The best foods fit in your hands.
Smash burgers good enough to land on Avenue's 13 best restaurants for 2026. A small, clever room with a shelf of tiny clowns and a lineup out the door.
Must try: The California Classic, the Donald McRonald, Nashville Hot Cod Sandwich, a Chocolate Malt Sundae.
Pro tip: Join the waitlist online before you go. Closed Mondays.
1711 4 St SW · Map for Class Clown
The name says it: the cheese is melted fresh off a wheel, not peeled off a slice. Soft buns, flame-grilled patties and a friendly owner behind the counter.
Must try: A double with the house sauce, Truffle Fries.
Pro tip: Evenings only, closed Mondays.
601 17 Ave SW · Map for Meltro Burger
Two things, done exceptionally well: smash burgers and fries. Find it through the back-alley door at Sea Change's Skelly Club, and grab a $5 beer while you're there.
816 11 Ave SW, inside Sea Change · Map for Flat Boy Burgers
Fresh, juicy smash burgers at fair prices, and all halal. Bright, clean and kid friendly, open late every day.
Must try: Double Smash Cheeseburger, the Chicken Burger, the Kebab Burger, a Taro Milkshake.
Crispy fried chicken sandwiches and sliders at The District food hall, with a poutine that earns a Quebecer's seal of approval. Order a single slider if you're grazing the hall.
Must try: The Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich, the Poutine, Onion Rings.
Pro tip: Weekday lunch only, 11 to 5.
The District, 227 11 Ave SW · Map for Birdie
A Calgary classic with more than 50 years behind it and thousands of happy reviews. Colourful, retro and always busy. Burgers, hot dogs, tater tots, poutine, mac and cheese bites and milkshakes.
Pro tip: Go double. The patties are thin, and they'll tell you two is the right ratio. You also get a free burger on your birthday.
908 Edmonton Tr NE · Map for Boogie's Burgers
Empire Provisions' burger-loving little brother. Burgers, hot dogs, fries and fried chicken sandwiches, everything you want with a good beer.
Must try: The Dirty Fries, then Made by Marcus ice cream for dessert.
Bridgeland, 1105 1 Ave NE, plus Annex Ale Project · Map for Lil' Empire
For three decades, Buchanan's has done two things exceptionally well: beef and whiskey. One of the country's biggest whiskey lists, juicy burgers and a patio made for a long lunch.
Must try: The Bacon Cheeseburger.
Pro tip: The Saturday three-course set menu is a deal. Closed Sundays.
738 3 Ave SW · Map for Buchanan's
The 17th Ave late-night institution is gone, but Clive lives on downtown. Local beef, crinkle fries and a dedicated gluten-free fryer, now a weekday lunch spot.
Pro tip: The double cheeseburger combo is still about $15.
225 7 Ave SW · Map for Clive Burger
If you're a lunch lover in a circle of brunch fans, Holy Grill is your middle ground. Known for breakfast, but the burgers and panini are the move.
Must try: Beef Dip Panini, Chicken Burger, homemade chips.
You'd go for the tacos, but don't overlook the Hamburguesa al Carbon: a fantastically messy cheeseburger with thin-sliced potato chips and a cold cerveza.
Not the first place you think of for a burger, but a steakhouse that takes its beef this seriously makes a great one.
Everything here is made from scratch, so the burger is no ordinary handheld. Ask about the double burger.
If you've been on Instagram, you know Regrub. Mac and cheese burgers and over-the-top milkshakes, like the Oreomania topped with deep-fried Oreos.
Pro tip: There are vegan milkshakes for your lactose-intolerant friends.