The classic cheese and beef combo is yesterday’s news: behold some of the most creative burgers in the UAE – and you can try all of them in Abu Dhabi

Burgers are big business in the UAE. There’s not many places in the world where McDonald’s and Burger King deliver, for example. But there’s so much more to the world of the pattie in the bun than those boring old burger chains. Abu Dhabi’s chefs are getting creative and, as this list proves, any ingredient will be considered when making a new monster creation – even Cheetos get a look in. So brace yourself and try and leave as much room in your stomach as possible – because we’re pretty sure you’re going to want to try all of these fantastic creations.

01 The Mighty Quake Burger


Where: Bareburger
Price: Dhs105
“Look at the size of that thing!” So said X-Wing pilot Wedge Antilles in the original Star Wars movie way back in 1977, as the rebels approached the Death Star. He could have been just as easily talking about Bareburger’s hefty Quake. Inside you’ll find a whopping eleven ingredients including venison ground meat, duck bacon, blue cheese, aged cheddar, smoke sauce, red onions, pickles, lettuce and a fried egg. As the photo above shows, this is a burger that you’re going to need take apart with utensils with the patience of a surgeon – just using your hands will be very messy indeed.
Marina Mall, Breakwater, Abu Dhabi, daily 10am to midnight. Tel: (02) 4411723. Taxi: Marina Mall.  bareburger.com

02 Truffle Burger


Where: Burger Hood
Price: Dhs50
With an emphasis on making everything in-house using fresh, local ingredients, this diner’s burger is as good as anything you’ll find in a high-end restaurant. Made with wagyu Japanese beef and topped with truffle glazed mushroom, truffle cheese and aioli sauce all in a soft brioche bun, it’s both affordable and seriously tasty. For added protein add a fried egg for Dhs5.
Guardian Towers, Al Muroor Road, Embassies District, Abu Dhabi, daily noon to midnight. Tel: (02) 4499990 Taxi: Guardian Towers. facebook.com/burgerhoodoffical

03 Super Gravity Burger

Super gravity? YES PLEASE ? #abudhabi #fourbunsburger #carriageuae

A post shared by Fourbuns ???‍? (@fourbunsburger) on


Where: Four Buns Burger
Price: Dhs60
If you like your burgers stacked seriously high and with lots of fillings, this is a double whammy. Filled with double grass-fed wagyu beef, American cheese, Cajun-fried onion rings and the outlet’s Corniche sauce in a sesame bun, it’s not for the faint-hearted.
Al Muroor Road, Embassies District, Abu Dhabi, daily 2pm to 1am. Tel: (050) 8001754. Taxi: near Guardian Towers.

04 Naar Burger

The Naar ?? Chicken N Cheestos ?? #NotJustaBurger

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Where: Burger 28
Price: Dhs41
Burger 28 features twice on our list, thanks to its creative menu. Their panko-breaded chicken breast is marinated for 48 hours with a signature ‘Naar’ sauce, which means flame in Arabic. So if you like spice, this one’s for you. It also comes with a topping of flaming-hot crushed Cheetos.
Off 28th street, Mohammed Bin Zayed City, Abu Dhabi, Sun to Thur 11am to midnight, Fri and Sat 1pm to 1am. Tel: (02) 6315738. Taxi: near Al Ain University Of Science And Technology. burger28.com

05 Kamikaze Burger


Where: Firefly Burger
Price: Dhs34 for the burger, Dhs5 to inject cheese
Two 150g beef patties are loaded with the essentials – cheddar cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato and grilled onion, plus sweet chili sauce and signature Firefly sauce. So what makes this one unique? You can inject your burger with a syringe filled with molten cheese for an extra Dhs5. And yes, that is former Brasil footballer Roberto Carlos injecting one with cheese in the capital back in February.
Zayed The First Street, Al Khalidiyah, Abu Dhabi, daily noon to 1am. Tel: (02) 6790090 Taxi: near Khalidiyah Centre. facebook.com/FireFlyAD

06 The Arbab

The Arbab ?#BeDifferent

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Where: Burger 28
Price: Dhs38
This burger combines a deep fried Japanese panko breaded chicken breast with lettuce and jalapeños, chips and a special homemade ‘XP’ sauce – resulting in a seriously flavoursome meal.
Off 28th street, Mohammed Bin Zayed City, Abu Dhabi, Sun to Thur 11am to midnight, Fri and Sat 1pm to 1am. Tel: (02) 6315738. Taxi: near Al Ain University Of Science And Technology. burger28.com

