Dubai's burger scene has undergone a serious transformation over the past five years. What was once dominated by international chains and unremarkable hotel burgers is now a genuinely competitive landscape — with local spots, chef-driven concepts, and premium ingredient sourcing that would hold up in London, New York, or Sydney.
The rise of the smash burger in particular has changed things. A properly executed smash burger — beef pressed hard against a screaming-hot surface, edges crisped and caramelised, cheese melted into every fold — has a texture and flavour that a thick pub-style patty can't match. Dubai has embraced this format wholeheartedly, and the results have been excellent.
Below are the ten best burgers in Dubai right now. We have eaten all of them. We have strong opinions. All are halal-certified.
The Dubai smash burger: wagyu beef, seared hard, caramelised edges, American cheese — the city's current peak burger form
The 10 Best Burgers in Dubai
Maxzi Smash and Sear
Maxzi The Good Food Shop · Multiple Locations
Officially ranked the best burger in Dubai by Gault&Millau and Time Out Dubai in 2025, the Smash and Sear is as close to a perfect smash burger as you will find in the city. Wagyu beef smashed hard onto a very hot iron, the edges forming a dark, caramelised crust while the centre stays just pink. American cheese layered on while the patty is still on the iron so it melts completely into the beef. Caramelised onion, sharp pickles, house sauce, squidgy potato bun. Everything in proportion. The bun-to-patty ratio is correct. The sauce isn't too sweet. The pickles have the right acidity. It's a great burger.
Order tip: Add a double patty (+AED 15) if you're hungry. The fries (AED 22) are properly seasoned and worth getting. Arrive before the lunch rush — it queues.
Orfali Bros OB Cheeseburger
Orfali Bros Bistro · Al Wasl
The OB Cheeseburger at Orfali Bros is the most discussed burger in Dubai. Chef Mohammad Orfali — James Beard-nominated, Michelin-tracked — has applied serious culinary thinking to an apparently simple format. Wagyu beef, formed with care, aged cheddar that melts with genuine flavour rather than just texture, pickled jalapeño that adds heat without overwhelming, and a house sauce that earns its space. The Hokkaido bun is the sleeper detail: its slightly sweet, cloud-soft character is perfectly calibrated for the richness of wagyu beef. This is a burger made by someone who has thought very hard about every component.
Order tip: The OB Cheeseburger is often ordered as a main alongside the miso chicken wings (AED 72) and truffle fries (AED 48). Book the restaurant online at least a week in advance for weekend visits.
Black Tap Greg Norman Burger
Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes · Dubai Mall, City Walk, Palm
Black Tap's celebrity in Dubai is partly about the CrazyShakes, but the burgers — and specifically the Greg Norman — deserve more credit. Named after the Australian golfer and wagyu cattle rancher (his Shark beef is used in the recipe), it's a more sophisticated proposition than Black Tap's party-casual setting might imply: wagyu beef, fresh arugula, shaved parmesan, truffle aioli, and ciabatta bun. It's a slightly European take on the premium American burger format, and it works well. If you want something more classic, the Black Tap Classic with two smash patties and American cheese is the purer choice.
Order tip: Get the Greg Norman, a side of cheese fries (AED 42), and one CrazyShake to share for the table. The Sweet-N-Salty shake is the best flavour. Budget AED 90–130 per person with a shake.
The double smash: when one wagyu patty isn't enough
LENTO Double Umami Burger
LENTO · Downtown Dubai
LENTO is a quieter, more neighbourhood-facing American bistro than its Downtown Dubai address might suggest — and that quality extends to the burger. The Double Umami is built around layered savoury depth: two beef patties, caramelised onions cooked very slowly (an hour minimum), umami-forward house sauce with soy and miso notes, sharp aged cheddar, and brioche. It's the kind of burger that rewards eating slowly rather than racing through it. LENTO also does a Mushroom-Swiss variant that is one of the best non-standard burger options in the city.
Order tip: The Double Umami with LENTO's parmesan fries (AED 38) is the pairing. The restaurant takes reservations and the midweek dinner setting is particularly pleasant — quieter than most Downtown options.
