Best Burgers in Pretoria: Hatfield to Menlyn

The best burgers in Pretoria are concentrated in the eastern suburbs: Hatfield, busy with University of Pretoria students, Brooklyn, the restaurant strip of Hazelwood and the Menlyn area with its malls. Expect flame-grilled patties, student-priced counters and family grills.

Pretoria is South Africa’s administrative capital, at the heart of the City of Tshwane, and its food culture is rooted in the braai. The burger’s closest local cousin is the boerewors roll, a coil of farmer’s sausage grilled over coals and served in a soft roll, a fixture at rugby matches and school fundraisers. Every October the jacaranda trees turn the city’s streets purple, and terraces fill up for the season.

Burgers in Pretoria: key facts

• Neighbourhoods to explore: Hatfield, Brooklyn, Hazelwood, Lynnwood and Menlyn.
• Local cousin: the boerewors roll, or boerie roll, sausage in a bun straight off the braai.
• Student quarter: Hatfield, around the University of Pretoria, has the highest density of quick, casual places.
• Season: jacarandas bloom in October and November, the best time for outdoor tables.
• Currency: rand (ZAR), issued by the South African Reserve Bank, headquartered in Pretoria.
• Getting around: the Gautrain stops at Pretoria and Hatfield and reaches Johannesburg in under an hour.

Every guide we publish on Pretoria is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. Explore more cities in our burger restaurant guides.