There’s something irresistible about a perfectly crafted burger. Although a simple dish in theory, no two burgers are the same and can be influenced by the quality of the meat, and the combination of condiments and toppings.
Cardiff is a fantastic place to grab a burger. Wales is prime farming real estate, with its livestock sector being world-leading in many regards. With some of the best native-breed beef farms, such as Gower Meadow Beef, plus plenty of game shot wild in the valleys, supplying the various restaurants within Cardiff, the city is filled with both traditional and innovative burgers for you to try.
Cardiff has multiple options to suit various tastes, whether you’ve got a hankering for beef, prefer some out-the-box vegan options, or wish to sample something a bit more upmarket.
Here are some of the best places in Cardiff to sink your teeth into a ridiculously good burger.
The Grazing Shed, Barrack Lane
Located a stale burger bun’s throw away from the St Davids shopping centre – Cardiff’s biggest – The Grazing Shed is a brilliant spot for those needing a tasty bite between shopping sprees. The location is as rustic and toned down as things can get, tightly packed with heavy wooden tables and repurposed pallets that create a loose, easygoing vibe.
The Grazing Shed is known for its signature Super Tidy Burgers. This range of burgers oozes as much passion as it does flavour, with all ingredients sourced from local and sustainable providers. Served with as little packaging as possible, The Grazing Shed is all about being responsible with their burgers.
Don’t let that fool you into thinking these guys don’t go big on flavour; the restaurant was voted the best burger joint in Wales in 2016 and reached the finals of Britain’s Best Burger, and has used that pedigree to create a range of exciting burgers. We recommend their John Wayne, which marries a Welsh patty with distinctive American tastes such as smoked bacon, cheese, and BBQ sauce, all served in a rich though structurally-sound brioche bun.
Address: 1 Barrack Ln, St Davids Centre, Cardiff CF10 2FR
Website: thegrazingshed.com
Ansh, Cowbridge Road East
With beef coming straight from the highly-regarded Oriel Jones butchers, Ansh is a premier spot in Cardiff if you’re looking for gourmet quality smash burgers. Their thin patties are crushed then cooked to perfection, allowing a bronze crust to form to add texture to your meal while still being juicy. Housed in fluffy potato buns that soak up the flavours and add a starchy, slightly sweet kick, it comes together to create an ideal combination.
Eating at Ansh offers something of a history lesson, as each burger is named after an important figure in Welsh history, powerfully demonstrating the restaurant’s pride in its roots. Try the Barti Ddu, a Welsh black beef burger covered in a salty and smokey seaweed rum sauce (as good as it sounds!), named after a pirate from the area.
Located on Cowbridge Road East, you can eat in at its charming restaurant with colourfully patterned tiled floors or take your burger out with you. They’re also on Uber Eats… Result!
Address: 589 Cowbridge Rd E, Cardiff CF5 1BE
Website: ansh.cymru
The Smoke Haus, Mary Ann Street
Although these guys are located in the heart of Cardiff on Mary Ann St, there’s nothing Welsh about The Smoke Haus. Instead, the burger joint specialises in burgers influenced by the traditions of American BBQ culture in the South, with all their meat slow-cooked over wood fires. This not-so traditional burger technique punctuates each burger with a distinct smokey flavour, accenting the beef, adding depth, as well as making it a more texturally intriguing burger than we’re generally used to.
To lean into the American theme – stetsons, cowboy hat, Stars’n Stripes and all – order their Baby Bertha burger, a fully loaded option topped with stretchy cheese, streaky bacon, fried onions, jalapenos, and special burger sauce. It’s a rich burger with deep tastes unlike anywhere else in Cardiff.
Another all-American creation here is the donut burger; two beef burgers topped with melted cheese, smoked streaky bacon sandwiched between two glazed donuts drizzled in ‘sweet sauce’. It sounds like a strange, sickly sweet combination and a cardiac arrest waiting to happen, but this sugar-in-savoury burger somehow works. You’ve simply got to try it to believe it!
As expected, the restaurant has an urbanised American diner aesthetic, with iconic red leather booths alongside faux brick walls covered in graffiti and street art. Oh, and they do a mean fried chicken, too. Well, it would be rude not to, right?
Address: Mary Ann St, St Davids Centre, Cardiff CF10 2EN
Website: thesmokehaus.co.uk
Spit & Sawdust, Rhymney River Bridge Road
Spit & Sawdust is more than a burger joint; it’s a community hub that offers an incredible place not only to eat but to hangout, too. With a skatepark and art studio on site, it’s clear that this is a buzzy place where you can spend the entire day (and evening) if the mood suits you.
Thankfully, if you’re not into skating (or hanging out, for that matter), the burgers alone make it worth a visit. Served out of their small cafe adjacent to the skatepark, they offer affordable options starting at just £7.50. Their classic option uses organic beef and positively drenches the patties in a beautiful house burger sauce that has a pleasantly tangy taste. If you don’t like the taste of McDonald’s gherkins, this one won’t be for you is all we’re saying…
Anyway, Spit and Sawdust is a bit out of the way from the city centre but is well worth the trek for its cool vibes and simple yet tasty burgers.
Address: Unit B, Rhymney River Bridge Rd, Cardiff CF23 9AF
Website: spitandsawdust.co.uk
SLAMBURGER, City Road
Despite being a reasonably big burger chain, with its origins in Birmingham, SLAMBURGER still delivers by offering an authentic burger experience from its Cardiff outpost, with every meal being crafted by you, for you.
This is because each order is created at the point of ordering, Subway style, allowing you to add extras and customise your toppings to unlock new taste combinations… Get you, Heston.
The base of each burger is their grilled patties, which you can have either thick or smashed, and is made from 100% local British beef, all of which is Halal.
The interior has a distinctive hot-red colour palette that is reminiscent of the old McDonald, but SLAMBURGER is head and shoulders superior to its faster-food siblings.
Address: 149-151 City Rd, Cardiff CF24 3BQ
Website: slam-burger.co.uk
Fat Hippo, Church Street
If you’re looking for large portions (hey, who isn’t?), Fat Hippo has you covered, as every menu item comes with not one but two patties of either beef or buttermilk chicken. Size isn’t everything, though, as Fat Hippo also comes through on flavour, offering some quirky options such as their Born Slippy beef burger, filled to the brim with a double patty, garlic mayo, American cheese, braised pork rib, chilli jam, and jalapenos.
Eating at Fat Hippo is a messy experience, as their burgers ooze with juice – best wear black for this one, we think. Their monochrome tiled interior adds to this vibe (game of chess, anyone?), with the restaurant spilling out onto Church Street, slap bang in the Castle Quarter, until the early hours, bringing that party atmosphere which the thoroughfare is so well known for.
Those steering clear of beef will be pleased to hear that Fat Hippo is one of the best burger joints in Cardiff for lovers of chicken burgers. Not only are their options stacked with the good stuff, but the fillets are double-fried, locking the juices inside and ensuring a golden, crispy finish. Each meal also comes with a generous portion of hand-cut fries, too, making this a mammoth, massively satisfying meal.
Address: 17 Church St, Cardiff CF10 1BG
Website: fathippo.co.uk
Incidentally, the guys at Fat Hippo contributed to our guide on how to cook the perfect burger at home. Do check it out, but not before checking out some of the entries on our best burgers in Cardiff list!