If you’re picking a Melbourne burger for friday-after-work or a quick saturday decision between two suburbs, the real question isn’t “what’s the best burger in the country” — it’s smashed or stacked, A$15 or A$24, and which trip is shorter from where you’re starting. This guide lines up eight Melbourne burger joints across Footscray, Fitzroy, Collingwood, Carlton, Richmond and the CBD so you can pick the trip, not the trophy.
Footscray: 8bit and Mr Burger
8bit on Hopkins Street is the credible single best burger in Melbourne in 2026. Smashed double, American cheese, house pickles, soft potato bun, and a price ticket that still lands around A$15–A$18 depending on the build. The 30-seat dining room fills hard 6–8 pm friday and saturday — go 5:30 or after 9. It’s also a 4-minute walk from Footscray station, which kills the parking question.
Mr Burger Footscray runs a different game — bigger menu, bigger seating, family-friendly. The Mr Singapore (chilli mayo, slaw, fried egg) is the move if you don’t want a third burger to taste like the second. Tickets A$14–A$22.
Fitzroy: Danny’s, late and unpretentious
Danny’s on Smith Street has been flipping patties for decades. Open until midnight, every day. No truffle aioli, no smashed-and-stacked theatre — just a classic ungentrified bun, traditional fillings, and a working bar. Tickets A$13–A$18. This is the post-9pm Smith Street answer.
Collingwood: Easey’s
Easey’s on Easey Street is a five-storey graffiti tower with two real train carriages on the roof and burgers that are louder than they need to be. The Easey Cheese (double smash, American cheese, bacon, pickles) holds up; the more theatrical builds (Hash Brown Hangover, Big Mac Daddy) are once-and-done. Tickets A$16–A$24. The wait downstairs friday/saturday is real — book the rooftop or come 4–5 pm.
Carlton: Huxtaburger
Huxtaburger has multiple sites; the Lygon Street Carlton room is the original-feeling one. Stacked diner-style — double patty, secret sauce, brioche-style bun — tickets A$15–A$22. Fast service, reliable rather than exciting. Strong if you have a kid or in-laws and don’t want to argue.
Richmond: Royal Stacks Bridge Road
Royal Stacks now runs 12+ Melbourne sites, but Bridge Road Richmond is the sit-down version most people pick. American-diner stacked style (Australian riff on Shake Shack), single and double cheeseburgers A$14–A$18, “The King” with deep-fried mac-n-cheese croquette A$22–A$26. Most consistent chain experience in the city.
CBD: Easy Burger and the laneways
Easy Burger on Hardware Lane runs a tight smashed-burger menu, A$14–A$19, with the best ratio of speed-to-quality if you’ve got 25 minutes between meetings. The CBD burger experience is mostly about the room — graffiti laneway energy at Easy Burger, corporate lunch crush at the Russell Street Royal Stacks.
Side by side
| Joint | Suburb | Style | Ticket | Best-for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8bit | Footscray | Smashed | $15–$18 | The single best burger |
| Mr Burger | Footscray | Stacked | $14–$22 | Family or group |
| Danny’s | Fitzroy | Classic | $13–$18 | Post-9pm |
| Easey’s | Collingwood | Loud | $16–$24 | Rooftop date |
| Huxtaburger | Carlton | Stacked | $15–$22 | Kids in tow |
| Royal Stacks | Richmond | Stacked diner | $14–$26 | Reliable chain |
| Easy Burger | CBD | Smashed | $14–$19 | Lunch break |
| Royal Stacks | CBD (Russell) | Stacked diner | $14–$26 | Post-work crush |
Bottom line
If you’re a tastemaker chasing the credibility burger, 8bit Footscray. If you’ve got kids and a parking concern, Huxtaburger Carlton or Mr Burger Footscray. If it’s 10:30 pm and you need a decent patty without theatre, Danny’s Fitzroy. The CBD options exist because you couldn’t leave the office, not because they beat the inner-north stack — Easy Burger if you must, Royal Stacks if you brought four colleagues. The one rule that holds: smashed delivers more burger per dollar in 2026, every time.
Sources: Time Out Melbourne best burgers 2026, Urban List Melbourne, Broadsheet Melbourne burger guide, in-person sampling Q1 2026.
