Best Burgers in Toronto: Neighbourhood Guide

The best burgers in Toronto are concentrated in the west-end strips of Queen Street West, Ossington Avenue and Dundas West, in Kensington Market, in the Annex near the University of Toronto and in Leslieville in the east end. Smash burgers and diner classics share menus with toppings borrowed from the city’s Korean, Caribbean and Middle Eastern kitchens.

Toronto’s local twist is pork. The city earned the nickname Hogtown from its 19th-century meatpacking industry, and its signature sandwich, peameal bacon on a bun, is tied to the St. Lawrence Market. That cornmeal-rolled cured loin is the Toronto topping to look for on a burger. In late summer, the Canadian National Exhibition at Exhibition Place is known for over-the-top fair food, novelty burgers included.

Burgers in Toronto: key facts

• Neighbourhoods to explore: Queen Street West, Ossington, Dundas West, Kensington Market, the Annex, Koreatown on Bloor Street and Leslieville.
• Local topping: peameal bacon, cured pork loin rolled in cornmeal.
• Late-summer event: the Canadian National Exhibition, from late August to Labour Day.
• Currency: Canadian dollar (CAD). Ontario adds 13% HST to menu prices, and the tip is extra.
• Getting around: subway Lines 1 and 2 cross the city, and streetcars run along Queen Street and Dundas Street.

Every guide we publish on Toronto is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. For more Canadian and international cities, see our burger restaurant guides by city.