The Three Best Burger Places in Cape Town
There is something unbeatable about a really good burger. Simple ingredients, cooked properly, and served without fuss. They are one of the best travel meals: affordable, quick, and often influenced by local flavours, which makes them perfect for days when you want something fast and casual without committing to a long sit-down meal. After busy days exploring, hiking, driving, or sightseeing, a great burger often hits the spot better than anything else.
Cape Town has an exceptional food scene, and its burger offering is no exception. From classic smash burgers to more indulgent creations, there are some seriously good spots across the city doing burgers properly.
In this guide, we’re sharing the three best burger places we visited during our trip to Cape Town, along with a list of other highly rated burger joints that are firmly on our list for our next visit, based on local recommendations and our own research.
Zuney Burger
69A Kloof Street, Gardens, Cape Town
Zuney Burger is a small, no-frills spot with proper American-style burger diner vibes. There are no bookings and no table service here. You order at the counter, grab a seat, and your food arrives quickly.
The menu focuses on smash burgers made using locally sourced Wagyu beef from Zuney’s own farm. Everything is kept tight and intentional rather than overwhelming you with endless options. The burgers are served on a light brioche bun and built with classic toppings, house-made pickles, Wagyu-infused onions, and their signature secret sauce.
One of the standout features here is their use of Wagyu throughout the menu. They offer Wagyu fries, which are thinly sliced potatoes double-fried in Wagyu beef tallow. It’s a great example of sustainability, using the fat from the animal rather than wasting it, and the result is incredibly rich, crisp fries with loads of flavour.
They also offer something called Wacon, which is a brilliant option for those who do not eat pork. Wacon is Wagyu bacon made from the plate and brisket of the animal. It’s cured, cold-smoked for six hours, and used in their famous Wacon and Cheese Burger.
We ordered the Wacon and Cheese Burger with Wagyu fries, and it was genuinely excellent. Juicy smash patties with crisp edges, rich smoky wacon, melted cheese, and just the right amount of sauce. The fries were equally impressive, deeply savoury without being greasy.
Brash Burger
90 Regent Rd, Seapoint
Brash Burger is another excellent smash burger spot in Cape Town, serving classic American diner–style burgers in a relaxed, no-bookings setting. The menu is intentionally simple, centred around smash burgers with a few well-chosen options rather than endless combinations. You can go classic, or opt for the Mack Daddy, which comes loaded with their signature Mack Daddy sauce and is easily the standout choice.
We ordered the Mack Daddy with fries, and it delivered exactly what you want from a smash burger. Thin patties with crispy edges, soft buns, plenty of flavour, and well-balanced sauces that do not overpower the beef. The fries were also very well made, crisp on the outside and fluffy in the middle.
Brash has a great atmosphere in the evenings. You will often find the coastal fitness crowd gathering here after workouts, with runners and gym groups stopping by for burgers, milkshakes, and frozen drinks. It gives the place a lively, energetic vibe that feels very local.
Clarke’s Bar and Dining Room
133 Bree Street, Cape Town
Clarke’s Bar and Dining Room is slightly different from the other two burger spots on this list. While Zuney and Brash feel more like classic fast-casual burger joints, Clarke’s is a proper restaurant, so it’s worth booking ahead if you want a table, especially in the evenings.
The standout order here is without question the buttermilk fried chicken burger. It’s excellent. The chicken is pasture-reared Mysthill Farm chicken, marinated in buttermilk, then fried in their secret crispy coating. It’s served on their house bun with iceberg lettuce, coleslaw, and miso mayo, and it all works beautifully together.
The burger comes with excellent fries and a delicious pot of pickles on the side, which adds a really nice touch. Make sure to ask for the hot sauce too. It’s outstanding and takes the burger to another level.
Located on Bree Street, Clarke’s sits right in the middle of one of Cape Town’s best areas for food and drink. There are countless bars, restaurants, and cafés nearby, making it a great place to start or end an evening out.
Above are our three favourite burger spots from our trip, but of course, Cape Town has plenty more places worth trying. Since we have decided to return later this year, in 2026, we’ll be working our way through even more burger joints and updating this guide as we go, so keep an eye out for new Cape Town burger reviews coming soon.
On our list to visit next
Le Pickle - A new burger place which opened on March 20
Smasht. - A fully-Halaal smashed beef patty on a brioche bun in Rondebosch
Burgers & Brews - Double double smash burgers and chicken sandos on Bree Street
Iron Steak and Bar - For a thick wagyu patty on Bree Street.
More from Cape Town
Our three favourite burger places in Cape Town, with others that are on our list to hit up next.