24 places to get the tastiest burgers in the Netherlands
For some people, May 28 is the tastiest day of the year. That’s when we celebrate International Hamburger Day! A special day that has been dedicated to world-famous burgers for years. We celebrate this day more often, by the way. But where can you get the very best ones? FavorFlav’s @snackspert, who has eaten over 1,000 burgers in his life, and the rest of the editorial team, recommend the best burger joints. From a classic cheeseburger to a truffle or beetroot burger with lentils; we’ve got you covered!
Hamburgers—who doesn’t love them? This quick bite was born to be eaten with your hands, and let’s be honest: the tastiest summary of the five food groups in the palm of your hand. I’m not the only one who thinks so; in the Netherlands, we ordered no less than 77% more burgers last year than the year before, according to research by Thuisbezorgd. So it’s more than justified that the hamburger has its own celebration day. The most popular burgers are the cheeseburger, the chicken burger and—how could it be otherwise—the Big Mac. Vegan burgers are also firmly on the rise, with growth of 56% since we celebrated this joyous day last year.
Firma Pickles
Snackspert: “One of the first gourmet burger restaurants in the country. The double cheeseburger is fantastic, delicious and simple. And they serve good wine. So you’re in the higher segment and pay around €15 to €17 for a burger, but they’re definitely worth it.”
Utrecht, Den Bosch, Rotterdam, Scheveningen, The Hague
Meneer Smakers
Meneer Smakers is known for its gastronomic burgers made with artisanally ground meat and sustainably prepared bread. But you shouldn’t miss the freshly cut fries made from carefully selected potatoes either. The burgers are topped with the freshest ingredients, straight from the farm. Not a meat eater? No problem! Tante Connie, Tante Mila, Tante Lieke and the children’s burger Dochter Kiki are vegetarian.
Utrecht (four locations), Arnhem
Cafetaria Family
Snackspert: “At Horecava, I was a jury member in a competition for the tastiest hamburger in the lower segment. Family came second with their pork belly burger. The crispiness of the pork belly combined with the softness of the burger. Mmmm. And only €5!”
Tilburg, Aalsmeer, Amsterdam, Oostzaan, Apeldoorn, Uitgeest, Hendrik Ido Ambacht, Dordrecht, Beverwijk, Winsum, Katwijk aan Zee, Heemskerk, Lisse, Naarden, Alphen aan den Rijn, Fijnaart, Maarheeze, Winschoten, Steenbergen, Leiden, Kudelstaart, Capelle, Gorinchem, Naaldwijk, Zoetermeer, Bennekom, Ettenleur, Bakkum, Barneveld, Honselersdijk.
DAY DREAM DELI
The name says it all: a daily daydream about… Burgers! Day Dream Deli is known as the first shop with Montreal-style pastrami sandwiches/cheeseburgers (100% halal), and now has two locations in The Hague. Connoisseurs recommend the Short Rib Cheese Burger, definitely worth trying.
The Hague
De Biertuin
Snackspert: “Of all the cafés, they really have the best burger here. Just classic, with lots of delicious juice. You eat it and genuinely think ‘whaaa’, with a beer on the side—it’s not called the Biertuin for nothing. It’s the perfect place to grab a bite before heading to drinks.”
Amsterdam
FREDDY’S COMFORT FOOD
Looking for comfort food? Freddy’s knows what tastes good and serves the best chicken burgers. With the culture of comfort food in mind, they create the most tempting dishes, which they are happy to share with you. At this restaurant, you can taste the dedication that goes into making these delicious burgers. Treat yourself to some real comfort food and take a look at Freddy’s menu.
Rotterdam
Smokey Goodness Burgers & Bites
After bringing BBQ specialties to festivals throughout the country for years, the burgers from BBQ king Jord Althuizen have now earned a permanent spot in the Foodhallen in The Hague. And that’s very good news, because if anyone knows how to grill a killer burger, it’s Jord. Our tip: go for Smokey’s Classic with crispy bacon and a pulled pork topping. You won’t regret it. And hey… want to make such a killer burger at home? Here’s how to make the very best hamburgers in 5 steps, according to the master himself.
