Our guide to the best gourmet burgers
From cheese ‘vurger’ to a lambtastic – here we recommend a few gourmet burger options in Dubai
The boutique burger trend has erupted across the world in recent years. No longer is the burger a simple patty between two buns; the choice of bread has become seemingly endless (brioche, potato or black), the fillings are gourmet and the accompaniments have grown ever wackier.
As such, burger joints across the UAE are no longer limited to your typical fast-food varieties. The standard Big Mac has given way to sandwiches from smaller, one-off outlets that have amassed cult followings. Never have food lovers been so spoilt for choice for a simple burger as a treat meal.
The National has done the hard yards Dubai-wide in search of the best burgers. It was tough work, but someone had to do it. Here are our top picks, and some joints also have outlets in other emirates:
Pickl, JLT
Best for: Burgers and fried chicken
Pickl has earned something of a following, a throng of fans who will shout about it from the rooftops when it comes to ordering an indulgent weekend treat. The burgers are juicy, the fried chicken is served in crispy, chunky, boneless strips, and also features in the chicken burger. Pickl also offers vegan Beyond Burgers, so there is something on the menu for everyone.
Top tip: If you order the chicken, save any extra comeback sauce you get. You will want to eat it with everything you can get your hands on for the next few days. Shakes and messy fries are also on the menu. You can order from Pickl exclusively on Deliveroo.
Order: The Chicken Sando – fresh fried chicken, comeback sauce, dill pickles, lettuce, potato bun for Dh35.
Details: Pickl, One JLT, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai; 04 584 6859; www.eatpickl.com
Salt, various locations
Best for: Sliders and Lotus biscuit shake
Salt started as a food truck on Kite Beach, and has grown exponentially in the years since. In Dubai, you can still find it at Kite Beach, but it is also located at The Dubai Mall, La Mer and Dubai Marina, and UAE-wide the joint is located at Mushrif Central Park, Abu Dhabi; Al Zorah Golf Club, Ajman; Marjan Island Boulevard, Ras Al Khaimah and Hamdan Bin Mohammad St, Al Ain.
The menu keeps things pretty simple: there is the original 2oz Wagyu beef slider with cheese and extras; the spicy Hook variety or deep fried chicken with Cheetos, all served in butter buns; and you can opt to go for single or double with the patty portions. Salt also serves plain, cheese or spicy fries, iced tea, soft scoop ice cream and shakes – the Lotus biscuit shake has a following of its own.
Order: Keep it simple and order the original slider – you cannot go wrong with Wagyu beef, melted cheese, salt and pickle slices in a butter bun – Dh32 for two sliders.
Details: Salt, various locations across the UAE; email hello@ find-salt.com or visit www.findsalt.com
The Stuffed Burger Co, The Pointe
Best for: Value for money, good burgers
One burger joint that has, in our opinion, redefined the humble dish is The Stuffed Burger Co. While most establishments experiment with ingredients, toppings and sauces, this one went one step further by rehashing the most essential ingredient in the sandwich – the burger patty. The Stuffed Burger Co whips up handmade patties with delicious fillings – so you can expect to find ingredients such as cheese oozing out of the meat. Some of its signatures are Three Cheeses, Mushroom and Swiss, Greek Goodness (stuffed with feta) and Pizza Burger (filled with mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce). Another reason to love the brand? It is home-grown.
Order: The Pizza Burger (Dh46)
Details: Ground Floor, Zone B, The Pointe, Palm Jumeirah
Bite Me Burger / Get Plucked, DIFC
Best for: variety lovers; not for the indecisive
The popular British burger joint arrived in Dubai earlier this year, serving up gourmet mini burgers and chicken to the crowds of DIFC. With 15 varieties of mini burgers, Bite Me Burger is for those who love variety, whereas its sister brand (operating out of the same restaurant) Get Plucked offers all things chicken: bites, burgers and wings. Featuring striking wall art, burger-inspired design accents, an Instagram wall and a “freeze shake bar”, it is a unique destination.
