Best Burgers in Ho Chi Minh City: Saigon Guide

The best burgers in Ho Chi Minh City are concentrated in the area still called District 1, between Ben Thanh Market, Nguyen Hue walking street and the backpacker lanes of Bui Vien, and in Thao Dien, the riverside expat neighbourhood east of the Saigon River. District 3 and Binh Thanh add smaller independent kitchens.

Saigon already has a world-famous sandwich. Banh mi, the baguette inherited from French rule and filled with pâté, grilled meat, pickled vegetables and herbs, is sold on almost every corner, fast and cheap. Any burger in the city is judged against it, and the bun has to be as fresh as the morning’s bread. Much of the city eats on low plastic stools at street level, moves by motorbike and orders through delivery apps such as GrabFood. Vietnam abolished its district level of government in July 2025, but “District 1” remains the name everyone uses.

Burgers in Ho Chi Minh City: key facts

• Neighbourhoods to explore: the old District 1 (Ben Thanh, Nguyen Hue, Bui Vien), Thao Dien, District 3 and Binh Thanh.
• Local benchmark: banh mi, the street baguette sandwich every burger competes with.
• Currency: Vietnamese dong (VND).
• Getting around: Metro Line 1, open since 22 December 2024, runs from Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien and stops at Thao Dien; Grab motorbikes cover the rest.
• Rainy season: roughly May to November, with short, heavy afternoon downpours. Plan dinner after the storm.
• City name: officially Ho Chi Minh City, still Saigon in everyday speech.

Every guide we publish on Ho Chi Minh City is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. To compare cities, browse all our burger restaurant guides.