There’s been quite the battle being waged for burger supremacy in Toronto lately.
Specifically, it seems like every time I turn around, there’s a new fancy burger joint (complete with a list of premium organic meats and toppings) opening up.
I’ve sampled most of the “gourmet” burgers in town, being an above-average fan of burgers in general, and also a lover of a man who absolutely adores all things bacon cheeseburger-esque.
During the last few weeks I’ve sampled 2 of the newer offerings, so I’ll be ranking them in the context of some of the other boutique burger shops I’ve tried thus far.
Shortly after it opened in early November, the Everyman and I hightailed it to Oh Boy Burger Market to see what all the fuss was about. We’d been anticipating its opening for quite some time; likely ever since I first saw their papered over window during the summer, if memory serves. While the service was a bit spotty, the room completely packed and several items were sold out on our visit (can you blame them when they had only just opened and had already been written up in The Star?) the burgers themselves were tasty and exhibited that lovely, lacy crust that I crave on the outside. I opted to have the Oh Little Boy combo which came with 2 mini burgers, while the Everyman had a regular size. Both were skillfully cooked, and it’s important to note that even with the size differential both were flavourful, juicy, and not the least bit dried out. They also got bonus points for offering a really pungent blue cheese for topping the burgers; on top of the 2 minis it was like tiny bites of heaven.
Down the street from Oh Boy is the not so new Hero Certified Burgers, a place that I’ve never been nuts about. I’ve only visited Hero a handful of times, but I can honestly say I don’t see myself returning any time soon. Their list of toppings is fairly impressive, but the meat always reminds me more of ground beef hockey pucks (it’s much too compressed) or really bad Harvey’s than an actual attempt at a burger. On top of that, it’s always charred beyond recognition, which is a serious no-no in my books.
Also not far from home is The Acme Burger Company. Perhaps it’s the fact that it reminds me of The Bugs Bunny & Tweety Show, or maybe it’s their brain-numbingly thick milkshakes, but for a style of burger I don’t usually like (larger and overly “formed”) these burgers are actually respectable. Acme serves perfectly tender steakfries, and the gravy falls into the category that I refer to as “brown and water,” but in a good way. Typically the defacto choice when the Everyman is in the mood for a burger locally.
Surprisingly, one of our favourite burger spots in town is actually a quasi-chain; South Street Burger Co. We first stumbled upon South Street when we were living at Yonge and Eg close to 4 years ago, back when their Laird spot was only a pilot location. For a company owned by New York Fries, they make a relatively pleasing burger. And the toppings, oh the toppings! They have enough “foodie” toppings to keep me endlessly occupied for years to come in my attempt to build the ultimate creation. Their burger is also really juicy, faintly pink in the middle, and loosely packed enough that I can still decipher the texture of the grind. As far as I know they haven’t opened a location in the downtown core yet, so I haven’t been able to enjoy them as often as I used to (which is probably for the best, anyway).
On the other hand, the folks at Craft Burger deliver a meaty wallop that I wish I could eat daily. When I worked downtown with the Everyman, we used to go there for lunch often. I’ve never had a bad version of the many burgers available at Craft (though to be honest I’ve only focused on their beef varieties), and they also make the most addictive cookies that I wish I knew how to replicate (thin, chewy, crisp around the edges, and tasting of chocolate chips and toffee). One of the places I often lament losing after I started working in the ‘burbs.
Last weekend we finally made the rounds of W Burger Bar (after the Everyman got on board and read the review in The Star). Before we arrived I’d thought, ‘what’s not to like about a place that serves boozy milkshakes?’ but sadly, we both found W to be a bit sub par. I ordered the 5 pack of “sliders,” a red eye milkshake, and a small fries and was appalled at the amount of food that came out of the kitchen. The sliders (pictured at top) are not done in the slider style, but are just mini hamburgers (truthfully I’ve agreed with Adam Kuban’s rant about the difference between the two for quite some time and get annoyed when I actually want a slider). Strangely, though the tiny buns are square, the patties are cut into small triangles, which means the ratio of meat to bun is lacking. The fries were bland as anything and a “small” was between 2 and 3 cups of spuds. Conversely, the Everyman ordered the (one size only) onion rings and was presented with a massive bowl that held close to 4 cups. For the price they’re charging, they could easily cut the portion size in half and still be considered fairly good value; we both had healthy appetites and neither of us could finish our meals. In the end, a boozy milkshake wasn’t a win either, and unless I was in the area, I wouldn’t go out of my way for W again.
Aside from new school burgers, I have been known to enjoy the occasional Apache Burger, which is a place that holds strong (and fond) associations with my teenage years. The Everyman prefers Burger Shack, which I’ve eaten with him close to half a dozen times and always hits me like a ton of bricks; I still don’t get the appeal unless it’s the greasiness of a “window to weight gain” (a la Simpsons). We can both agree on the deliciousness of Allen’s, and managed to stop in for a beautiful medium rare patty 2 weeks ago after seeing The Toxic Avenger next door. We don’t visit any of these very often since they’re all out of the way of our everyday life, but it’s nice to reminisce sometimes.
Finally, last month my boss was telling me about a place that opened up near our office in Mississauga called Original Gangster Burger. According to him it fits the profile of a tiny hole in the wall with ridiculously good food. Have any of you been and was it good? I’ve put this place on my list of burgers to try next but would love some more feedback about the kind of burgers they serve.
Really, I’d love to hear about any of your favourite burgers that I might have missed, so have at it!
Until next time…
Tags: A Hamburger Today, Acme Burger Company, Adam Kuban, Allen's, Apache Burger, Burger Shack, burgers, Craft Burger, Harvey's, Hero Certified Burgers, New York Fries, Oh Boy Burger Market, Original Gangster Burger, Restaurants, Reviews, South Street Burger Co., The Star, W Burger Bar