Order: The lambtastic slider (Dh42 for two)
Details: 151 Gate Avenue North Entrance, Podium Level, 04 299 2110, @bitemeburgerme on Instagram
Bareburger, various locations
Best for: Vegans
This burger house, which is originally from the US, has its eyes firmly on sustainability, which is why more than one-third of its menu is vegetarian and plant-based. Meat-eaters will not go hungry, though, as it also has a range of burgers for the carnivorous that use organic ingredients from a group of hand-picked suppliers. The options on Bareburger’s extensive menu include camel, venison and lamb – not only the usual all-natural prime beef. It’s the perfect place for people with various dietary requirements to head to, as, whether you opt for vegan, vegetarian or meat, the burgers are all well cooked with flavours spot on. There is even a selection for gluten-free diners. There are a number of venues in Dubai sporting quirky, fun decor, including at La Mer, The Pointe and City Walk. They also have the best whole grain mustard sauce, which they make in-house but is not available to buy.
Order: The Original Beyond (Dh46)
Details: City Walk, 04 385 4282; La Mer, 04 343 7110; The Pointe, 04 557 5514; and Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi, 02 441 1723; www.bareburger.com
Nola Eatery & Social House, JLT
Best for: Ambience mixed with hearty grub
It’s not a burger joint as such, but this JLT restaurant has, we would suggest, nailed the ultimate cheese burger. Why? Because it is made entirely out of cheese. The vegetarian-friendly ‘Cheese vurger’ is a giant slab of the stuff served in place of a meat patty, accompanied by lettuce, pepper jam, onions, cherry tomatoes and hand-cut fries. You might need a big sleep after consuming a Nola burger, but it’s like a big hug in a bun. The restaurant, which specialises in Southern American fare (hence the name, a moniker for New Orleans), is also worth visiting for its jambalayas, po’boys and shrimp beignets, on those days when you do not feel like a big burger.
Order: Cheese vurger (Dh73)
Details: Level B1, Armada BlueBay Hotel, Cluster P, JLT, Dubai; 04 399 8155
High Joint, Jumeirah
Best for: drive-by burgers This tiny haunt in Al Manara has virtually no seating, but draws in queues of 4x4s on weekends: people roll by to pick up a burger to eat while still in their cars. The burgers are small but perfectly formed, with soft potato buns and smashed beef patties, which are crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. Ask if they have any “secret burgers” when ordering, as they often have off-menu options for those in the know.
Order: Get the high burger (Dh36.75) if you are a minimalist, but maximalists should try the millionaire high (Dh47.25), a beef burger served with provolone, portobello tempura, truffle mayo and pickled onion.
Details: 11b Street, Al Manara, 04 268 1586
Peppers, The Dubai Mall
Best for: Nashville-style chicken
Unlike saucy buffalo chicken, Nashville hot chicken is flavoursome but crispy and dry. It is rubbed in spices before frying, and is then coated in spice again and drenched in a light marinade. It has a distinct orange hue and is packed with flavours but not sloppy. The burgers at Peppers are a fitting homage to the chicken tradition, and come in beautifully soft brioche buns. Customers can choose between five different spice levels: from merely peppery to absurdly hot.
Fast fact: the idea for Peppers began in 2018 when founder Abdelrahman Alteneiji went to the US and became obsessed with Nashville Hot Chicken.
The fan has now become the regional master.
Order: The Sando (Dh45) – they only do one burger, and they do it well
Details: Zabeel extension, The Dubai Mall; www.trypeppers. com
Smash and Sear, Al Quoz
Best for: Quality meat
Part of Maxzi’s The Good Food Shop in Al Quoz, these burgers are worthy of this list because of the quality of the meat (Wagyu), the deliciously briney pickles and the perfect meat-to-bun ratio (it’s a nice, thin patty, but one that does not get lost in the bun). The brand prides itself on using top quality cuts that are never frozen.
Order: The simple cheeseburger – there are fancier options, but at Dh28, the cheeseburger is great value for Wagyu
Details: Al Shafar Investment Building, Al Quoz, 04 395 3988
BRD by Slab, Dar Al Wasl Mall
Best for: Korean-style chicken This is a concept from Peruvian chef Omar Rodriguez, who lives in Dubai, and his choice of protein is chicken. There are plenty of flavours to choose from, offering different spice levels: honey butter is on the mild side, while the “insanity” sandwich is a very spicy burger indeed. Our favourite, however, is the Koreano sandwich with gochujang.
Order: The Koreano (Dh45), features a gochujang and honey-soy glaze with daikon pickles, served in a potato bun.
Details: Dar Al Wasl Mall, Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah 3, order via order.chatfood.io/brd/outlets/brd-outlet
Burger joints across the UAE are no longer limited to your typical fast-food varieties