Bali’s best burgers: Where to find bacon cheeseburgers, wagyu chuck, Korean burgers and more

Ubud’s not all vegan cafes and raw juices. Photo: Locavore to Go

By Julianne Greco

Aug 3, 2017 | 3:32pm Bali time

While healthier trending foods like fresh poke bowls from Canggu down to Uluwatu have been dominating a lot of Bali’s international food scene, meat lovers, not to fear. The island’s got plenty of tantalizingly juicy burgers to sink your teeth into. From budget joints serving amazing Indonesian food to high-end, Michelin Star-worthy treats, Bali’s got some pretty darn good places to eat. And that includes a whole range of places around the island cooking up cheap, quick, delicious patties hot off the grill, along with restaurants serving gourmet, premium wagyu chuck.

Check out our comprehensive guide to Bali’s best burgers before planning your next burger stop. There’s something for all tastes, all styles, and all budgets.

Bo$$ Man

Burgers are an art form at Bo$$ Man, which playfully refers to itself as a ‘badass burger joint that’s all up in your grill.’ The menu contains six carefully-crafted mouthwatering burgers on delicious sesame buns. The burgers have clever, “gangsta” names including the Original Gangster, Kim ‘Chi’ Un, Notorious P.I.G. (obvi the 18-hour pork belly option), and the Gandhi (hello, vegetarian choice). The ingredients are premium at Bo$$ Man; for instance, 60-day dry-aged chuck steaks, shaped in-house daily. Our favorite is the Al Capone: 160 gram beef patty with bacon, grilled onions, smoked cheddar, creole chutney, wholegrain aioli, and house smoked bbq sauce. Though the El Chapo is a close second: a 160 gram seasoned beef patty, jalapeño manchego cheese, rocket, coriander, chipotle mayo & lime, and green chili crema. Treat yo’ self good and try the truffle, porcini & parmesan fries while you’re at it.

Jl. Kayu Cendana no. 8B
Seminyak, Bali
081239167070
11am-4am, 7 days a week

Wacko

At Wacko, a burger’s not just a burger, it’s a creation made from your own imagination. With a slogan like that and its name being Wacko, you can bet some pretty out-there, foodgasmic combos come out of this gourmet burger hot spot. One of our favorites is the “Speedy Gonzalez” burger, with lettuce, tomato, sliced onions, guacamole, sour cream, corn chips, pickled jalapenos, and tomato chutney. Their mainstay is also delicious, with lettuce, tomato, pickles, beetroot, bacon, fried egg, fried onion rings, cheddar, and their special Wacko sauce. They bake their own buns on a daily basis, cook their burgers on an open flame grill for that mind-numbing smoked flavor, use homemade sauces, and get their veggies fresh from local farmers markets.

Jl. Drupadi no. 18
Seminyak
+62 821-4401-0888
12pm-9:30pm, 7 days a week

The Butchers Club

After becoming a slamming success in Hong Kong, The Butcher’s Club opened up shop in Bali, bringing its Michelin Guide-listed burger to the Island of the Gods. We’re talking dry-aged beef, maple-glazed bacon, and cheddar cheese. Feeling super indulgent? Grab the double happiness, a double patty, double cheese, double bacon between two grilled cheese sandwiches. Also up for the conquering is the Wu-Tang style, an Asian variation fired in sriracha kimchi, cheddar, tempura sweet potato, and kewpie mayonnaise. Non-beef burgers include a chickpea and veggie patty, a crispy fried barramundi, a crispy pork belly, and a marinated grilled chicken breast sandwich.

Jl. Petitenget, Gang Cendrawasih no. 1
Kerobokan
+62 361 8974004
Sunday-Thursday, 11am-11pm, Friday-Saturday, 11am-12am

Five Monkeys

Who needs Five Guys when you have Five Monkeys? This burger and hot dog joint in the island’s Legian area has become an institution, known for its fast, cheap, and fantastic burgers. They keep things pretty classic, with a menu including a hamburger, cheeseburger, double cheeseburger, and chicken burger. Adding a little edge is the BBQ bacon cheeseburger, a beef patty topped with cheddar cheese, beef bacon, onion rings, and honey bbq sauce. Make it a combo with some curly fries and a Bintang—it’s Bali after all. They also serve loaded chili cheese fries and specialty coffee if you’ve got a stomach of steel and acid reflux ain’t no thang for you.

