Let’s face it: some foods just don’t deliver as well as others, and no amount of fussing about with plastic containers and insulated keep-warm bags is going to change that. That doesn’t apply to street-food staples that are designed for a little travelling in mind: Enter the burger.
The journey home gives some time for the juices from the patty to soak into the bun, all while the trapped heat brings every adornment, from pickled jalapenos to caramelised onions, up to temperature for a perfectly gooey mess. All said, we’ve also included some slightly more refined variants of the classic if that’s more up your alley.
The upside is that you won’t have to deal with any flimsy plastic cutlery (although you might want to keep a napkin or three handy). Now that we’re back to two-person party sizes and takeaway, burgers are perfect comfort food. You don’t even have to share. These are the best burgers in town.
Carne
Chef Mauro Colagreco’s burger brand Carne is the latest contender in Singapore’s burgerdome. While the Mirazur pop-up has been currently put on hold, the burgers are still available for order online. Expect hefty, flavourful patties from 100 percent grass-fed beef, organic vegetables, and thick-cut triple-cooked fries made from Agria potatoes. They also do a mean fried chicken burger made with local Poussin chickens and a Greek yogurt dressing.
Available for delivery or takeaway. Order online here.
Moosehead Kitchen & Bar
Edgy, unconventional and eclectic. Words that best describe Moosehead, a casual bar known for serving unfussy, globally-inspired cuisine. Its menu spans everything from tzatziki to tagliatelle, though that doesn’t mean it serves anything less than great flavours with some added oomph. That goes for its unassuming burger as well. It comes with all your typical trappings like caramelised onions and pickles atop a thick beef patty slathered with melted cheese. Though introduced initially as a quick lunch option, it soon proved popular enough to warrant a place on the dinner menu.
Available delivery or takeaway. Menu. Whatsapp 9833-4979.
Burnt Ends
Chef owner Dave Pynt has made his mark on Singapore’s culinary scene – if Burnt Ends’ extraordinary reputation isn’t enough, the months-long wait for a table should speak for itself. Like other businesses, it has had to adapt to bring contemporary Australian barbecue to your home. Though you’ve undoubtedly got your eye on its signature selection of barbecued meats, we’d like to draw attention to the Sanger burger. Moist and toothsome pulled pork is sandwiched between toasted housemade brioche buns, cheddar, chipotle aioli and the requisite tangy slaw.
Available for delivery or takeaway.
Burger & Lobster
This international chain started in 2011 with a simple premise: taking the two ingredients in its name and doing it well. No prizes, then, for guessing what we’re going to recommend. Though the regular (and already delicious) burger comes with all the usual adornments like housemade pickles and burger sauce with a Nebraskan beef patty, you could opt for the version that comes crowned with lobster meat and brie cheese. The surf-and-turf-esque brings together the best of both worlds into a single, decadent sandwich. Else, you could always get the signature lobster roll that features a decadent mix of wild Canadian lobster, mayonnaise and plenty of the chain’s famous lemon and garlic butter (for dipping – or drizzling wantonly).
Available for delivery or takeaway. Order online.
Three Buns
Three Buns is a burger joint brought to you by the folks of Potato Head Group headed by chef Adam Penney. He brings his experience from kitchens in London to create gourmet burgers from scratch, while allowing the restaurant to serve as a hub for local creatives in the arts, music and fashion scenes. For grub, it has got an extensive burger and dog selection that’ll satisfy any gourmet street food cravings. It has also recently launched a sustainable plant-based menu for Earth Month centred entirely around alternative meats and plants, with a portion of proceeds heading towards its charity partner Animal Concerns Research & Education Society (ACRES). Else, they’ve also included sliders and kids-sized burgers if you’re ordering for smaller eaters, as well as a selection of made-from-scratch milkshakes.
Available for delivery or takeaway. Order online.
