Burger Geek was born from Peter Barton’s two great loves: the science of food and popular culture. Melding these two passions, he devised a menu where every burger is named after a pop-culture character. Peter says it’s not unusual for him to settle an argument between customers as they try to guess what programme or film a burger refers to. 

Burger Geek is the result of a lot of soul searching. Trained in hospitality management, Peter’s entrepreneurial tendencies began with a food truck in Wellington serving sliders. Moving to Auckland and building his own brand was appealing, but deciding on “what” was more difficult. He settled on an American-inspired burger joint, complete with sides such as chicken wings cooked in hot sauce. 

Peter says his recipe for success was investing in research. During the early stages, he took to the internet for a deep dive into American burger culture, including recipes from self-appointed burger gods, food influencers and chefs, such as the late Anthony Bourdain, who advocated for the smashed burger, a technique that Peter has adopted “because they brown the meat, caramelising and locking in the flavour”. The research included Peter and his partner eating burgers for breakfast, lunch and dinner at top burger joints while traveling in Australia, America, Britain and Asia. 

Peter’s research paid off. From the second week after opening, word of the delicious burgers in Uptown spread and the numbers of customers through the door surprised even him. He quickly had to double his staff, and as the accolades flowed, the customers flocked. Named 2020’s Best Burger in the World by Big 7 Travel, Peter is humble about Burger Geek’s recognition. “We didn’t really talk about being named the best burger in New Zealand and then the world, we like to be pretty low key.” 

He puts his medal wins down to the in-depth research and his special blend of Wagyu and Angus beef. Fresh meat is ground and blended daily on-site and fluffy brioche buns are baked exclusively for Burger Geek, keeping the burgers light but filling. 

As Peter lives in the neighbourhood, he wanted to have a local shop to cut down on commuting. He opted for Symonds Street over neighbouring K Rd because he didn’t want to be open late into the night. Instead, local tech businesses and residents have provided a steady stream of customers. Peter says he loves the cool and diverse community of Uptown, but “people come from all over to try our burgers”. 

Burger Geek is every bit the local; customers call him by name and he knows who they are and their favourite burger. “We have that local burger shop hub feel and we are really involved in the local community here,” he says. After five successful years serving up great American-inspired burgers to Uptown locals, Grey Lynners can count themselves lucky: Peter is spreading the Burger Geek love with a new joint opening there soon.

“These burgers are almost too beautiful to eat – tender, juicy beef with oozing cheese in a pillowy soft and buttery brioche bun. But hey, considering Burger Geek is the best burger in New Zealand for 2020, dig in! They use a special blend of Wagyu and Angus cuts, freshly ground on site, for a satisfying burger that’s smashed on the grill to keep all that flavour in. You can’t beat it.” – Big 7 Travel