Jl. Legian Kaja no. 350
Legian
+62 361 764507
9am-12am, 7 days a week

Pit Stop

When you’ve got Pit Stops starting to pop up around the island in hot hoods like Seminyak, Canggu, and Bukit, you know there’s got to be a reason for such success. As its name will have you believe, Pit Stop is no muss, no fuss. Pay at the counter as you order and expect a quick turnaround unless the place is overflowing at the brim with hungry guests. Even though they’ve recently upped their prices, you’ll find the burgers affordable and outstanding for what you get. Their super juicy carnivore burger (beef with pickle, tomato, onion, lettuce and thousand island dressing), as simple as it is, takes the cake for us, but their lamb, crispy chicken with avocado, snapper filet, and veggie patties are all on our order heavy rotation.

Jl. Petitenget, Kerobokan
+62 361 5521659
AND
Jl. Raya Uluwatu, Pecatu
0812-2485-0017
24 hours, 7 days a week
AND
Jl. Batu Bolong, Canggu
08117228869
10am-12:30am, 7 days a week

Black House Burgers

With a tagline, “No Place for Boring Burgers,” you can expect the menu at Black House Burgers to be anything but conventional. Other than a couple of steamed rice items, the whole menu is dedicated to burgers, with beef, pork, or chicken patties, sliced beef tenderloin, and braised pork ribs. There’s also a vegetarian option. Toppings are all over the place—in a good way—with choices like the Landmine, which launched in 2017. It features a meat patty, mimolette cheese, blueberry jam, pork bacon, scrambled egg, thousand island sauce, mushroom, chili flakes, and ruccola. Just so crazy that it works.

Jl. Patimura blok 4 no. 1
Kuta
081547233775
Monday-Saturday, 1:30pm-11pm (last order 10:30pm)

Locavore to Go

You’ve dripped blood, sweat, and tears over not being able to get a table at Bali’s hottest affair, Locavore. But tell you what, if it’s a burger you want, then head just up the road 100 meters to Locavore To Go, the successful restaurant’s freer, chiller little sister that’s open for breakfast and lunch. (Or hunt down their recently launched food truck that’s roaming the streets of Ubud.) Keeping Locavore’s namesake intact, it’s all about local, seasonal ingredients. Their burger A La Ray, named after half of the couple behind the Ubud restaurant sensation, features a brioche bun, local wagyu patty, pickled zucchini, homemade tomato ketchup, local cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, crispy homemade bacon, and iceberg lettuce. For those feeling more adventurous, there’s a Korean-style burger on the same brioche bun and local Wagyu patty, with homemade kimchi, hoisin sauce, iceberg lettuce, and spicy mayonnaise.

10 3/4 Jl. Dewi Sita
Ubud
+62(0) 361 9080757
8:30am-10:30pm, 7 days a week

Fat Tony’s Takeaway

If you want something cheap, tasty, and quick, then look no further than Fat Tony’s. Get your homemade burgers from Fat Tony’s stand in Legian, with a single or double patty fresh off the grill. You can add on extra cheese, bacon, or a fried egg and it’ll still be cheap—and even more delicious. Unfortunately not open for lunch, so make sure you get in for dinner and don’t go too late—sometimes they sell out and close up shop early. While their main thing is takeaway, they also have indoor and outdoor seating if you want to pop a squat and eat there.

Fat Tony's Takeway — Just Rp 25k. Photo: Fat Tony’s Takeway

Jl. Sriwijaya no. 28
Legian
+62 857-9264-1911
4pm-10pm, 7 days a week

Shmurger Burger

Head to the burger booth at Berawa Kitchen, Canggu’s hip, hot food hall, for the perfect-sized bite. Bigger than a slider, but smaller than a typical full-on burger, the burgers at Shmurger Burger are sizzling, fresh off the grill. Choose from the bacon shmurger, chicken shmurger, Hawaiian chicken shmurger, veggie shmurger, and of course, the original classic. Make it a double if you’re feeling the need for meat—or even a triple. Do a meal deal if you fancy crinkle-cut fries and homemade lemonade. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, wash things down with a classic shake.

