Red Star Burgers

A Wānaka institution, Red Star has been filling hungry bellies with burgers since 2004. With cranking music, a hearty menu of quality burgers, local craft beer and arguably the best fries in town, it’s no wonder there’s demand for this burger joint to be open seven days.

Beef, chicken, lamb, venison, fish, vegetarian or breakfast-style burgers; the choices are endless. A liquor licence means you can sip on a beer or cider whilst enjoying dinner or lunch (every alcoholic brew on offer is made locally in Wānaka) and of course there's a range of non-alcoholic beverages too.

Online pre-orders are a popular option to satiate burger cravings, and the team are well respected for their ease at cooking for gluten-free customers or those with other dietary requirements. If it’s a smaller meal you’re after, downsize your burger to a ‘Bambini’, or you can go bun-less and order any of their burgers as a burger bowl. A specials board keeps things interesting, with a creative burger appearing every fortnight or so – the recipe chosen by the crew in the kitchen.

Most of the burger ingredients come from The Mediterranean Market next door, while Red Star crafts the rest of their sauces, chutneys and patties in-house each day. Transparency and authenticity have always been important at Red Star. Owner-operator Scott used to work for the wild venison supplier, so when it comes to knowing where your food comes from, this place takes the cake.