Wetherspoons Gourmet Burgers 2026 — The Full Range
The gourmet burgers are where Wetherspoons pushes into proper pub burger territory. Every gourmet burger comes with six beer-battered onion rings, chips, iceberg lettuce, tomato and red onion — plus a drink. The Big Smoke with pulled BBQ beef brisket is the one I'd most recommend to a first-timer in this range. All beef is 100% British, freshly cooked to order.
Wetherspoons Gourmet Burgers — Are They Worth the Extra?
The gourmet burgers sit at the top of the Wetherspoons burger range, and the honest answer to whether they're worth the extra money over a standard burger is: usually yes, especially if you're hungry. Every gourmet burger comes with six beer-battered onion rings on top of the chips, plus more elaborate toppings — and once you factor in that the onion rings alone would cost £2.55 as a side, the maths starts to make sense.
The Big Smoke is the one I'd recommend to a first-timer in this range. A 6oz beef patty topped with pulled BBQ beef brisket, American cheese and maple-cured bacon — the brisket is the differentiator, and it's not something you see at this price point elsewhere. The Tennessee, with its Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey glaze and bacon, is the runner-up and a touch sweeter.
For maximum burger, the Empire State is the headline act: two 6oz beef patties, American cheese, bacon and gherkin, clocking in at 1,883 calories. It's a commitment, and I wouldn't order it unless I was genuinely ravenous, but if you want the biggest burger on the menu, that's it. The Buffalo is the spicy choice, topped with a whole chicken wing, and the BBQ Stack is a properly good vegan option using a plant-based patty.
My practical advice: the gourmet burgers are large, so if you're not especially hungry, a classic burger with a shared portion of onion rings often makes more sense and costs less. But if you want a proper, indulgent burger with toppings you don't usually get at pub prices, this is the range to order from — and a drink is included, which softens the higher headline price. For a treat meal rather than a quick lunch, the gourmet burgers deliver, and the Big Smoke in particular has never let me down across multiple visits.
If you're new to the gourmet range, start with the Big Smoke and decide from there whether you want to climb to the Empire State next time or stay where you are. Most people find one gourmet burger with the included onion rings and chips is plenty — they're deliberately generous. And since a drink is bundled in, the gap to a standard burger is smaller than the menu price suggests once you account for everything you're actually getting on the plate.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
My Gourmet Burger Pick
The Big Smoke is consistently the best gourmet burger at Wetherspoons. Pulled BBQ beef brisket on top of a 6oz beef patty, with American cheese and maple-cured bacon — the brisket makes all the difference. The Tennessee with Jack Daniel's honey glaze is the runner-up. The Empire State (two patties, 1883 kcal) is the indulgent choice for when you want maximum burger. See the full burgers menu or the Wetherspoons menu homepage.