Best Burgers in Groningen, our burger bucketlist

Homemade Hamburger by Diet®

Fair is fair, and delicious is delicious. I have never been to the bar in Groningen where you can get the best burger in Groningen. Actually, that’s quite strange because I’m a true carnivore and I love meat. I can manage without it, but I simply enjoy a good piece of meat. As a full-time working mother, I love making a hamburger sandwich during the week with delicious melted cheese on top and wonderfully fresh, crispy, yet soft bread. I then create a buffet of fresh ingredients that can be added.  Because not everyone likes tomatoes, pickles, or onions, for example. Well, you try to make it enjoyable for everyone. But it also looks very cozy in our kitchen. Alongside, I serve a nice bowl of soup. Usually, it’s traditional vegetable soup, and of course, there are meatballs in it at our house.

Shortrib Burger at Bar Smoke

Now are you craving some meat? Just thinking about my homemade burger makes my mouth water ;-) Well, I’ve got a tip for where you can get the best burger in Groningen.  It’s the Shortrib Burger, and the creator and maker of this piece of art is Bojan Aleksander. His restaurant is called Bar Smoke.  He won convincingly during the Best Burger Benelux competition. 

Bar Smoke - Noorderzon 2025

But…. I must mention that this specific burger only seems to be available on the menu occasionally.  Too bad, huh? And maybe there will even be waiting lists for reservations. I’m actually really curious!  Don’t be sad because at this restaurant, you can get much more delicious food. Think of a Tomahawk Steak!  So, let me move on to the next tip. The big prize of the Best Burger Benelux was that you get a food truck for a year. Bojan has already announced that next year he will serve the Shortrib Burger in the Foodtruck during Noorderzon 2025 in Groningen! How can you enjoy all the deliciousness sooner? The restaurant is experiencing a bit of a staff shortage, so maybe it’s time to apply! 

4x Best Burgers in Groningen

Now that there’s a waiting list at Bar Smoke, there are also alternatives in Groningen. And no, it’s not at my house (unfortunately for you). I’ll mention three here, but there are more in Groningen. 

Wereldburgers - everything is delicious

If you can get a burger called The Godfather, I’m already convinced. But I’ve actually been to Wereldburgers on Akerkhof 39 several times with my family, and it’s worth it! They also have really delicious soft drinks and lemonades on the menu. 

Dogs Bollocks - on my bucket list

The quote here is: Beer as cold as your ex-girlfriend’s heart… and burgers fatter than your mama!

So… maybe worth trying after all!

O'Malleys Pubburger

The Reddit forum says you must try the Pubburger here. It costs 17 euros and is a smoked burger on a pretzel bun, with onion compote, lettuce, pickles, cheese, bacon, and on the side, tasty fries with homemade mayo. A burger at an Irish pub, we definitely need to try that, right? On my last visit, I went just for a nice cider!

Block & Barrels juicy meat dishes

Heard a lot of good things and worth a mention, Block & Barrels specializes in juicy meat with a craft beer. Sounds good. And it’s run by two South Africans, so that creates expectations! I’ll have to go there sometime!

I’ll wait for the invitation

Every month, I go out to eat somewhere in the city of Groningen with two dear friends. We always come up with a fun little place. In two hours, we’re caught up on each other’s worries and enjoy the most delicious dishes. Sometimes, I give it attention on our StayinGroningen Instagram! I’ll wait for the invitation, but I’m afraid I’ll have to invite myself sooner. Because after writing this text, I actually want to score a hamburger right now.