Berawa Kitchen
Jl. Raya Semat
Canggu
0821-4641-5009
11am-11pm, 7 days a week

Texas Smokehouse BBQ Bali

We’ve raved about the tender, juicy, out-of-this world brisket at Kerobokan’s Texas Smokehouse BBQ, but we need to give a ‘tender’ shoutout to their burgers as well. With a real big smoker out front and long wooden picnic tables inside, this casual, western place feels like a real BBQ joint from the Lone Star state. They’ve got four different burger choices on the menu: the smash burger, cowboy burger, chile queso burger, and porky burger. It’s absolutely essential you reach for their selection of homemade sauces atop each picnic table and get a side of potato salad or coleslaw.

Jl. Petitenget
Kerobokan
+6287862351052
Tuesday-Sunday, 11am-11pm (closed Mondays)

Wah Wah Burger

Don’t come to Wah Wah expecting to snarf down your burger in a hurry; it’s all about indulgence in portions of moderation. The place specializes in gourmet, mid-marbled wagyu beef burgers and is a wine bar. Started by an artist, Wah Wah is a street-side restaurant, but with flair and sexual innuendos aplenty. Appetizers are called foreplay and, according to the menu, all burgers ‘cum naked’. Cheese fanciers will enjoy the triple cheese with gorgonzola glazing, parmigiano shavings, and oozing mozzarella, while those with a more highbrow palate will like the foie gras burger, served with a slab of French foie gras, simply seared, with a berry reduction. Other items include choices with porcini, prosciutto, quail egg, and/or combinations of all the above.

Jl. Laksamana no. 11A
Seminyak
+62 361 736585
11am-11pm, 7 days a week

nüde

Making waves in Canggu for its raw, vegan, gluten-free offerings, Nude is not to be neglected for its comprehensive burger list. They’ve got a more classic angus beef patty with crispy bacon, tomato relish, and cheddar cheese; a crispy Korean chicken with Asian slaw and wasabi ginger soy mayonnaise; a slow-roasted pork belly burger with BBQ sauce, onion rings,and a pineapple and avocado salsa; a beer-battered mahi-mahi with tartar sauce, crushed peas, baby romaine, and cucumber ribbons; and finally, a Middle Eastern spice chickpea option for the vegetarians out there, with chili, harisa, minted coconut yogurt, and beetroot apple slaw. Seriously something for everyone.

The angus beef burger. Photo: Nude Canggu

Jl. Pantai Berawa
Canggu
+62 852-3821-4003

Element

Hailed by some as the best burger in Ubud, Element’s definitely worth checking out if you find yourself in the little jungle town. Opened up by a Lombok-born, Australian-trained chef, Element is conveniently located on the western part of central Ubud. Element’s drool-inducing Australian beef burger features organic sliced tomatoes, dill pickles, crispy onion rings, a sunny side up egg, smoked barbeque mayo, mozzarella cheese, and homemade, hand-cut fries.

Element
Jl. Penestanan
Ubud
+62 (0) 361 4792062

Luxe Barbeque & Grill

Situated right in some of Ubud’s green, lush rice paddies at a charming little hotel, Luxe lives up to its name. If you want an elevated, gourmet burger, this is your destination. Luxe boasts a proper butcher’s kitchen, grinding three different prime cuts of meat to make their patty. Go for lunch and pick from a wagyu cheeseburger or Paul’s favorite burger, which has lettuce, jalapeño, sundried tomato, caramelized onion, roquefort cheese, and the house BBQ sauce. Opt for some truffled mash potato on the side, you won’t regret it.

Luxe Bali — Photo: Les Leventhal/Instagram

LUXE Villas Bali
Jl. Kajeng at Juwuk Manis
Ubud
+62 361-479 2099, +62 361-479 2105

Naughty Nuri’s

People come to Naughty Nuri’s for their famous barbecue pork ribs, but one of the real, lesser-known specialities of this Bali institution is their burgers. Order the double-whammy cheeseburger, a delightful double patty, double cheese, double tasty 250-gram burger. Make sure to get it with their famous BBQ sauce—or even their spicy Indonesian sambal—for some extra flavor.

