YEG Burger Edmonton: Owner, Menu and Halal Guide

YEG Burger is a single-location halal burger restaurant at 15131 121 Street NW in Edmonton’s Caernarvon neighbourhood, founded and owned by Emad Elshmoury. It is still open as of October 31, 2026. The patties are hand-made from fresh, never-frozen beef, the fries are cut in-house, and the two burgers people come for are the 152 Burger and the Havarti Grilled Cheese Burger. It’s a north-side spot, a short drive from St. Albert, and far from the downtown crowds.

I put this profile together on October 31, 2026 from the restaurant’s own website, The Halal Food Podcast, Global News, CBC Edmonton, Edify and the Zabihah halal directory. I have not eaten there for this piece, so there is no rating from me. Where the sources disagree, I say so and tell you which one I trust.

YEG Burger Edmonton at a glance

YEG Burger is a fresh-beef, halal burger counter in north-west Edmonton that has been open since the late 2010s. The essentials below were checked against the official site on October 31, 2026.

YEG Burger Edmonton at a glance: 15131 121 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5X 3C8 (Caernarvon), (587) 459-2874, one location, founder-owner Emad Elshmoury, fresh never-frozen hand-made patties, self-declared halal menu with no alcohol, pickup or delivery via Uber Eats, SkipTheDishes and DoorDash. Checked October 31, 2026. (Table: Burger Breton, data from the YEG Burger official site (yegburger.ca), checked 2026-10-31)

Who owns YEG Burger? Founder and chef Emad Elshmoury

Emad Elshmoury is the founder and owner of YEG Burger, and he is also the cook behind its best-known burgers. He told The Halal Food Podcast in February 2023 that he spent several years in real estate and operations management before opening the restaurant.

The cooking came first, though. On the same podcast he said he used to make lunch for his siblings before school. That is his own account and I found no second source for it. It does match the man you see on camera.

On December 30, 2018, Global News introduced him as Chef Emad Elshmoury of YEG Burger. He cooked the 152 Burger and a breakfast dish in the Global Edmonton kitchen with host Kevin O’Connell. Those two segments are still the best look at how he builds a burger.

The 152 Crew: how YEG Burger started

YEG Burger grew out of a group of childhood friends from Caernarvon who called themselves the 152 Crew, according to CBC Edmonton’s 2018 coverage. The 152 Burger takes its name from them. Today the restaurant presents Elshmoury alone as founder and owner, and I found no public detail on the other original members.

When did YEG Burger open?

YEG Burger opened in 2017 or 2018, depending on the source. The official site says it was founded in 2017. Press coverage from 2018 says it opened in January, most likely January 2018. Either way, it has been on 121 Street for roughly eight years.

Why the name YEG?

YEG is the airport code of Edmonton International Airport, and Edmontonians use it as a nickname for the city. Calling a burger shop YEG Burger is a straightforward claim to be the city’s burger, as Elshmoury explained on The Halal Food Podcast.

Check-in desks at Edmonton International Airport in June 2023. YEG is the airport’s code and Edmonton’s nickname, which is where YEG Burger gets its name. (Photo: OhanaUnited, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edmonton\_International\_Airport\_terminal\_2023.jpg)

YEG Burger menu: what to order

The YEG Burger menu centres on beef burgers made from fresh, never-frozen patties, plus chicken burgers, poutine and thick milkshakes. As of October 31, 2026, the official site lists these items:

• Burgers: Go2 Burger, Mushroom Burger, 152 Burger, Breakfast Burger, Havarti Burger
• Chicken: Buttermilk Chicken Burger, Nashville Hot Grill Chicken Burger
• Sides: Cheeseburger Poutine
• Milkshakes: Ferrero, Oreo
• Seasonal: Cajun Smash, Mango Milkshake

Other listings also mention chicken and beef smokies, corn dogs and plain poutine. I could not confirm current prices from an official or reliable source, so there are none here. Check the live ordering page on yegburger.ca before you go.

My order for a first visit is the 152. It’s the burger the restaurant tells its own story through. The Havarti comes second, for anyone who thinks a bun is optional.

The 152 Burger, YEG Burger’s signature

The YEG Burger 152 burger is a beef burger topped with cheddar, coleslaw, potato chips and a special BBQ sauce. That is how Elshmoury built it on Global News in December 2018, and it is still on the official menu in October 2026. On paper it’s a crunch-and-tang burger: chips for texture, slaw to cut the sweetness of the sauce.