CLAW Burger
CLAW BBQ · Downtown Dubai
The CLAW Burger exists within one of Dubai's most atmospheric American restaurants and holds its own on its merits. A thick-formed patty — not a smash, this is the classic American diner format — with a well-seasoned, char-grilled exterior, topped with CLAW's house BBQ sauce, crispy beef bacon equivalent, cheddar, pickles, and a brioche bun. It's an enormous burger that requires a genuine commitment before picking it up. The BBQ sauce angle makes it different from the smash burgers above — more Southern roadhouse than New York craft burger, and all the better for the clear identity.
Order tip: The CLAW Burger alongside an order of wings (AED 65) and mac and cheese (AED 45) is the full CLAW BBQ experience. Budget AED 130–160 per person for this spread.
Best Burgers by Category
🏆 Best Overall
- Maxzi Smash and Sear — AED 65
- Orfali Bros OB Cheeseburger — AED 95
- LENTO Double Umami — AED 78
💰 Best Budget (Under AED 60)
- Five Guys Classic — AED 45–55
- Shake Shack ShackBurger — AED 48
- The Grill Shack — AED 52–72
🌟 Best Premium (AED 100+)
- Rhodes Twenty10 Short Rib — AED 118
- Leña Wagyu Burger — AED 135
- Orfali Bros OB — AED 95
📸 Best for Photos
- Black Tap Greg Norman — AED 89
- CLAW Burger (tower) — AED 82
- Black Tap Classic — AED 72
The burger test: We judge Dubai burgers on four things — (1) beef quality and seasoning, (2) bun-to-patty ratio, (3) sauce calibration (not too sweet, not too dominant), and (4) whether the whole thing holds together through the last bite. The best burgers on this list pass all four.
Honourable Mentions: Burgers 6–10
#6 — Rhodes Twenty10 Short Rib Burger (AED 118, Festival City): The most expensive independent burger on this list and worth every dirham. Slow-braised short rib formed into a patty, topped with bone marrow butter and aged cheddar. A special occasion burger.
#7 — Gourmet Burger Kitchen Classic (AED 62, Multiple): The UK import has maintained quality across its Dubai branches. The GBK Classic — 6oz Aberdeen Angus patty, relish, lettuce, tomato — is an honest, well-executed burger that beats most of its casual price-range competitors.
#8 — The Grill Shack (AED 72, Dubai Mall): Against the odds, the Dubai Mall location of The Grill Shack produces a genuinely good 200g beef burger. The setting (mall food court adjacency) works against it aesthetically; the food doesn't.
#9 — Five Guys (AED 50–65, Multiple): The American chain delivers exactly what it promises: fresh beef (never frozen), cooked to order, loaded with free toppings of your choice. It's not the most culinarily ambitious burger in Dubai but the fundamentals are better than most chains manage. Best value burger experience in the city for consistency.
#10 — Shake Shack ShackBurger (AED 48, Multiple): Shake Shack's classic ShackBurger (beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, ShackSauce) is one of the best-calibrated standard burgers in the city. The sauce is the star — a tangy, slightly sweet house concoction that makes every bite cleaner. Multiple Dubai locations; always reliable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best burger in Dubai in 2025?
Maxzi's Smash and Sear is officially rated the best burger in Dubai by Gault&Millau and Time Out for 2025 — wagyu smash patty, caramelised onion, pickles, house sauce, potato bun. For critics' pick, Orfali Bros OB Cheeseburger is the most acclaimed chef-driven burger in the city.
Where is the best smash burger in Dubai?
Maxzi (multiple locations) and Orfali Bros (Al Wasl) make Dubai's best smash burgers. Both use wagyu beef pressed hard on a hot surface to create caramelised edges. Maxzi is the more casual, walk-in option; Orfali Bros requires a booking and is set in a full-service restaurant.
What is the most expensive burger in Dubai?
Rhodes Twenty10's Short Rib Burger (AED 118) is the most expensive standalone burger on this list. Leña (DIFC) serves a wagyu burger at around AED 135 as part of its main menu. For context, Orfali Bros' OB Cheeseburger at AED 95 delivers more culinary value despite the lower price.
Are burgers halal in Dubai?
Yes — all burger restaurants in Dubai are fully halal-certified. Beef is always halal-slaughtered; there are no pork toppings (beef equivalents are used where applicable). This applies to all restaurants on this list including Five Guys, Shake Shack, and Black Tap.