Meatsmith
The Full Metal Smokehouse delivers American barbecue without compromise, fired in-house in its specially imported smoker. No meal at the meat joint is complete without a taste of its deliciously smoky beef brisket – which is great, because it’s also offering it in burger form. Picture fall-apart tender brisket nestled between potato buns accompanied by tangy red onions and pickles. You also can’t miss the beef marmalade burger, a collaboration with another place on our list, Burnt Ends. Expect a brisket patty paired with a dulcet caramelised onion-infused beef patty topped with American cheese and house sauce for a rib-sticking meal that’s worth every additional stay-at-home workout.
Available for delivery or takeaway. Order online.
Biseryu
Biseryu offers succulent Japanese beef and hamburg steaks tucked away in Far East Plaza. Don’t let its less-than-stellar location fool you though – its hamburg steaks are made from 100 per cent Kuroge Wagyu from Hokkaido and go best drenched in a heart-warming umami bomb that is demi-glace sauce. If you’re looking for a Japanese-style burger with a juicy and tender patty, this is the place. Granted, demi-glace originated in French cuisine, but it has found a solid footing in many home-style Japanese dishes, including hamburg steaks.
Available for delivery or takeaway. Order online.
Caffe Cicheti
Caffe Cicheti – the convivial, brunch cousin of Italian joint Cicheti and boozy Bar Cicheti – serves unfussy Mediterranean fare with a local twist. Expect anything from typical brunch plates like an omelette infused with truffle salsa served along parma ham and sourdough and ricotta pancakes topped with fresh mascarpone to an antipasto platter and arrabiata. Of course, it has also got excellent burgers. Get the crispy rosemary chicken burger – which admittedly, isn’t very Italian at all, except maybe for its inclusion of salty Mediterranean staple capers in the aioli dressing. That doesn’t mean it isn’t great grub though – because it is. Else, there’s always its take on the meatball hero served on an open baguette.
Available for delivery or takeaway. Order online or Whatsapp 8553-4119.
Wildfire Burgers
Wildfire Burgers is back. It took a brief hiatus from mid-2019 till now, having opened in 2015 to international buzz as it quickly signed a deal to open 38 outlets across China. At the heart of its renewed operation, a charcoal-fired Binchotan INKA grill helps the team get that requisite char and smokiness on the patties. Selling limited portions daily (starting June 1, available for pre-order now), expect classic American burgers on fluffy brioche buns, its signature twice-fried chicken and the dessert du jour, Basque burnt cheesecake.
Available for delivery or takeaway. Order online.
Level33
Local craft-brewery Level33 offers more than just its own hoppy style beers and lagers along with a stunning view of Marina Bay. Chef Archan Chan’s playbook includes delightful bar bites, great weekend roasts and of course, stunning burgers. Koji, typically some kind of cooked grain inoculated with mould responsible for fermenting soya and sake, is applied liberally on Wagyu skirt and left for a couple of days. The enzymes in koji simulate the dry-ageing process that typically takes up to 48 days – the end result is an earthy and deeply, well, beefy piece of meat that Chan has combined with chimichurri, beer mustard and charred onions. What’s more, you can get one of its brews to-go (they come in cans now).
Available for delivery or takeaway. Order online or Whatsapp 8511-4613.
Omakase Burger
Omakase Burger’s ridiculously juicy burgers (made from a blend of four different cuts of USDA choice grade beef) now come with Martin’s sandwich potato rolls. Its pillowy texture and delightful lightness are a marvel in their own right, and are used around the world by the likes of Shake Shack. It’s the perfect vehicle for soaking up anything leaking out of Omakase’s great burgers. That being said, they’ve got a pretty limited menu compared to others on this list: Expect only classic burgers and sides done right.
Available for delivery or takeaway. Order online.
Third & Sixth Bistrobar
Looking for a great place to hang out with like-minded individuals that are big on great burgers, lots of booze and music that’s just slightly too loud? The folks at Lapel loves pop culture and ’90s rock (seriously – check out its Facebook page if you’re ever in need of some old-school cool), which is why they’ve bringing that along with unfussy, but quality, grub and alcohol at their Seah Street gastrobar. Tuck into a selection of regionally inspired burgers, including the Messy Mexican, that somehow crams chilli con carne, pico de gallo and cheddar on top of a sizeable Australian grass-fed patty for a deliciously messy burger. They’ve also got a selection of easy bar bites and beer on tap. Our take? Go for the food, but stay for the vibes.
