The best Christmas burgers in the UK in 2018

We’ve reached the point in the year where you’re having to ration yourself to one turkey meal per day – that’s right, it’s Christmas burger season.

Last year we brought you a run-down of the best burgers you can get your jaws around within the UK and, guess what, we’re doing it again.

Some of the restaurants included here have decided they don’t need to improve on perfection. Others, though, have pushed the boat out in a very big way.

Ready, set, go: LET’S FESTIVE BURGER.

7Bone Burger Co – Cheese N Crackers

A Christmas burger tends to need at least one element of the 25 December festivities, but it doesn’t always need to be turkey. This beef patty sits on a ‘cheeseboard bonbon’, which we haven’t seen before but definitely want to see again. 10/10 for creativity.

Various locations - 7Bone.co.uk

All Star Lanes – Christmas Dinner Burger

Why limit yourself to one part of the Christmas dinner when you can have it all. Turkey, pigs in blankets, chicken crackling, red onion and cranberry relish, gravy and the rest. Just wash your hands if you’re going bowling afterwards.

London and Manchester - AllStarLanes.co.uk

Asado – Christmas Special

We’re not just limiting this to London – Asado in Bristol have a behemoth of a burger, including what looks like a proper hockey puck of a pork stuffing patty. Enormous.

Bristol - AsadoBristol.com

Bird – Christmas Special

How does a chicken ‘n’ waffles restaurant do Christmas? By sticking to chicken but bunging a load of deep fried brie on top. Nothing wrong with sticking to your strengths, and this looks like it’ll pack a serious punch.

London - BirdRestaurants.com

Blacklock – Christmas Sandwich

Blacklock have taken a break from their usual massive plates of meat to bring us… a massive bun of meat. Turkey, a sausage and onion patty, bacon and cranberry ketchup. We’re salivating at the mere thought.

London - TheBlacklock.com

The Blues Kitchen – Bun Humbug 

After the extravagance of last year’s three-bird feast, The Blues Kitchen has gone a little simpler – albeit no less hefty. It’s a buttermilk fried turkey burger with all the trimmings, including the trimmings you didn’t know you needed.

London - TheBluesKitchen.com

Byron – Cheesemas

Byron has stuck with the cheese theme after their fromage foray of 2017. We count four cheese or cheese-adjacent ingredients in the special burger, which comes with a meat or veggie patty, and that’s not including a bowl of molten cheese sauce to dip the thing in.

Various locations - ByronHamburgers.com

Chick N Sours – Twisted Xmas Sandwich

Chick N Sours were always going to stick with a chicken headliner, but they’ve christmassed it up (yes it’s a verb, shut up) with the addition of pigs in blankets and cranberry hoisin sauce, which certainly gives them points for originality.

London - ChickNSours.co.uk

Cut + Grind – Christmas Burger

This isn’t grilled turkey or buttermilk fried turkey, but rather confit turkey, and Cut + Grind have even thrown crushed roast potatoes into the mix for a real ‘cram everything between two pieces of bread and bite down’ vibe.

London - CutAndGrindBurgers.com

GBK – Holy Smoke 

Fair play to GBK, they’re the only ones who thought to incorporate Christmas trees into their special, in the form of a Douglas fir smoked beef patty. Oh, and there’s fried cheese too, because it’s Christmas.

Various locations - GBK.co.uk

Hache – Christmas in a Bun 

Hache are aiming big this year – they’re trying to get people to enjoy Brussels sprouts. Fortunately there’s also a lovely-looking turkey-sausage-bacon triple threat as a back-up.

London - HacheBurgers.com

Hank’s - Christmas Burger

The most classically Christmassy part of the Hank’s special is the cranberry mayo and bacon – the burger’s chicken rather than turkey – however, the Deptford burger joint is a great proponent of less is more and we absolutely trust them to nail this one.

London - HanksBurgers.co.uk

Hawksmoor – Christmas Burger

You already know what you’re getting here, and it’s hard to improve on a classic. Turkey, a sausage patty and all the rest. Hawksmoor have killed it with the Christmas burger ever since it arrived on the menu.

Various locations - TheHawksmoor.com

Honest Burgers – Christmas

Another repeat showing, albeit with a slight twist. Honest is using beef from its own butchery, where they tell us the patties are chopped, not minced, to hold in flavour. The rest – fried and breaded camembert, bacon, cranberry sauce and rocket – is the same as it ever was. Oh, and they’re also bringing back their New Year’s Day ‘Hangover’ burger for good measure.

Various locations - HonestBurgers.co.uk

Lucky Chip – Bad Santa

Two patties – one beef, one stuffing – with candied bacon. This is just one of several Christmas burgers on the menu, though: last year’s Rudolph is back, along with the Chevy Chase (with a beef patty and pigs in blankets) and the turkey-based ‘Gizmo’. Spoilt for choice.

London - LuckyChip.co.uk

MeatLiquor – XXXMas Burger

Not only have MeatLiquor and MeatMission brought back the XXXMas Burger (with turkey and sausage patties), but they’ve got possibly the most comprehensive Christmas menu of the lot. Piggies in blankets as a side, a turkey ‘garbage plate’, camembert and stilton mac & cheese logs, egg nog and even a Die Hard shot. All. Bases. Covered.

Various locations - MeatLiquor.com

Pittabun – Duck Bun

Duck might not be your traditional Christmas fare, but we’re not complaining after seeing what Pittabun have in store. Duck confit, sweet potato puree, rocket salad, toasted walnuts, prunes and prune syrup. It’s a sweet-and-savoury combo up there with turkey and cranberry or Christmas cake with cheese.

London - Pittabun.com

Solita – Christmas Burger

No matter whose Christmas burger you consider the best, Solita’s is surely the biggest at the very least. A veritable ‘Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly’ list of ingredients makes for what we can only assume would be the most delicious game of Jenga ever.

Manchester - Solita.co.uk

The Vurger Co – Christmas Crackin’ Vurger

While other restaurants might be offering veggie alternatives to the main event, the Vurger Co’s vegetarian Christmas burger is the main event. A sweet potato, leek, chestnut stuffing and chickpea patty is festive without being Another Nut Roast, and it’s got the festive staples of cranberry and parsnips thrown in for good measure.

London - TheVurgerCo.com

(Images courtesy of named restaurants)