Best Burgers in Calgary: Alberta Beef Guide

The best burgers in Calgary cluster on 17th Avenue SW and in the Beltline, in Inglewood, in Kensington and along 4th Street SW in Mission. Alberta beef is the selling point: menus name it, and several kitchens grind it in house for smash patties, thick pub burgers and diner classics.

Calgary sits in Canada’s largest beef-producing province, and its burger scene leans on that. Inglewood, often described as the city’s oldest neighbourhood, mixes old storefronts with newer counters on 9th Avenue SE. Every July the Calgary Stampede brings ten days of rodeo, and its midway is known for novelty fair food, outlandish burgers included. Alberta has no provincial sales tax, so the only tax on a burger is the 5% federal GST.

Burgers in Calgary: key facts

• Neighbourhoods to explore: 17th Avenue SW, the Beltline, Inglewood, Kensington, Mission and 4th Street SW, Bridgeland and downtown’s Stephen Avenue.
• Local ingredient: Alberta beef, often named on the menu.
• When the city eats big: the Calgary Stampede, ten days every July.
• Currency: Canadian dollar (CAD). Menu prices exclude the 5% GST, and the tip is extra.
• Getting around: the CTrain is free to ride along 7th Avenue downtown, and the Red Line serves Kensington via Sunnyside station.

Every guide we publish on Calgary is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. To compare Alberta with other cities, browse our burger restaurant guides by city.