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| Photo by Andrew Hockridge |
Location: Bloor West Village (Permanently Closed)
BurgerTours Rating: 8.6/10
| Taste | Messiness | Price | Venue | Pluses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awesome | Some Drip | $11-$15 | Bar | Veggie, Gluten Free, Liquor |
Website
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| Photo by Andrew Hockridge |
You may or may not have heard of The Yellow Griffin Pub, but after reading this review, you will feel like you got to witness, observe and share this everlasting experience with us. I had heard about this place from two colleagues of mine who suggested we try it out. To me, this was the first time hearing about it and had no idea what to expect. It was unquestionably an exercise in definitive promises.
We decided to go on a hazy, cool day in late January and upon choosing it as the next burger joint, (this was one of the joints we discarded in December when we visited The Works), we became familiar with what this joint offers. A couple of days earlier, Mark and I took a look at their menu on their website and saw hundreds of different options; some of them quite appealing to my taste buds. And for future reference, when we see a menu with delicious offerings, we aren't able to say no. So I was dying to try this place out.
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| Photo by Andrew Hockridge |
The interior looked fairly small and tight, but can actually seat a huge number of customers. It has two floors, and from what I learned after sitting down at our table and reading a big advertisement on the wall was that they offer a party room upstairs with a capacity of up to 70 people; perfect for any kind of birthday or wedding event. It had tables and booths on one side and if you walked in a little more, you would get to the bar. The walls were plastered with paintings done by Toronto artists of various locations around the GTA. It had this nice "homie" feel to it and right away, I knew we were in for a treat.
Within seconds, the sweet lady offered us any table in the restaurant. We decided to go to the one nearest to us, and if you know us by now, it was right beside the front window. She quickly ran over to bring us a menu and asked if this was our first time. We responded with a yes, and she very politely walked us through the entire menu. Of course, we were only interested in the burgers, but it was really neat to see the other options listed.
After several minutes scavenging the menu, I landed on what was called Jack is Back. It had plump juicy tomatoes, sitting on top of an all-Canadian AAA beef patty and smothered in green peppercorn mayonnaise and Jack Daniels Whiskey, which was a little immature of me to go after in the early afternoon, but after all, I wanted to savour this experience. The burger came along side an order of your choosing, from onion rings to breaded pickles and a salad to potato chips, I didn't know what made a good combination, so I opted for the traditional fresh cut fries.
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| Jack is Back/Photo by Andrew Hockridge |
After about a 10 minute wait, the waitress brings out our burgers and just looking at what was placed in front of me, I knew I was going to be in for a surprise. The burger sat well-equipped with the fries on the side. The appearance wasn't messy at all and looked like the chef took care in putting the meal together. After my first bite of the burger, it was like a juicy, colossus abundance of mouth-watering nutrition. The beef was tender, savory and full of flavour, and the Jack Daniels Whiskey was an excellent addition to the savory seasoning of the beef. Mashed with the zest, tanginess flavour from the green peppercorn mayonnaise, the burger and the assortment of the variety of flavours was an appetizing delight, and to my satisfaction, one of the best burgers I've had to this day.
The fries on the side were crispy, fresh cut russet fries and were as delicious as they appeared. The sweet waitress also offered us a good selection of dipping sauces for the fries. I went for the mango-pineapple mayo dip and was pleasantly blown away from this pairing. I don't think I could've made a better combination.
When it was all eaten and finished, I was a little sad in a sense that I probably just almost unintentionally experienced one of the greatest meals of my life. I was simply unprepared for this experience. There's no better way than to say this was the day I had a foodgasm. I was left feeling full, but full for a good reason. If this was satisfaction I was feeling, then Mick Jagger needs to make a trip to The Yellow Griffin Pub.
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| Photo by Andrew Hockridge |
The Yellow Griffin offers, not only delicious hand-crafted gourmet burgers, but also a huge assortment of drinks on tap and other various delectable pub favourites. So whatever the occasion, the Yellow Griffin Pub is sure to satisfy your cravings. I had a tremendous experience and I will definitely be making a second visit in the near future.
8.7/10
Mark's Review
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| Magna Jakarta/Photo by Mark Avila |
Just steps away from Runnymede Station, this family owned pub in the Bloor West Village specializes in gourmet burgers, and uses the best local ingredients in their 35 different burger combinations.
Browsing through their menu the night before our visit, I was delighted to see a large selection to choose from. Having a few choices in mind, I decided to wait until we got to the restaurant to make my final decision.
Entering the restaurant, I was surprised to see a rather small interior from what I had anticipated, but it definitely had the restaurant/pub vibe that I was imagining it to be. Without a doubt, the Yellow Griffin is indeed a family owned restaurant. That became clear when this sweet lady greeted us when we walked in and told us to have seat wherever we liked. We sat near the window to have a nice view of the outside, and the interior of the restaurant.
We waited a few minutes to look through the menu, until she came back to walk us through the menu, which was a nice gesture since it was our first time here. She explained it rather thoroughly, breaking down the steps to order our meal.
- Step 1: pick your topping
- Step 2: choose your patty
- Step 3: pick your side
Pretty simple steps I would say.
There was a wide selection of patties to choose from, but first, the toppings. Looking through the menu one last time, it was down to the Bollywood Burger and the Magna Jakarta, two different burgers with exotic ingredients and flavours. What finalized my decision was that one burger seemed heavier than the other based on the ingredients, but I wasn't feeling something too filling for this visit. I ended up choosing the Magna Jakarta, but I will definitely try the Bollywood Burger for my next visit!
Now that I chose my toppings, it was down to the burger patty and sides. The patty options were: Grade A beef, freshly ground turkey, chicken breast, Yves veggie patty, and lamb. With an additional cost are the options of camel meat, wild boar, salmon, and bison. Knowing how adventurous I am when it comes to an option of which kind of patty I prefer to have on my burger, I thought camel was an interesting choice. So, it was camel meat patty and a side of homemade russet fries, and a red pepper dip.
The Magna Jakarta (with camel meat): is layered with a satay spread, roasted red peppers, garlic, and topped with cheddar cheese. A simple, yet flavourful burger. Taking in that first bite, I first noticed the texture of the camel meat; thick and rough, but surprisingly chewy. At first, I expected it to have a similar texture and taste as pulled pork, but the thickness of the camel caught me off guard. Nonetheless, combined with the satay sauce and roasted peppers gave the burger a bold, and spicy flavour. I was expecting a little more kick from the garlic, but I barely noticed it at all. Regardless, I was pleased by the overall presentation and taste of the burger. I honestly couldn't stop eating and wanted to buy another one. It was that good!
Despite this location being all the way in the west end, I would definitely consider coming back for a quick meal. I would certainly recommend the Yellow Griffin as the go-to burger stop if you ever find yourself in the Bloor West Village.
8.5/10
