Things To Do In Queenstown: Eat A Burger At Fergburger Restaurant

Burgers are something I would never ever pine for no matter how hungry I get. It is also something I would normally place bottom on the list when I am given more than one option of things to eat. However, I did make an exception in Queenstown. There is a hamburger restaurant called Fergburger in this town that is much talked about and has even made news in established media like CNN, The Daily Telegraph, Lonely Planet etc. Many travel bloggers who have been to Queenstown have listed it as a Must-Do-Thing so I was dying to know how fantastic the burger is for it to be this acclaimed.

The Crowd

This hamburger restaurant is located at No 40 Shotover Street which is right in the hub of Queentown. It doesn't matter when you pass by Fergburger: breakfast time, lunch time, dinner time or any time in between, there is always a big crowd outside. 

Even if you have never heard of Fergburger before you come to Queenstown, the perpetual crowd often draws passers-by as curiosity always kills the cat. So crowd attracts crowd is also contributory to the big crowd you see everyday.

The Queue

When you have decided to make Fergburger your dining choice, you will need to join a long queue which appears never-ending most of the time. I assume you will never get to be the last person on the queue except for times when the restaurant is about to close at 4.30am. By the way this burger joint is opened 21 hours a day. 

When I was there the first time the queue spilled over to the shop next door. During the second visit, it spilled over to 'The London', a pizza restaurant 3 shops away blocking the entrance into it. 

A staff will hand out the menus while you are still queuing to make it easier and faster for you to decide on your order when you reach the counter. 

The Order

It is such a relief when I finally reached the counter to make my order. There are more than 20 types of burgers with price ranging from NZ$10 to NZ$17.90. There are also a variety of snacks and drinks. After paying, you'll get a number and there will be another wait for your number to be called.

The number to collect the burgers will be displayed on a screen above the counter. The restaurant has a systematic way of handling its customers but the long wait is still inevitable.

The Staffs

I'm not sure how many burgers these staffs make each day but I'm quite sure the owner is laughing all the way to the bank everyday.

Dining Options

You'll be fortunate if there are empty places for you to sit and dine-in. An alternative would be to sit on the long bench at the 5 foot way outside the restaurant. Yet another option would be to take away. 

The patrons of Fergburger are an international crowd. You can hear all types of languages being spoken here.

My Burgers At Last

There is a feeling of elation when I finally got my burgers. It's not that I am getting the burgers for free so the long wait is not altogether a negative thing. All-in the wait was 30 minutes the first time and 50 minutes during the second visit.

Ronnie and I found the burger pretty good the first time and we patronised the restaurant a second time a few days later. I could not finish one burger all by myself as it is quite huge. 

Some History

Founded in 2001 by owner and sole director Anthony Smith, Fergburger began as a "hole in the wall" operation in Queenstown's Cow Lane using a couple of household barbecues before it moved to its current Shotover Street location in 2005. The owner has expanded his business by opening Fergbaker, located next door to Fergburger and Mrs Ferg Gelateria which is two doors away. There is another branch of the Gelateria on Beach Street.  We patronized all three since we were in Queenstown anyway.

Fergbaker sells cakes, pies and other types of bakes.

We bought one meat pie (@NZ$6.90)  but it was very average in taste. 

Mrs Ferg Gelateria sells mouth-watering gelatos.

We tried two types and love it. It's NZ$6.90 for 2 scoops.

I often wonder why "FERG" was chosen since this is not the name of the owner.❓❓❓ But for whatever reason, it has now become a famous brand in this part of the world.

Now talking about the burger again, I would rate it as nice but not super fantastic. Despite this and the fact that I don't fancy burgers I am also listing Ferburger as a Must-Do-Thing in Queenstown. Hah? Why? It's just because you may regret not experiencing something that has become quintessentially Queenstown when you leave the place.

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2. Queenstown To Glenorchy Scenic Drive
3.Journey To Kinloch Via Glenorchy-Paradise Road
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5. Lake Hayes
6.A Trip To Cromwell 
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10.The Unplanned Visit To Invercargill
11.New Zealand's Southermost Town: Bluff 

12.Scenic Drive From Queenstown To Kingston
13.A Trip To Arrowtown
14. Things To Do In Queenstown: Eat A Burger At Fergburger Restaurant   
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16. Things To Do In Queenstown: Walk The Town
17. A Taste Of Latin American, Caribbean And Mexican In Queenstown
18.Things To Do In Queenstown: Queenstown Gardens