Jl. Mertanadi no. 62
Kerobokan
+62 361 8476783
11am-10pm, 7 days a week

Bukit Cafe

Craving a burger for a post-afternoon surf sesh at Ulu’s? Or need some protein to fuel you after getting harangued by monkeys at Uluwatu temple? Bukit Cafe, between Padang Padang and Bingin has got some tasty burgers on the menu—some of the best in the area—including their classic, sizable Bukit burger, a pulled pork option with meat that’s been slow-cooked tenderly for eight hours, a leaner chicken burger, and even a veggie option.

Jl. Labuan Sait
Pecatu
+62 813-3749-8745
7am-10pm, 7 days a week

Moana

Bringing the fresh flavors of Polynesia to Bali, Moana’s the place to go for eating fish in the raw, with its killer sashimi and poke bowls. But, if you’ve got a hankering for a fish burger, Moana’s got it cooking and is the place in Canggu to line up. The tiki burger is grilled mahi-mahi, topped with fresh coleslaw, romaine salad, and homemade tomato chutney. Set in a cool funky cafe with tropical vibes, this place is like a fresh breath of Hawaii in Bali.

Jl. Pantai Batu Bolong no. 8
Canggu
0812-3815-8373
11am-11pm, 7 days a week

OmBurger Bali

Burgers and health food don’t have to be mutually exclusive. At this colorful Bukit shop with its gorgeous ocean view of Padang Padang, they most certainly are not. Choose from whole wheat, black rice, beetroot, pumpkin, or even green tea buns—or even go naked! Wagyu beef patties are great if you need meat, but there are also vegan-friendly options like lentil or sweet potato. And don’t forget the sauce—they’ve got pesto yogurt, beetroot salsa, guacamole, and even dragon fruit salsa, for something truly different.

Jl. Labuan Sait No. 99X
Padang Padang, Pecatu
+62 361 8957466

Fat Bowl

A restaurant of funky fusion and all sorts of random, yet winning combinations, Fat Bowl has one special menu item in particular burger lovers need to acquaint themselves with. Grab your friends and order Fat Bowl’s 30-centimeter burger if you dare. This burger, said to be the largest in Indonesia, is definitely not for the faint hearted. The menu claims it feeds up to four people, but even six guys had trouble finishing it, according to one of the waitresses. Stretching 30 centimeters in diameter, this extreme eat is packed full with a one-kilogram beef patty, four eggs, a smothering of cheese, bacon strips, pineapple slices, pickles, onions, tomatoes, and all the glorious greens the chef can cram in.

Jl. Padma no. 2
Legian
0361 766247
11am to 11pm

Papito’s Burgers

New-burger kid on the block, Papito’s is a Peruvian recipe slinging, 80s inspired, retro vibing burger joint conveniently right in Seminyak close to all the hot party spots. Stop in before a fun night out and devour one of their burgers, like their self-titled Papito’s Burger which is 180 grams of imported beef, caramelized onions, bacon, cheese, huancina, and chalaquita. Or, for something a little different, the Mancora Burger, which is 180 grams of imported beef, garlic prawns, guacamole, chipotle mayo, and papitas al hilo. They’ve got quite the range of sauces, with choices like coriander aioli, kalamata mayo, and miso honey mayo. And of course being Peruvian, they’ve got chimichurri mushrooms on their ad-on list.

Jl. Drupadi 1 no. 2B
Seminyak
+62 821-4542-4886
11am-8pm

Fat Boy’s The Burger Bar Bali

Home of crazy creations like the “Elvis” (bacon stuffed pork belly, grilled banana, and creamy peanut better) and the “Fat Basterd” (double beef chuck patties, chewy bacon, cheddar cheese, a fried egg, and homemade sauce on a sesame bun), go to Fat Boy’s if you want all out burger bar experience whether you want to keep it more classic or go for wild combinations.

Jl. Batu Belig no. 80
Canggu
+62 361 9348576
11am-11pm

EatWell

Casual and often crowded, EatWell is famous for its premium meat selection. While their crispy pork belly is certainly something write home about, don’t overlook their burgers. If you insist on munching on pork, they offer a pulled pork burger, which is 200 grams of meat topped with cheddar cheese, homemade mayo, and bbq sauce. For a different cut of pork, get the bacon & egg burger: crispy bacon stacked up high between two buns with an egg. As for beef, that’s the EatWell Burger, a 200 gram Australian minced wagyu beef patty with ketchup, homemade mayo, and fresh fries on the side. Pay a little extra for crispy bacon, cheese, and an egg, you’ll thank us later.