The Havarti Grilled Cheese Burger

YEG Burger’s grilled cheese burger puts a beef patty between two grilled cheese sandwiches instead of a bun. Edify’s Steven Sandor tried it in January 2021. He found the havarti mellow and buttery, cut by plenty of pickle and mustard, and noted that you can add extra patties. On the current menu it appears simply as the Havarti Burger.

Grilled cheese sandwiches, which replace the bun in YEG Burger’s Havarti grilled cheese burger in Edmonton. Illustrative photo, not taken at YEG Burger. (Photo: Jon Sullivan, public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grilled\_cheese\_sandwiches.jpg)

Milkshakes and gluten-free buns

YEG Burger’s milkshakes lean on candy and cookie flavours. Ferrero and Oreo are on the menu now, with Mango as a seasonal special. Earlier menus also listed double Reese, Nutella, Ferrero Rocher, vanilla, mixed berry and Tony’s banana and honey, according to Zabihah. Gluten-free buns are available, according to the gluten-free directory Atly.

Fresh, never-frozen beef and house-cut fries

YEG Burger says it makes every patty by hand from fresh beef that is never frozen, and cuts its fries in-house. That is the whole pitch on its website. The cut, the grind, the patty weight and the beef supplier are not published, so I won’t guess.

Cooking fresh patties at home? Our burger patty internal temperature guide gives the doneness targets.

Is YEG Burger halal? A halal burger in Edmonton

Yes. YEG Burger serves a fully halal menu with no alcohol, according to the restaurant. Zabihah lists it as stating that it serves halal food, and Elshmoury discussed it on The Halal Food Podcast. The official site does not name a certification body, so treat it as self-declared and ask in store if certification matters to you.

Among halal burger places in Edmonton, YEG Burger appears in the same listings as Mr Halal Burger, The Halal Oven and Burger Daddy, in Zabihah and the @YEGHalalFoodie guide. What sets it apart is the north-side location and the focus on fresh, hand-made patties.

Is YEG Burger worth the trip? Praise and criticism

YEG Burger has a mixed critical record: one national list ranked it among Canada’s best burgers, while Edmonton’s CBC critic was unimpressed. Both reviews date from 2018–2019. Read them as history, not as a current verdict.

YEG Burger reviews side by side: #12 on Big 7 Travel’s 50 Best Burgers in Canada (2019, via Global News), underwhelming for CBC Edmonton critic Twyla Campbell (2018), and a well-balanced Havarti Grilled Cheese Burger for Edify’s Steven Sandor (January 2021). (Table: Burger Breton, sources Global News (2019-03-07), CBC Edmonton (2018), Edify Edmonton (2021-01-26))

Customer ratings are warmer. At the time of writing, MainMenus shows 4.6 on Google and 3.9 on Yelp. Those scores move, so check them on each platform before you rely on them.

YEG Burger reader ratings in Edmonton: 4.6 out of 5 on Google and 3.9 on Yelp, as aggregated by MainMenus on October 31, 2026. These scores change over time. (Chart: Burger Breton via QuickChart, data from MainMenus (checked 2026-10-31))

My take: nobody has published a full critical review since 2021, and that gap is why I wrote this profile. Campbell’s 2018 verdict deserves weight. She is a working critic and she named a specific comparison. But a single-location shop that has served the 152 since at least 2018 and is still trading in 2026 has earned a fresh look. I’d go before I’d dismiss it.

Where is YEG Burger and when is it open?

YEG Burger is at 15131 121 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5X 3C8, in a strip mall just south of 153 Avenue in Caernarvon. For burgers in north Edmonton, it’s the one with a backstory.

Official hours on yegburger.ca, as of October 2026:

Official YEG Burger hours, October 2026: Monday 12 pm–8 pm, Tuesday to Thursday 11 am–9 pm, Friday 11 am–10 pm, Saturday 12 pm–10 pm, Sunday 12 pm–9 pm. Third-party listings differ, so call (587) 459-2874 before you go. (Table: Burger Breton, data from the YEG Burger official site (yegburger.ca), checked 2026-10-31)

Third-party sites disagree. Edify reported it closed on Mondays in 2021, and Zabihah and MainMenus don’t match each other either. Call (587) 459-2874 or check yegburger.ca before you head up 121 Street.

