Best Burgers in Cairo: Neighbourhood Guide

The best burgers in Cairo are mostly smash burgers: thin beef patties pressed hard on a hot griddle until the edges crisp, then stacked with cheese and a house sauce. Look for them on the island of Zamalek, in leafy Maadi, in Heliopolis and Nasr City, and in the newer suburbs of New Cairo, Sheikh Zayed and 6th of October, where many burger brands run several branches.

Cairo had its own minced-meat sandwich long before the smash craze. Hawawshi is baladi bread stuffed with beef seasoned with onion, peppers and chilli, then baked until the crust cracks. It is the closest local relative of the burger, and a good benchmark for how much seasoning Cairenes expect in their meat. Beef and chicken dominate menus, almost all of it halal. Dinner runs late, and delivery is part of how the city eats.

Burgers in Cairo: key facts

• Neighbourhoods to explore: Zamalek, Maadi, Heliopolis, Nasr City and Mohandessin in the city; New Cairo to the east; Sheikh Zayed and 6th of October to the west.
• Main style: the smash burger, often served as a double in a brioche or potato bun.
• Local relative: hawawshi, spiced minced beef baked inside a round of baladi bread.
• Currency: Egyptian pound (EGP).
• When locals eat: late in the evening, and after iftar or at suhoor during Ramadan.
• Getting around: Line 1 of the Cairo Metro serves Maadi; the eastern and western suburbs are easier by car or ride-hailing.

Every guide we publish on Cairo is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. To compare Cairo with other cities, browse our burger restaurant guides from around the world.