Available for delivery or takeaway. Order here.
Alma by Juan Amador
This one Michelin-starred restaurant has set aside most of its usual fine-dining fare to offer refined takes on comfort food. Cue a selection of lip-smacking burgers that puts a spin on the classics. Its angus beef burger is made extra moreish with a gochujang sauce; while a Thai-inspired organic chicken patty comes topped spicy, lemongrass-scented larb and sriracha mayo. Every burger comes in a buttery, homemade brioche bun, and is served with chips, salad, and a mini Valrhona brownie to end the meal.
Order here. Available Mondays to Saturday.
The Summerhouse
Thanks to chef Florian Ridder – and his 966 sq m edible garden – The Summerhouse has made a name for itself while tucked away in Seletar Aerospace Park. The three-Michelin-star Le Belle Epoque alum now serves a variety of farm-to-table style plates that focus on fresh, seasonal produce. More than that, his food just tastes good. We’re especially fond of the (slightly controversially-named) Heart Attack burger that comes with a Wagyu patty topped with caramelised onion, abalone mushroom and cheddar cheese all slathered in dollops of truffle mayo. If that’s a little too pungent for you, it also offers a solid pulled-pork sandwich complete with baby corn and usual BBQ sauce.
Available for delivery or takeaway. Order online.
Love Handle
Unabashedly old-school with a love for plant-based food thrown in, Love Handle is the latest culinary concept by the Ebb & Flow Group headed by chef Addis Tan. Vegans (and their food) don’t necessarily have to be a dour, austere bunch – and with burgers like Love Handle’s, you won’t have to. Expect typical American (but vegan) fare like a double cheeseburger or a breakfast sandwich, as well as a twist on the local pasar malam favourite, the Vegan “Ramli”. They’ve got almost everything down to a T: multiple sweet and spicy sauces, an eggless frittata and Impossible patty. The only thing missing is wrapping the “egg” around the patty – but who’s complaining?
Available for delivery or takeaway. Order online.
25 Degrees Burgers & Liquor Bar
For classic Los Angeles-style burgers oozing with Hollywood charm, head down to 25 Degrees. If you’re wondering, its name actually refers to the difference in temperature between a completely raw and well-done burger: so at the very least, you know they’re serious about precision. A tad ironic, when they’re also slathering the burgers with a bevy of interesting dipping sauces, toppings and deliciously melted cheese that’s been imported from a number of locales. We’re fond of the Number 2, a burger with pretty clear Italian influences with toppings like creamy burrata, prosciutto, pesto and roasted tomatoes. If you’re feeling adventurous, there’s always its Chipster Shake – which tops off your classic American diner milkshake with a handful of crisp potato chips.
Available for delivery or takeaway. Order here.
Muchachos
They might be a Mexican food joint, but Muchachos also has one of the most underrated cheeseburgers around – squishy buns, special sauce, and a crusty well-seared patty. It’s no-frills, but it nails it with alluring greasiness and a near-perfect meat-to-bun ratio.
Available for takeaway and delivery. Muchachos website.
Black Tap
Black Tap opened two years ago at the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands to undulating queues and plenty of fanfare. While we’d like to say the spotlight was solely on its deliciously American burgers, we’d be lying: much of the attention was for Black Tap’s signature milkshakes to end all milkshakes. The crafted shakes are a work of art as they’ve managed to cram crumbles, drizzles and cream atop the towering shakes. It’s an all-in-one dessert, and one that’s definitely meant to be shared. It doesn’t mean that the all-American burgers don’t deserve a fair share of the limelight, though. It’s as much American in flavour as it is in heritage – every facet of the burgers are bold, savoury and moreish, and napkins are very much a necessity. With the burgers and shakes come your typical selection of sides, cocktails and beers, all very well-done and worth a night out during Phase 2.
Available for takeaway. Click here.
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