Best Burgers in the Sutherland Shire

Burgers contain many variations and embellishments and come in all shapes and sizes. From meaty to meatless, here are seven of the best burgers in the Sutherland Shire.

Paul's Famous Hamburgers
If you live in the Sutherland Shire, it's compulsory to have devoured one of Paul’s Famous Hamburgers. The chefs at Paul's Famous Hamburgers need a solid spatula to flip the mince patties that are then sandwiched between huge pillows of bread. In addition to the abundantly juicy mince pattie is a layer of melted cheese, tinned beetroot, bacon, onion and a wodge of crisp iceberg lettuce. Paul Zerefos and his family ran the unpretentious premises until 1998, when it was sold to Nick and Sandra Sinesiou. The Sinesiou family continues Paul’s successful formula of selling flavourful old-school Aussie burgers. Word of warning: work up an appetite or the burgers are near impossible to finish. 12 Princes Hwy, Sylvania NSW 2224  www.facebook.com/paulsfamoushamburgers/

Mr Paisley's
Settle into one of the comfy chairs at this family-run café in the back streets of Caringbah and you may never want to leave. Owners Pete and Toni Nolan have rebooted the concept of the family-run café with great success and the warm, friendly service here will make you want to curl up into the foetal position. Named after Pete Nolan's penchant for wearing paisley, the cute café with the cult following is built around an eco-friendly ethos. Yes, the menu options here lean toward light and healthy, so you can expect a host of flavours to balance the smokiness of that Portuguese burger: think kimchi, grilled onion and pineapple on a bed of coleslaw slathered with chilli mayo. The courtyard of Mr Paisley's has a relaxed garden party vibe and you might find yourself sitting next to a mix of NRL legends, politicians and soccer teams wearing their Cronulla Seagulls strips. 88 Cawarra Road, Caringbah www.mrpaisleys.com.au/

Eat Burger
If the Eat Burger logo were an emoji, it would be the guy with the crazy eye and wink. Perch on the comfy cork-topped stools at the contoured concrete bar while updating your Insta story and listening to old-school beats bellowing out from the sneaky sound system, which is wired up to a boom box. It's to Eat Burger that you must come for the ultimate burger: ask for Mac and Cheese please and you will get your fill with squidgy milk buns built around an Angus beef pattie, cheddar, tomato jam, field mushroom, fried truffle, lemon verde mayo and mac and cheese. Eat until you are stuffed to the gills and then wash this decadence down with a salted caramel and peanut praline shake. 43 Gerrale St, Cronulla www.eatburger.co

Milky Lane
If Elvis hadn't already left the building, you'd probably find him here tucked away in a booth inhaling burgers and loaded fries. The burgers here are whoppers. Make sure your Fitbit is charged and you've completed your 10,000 daily steps challenge along the Esplanade before you dare tackle the Limp Brisket or the Big Poppa. Only the foolhardy should attempt the Fat Tony, which is an aptly named beast of a burger that contains all your calories for the week. Say hello to your elasticised track pants as the burger is deep fried with five cheeses, Wagyu beef and smoked brisket lasagne with pesto aioli, house Napoletana sauce and a garlic bread bun. What would nonna say? 20 Gerrale St, Cronulla www.milkylane.co

Pilgrim's
Cronulla is the sparkling jewel in the Sutherland Shire's crown. In addition to the crescent-shaped beaches lapped by sparkling seas, there is a buzzing and burgeoning food and drink scene that has shaped the area as a place with myriad things to see and do. While new restaurants come and go, Pilgrim's Café is well and truly a permanent resident and one of many healthy hot spots in the suburb. Take a seat beside one of the sash windows in the lovingly restored Art Deco space and flick through a few surf mags while waiting for the Millennium Burger laden with immune-boosting ingredients such as beetroot, fried onions, avocado and sprouts on a curry lentil patty. It's a wholesome package that is the ultimate comfort food for vegetarians. Note: Pilgrim's is now open Friday and Saturday nights for Mexican vego feasts. Pilgrim's Vegetarian Cafe, 97 Gerrale St, Cronulla 02 9523 7580 www.pilgrims.cafe

Archie's Flame Grille Burgers
You'll be hard pressed to eat an Archie burger without getting deliciously meaty juices dribbling down your chin. There's a system: grab a beef and bacon burger with both hands, take a whopping bite, nibble around the edges and then attack it again with gusto. Load up on carb-rich additions such as egg, cheese and a carton of small chips on the side. If you like to wolf your supper down in private, order a takeaway burger and picnic in a nearby park or playground. This burger bar is a favourite place for cyclists to carb load before or after completing the Captain Cook Drive Loop. The burger bar is located in an understated strip where tradies make up the vast majority of the clientele. Expect to be well fed. 12-14 Murrumbidgee Ave, Sylvania Waters www.archiesflamegrille.com.au/

The Prince Hotel
The Prince has turned a simple crispy fried chicken burger into something you'd trade in a loved one for. The burger comprises a milky bun stuffed with crispy chicken and herb slaw and slathered in hot sauce. The Feros Group own The Prince, Highfield Caringbah (highfieldcaringbah.com.au) and The Taren Point Hotel (tarenpointhotel.com.au), all of which are top spots to pull off the highway and refuel. Join Kirrawee's lunchtime revellers on a Sunday at the cacophonous Prince Hotel, which is all gleaming surfaces, pendant lighting and comfy booths. The Portobello mushroom burger also has all its bits in all the right places with kale, smoked tomato, onion rings and aioli a draw for vegetarians. Burger fiends who appreciate the Feros Group's vibe should also push through the freezer door into Huxley's, which is hugely popular with men with beards and women with tatts also chomping Southern fried chicken burgers. 533-541 Princes Highway, Kirrawee www.theprincehotel.com.au/