Our burger round-up don't want none unless you've got buns, hun
When Gordo ranked the best burgers in Manchester back in 2013, he made it very clear that a good one must have good quality meat, crisp greens, a substantial bun, and a large quantity of fat. Yes, fat. A bit of it is good for you apparently.
As we know all too well, some things never change (there's still nowt worst than soggy lettuce), but one thing that's constantly evolving is the Manchester food and booze scene, so our list of the best burgers in town is definitely due an update.
There are burgers in food halls, burgers next to The Cube, and burgers in South African bars with monkey gland sauce, so don't be fooled into thinking it's just a bog-standard, onions and ketchup affair.
Read on for 10 of the best burgers from in and around Manchester city centre.
Almost Famous
Who remembers when Almost Famous was a sneaky little secret nestled away in the depths of the Northern Quarter? A hidden upstairs spot just waiting to lure us in with beef-fuelled goodness? We certainly do.
Now a bit more mainstream when it comes to its location and appeal, Almost Famous is still serving up a menu of juicy doubles and triple noms all these years later - though it's now doing it out of the former Home Sweet on Thomas St and Great Northern Warehouse. The menu is made up of a range of famous classics packed with cheese, pickles, slaw etc. or there are some adventurous stacks with crispy pepperoni, chipotle hot honey and wonder onions. Your guess is as good as ours r.e. wonder onions. Almost Famous isn't for the faint-hearted, but it is for hangry carnivores and anyone with eyes bigger than their belly.
Unit 2, Great Northern, Peter St, Manchester M3 4EN
Burgerism
Burgerism is a Salford-based brand that prides itself on the use of local, high-quality ingredients and a sustainable production process. Get you, Burgerism.
All made inside an unassuming little unit on Ashton Street, the burgers are mainly available for collection and delivery - unless you take a trip to Escape to Freight Island where the Burgerism pop-up sits. When it comes to the burgers themselves, you can order one that's cheesed, baconed, double beefed or wholly double, and they're all made to order. For full meal deal satisfaction, order some skin-on fries and a can of fizzy Vimto. If our editor ordered one of these bad boys to the office as a hangover cure, they must be worth the hype.
18 W Ashton St, Salford M50 2XS
The Butcher
The Butcher is almost as well travelled as Neil Sowerby's chihuahua at this point with burger bars in Amsterdam, The Hague, Ibiza, Berlin, and, you guessed it, the Arndale. Sitting smack bang in the middle of an Urban Playground full of giant perspex boxes, this joint has firmly replaced Miss Selfridge's floral cardigans with beef patties and Oreo shakes. The biggest thing to shout about at The Butcher is obviously the meat, but some of their burgers have crazy additions like baba ganoush, onion and truffle glaze, and sesame paste. If you're into accessorising, you can add other extras like egg, avocado and portobello mushroom.
Manchester Arndale, Manchester M4 3AD
Chakalaka
When we think of burgers, South Africa isn't the first country that springs to mind. However, with a unique blend of herbs and spices and some additions like monkey gland sauce and biltong, Chakalaka is changing the city's burger game one brioche bun at a time. All of Chakalaka's patties are served with fries that can be seasoned to your taste with peri peri or aromat, and the obligatory lettuce, tomato and red onion make sure that you at least attempt to cram your five a day whilst indulging in a meat feast.
105a Oldham St, Manchester M4 1LW
Ducie Street Warehouse
They've got a mini cinema, an outdoor terrace, a set of decks spinning disco vinyl, and a cracking beef burger on the menu with aged cheddar, sweet pickles & sriracha mayo. For something a little less traditional, there's also lamb burger with crumbled feta and tzatziki on the BBQ menu. Although we always acknowledge Ducie Street for its endless roast dinner sides and a decent Cosmpolitan, the burger doesn't disappoint either, and you can scoff the whole lot whilst you take in all the brickwork and dimmed arthouse lighting.
Ducie St, Manchester M1 2TP
Elnecot
We know what you're thinking, you didn't expect to see a burger sitting alongside a stir-fried radish cake and some house pickles and ferments on Elnecot's evening menu. Well, that's where you're wrong. Elnecot have a Welsh Wagyu cheeseburger with an umami glaze on the agenda, which is hardly a Tesco's Finest patty with a plastic cheese slice, but it was never going to be, was it? Michael Clay's offering packs a meaty punch and makes sure Ancoats' coolest square keeps up with burger beasts as well as the baked prawn hype.
Cutting Room Square, 41 Blossom St, Ancoats, Manchester M4 6AJ
Gorilla
Ok so we've had a burger from Wales, a burger with biltong, and a burger with baba ganoush, but who had a burger under a railway arch on their bingo card?
Besides having a burger that contains a hefty onion bhaji and pineapple salsa, the main Gorilla contender is Le Big Mac with a double beef patty, Monterey Jack smoked cheese, homemade burger sauce, lettuce, tomato and pickle. If you get a Big Mac without pickles on it, we're judging you hard, and there's nothing better than enjoying the sweet sweet flavours of your favourite Maccie D's order, but with some proper beef and industrial-chic surroundings.
54-56 Whitworth St, Manchester M1 5WW
Hawksmoor
A Hawksmoor hamburger is a lot like the M&S houmous with caramelised onions and extra virgin olive oil. It just feels that little bit special. Also, when you're known for your dry-aged sustainable steak, you've got to bring home the bacon, sorry beef. Hawksmoor's burger features either ogleshield or stichelton cheese and is best enjoyed with a little metal skillet of dripping fries and some bone marrow gravy for dipping and mopping. It's not just a burger, its a Hawksmoor burger.
184, 186 Deansgate, Manchester M3 3WB
Honest Burgers
If we're being honest, we'd struggle to find anything we didn't like on the Honest Burgers menu, because they just keep it plain and simple. I mean there's one with chilli on it, but the staples stay the same thanks to The Ethical Butcher and its regenerative farming practices. The fries are rosemary salted, the red onion relish adds a little dash of honey sweetness, and there's not a soggy leaf in sight between these buns, hun. There's a curveball special every month to so keep ane eye on their socials.
36 Bridge St, Manchester M3 3BT
Slap & Pickle
Right, Slap & Pickle takes the bacon when it comes to the biggest stack. Well done S&P. We did also just commend Honest Burgers for its simplicity, but Slap & Pickle truly chucks the kitchen sink at its patties. The Hey Hot Stuff has onion rings, jalapeno and roquito chillies & hey hot stuff mayo, the Double Double Trouble has FOUR patties, and you can put proper gravy on just about everything thanks to a whopping list of extra toppings. The meat doesn't take a back seat either with hand-balled burgers made from Swaledale’s slow-grown, heritage-breed beef. Sorry, we also forgot to mention that you'll find these burgers in Society for the foreseeable.
100 Barbirolli Square, Unit 5 - Society, Manchester M2 3BD
Read next: Lord of the wings: Manchester’s best chicken wings
Read again: Another 20-odd new restaurants and bars for Greater Manchester
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