Dubai does many things at full volume, and burgers are no exception. This is a city where a vintage food truck on the sand can outdraw fine-dining rooms, where homegrown brands hold their own against famous New York imports, and where the humble cheeseburger gets the wagyu treatment as a matter of course.
Whether you’re a resident hunting for a new Friday ritual or a visitor with limited meals and unlimited appetite, these are the best burgers in Dubai right now — a mix of cult local favorites and global icons, from beachside sliders to towering shakes-and-all feasts.
An editorial list: our picks, based on our own research and on public reviews and ratings — not a sponsored ranking. Details change, and images are illustrative (see the note at the end).
1. SALT — Kite Beach, Umm Suqeim
SALT is where Dubai’s burger obsession really began. What started as a vintage silver Airstream food truck on the sands of Kite Beach — widely credited as the city’s first food truck — turned into a phenomenon, with queues snaking along the beach and a permanent beach-house terrace added to cope with demand.
The menu is famously short: just a handful of burgers, done properly. The wagyu beef sliders are the order that built the brand, but the cult favorite is the chicken burger topped with crunchy Cheetos — a gloriously messy, very Dubai invention. Finish with the soft-serve ice cream (the Lotus Biscoff shake has its own fan club), eaten at an umbrella table overlooking the Arabian Sea. Prices are friendly for the location, with sliders starting around AED 42 and roughly AED 105 for two.
2. High Joint — Al Manara, Jumeirah (and across the city)
High Joint began in 2018 as a tiny cafeteria-style spot with a two-cook kitchen on Al Manara road — and promptly won the Hellmann’s Burger Award in 2019 on word of mouth alone. It’s since grown into locations across Dubai, including Dubai Mall and Bluewaters, but the unassuming original still has the longest weekend queues.
Everything revolves around fresh Angus beef and clever house sauces. The High Jamz — layered with slow-cooked onion and bacon jam — is the signature, while the Millionaire High brings provolone and tempura portobello mushroom to the party. Burgers start from around AED 55. Keep an eye on their Instagram: secret-menu specials appear every six to eight weeks and vanish just as fast.
3. Pickl — JLT (plus City Walk, Motor City & more)
Born in Dubai and proudly homegrown, Pickl built its following on a simple promise: fresh, honest burgers with hormone- and antibiotic-free ingredients, stacked high in fluffy potato buns. The JLT original is still the spiritual home, and the menu stays lean on purpose.
Beef lovers go for the build-your-own cheeseburgers (from around AED 35), but the city’s true obsession is The Chicken Sando — fresh fried chicken with dill pickles, lettuce and the secret comeback sauce, with a choose-your-own heat level. Even the sides get creative: the Vimto shake is a love letter to UAE tastes. Expect mid-range prices and a fun, diner-meets-streetwear vibe.
4. MAXZI The Good Food Shop — Al Quoz
MAXZI began life as an online grocery and butcher before opening its Al Quoz flagship in 2018 — which explains the obsession with meat quality. This is the burger bar that thinks like a butcher shop: pure wagyu, no hormones, no shortcuts, cooked in its signature “smash and sear” style for caramelized, crispy edges.
The wagyu cheeseburger (around AED 41) is one of the best-value premium burgers in the city, and the lamb wagyu burger is a delicious curveball you won’t find everywhere. Feeling serious? The MAXZIMUM Meat Lover stacks a wagyu patty with slow-cooked brisket. The industrial-chic Al Quoz room sits in Dubai’s artsy warehouse district, and there are now branches across the city.
5. Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes — Dubai Mall, Downtown
The New York import that turned the milkshake into architecture. Black Tap’s Dubai Mall flagship — its first location outside North America — spans two floors with Burj Khalifa views, an open kitchen and those famous CrazyShakes: towering creations stacked with whole cake slices, cotton candy and cookie sandwiches.
The burgers hold their own against the spectacle. Go classic with the All-American, or the Texan with beef bacon and BBQ sauce; there’s a proper vegan burger too. Burgers start around AED 75, so this is the premium end of the list — but as a one-stop burger-and-dessert show, nothing else in the mall comes close. Walk-ins only, so arrive hungry and patient.
6. Bossman’s Burgr Factory — Jumeirah Beach Road
If your burger philosophy is “bigger is better,” Bossman’s is your place. This Jumeirah Beach Road spot tops Google-rating roundups of Dubai burger joints — around 4.7 stars across nearly 6,000 reviews — on the strength of oversized, generously stacked burgers built for sharing (or for not sharing, we don’t judge).