The Hague
Fat Phill’s Diner
Fat Phill’s Diner may well have the best burgers in The Hague on the menu, whatever your favorite flavor. If you like things pure and simple, be sure to try the classic hamburger with sliced tomato, onion, pickle and their house sauce: ‘fat sauce’. For those who like it (literally) hot, there’s the hot tamale burger with glazed onion, grilled jalapeños and sriracha.
Amsterdam, Almere, The Hague, Leidschendam
DIEGO’s
DIEGO’s, the hamburger restaurant owned by Diego Buik, is no unknown in Roffa. Diego has already won several awards for his burgers, including Best Hamburger in Rotterdam. He once made the world’s most expensive hamburger. Together with Violife (the vegan cheese brand) and Beyond Meat (of the acclaimed vegan Beyond Burger), Diego developed a special hamburger box featuring the first Vegan Smash Burgers in the Netherlands. DIEGO’s also scores with a special European Championship burger, available from May 28: the DI-EK-O.
Rotterdam (two locations), The Hague (Scheveningen food hall)
Burger Club
Another Rotterdam institution is Burger Club. And rightly so, because they won the award for Best Hamburger in Rotterdam in both 2016 and 2017. We recommend ordering the Burger Club special, with lettuce, Iberian ham, farmhouse Brie, black olives, grilled artichoke, tomato and truffle mayonnaise.
Rotterdam
PAPPA JOE
Pappa Joe is known for serving the best burgers in Groningen. They offer an extensive menu ranging from classic to vegan burgers. They exclusively use beef from delicious Groningen pasture-raised cattle, delivered fresh daily by their friends at Marktslager.
Groningen
JADY’S Burger
Stockholm Burgerbar delivers the tastiest burgers straight to your home in Utrecht. They use only local and organic ingredients and are happy to win you over with their rustic buns, such as the Crunchy Chicken Burger with grilled garlic, zucchini, spring onion and honey mustard sauce. Vegans will probably appreciate the plant-based jalapeño burger. It’s absolutely packed with caramelized onion, spicy grated carrot, arugula and a generous portion of mayo.
Hamburg
They know their stuff in Rotterdam! On the lively Witte de Withstraat you’ll find the ultra-trendy Hamburg, yet another one of Rotterdam’s best burger bars. They cater to both the biggest meat lovers and vegetarians among us, so there’s something for everyone on the menu. Devil’s Chicken is the burger to order if, like us, your mouth starts watering at the thought of a delicious bun with spicy, crispy chicken thighs, lettuce, jalapeños, guacamole, nachos and pico de gallo. But trust us, whatever you order, you can’t make a wrong choice here.
Rotterdam
Ich bin ein Hamburger
Snackspert: “The name is terrible—you’d almost want to kick them for it. But the location is beautiful. It’s in an old print shop, and you eat on a little balcony. Confit de canard burger or double duck; very chic and unbelievably delicious. You really get the feeling of dining out here.”
The Hague
Friet van Piet
Snackspert: “Friet van Piet in Groningen is definitely one of the best snack bars in the Netherlands. They also serve delicious burgers that aren’t overly complicated. Partly because of the excellent quality of the meat—Friet van Piet invests in the sustainability of its products—you can taste a real difference between these burgers and any other standard burger from an average snack bar.”
Groningen
Rotisserie
Rotisserie Amsterdam takes the junk out of ’junk food’ by using the best-quality ingredients, making it the city’s ‘guilty pleasure’. Delicious and fast food made exclusively from homemade products. They put love into every bite. From the burger to the bun, from the pickles to the sauces—whether mayo or BBQ sauce—it’s all homemade and delicious. Really hungry? In addition to double burgers, there’s also a triple burger called the King Royale! Snackspert: “You know that scene from Pulp Fiction in which Samuel L. Jackson talks about the Royal with Cheese Burger? That’s this hamburger. So cheesy. Oh. The meat melts on your tongue; it’s as if the burger is hugging you. It’s the only place where I’ve experienced people being so full but finding it so delicious that they ordered a second one.”