07  Crab Burger


Where: Catch
Price: Dhs99
While it may be a little on the pricier side, this burger is packed full of flavour topped with Yuzu spicy mayonnaise, cheese and avocado and filled with jumbo crabmeat inside a squid ink bun.
Nation Riviera Beach Club, Corniche Road, Abu Dhabi, daily noon to 1am. Tel: (02) 6110909. Taxi: Nation Riviera Beach Club. catch.ae

08 Salmon Burger


Where: SushiSan
Price: Dhs59
You could argue that any burger made with fishy ingredients should be called a sandwich – but this one doesn’t even have bread. This salmon ‘burger’ is a lighter alternative to the classic. It’s packed with salmon, rice, crab sticks, seaweed salad and sesame seeds – the flavours are so fresh, you’ll be willing to overlook that it’s a twist on tradition.
Holiday Inn Abu Dhabi, Airport Road, Abu Dhabi. Tel: (800) 78744726. Taxi: Airport Road. sushisan.ae

09 Purger


Where: X Burger
Price: Dhs33
What’s better than a cheeseburger? A pizza in a cheeseburger! This innovation features a classic pepperoni pizza sandwiched in a bun with a beef patty and dripping in cheese. You might need to run a marathon afterwards, though, to shed all those calories.
Al Muroor Road, Al Muroor, Abu Dhabi, daily 11am to 1am. Tel: (02) 5551410 Taxi: near Khalifa University. facebook.com/xburger.ae

10 Red Lentil Cauliflower Burger


Where: Café 302
Price: Dhs54
There’s no need for vegans to stay on the burger bench – this café offers a meat-free option. Made with red lentils and cauliflower, the patty is topped with crispy fried onions, tomato relish and is accompanied with sweet potato fries and a deli salad.
Al Maha Arjaan By Rotana, Al Markaziyah, Abu Dhabi, daily 6am to 11.30pm. Tel: (02) 6106666 Taxi: Al Maha Arjaan By Rotana. rotana.com

11 Tawa Wagyu Beef Burger


Where: Tawa Bakery
Price: Dhs68
A burger for those of you with food intolerances from the What’s On Award-winning café – it’s a grilled wagyu burger that is gluten free and packed with tomato, beetroot, Provolone cheese, rocket and spicy mayo and served with Parmesan truffle fries.
Al Muneera Beach Plaza, Al Muneera, Al Raha Beach, Abu Dhabi, daily 8am to 11pm. Tel: (02) 5566900. Taxi: Al Muneera Beach Plaza tawa.ae

12 Cheesy Volcano Burger


Where: Route 95 Diner
Price: Dhs45
Route 95 takes the direct and simple approach to its burgers and it works. A classic cheeseburger, with lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion and stuffed cheese, with a squirt of mayo and ketchup. There is one clever twist though – it’s served in a bright red bun.
Sultan Bin Zayed the First Street, Embassies District, Abu Dhabi, daily 7am to 12.30am. Tel: (02) 4499882. Taxi: behind Holiday Inn Airport Road. Search for Route 95 Diner on Facebook.

13 Tuna Banh Mi Burger


Where: Sports Café
Price: Dhs105
A Vietnamese take on the classic burger, but this one comes with a 200g tuna steak. It splices French with Asian ingredients and comes served in a bright green bun.
Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Khor Al Maqta, Abu Dhabi. Tel: (02) 6543238. Taxi: Fairmont. fairmont.com/abu-dhabi

14 OMG Burger


Where: U-Turn Diner
Price: Dhs93.45
Wear baggy clothes when attempting this beast of a burger. This triple beef patty is filled with cheddar cheese, beef bacon strips, hash brown, red coleslaw and grilled onions with a runny egg, and is served with French fries and coleslaw.
Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi, daily 8am to midnight. Tel: (02) 6668070 Taxi: near Jones The Grocer in Al Muroor. uturndiner.com

And finally

Fancy a burger challenge?


Reckon you could devour a 32oz burger in 32 minutes? McGettigan’s Abu Dhabi has the burger challenge for you. Featuring four sets of burger buns and 32oz of minced beef patties, and topped with streaky bacon (optional), tomato relish, lettuce, onion, sweet pickle, onion rings, cheddar cheese and jalapeño peppers with fat chips and coleslaw on the side – it’s a monstrous feat. For Dhs199 you can take on the challenge, and if you manage to complete it, the burger is free. The current record holding time is 29 minutes and 38 seconds.
Al Raha Beach Hotel & Resort, Abu Dhabi, Sun to Wed 3pm to 3am, Thur to Sat noon to 3am, Dhs199. Tel: (02) 6524333 Taxi: Al Raha Beach Hotel. mcgettigans.com/auh

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