Map of YEG Burger at 15131 121 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5X 3C8, in a strip mall just south of 153 Avenue in Caernarvon, north-west Edmonton. (Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL)

YEG Burger vs Downtown YEG Burgerfest and the YEG Burger Battle

YEG Burger the restaurant is not connected to Downtown YEG Burgerfest or the YEG Burger Battle, despite the shared name. Downtown YEG Burgerfest ran July 2–11, 2026, with C$12 burgers made with local wagyu. The YEG Burger Battle, a KidSport Edmonton fundraiser, ran July 1–31, 2026. Both are city-wide events. The restaurant is a separate business.

More burgers in Edmonton, Alberta and Canada

For more places to eat around the city, start with our Edmonton burger guide. Heading south? Our guide to A&W locations in Calgary and the Calgary burger hub cover the other end of the QE2.

Further afield, I’ve also written about the best burgers in Quebec City and Burger Crush in Victoria. If you like chef profiles, read our piece on Michael Robbins of AnnaLena in Vancouver, or browse every guide on the Restaurants hub.

FAQ: YEG Burger Edmonton

Who owns YEG Burger in Edmonton?

Emad Elshmoury is the founder and owner of YEG Burger, and he also cooks. The restaurant’s origin story goes back to the 152 Crew, a group of childhood friends from Caernarvon.

Where is YEG Burger located?

YEG Burger is at 15131 121 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5X 3C8, just south of 153 Avenue in the Caernarvon neighbourhood. It has one location.

What are YEG Burger’s hours?

As of October 2026, the official site lists Monday 12–8 pm, Tuesday to Thursday 11 am–9 pm, Friday 11 am–10 pm, Saturday 12–10 pm and Sunday 12–9 pm. Third-party listings differ, so check before you visit.

Is YEG Burger halal?

Yes. According to the restaurant, the whole menu is halal and no alcohol is served. No certification body is named on its website.

What is the 152 Burger?

The 152 Burger is YEG Burger’s signature: beef with cheddar, coleslaw, potato chips and a special BBQ sauce. It is named after the 152 Crew of friends who started the restaurant.

What is the grilled cheese burger at YEG Burger?

It is a beef patty served between two grilled havarti cheese sandwiches instead of a bun, with pickles and mustard. You can add extra patties.

Does YEG Burger use fresh or frozen beef?

Fresh. YEG Burger says its patties are hand-made from fresh beef that is never frozen, and its fries are cut in-house.

Does YEG Burger deliver?

Yes. The restaurant prefers pickup, but you can order delivery through Uber Eats, SkipTheDishes and DoorDash.

Does YEG Burger have gluten-free buns?

Yes. Gluten-free buns are available, according to the gluten-free directory Atly.

Is YEG Burger connected to Downtown YEG Burgerfest or the YEG Burger Battle?

No. Downtown YEG Burgerfest (July 2–11, 2026) and the YEG Burger Battle (July 1–31, 2026) are separate city events that share the YEG nickname.

What are the best halal burger places in Edmonton?

YEG Burger, Mr Halal Burger, The Halal Oven and Burger Daddy all appear in Edmonton halal listings such as Zabihah and the @YEGHalalFoodie guide. YEG Burger is the north-side pick for fresh, hand-made beef patties.

Sources

• YEG Burger official site, yegburger.ca (menu, address, hours, concept; checked October 31, 2026)
• The Halal Food Podcast, episode 5 with Emad Elshmoury, February 7, 2023
• Global News, YEG Burger makes the 152 burger and breakfast in the Global Edmonton kitchen, December 30, 2018
• Global News, Alberta burgers on Big 7 Travel’s best-burgers-in-Canada list, March 7, 2019
• CBC Edmonton, Twyla Campbell’s YEG Burger review, 2018
• Edify Edmonton, Steven Sandor on the Havarti Grilled Cheese Burger, January 26, 2021
• Zabihah listing for YEG Burger (halal status, menu history)
• Atly gluten-free directory, YEG Burger listing (gluten-free buns)
• @YEGHalalFoodie, Edmonton halal food guide
• MainMenus listing for YEG Burger (aggregated ratings, checked October 31, 2026)
• Edmonton Downtown, Downtown YEG Burgerfest 2026; KidSport Edmonton, YEG Burger Battle 2026