20 March 2025
We had stayed in Queenstown for a few days in 2004 with the kids. During that trip, we did the Skyline Gondola, jet-boat riding at Shotover River, Dart River Safari and also a cruise across Lake Wakatipu on the steamer TSS Earnslaw to a farm.
This time round, we stayed only one night in this city just to soak in a little of the city’s lakeside ambience and sample the famous burgers in town.
Where we stayed
We arrived in Queenstown in the late afternoon after a day trip to Glenorchy. I had booked an Executive One bedroom apartment in St James Apartments which is conveniently located within the town center and came with free parking. After a long day of road tripping, I just want to explore the town on foot.
Devil Burger
Almost everyone who is internet savvy would have heard of Fergburger when they researched Queenstown. Some claimed the gourmet hamburgers from Fergburger are the best burgers but some claimed their burgers are over-rated. Nevertheless, we had seen the long queues outside the restaurant when we drove past Fergburger earlier.
We decided to eat at Devil Burger, located along Church Street, close by to our apartment. Like Fergburger, Devil Burger also serves gourmet burgers and has rave reviews as well. Some even claimed their burgers are better than Fergburger.
There is only one way to find out which is better. We would eat both!
It was about 6 PM (dinner time) when we arrived at Devil Burger. Unlike Fergburger, there is no insane queue outside and we could get seats in the restaurant too.
The menu includes beef, lamb, chicken, venison, fish and even vegetarian burgers, plus wraps and beer on tap. The burgers were given exotic names like Man Killer, Devil’s Staircase, She Devil, Poison Ivy, Mary’s Little Lamb, etc.
We ordered the main item named Devil Burger which cost about NZ$20 for the large size. The Devil Burger came with Prime NZ Beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onions, aioli and relish.
The size of the burgers were larger than expected, ingredients were fresh and aioli sauce delicious. Overall, we enjoyed the ambience of the restaurant and the delicious burgers and beer. Excellent value for the price we paid.
Cookie Time
The Cookie Time Cookie Bar is located along Camp Street, just a short walk from Devil Burger. Their cookie is a must-try for those with a sweet tooth.
The store has a great selection of packaged cookies to take home, as well as freshly baked warm cookies and ice cream.
We bought a few bags with different flavours to bring home.
Queenstown Waterfront
After a few minutes walk, we arrived at the waterfront. This place was buzzing with music from a pianist and scores of people just chilling by the lake.
We saw the Minus 5° Ice Bar, Queenstown’s original ice bar. This is the place to sip deliciously cool cocktails and mocktails from solid ice glasses, on fur-covered ice chairs, a totally frozen bar and solid ice tables. I thought it was a bit gimmicky and just took a peek from the outside.
Minus 5° Ice Bar with hand carved ice statues and amazing ice furniture.
Sunset is a good time to chill at the waterfront. From the wharf, the view of the mountains across Lake Wakatipu is sublime, with a beautiful blend of gold and blue skies.
I enjoyed watching the seagulls and little ducks playing in the water. Overall, we had a nice relaxing evening at the Queenstown waterfront.
Fergbaker and Fergburger
The last thing we did at the town centre was to buy the items for our supper and breakfast. We cannot come to Queenstown and not try the famous Fergburger. We decided to have takeaway burgers for our supper back in our apartment.
As expected, there was a long queue in front of Fergburger to order. Paper menu were passed around and down the line so we could decide what to order while in the line. The menu includes beef, lamb, chicken, venison, fish and vegetarian burgers. The burgers were given exotic names too.
The queue moved quickly as there were multiple servers. We ordered the Fergburger which came with Prime NZ beef, lettuce, tomato, red onion, aioli and tomato relish. Being greedy, we went for the double beef with a choice of Cheddar, Blue, Swiss or Brie cheese for NZ$20.90.
After ordering, we could check the order status on our phone, so we did not need to wait outside. Instead, we went to buy some croissants from Fergbaker and also a few cans of beer from a nearby store to go with our burgers.
We received our orders after 20 minutes.
The portion was pretty large and the burger was just as delicious as the Devil Burger we had for dinner.
Which one is better?
I would say both Devil Burger and Fergburger are both excellent in terms of taste. Both delivers value for money and, like us, try both if you can.
Personally, I enjoyed my meal at Devil Burger more because after a long day of driving and sightseeing, it was nice to have a cool, quiet place to sit and enjoy my freshly made, hot burger with a glass of cold beer of tap.
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