grilled burgers, Wagyu doubles and racks of slow-cooked ribs.
Lord of the FriesA Melbourne chip van that became Australia’s all-vegan burger chain.
Better BurgerA New Zealand fast-food chain built on fresh, never-frozen beef, local farmers and compostable packaging.
BurgerFuelNew Zealand’s cheeky burger chain, with beetroot, pineapple and a burger called the Bastard.
FergburgerQueenstown’s famous burger counter, a single shop with a queue that turned it into a New Zealand pilgrimage.
Krusty Burger, Bob’s, Los Pollos Hermanos?
Burgers from movies & cartoons →