Like other cities, Cologne has stacks of burger bars. But turning a little burger outfit into an established part of the regional gastro scene takes more than staying power and good marketing. With today’s discerning burger fans, the people behind these places also need to be passionate about what they do.
The people of Cologne are extremely fortunate to have some fantastic burger restaurants that have cooked up quite a reputation for themselves both in and beyond the local region. Some of them have enjoyed high-ranking status for many years, some had to fight off fierce competition first.
We show you where to find the best burgers in the city. Come with us on a journey into the world of crunchy patties, spluttering deep-fat fryers, unorthodox ingredients and vegan alternatives.
- Fette Kuh: boundless burger cult
- Boring Burger: smashed burgers – the piping hot food trend from the US
- Triple the flavour: Freddy Schilling
- Girl power at Fräulein Herborths
- Beef Brothers 2.0: new location, same love of burgers
- Just Try West Afro Soul Food: not your typical burger outlet
Fette Kuh: boundless burger cult
In 2011, the minds behind Fette Kuh on Bonner Straße in the Südstadt district created something that has gone on to enjoy cult status beyond the city’s borders.
The menu features classic burgers and must-have sides like chili cheese fries. Too boring? Then make way for the “burger of the week“, beefing up the menu with specials that go by names like “truffle volcano” or “spätzle burger“. Enough said? All of the burgers are available as vegan or gluten-free options, of course, though they don’t serve vegan buns.
Our favourite: the chilli cheese burger. Fette Kuh does really good sauces too – there’s a reason they sell them separately too!
If you can still move afterwards, grab an espresso to go from Rösterei Ernst across the street before heading off into the hustle and bustle of the local neighbourhood.
Bonner Str. 43, 50677 Cologne, www.diefettekuh.de
Boring Burger: smashed burgers – the piping hot food trend from the US
Something magical happens when you squash a juicy meatball flat on a grill and a plume of savoury-smelling smoke rises from it. The team behind Boring Burger discovered the magic themselves and decided to bring this US food trend to Cologne. Don’t let the name put you off by the way – there’s nothing boring about these burgers. There are six options to choose from, including, as you’d expect, a vegan one (which comes pretty close to the real thing!) plus fries of the traditional or sweet potato variety.
The star of the show, however, is the sauce. Apart from ketchup and mayo, this place has its own house-made sauce and a cheese sauce that you dip the smashed goodies into. With the sauces and the crunchy-on-the-outside, juicy-on-the-inside patties, these are some seriously lip-smacking burgers!
Another cool thing here is the self-order kiosks where you can personalise your order by leaving out, say, tomatoes. The location’s cool too – right in the city centre. Perfect if you fancy some fast food when you’re out shopping.
Breite Straße 116, 50667 Cologne, www.boringburger.com
Triple the flavour: Freddy Schilling
Fette Kuh probably shares joint first place in the burger popularity ratings with this place: Freddy Schilling. Freddy fans have it good as there are two of these cult eateries in Cologne. Located on Kyffhäuser Straße and in the Eigelstein district, they both serve high-quality meat supplied by an association of farmers that use ethical and sustainable methods.
All the burgers are available in meat or non-meat versions (practically standard in Cologne now) and have some wonderfully wacky names like Bruno’s Burner or Big Kahuna (Tarantino fans will get it). Not forgetting the “Köllefornia” – a burger with the fries included inside!
Extra points for the sauces you can buy to take home here too. We love the Kölner Ketchup, truffle mayo and Freddy’s Burgersoße. Because all good things come in threes as those in the know will tell you. Another bonus is the nice outdoor seating area at the Eigelsteintorburg gate branch.
Even though they’ve been around so long, the business is still incredibly successful. According to Henning from the Freddy team, that’s partly because of their “treat customers like good friends” philosophy, which means, as he puts it, “you go that extra mile.”
Kyffhäuserstraße 34, 50674 Cologne
Eigelstein 147, 50668 Cologne
Hospeltstraße 1, 50825 Cologne
www.freddyschilling.de
Girl power at Fräulein Herborths
Burgers, beef & beer – a match made in heaven, right? Fräulein Herborths has all that plus plenty of delicious variations on the theme. There’s the “Italian Job”, for instance, featuring red pesto, or “Fräulein Greek”, with house-made cabbage salad and tzatziki. Our favourite, however, is “Fräulein Herborths”- a classic burger with gherkins, fried egg and bacon for some added punch. You’ll also find craft beer and kölsch on the menu as well as fries in a range of different guises with toppings like habanero relish, jalapeno and melted cheddar or red pesto, melted parmigiano and fresh rocket leaves.
One of the things that makes this place so special is that they do the best burgers in the old part of Cologne. And the terrace overlooking the Alter Markt square is a wonderful place to enjoy some alfresco dining too, of course.
“Fräulein” means “Miss” or “young lady” in German so it’s apt this eatery is run by two women. On their website, Sarah Herborth and Caroline Knoff declare that they have “the city’s most feminine burgers plus ladies’ beers”. And if you’re wondering what on Earth that means, the best thing is just to drop by and take a look for yourself. You won’t regret it.
Alter Markt 39, 50667 Cologne, www.fraeuleinherborths.de
Beef Brothers 2.0: new location, same love of burgers
Beef Brothers’ address may have changed but their love of burgers has remained the same. You’ll find the same culinary highlights on the grill at the new location on Christophstraße as they used to serve up on Aachener Straße.
Our recommendation: try the “Don Vito” burger, with rocket, mozzarella, tomatoes, red onions, pesto and balsamic glaze. A delizioso delight in the shape of a burger. Another favourite is the “Vegan 2.0” burger, filled with a kidney bean patty, porcini sauce and fried onions. “Hennes”, a vegetarian burger with a goat’s cheese patty, is a nod to the caprine mascot of Cologne’s FC football club. And then there’s “Ol’ Dirty Bastard”, whose name alone makes it a must.
As you can see, Beef Brothers combine a variety of ingredients to create burgers that will surprise your taste buds. Fans of fries will love this place too – with seven house-made sauces, variety is part of the meal.
If it’s a nice day, order a takeout and enjoy your food in the green surroundings of the park on Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring.
Christophstraße 46, 50670 Köln, www.beefbrothers2.de
Just Try West Afro Soul Food: Just Try West Afro Soul Food – not your typical burger outlet
Think of West African cuisine and you probably start licking your lips at the idea of fufu with peanut sauce, spicy jollof rice or a vegetable stew with okra. You can get all that at Just Try West Afro Soul Food but they also do burgers. And their burgers will wow you – from traditional-style with beef to spicy chili cheese to vegetarian with a plant-based patty.
This might not be the first place that springs to mind when you’re looking for a burger but that’s exactly why you should pop by and try their “Afro burgers”. The fries come in classic style plus yam and plantain too – both staples of West African cuisine. And how about a fruity mango cream dessert to round it all off?
Our tip for the summer: order your food to take away and find a spot on Alpener Platz to sit down and enjoy.
Venloer Str. 567, 50825 Cologne, www.just-try-afro-soul-food.de
What’s your favourite burger place in Cologne? Let us know in the comments.
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