The Factory leans into indulgence: big patties, loaded toppings and portions that make the table go quiet. It sits in the AED 50–150 per-person band typical of Dubai’s better burger rooms, and the casual, come-as-you-are energy makes it a favorite for groups who want a feast without ceremony.
7. Manna Burgers — Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz
A London import tucked into Alserkal Avenue — Dubai’s contemporary arts district — Manna has quickly become one of the city’s highest-rated smash burger addresses. The format is pure smash technique: patties pressed thin on the grill until the edges go lacy and crisp, the cheese molten.
Order the Double Manna with its smashed patties and American cheese, or the Hot Smash with chilli cheese if you like heat, and don’t skip the crisp waffle fries. The gallery-district setting gives it a cooler, more grown-up feel than the average burger bar — the kind of place you pair with an exhibition wander on a Saturday afternoon.
8. Shake Shack — Dubai Mall, Downtown
The New York legend needs little introduction: ShackBurgers, crinkle-cut fries and frozen custard, served fast. Dubai Mall’s Shake Shack is one of the most-reviewed burger spots in the city — rated around 4.6 stars across more than 8,700 Google reviews — and it remains the benchmark against which every newcomer is measured.
The ShackBurger (a smashed Angus patty with ShackSauce) is the classic order, and the Chick’n Shack gives fried-chicken fans their fix. Items start from around AED 35, making it one of the most accessible famous names on this list — ideal fuel mid-shopping-marathon, with the fountain-side setting as a bonus.
9. Five Guys — Dubai Mall & across Dubai
Five Guys does one thing with total commitment: fresh, hand-formed burgers cooked to order, with fries fried in pure peanut oil and a toppings list long enough to build 250,000 combinations. The Washington DC original arrived in the UAE to a ready-made cult following, and the Dubai crowds haven’t thinned since.
There are no freezers and no timers — just patties smashed fresh on the grill while you wait. Start with the Little Cheeseburger (from around AED 35) if you’re new; regulars know the standard burger is a double. Portions are generous, the foil-wrapped presentation is charmingly no-frills, and the fries famously overflow the cup.
10. Wimpy — Dubai Mall, Downtown
The nostalgia pick that turns out to be a ratings champion: Wimpy’s Dubai Mall branch holds a roughly 4.8-star Google rating, the highest on this list, and it earns it with well-made smashed burgers at budget-friendly prices in the middle of the world’s most-visited mall.
It’s the smart stop when you want a proper burger without the premium price tag — quick, cheerful service, familiar flavors done right, and change left over for dessert elsewhere in the mall. Sometimes the best burger in Dubai is simply the one that hits the spot without emptying your wallet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best burger in Dubai?
It depends on your style. For an iconic Dubai experience, SALT’s wagyu sliders at Kite Beach are hard to beat. For award-winning craft, High Joint’s High Jamz is a local legend, and for pure spectacle, Black Tap at Dubai Mall pairs craft burgers with its famous CrazyShakes.
How much does a good burger cost in Dubai?
Expect roughly AED 35–55 at homegrown favorites like Pickl, MAXZI and Five Guys, AED 50–150 per person at premium spots, and from about AED 75 for a burger at Black Tap. Mall locations and beachside icons sit at various points in between.
Where can I find the best smash burgers in Dubai?
Manna Burgers at Alserkal Avenue is a top-rated smash specialist, while High Joint and MAXZI both build their reputations on smashed, crispy-edged patties. Shake Shack’s ShackBurger is the global benchmark.
Are there good budget burgers in Dubai Mall?
Yes — Wimpy holds one of the highest Google ratings of any burger spot in the mall with budget-friendly smashed burgers, and Shake Shack and Five Guys both have items starting around AED 35.
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Editorial Note & Disclaimer
This list is an editorial feature prepared by the Sizzling Magazine team. The selections and ranking reflect our own editorial judgment, based on our research and on publicly available reviews and ratings at the time of writing — inclusion is not an endorsement, and no business paid or provided goods or services to be listed. Restaurant details, including menus, prices, ratings and opening hours, change over time; please check with the venue before visiting. All restaurant names and trademarks belong to their respective owners and are used for editorial identification only. Photographs and images accompanying this article are illustrative and may not depict the actual dishes or premises of the venues named.
Akif is the founder and editor of Sizzling Magazine, a women’s lifestyle magazine covering beauty, fashion, travel, food, and wellness. Publishing since 2012, he curates practical skincare routines, honest beauty advice, and wearable fashion trends for real women — with a soft spot for old-school home remedies that actually work. Sizzling Magazine is where grandma’s beauty wisdom meets modern trends.
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