We toured the Southern Suburbs for burgers worth trying

Long before “burger” became almost synonymous with “smash”, The Burger Joint was already grilling its patties over the flame. It opened in Glyfada in February 2011, founded by a team with years of experience in kitchens in New York and Athens. Fifteen years on, the patty is still the star, and you can tell from the very first bite.

At the heart of it all is a chargrilled patty of fresh Black Angus, shaped by hand in the kitchen every day, at 180 grams, or 250 if you’re really hungry. It comes out juicy and well cooked, and doesn’t hide behind toppings. The buns are baked every morning, the sauces are made daily from the chef’s own recipes, and the fries are cut fresh and cooked in corn oil.

If you’re team smash, you’ll find that on the menu too. Here a burger isn’t defined by a trend or a technique, but by quality meat and the right cooking. And don’t rush to leave. The desserts are the kind you’d find in a New York diner, generous and indulgent, like the Busy Brownie with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, or churros with hazelnut praline.

You’ll find it in Glyfada, Neo Psychiko and Nea Smyrni.

If you’ve had a Whopper® on a trip abroad and still think about it, you no longer need a plane ticket. Following Chalandri, Burger King® recently opened its second store in Nea Smyrni, another step in the brand’s growth in Greece, bringing with it the flame that made it famous.

The patties, made from 100% beef, are cooked over an open flame and take on that flame-grilled flavour you recognise from the first bite. At the in-store kiosks you build your burger exactly how you like it, in the spirit of Have It Your Way®, adding or removing whatever you want.

The first choice can only be the Whopper, with fresh vegetables and a sesame bun. If you’re after something heartier, the Angus burgers are your next stop, and the menu also has chicken and plant-based options. On the side, onion rings, and to finish, the King Fusion, soft-serve ice cream with toppings. And if the night calls for the sofa, delivery (online at www.burgerking.com.gr or through the Burger King App) has you covered.

At Epic Burger, on Amfitheas Avenue, street food goes back to its original form. The ground beef is always fresh, never frozen, and every ingredient arrives fresh in the kitchen. The space is minimal, ideal for a quick meal, and there’s takeaway and delivery too.

The patties, made from 100% ground beef, are smashed and served in soft potato buns. Start with the Original and its thyme mayo, which you’ll find in many of the burgers, then move on to the Umami with rocket, truffle mayo and sautéed cherry tomatoes, or the Creamy Goat with goat’s cheese and bacon jam. Crispy chicken fillet takes the lead in the Crispy Original with Epic sauce, the Southern with BBQ sauce and the Inferno with jalapeños.

If you’re with friends, the Mini Burger Boxes, with four mini brioche burgers each, are made for sharing. The fries are more than a side, especially the Dreamy Fries topped with a smashed patty, cheddar and bacon. To finish, a New York cheesecake with Lotus Biscoff.

Say Jackaroo and you think fried chicken. Fair enough: the brand changed the way we see it in Greece and became a street food hangout with a devoted following. But the same philosophy carries through to its burgers, and that’s where a second success story lies.

Everything here is made to order. The chicken is marinated in buttermilk overnight, coated in a secret-recipe breading and arrives crisp in the bun, either a soft sesame bun or a buttery brioche. The portions are the kind that need both hands.

You have to try the Chicken Melt, the one regulars order again and again, with two pieces of crispy chicken, double cheddar and smoked bacon melting into a brioche bun. If you’re team beef, the Umami, with a handmade 100% beef patty, goat’s cheese, sautéed fresh mushrooms, caramelised onions and truffle mayo in a soft bun, will make you forget the chicken for a while. And if you fancy a change of direction, the new burrito range wraps the same crispy chicken in a tortilla, as in the Nacho Muchacho with bacon, crunchy Doritos and jalapeños.

From the lunch break to late-night cravings, Jackaroo is open until 1am.

On Giannitsopoulou Street, Queen’s griddle has been turning out burgers since 1978, back when the American base at Ellinikon was bringing flavours from across the Atlantic to Glyfada. Today smash spots are multiplying all around it, but Queen was making its burgers this way long before the style had a name.

The meat arrives fresh and is ground on site. The beef is shaped into a ball and pressed onto the hot griddle, with no additives, not even salt. Today the second generation of the Myzithras family keeps the recipe alive.

You have to try the classic cheeseburger in a soft bun, along with the mayo fries that regulars order without a second thought. If you want something more filling, the XL Cheese comes with a double patty, double cheese and double bacon. To finish, the thin waffle with a mountain of soft-serve ice cream is a taste many remember from childhood and now share with their own kids.

Born from the energy of London’s street food scene and tucked away in a lush garden in Anavyssos, Staks brings British street food culture to the smash burger, with bold flavour, crispy edges and sauces with no inhibitions.

It all starts with the meat. The patties, made from 100% beef, are prepared in the kitchen every day, with no salt or additives in the mix. They’re pressed onto the hot griddle, developing caramelised, crispy edges while the centre stays juicy. The sauces are made in-house too.

You have to try the Holy Jam, with melted cheddar, pickles, holy sauce and a bacon jam that simmers for two hours until it turns sweet, smoky and sticky. It’s one of those burgers that makes you wonder why you didn’t order two. If you’re old school, the OG Smash comes with cheddar, crispy bacon, iceberg, tomato, onion and pickles, no tricks. For something different, the Korean brings crispy chicken with a Korean glaze, caramelised onions and black pepper mayo.

On the side, halloumi fries with honey, which make “I’ll just have one” almost impossible.

At Wynwood, the philosophy behind the burgers comes down to three things: bread, beef and handmade sauces. The approach is built on a few carefully chosen ingredients, combined so that each flavour has its own space and complements the others.

What makes the difference is clear from the first bite, in the bread. The buns are made daily in-house from a handmade recipe that combines the best qualities of a brioche and a milk bread bun. They have the signature buttery flavour of brioche while keeping the lighter feel of a good milk bread.

Then the flavour combinations take over, with every sauce made in-house. On the menu you’ll find the Mc Duke with cheddar, pickles, onion and mayo, the Truffle Mayo with cheddar, bacon, onion and truffle mayo sauce, and the Smoke Mayo with cheddar, bacon and bacon smoke mayo sauce. For chicken lovers, there’s the much-loved Ball Harbor, with crispy fried chicken (WFC), cheddar sauce, iceberg, pickles, caramelised onions and chili mayo.