Chris visits Zephyr Burgers to see how good the burgers really are. Is it just a lot of hyperbole or is there real merit in the meat?

When it comes to dining out, Plymouth is a smorgasbord of independent takeaways, cosy restaurants, and cafes. It offers a sheer volume and variety that naturally outpaces my hometown of Exeter; mostly thanks to the simple geographic advantage of having significantly more pavement to work with.

I am a dedicated consumer of burgers and one place that stands out as a place that supposedly does it better than anywhere else in Devon is Zephyr Burgers. It has the honour of being christened by many people as one of the best place for burgers in the UK too, or at least one of the best outside the M25 – in a TikTok video “most probably the best burgers in England” shouts ‘Curly Gaz’, a local content creator who has championed them online along with the heaps of positive reviews on TripAdvisor and Google.

Location and Atmosphere

Situated next to The Box and the University, Zephyr sits in an unassuming spot near the station. It’s in the heart of the action, near enough to the station that hungry travellers like me can make a dash for the 1816 to Exeter St Davids, and is close to one of the major bus routes heading towards Tavistock and Derriford.

The turquoise front bursts with colour, shouting California as you pass it like an optical megaphone, breaking up the grey lines that dominate that part of Plymouth. At first glance, you might think you’re walking in to buy a surfboard or a skateboard but this theme grounds the restaurant’s identity – you know exactly what this place is about once you see the branding and smell the savory sizzle of smash burgers.

From London Street Food to Plymouth

Zephyr Burgers was founded in 2017 by Oz and Sheena, who left their careers to bring LA-inspired smash burgers to the London street food scene. Their start was a sort of mobile apprenticeship; they lugged a gas grill and fryer out of a van to cook under a simple gazebo to burger bars on Peckham Levels and Lewisham. Their influence is arguably significant, helping to pioneer the smash burger craze before it spread across the UK.

With a firm reputation established in London, they relocated to Plymouth in 2020, operating successfully from a food truck before momentum allowed them to open their first permanent restaurant in 2022 and then the steak-centric sister restaurant Nora’s just up the road on North Hill in February 2025.

The decor is inspired by surf and skate culture, much of which was built by Oz and Sheena themselves – As there were lots of other people in the restaurant when I visited I wasn’t really able to get a good photo but take my word! (I have a no face rule). Their focus is on high-quality ingredients, specifically sustainable, dry-aged British beef from Aubrey Allen, minced three times a week to achieve a signature shard-like maillard crust.

It is a place of pilgrimage for patty perfectionists. It’s a legend to those who follow the creedence of the maillarded magic meat discs. Judging by the buzz, it certainly feels like a sacred destination for burger lovers and those looking for burgers flying at a high altitude in standard.

Awards and Accolade

Surely this can’t just be hyperbolic fluff? Their trophy cabinet suggests they know what they’re doing.

National Burger Chef of the Year (2022): Oz took home this title at the National Burger Awards, clinching the win during a live technical cook-off where he built a “Double Patty Melt” using mystery ingredients.

National Burger Awards Finalist (2023): They returned to the finals with their “Ribwich Cheeseburger,” shortlisted as one of the top 16 burgers in the UK.

Deliveroo Restaurant Awards (2025): The accolades continued into the delivery era, with a nomination for the Regional Cuisine Award for South England & Wales.

Critical Acclaim: Matt Binge of the Food Review Club declared their burger to be “new scale levels of perfection,” suggesting it might be the best he had ever eaten. He also considers Zephyr to be the top burger spot in the UK ranking above the legendary Hereford based Beefy Boys and Danny’s Burgers in Bristol.

They also appear in The Sunday Times Top 27 Burger Joints in the UK and various lists detailing where chefs actually like to eat.

The Burger

So, should you hop in your car, board a train, or mount your unicorn to Plymouth? The accolades speak for themselves, but let’s attempt a proper answer by actually eating food.

The menu at Zephyr is refreshingly focused, avoiding the identity crisis common in other modern burger joints. The offerings are concise: six variations of aged beef cheeseburgers (yes, you can have one without cheese too) and four chicken options, all sized with a restraint that would have made Anthony Bourdain proud.

The Meat: How do you build an award-winning burger? Its all in the details. In conversation with Matt from Food Review Club, Oz explained his vision: taking the concept of In-N-Out but elevating the beef using high-quality, dry-aged UK cuts and a smash-patty technique.

The beef is sourced from Aubrey Allen, utilizing the top 1% of UK beef (because frankly the other 99% isn’t trying hard enough). It’s dry-aged for 30 days in a room built from Himalayan salt blocks, which intensifies the flavour.

They avoid the trend of smashing the patty into a paper-thin “lace,” keeping it slightly thicker to retain moisture while creating a “shard-like” crust. The bun is a blend of wheat and soy flour, slightly sweetened and designed to be “hard-wearing” yet “pillow soft.” It is engineered not to dissolve under the weight of the meat juices; a true load-bearing carb that keeps it all together whilst still being as soft as a cloud.

Because this one appeared in a few videos I’ve seen and also because it was on their Instagram that morning, The Bacon Cheeseburger called to me (£10.25 single, though I went for a double which was £14.25).

It is a masterclass in balance. It took Oz three years to perfect. It’s a calculated assembly involving bone marrow mayonnaise giving it a rich, creamy depth that you get from the explosion of umami and crispy bacon that results in a burger so moist it oozes juices on the first bite. This is what you want from a burger, no fuss, no towers, just a good mouthful with juiciness.

It is, unfortunately, addictive enough to make you consider ordering a second before you’ve finished the first. The reputation is justified. Here I am two days later, still wanting another one. These are the best smash burgers in Devon. Fact.

Sides & Speed

The kitchen operates with a terrifying level of efficiency; the burger arrived about seven minutes after ordering.

The Parmesan Truffle Fries (£5.50) avoided the usual pitfall of tasting like someone spilled the entire bottle over the fries. The truffle oil was applied with a precision that didn’t overwhelm the palate—something so many places manage to screw up. I know I should have had the Truffle Tots, but the fries called to me more today.

Service & Atmosphere

The service is handled with the clinical efficiency usually reserved for flight decks. The server maintained a calm, total command of the room that suggested he could likely land a Boeing 747 if the mood struck him. Despite the small space, the service was attentive and unobtrusive.

Final thoughts.

I had high hopes for my visit, and the burger smashed it (pun intended) out of the park. Having a restaurant in Devon that flies this high in the estimation of burger lovers across the UK can only fill you with a sense of pride. This is a whole other class of burger which did not break the bank. I’ve had crapper more expensive burgers and I am sure I will again but to be able to get on a train, get off the train, walk five minutes and have a nationally recognised beautiful burger is an immense source of happiness.

Now we need one in Exeter. At the bottom of my road. Please?

Planning your visit?

Tue-Fri: 4:30pm-9:00pm
Sat: 12pm-9:00pm
Sun: 4-8pm (Deliveroo & Online Only)
Mon: 4:30-9pm (Deliveroo & Online Only)

Booking ahead increases your chance of a table on busy nights.

Getting there

Address: 8 Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AQ England. The location sits in the city centre near shops and transit links

Website: https://www.zephyrburgers.co.uk/ <-

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zephyrburgers

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zephyrburgers/

2026 Disclosure – all images, unless otherwise stated are copyright of Dining Devon. This was a fully paid for, unannounced review.