Bristol takes its burgers seriously enough to have won national awards for them. Squeezed on Wapping Wharf picked up the National Burger Awards title in 2019, and Danny's Burgers has twice been crowned at the same event, taking Burger Chef of the Year in 2021 and UK Best Burger in 2022. Between those two and a handful of other genuinely good options, you don't need to settle for a chain.
The line-up
| Restaurant | Where | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Squeezed | Cargo 1, Wapping Wharf | National Burger Awards winner 2019 |
| Danny's Burgers | Fierce & Noble, Mina Road | Two-time national burger award winner |
| Oowee | Baldwin Street & North Street | Vegan burgers, fried "chicken" and shakes |
| Three Brothers Burgers | Welsh Back, aboard the Spyglass | Burgers on a boat |
| Burger Theory | St Stephens Street | City centre flagship, wing deals |
| Dream Burger | Church Hill, Brislington | Neighbourhood favourite, south Bristol |
Squeezed
Squeezed runs out of two converted shipping containers on the harbourside at Unit 4, Cargo 1, Gaol Ferry Steps, Wapping Wharf (BS1 6WE). It's tiny, does a short menu of burgers, fries and homemade lemonades, and won the National Burger Awards in 2019. In a 2025 Bristol Live reader poll it was voted the city's best burger overall. On the menu, burgers run from £10.00 for the simplest option up to £13.25 for the double-beef Caesar Sisters, with sides like ancho chilli fries at £3.95. Because it's small and popular, it does sell out, so go early or expect to wait.
Danny's Burgers
Danny's started as a lockdown passion project after founder Danny won Grillstock in 2017, and now runs a residency out of Fierce & Noble brewery on Mina Road, St Werburghs (BS2 9TA). It won Burger Chef of the Year at the National Burger Awards in 2021 and then UK Best Burger in 2022, plus write-ups in Complex magazine and coverage on the Burger Show. It topped the 2025 Bristol Live readers' shortlist for the city's best burger. Expect Californian-style smash burgers cooked to order in a working brewery taproom.
Oowee
Oowee is Bristol's best-known vegan burger option, with locations on Baldwin Street and at 202 North Street (BS3 1JF) in Bedminster, the latter open since November 2017. It made the top five of Bristol Live's 2025 burger poll alongside the meat-focused places on this list, which tells you plant-based burgers here aren't treated as an afterthought. If you're after more fully vegan options elsewhere in the city, our best vegan restaurants in Bristol guide has more.
Three Brothers Burgers
Three Brothers serves its burgers from aboard the Spyglass, a boat moored on Welsh Back (BS1 4SB) in the Old City. It's open Monday to Wednesday 12pm to 9pm, Thursday to Saturday 12pm to 10pm, and Sunday 12pm to 8pm from May to September (12pm to 6pm October to April). The novelty of eating on the water doesn't come at the expense of the food, and it made the 2025 Bristol Live shortlist too.
Burger Theory
Founded in 2012 by brothers Rory and Nick, Burger Theory's flagship restaurant is at 37-38 St Stephen's Street in the city centre (BS1 1JX), with the same team also doing the festival circuit around the South West. It's a cook-from-scratch kitchen that pickles, ferments and brines its own accompaniments rather than buying them in. Weekday deals include free fries or slaw with any burger between 12pm and 4pm, Monday to Friday, and 80p wings on Wednesdays.
Dream Burger
Dream Burger, on Church Hill in Brislington, south Bristol, rounded out the 2025 Bristol Live top five. It's worth the trip out of the centre if you're already south of the river, and it's a useful pick if you want to avoid the queues at the more central spots.
Where to park or eat nearby
Squeezed, Cargo Cantina and the rest of Wapping Wharf's food scene sit inside the same shipping-container quarter, so if you're making an evening of it, our guide to Wapping Wharf and Cargo covers what else is there. If you're driving into the centre for Burger Theory or Three Brothers, check current rates in our Bristol city centre parking guide first, since on-street bays near Welsh Back and St Stephens Street fill up fast.