Amsterdam, locations in West and East
Iveau Burgers & Wijnbar
Snackspert: “They recently won an award, also at Horecava, but in the higher segment. They have some very special burgers here, including a venison burger. Lots of game meat in general. You can’t come here for a simple beef burger, but that’s exactly what makes it fun. You taste something new, and it’s genuinely very delicious.”
Arnhem
Burgers ’n Freakin’ Fries
This is the place where you can build your own freakin’ burger (or simply choose one of the Chef’s recommendations). Here’s another tip: if you really love a spicy burger, choose the Chicken or Beef on Fire with jalapeños.
The Hague
Vegan Junk Food Bar
Snackspert: “Not the absolute very best, but remarkably good for a vegan burger. Vegan Junk Food Bar is exactly the kind of place you might feel you ought to dislike because of its perfectly styled, hip Instagram dishes, but honestly: they really deliver. I’m genuinely impressed.”
Amsterdam (four locations), Rotterdam (and Barcelona!)
FLOWER BURGER
The first Italian vegan burger chain can now also be found in Amsterdam. They are known for their ‘rainbow burgers’: with all the colors of the rainbow and natural ingredients, they express their love for nature. The Cherry Bomb performs well on Instagram, but the Flower Burger, Tangy Chickpea and special-edition Truffle Beach are also popular. Add a tasty appetizer, side dish or something sweet, and your meal is complete.
BØRGØR
They bake burgers at Børgør like no one else. Inspired by the far North, they bring together (h)onest products to create renewed taste experiences, while also offering the ‘gøød old’ classics. This unique formula earned the restaurant the title of Best Burger Restaurant in the Netherlands. The menu already offers an extensive selection, but Børgør is also open to suggestions. Vegetarian, gluten-free or no pickles? Just say the word!
Groningen
BJÖRNBURGERS
All right, one more address for irresistible vegetarian and vegan burgers. The Björn, with cheddar, caramelized onion, pickle, tomatoes, crisp lettuce, fresh onion, ketchup and homemade björnburgers sauce, deserves to be crowned one of Amsterdam’s tastiest burgers, in our opinion. It’s no coincidence that this restaurant received a Thuisbezorgd.nl award last year for ‘Gamechanger’ of the Netherlands.
Amsterdam
Ter Marsch & Co
Snackspert: “Fantastic, I love that place. The bun is wonderfully soft and the meat—Wagyu—is not too thick. The problem with thick burgers is often that they have to be cooked for a long time, which makes them dry. Ter Marsch’s is soft and juicy; they’ve perfected burger-making.” So what should you order? The Korean Gojira burger! The Gojira is a burger made with 100 percent dry-aged beef—or rather, two burgers, because two slices are topped with pulled pork, roasted pork belly, a sweet-and-sour cucumber relish, red onion, bok choy, gochujang, yuzumanuka honey, a nori (seaweed) crumble and cassava on a bun. It’s no wonder this extraordinary and delicious burger has already won several awards, including Best Burger in the Netherlands and Best Hamburger Benelux 2020. The fries at Ter Marsch & Co, crowned the best fries in the Netherlands, are also an absolute must-order.
Amsterdam (two locations), Rotterdam
The Beef Chief
Snackspert: “By far number one is The Beef Chief. It’s a food truck, but you don’t have to wait for festival season to start again, because they also have a permanent spot at Oedipus Brewery in Amsterdam-Noord. I’ve eaten there four times now, and three of those times I gave their burgers five stars. The kimchi burger isn’t always on the menu, but when it is (keep an eye on their Facebook for that), you have to try it. It’s the very best burger. It has everything. Sauce, cheese, it looks like porn. So delicious, genuinely insanely good.”
Amsterdam
Also read:
- Ten Marsch & Co wins The Tastiest Hamburger 2020
- You’re better off eating a hamburger than a salad when you’re sick
- Recipe: the ultimate hamburger
