Special Burger Review: Webers

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: July 1, 2016
Location: Orillia
BurgerTours Rating: 7.85/10

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Awesome	Some Drip	$11-$15	Restaurant	Veggie, Patio

Website

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Drew's Review

Exterior/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

It was the 1st of July and me, Mark and our special guest for this review Kerwin, were on the hunt for a joint north of the city. And what better place to try than Webers famous charbroiled burgers on Highway 11! When I was younger, my grandmother was living in North Bay and we would occasionally drive up north for frequent visits. On the way up alongside the highway are many pit stops, but one in particular that caught my attention, just before you enter cottage country, is a stop with two used train cars and a joint that is unique in so many ways. I have always wondered why every time we drive past this stop there was always a huge line. Needless to say, on this particular July the 1st, I got my wish to find out what was driving people there by the thousands.

Dining Car/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

We arrived shortly after 8 in the morning, and we were about 2 hours early until it opened. But we wanted to get a head start on Canada Day traffic. After the 2 hours had passed, we noticed a few more cars pulling into the stop and there was already a small lineup forming. We quickly got in line and within seconds, we were greeted by a server taking orders. The menu had very few options when it came to burgers, but it was the burgers we were going to have to try, because after all this is #BurgerTours.

We placed our orders and I decided to get a chocolate milkshake as well. While Mark and Kerwin waited in line for our order, I ran over to the old train car that Webers had renovated to make it more dinning friendly and grabbed us a table. After a few minutes, Mark and Kerwin arrived with our 10:30am meal.

Webers Original Cheeseburger/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

The burger looked delicious. It was well cooked, with melted cheese oozing from the side and I couldn't wait to try it. I unwrapped the paper and took one big bite to collectively sample all of the flavours. I had asked for the burgers fully loaded with all the toppings; onions, ketchup, mustard, lettuce and tomatoes. It was a small delicious piece of heaven. It was compact and in size but what it lacked in size, it made up for in flavour. It was a delicious mess and I don't think I could've had a better burger.

The fries that came alongside the burger were thin and crispy and were bathed in the same oil McDonalds uses, which I'm sure gets noticed a lot. The milkshake was rather thick and took a while for me to drink. Other than that, it was a nice option to have alongside the burger and the fries.

Overall my expectations were met and I don't think I could've asked for a tastier burger. I never knew why so many would stop at this burger joint, but it's because it was the gateway to the north and many consider it one of the best stops north of Toronto. I for one am one. I will have to one day return to this joint as I know their charbroiled burgers are one to crave for before you head away from your home away from home.

8.2/10

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Mark's Review

The Menu Board/Photo by Mark Avila

Another special #BurgerTours blog post! We take you to the small town of Orillia where we visit Webers Burgers. This visit took months in the making. It was the first stop and one of our last properly cooked meals of our 3-day road trip/camping long weekend.

Photo by Mark Avila

We arrived at Webers around 8 am, two hours before their opening time at 10 am. How to waste the two hours... by roaming through their menu of course! Just like any burger joint, Webers offers a selective menu from burgers, hot dogs, poutine, and smoothies and milkshakes. Unlike other burger joints we've visited, Webers keeps their menu simple with options ranging from the traditional cheeseburger to a triple patty cheeseburger. And of course, a vegetarian Gardenburger option.

All of us decided to order the Cheeseburger with a side order of fries, and a Chocolate Milkshake. As simple as it was, the juices and grease oozed out of the burger combining all of the flavours together. The patty had a nice soft consistency which made it easy to chew, and not as firm compared to other beef patties I've had in the past.

The Original Cheeeburger/Photo by Mark Avila

The fries were just like any fresh cut potato fries I've had before - cooked perfectly and without the heavy grease. The milkshake was good, but I've had better. It was way too thick in consistency, which made it difficult to drink. On a positive note, the milk chocolate was spot on!

Overall, it was very filling and was probably one of the best Cheeseburgers I've had in a long time.

7.5/10

Burger Review #22: Doomie's

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: May 8, 2016
Location: Parkdale
BurgerTours Rating: 7.15/10

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Great	Chaos	$16-$20	Restaurant, Bar	Veggie, Gluten Free, Liquor

Website

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Drew's Review

If you haven’t heard of Doomie’s yet, then there’s no shame because a lot of people found it a surprise when this Los Angeles burger joint was opening up a restaurant near the Queen Street West and Dufferin Street intersection in the west end of Toronto. Not a fairly common area to find a burger joint, but we just happen to be in the west end and thought we might as well give it a shot.

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

I had found this place after a Facebook post came up saying an LA-based burger joint was opening up in the city, and I was quite interested to find out which one it was. The one thing that attracted me to this particular burger joint was because of its own vegan Big Mac creation called the Mac Daddy. Within weeks, Doomie’s Toronto on Facebook was already starting to generate attraction to Toronto’s burger community, and had announced soft opening dates for the first two weeks of May.

This Doomie’s location had only opened about a week before we visited, and just like any soft opening, were only open four days of the week; Thursdays and Fridays after 5pm and Saturdays and Sundays after 12pm. Luckily, we went on a Sunday just before the dinner rush. But when we arrived at 4 in the afternoon, the restaurant was packed. We kind of knew this was going to be an issue seeing how it was only the second week of its initial launch. The process of waiting for a table is a little different from other restaurants; the waitress asked for one of our phone numbers to send a text when our table is ready. We were kind of enough to do that, but what if it had been just a dirty way to advertise and send you all this garbage to your phone that you don’t want? It was a very bizarre procedure, but I can see restaurants expanding on something like this in the near future.

Without having the desire to wait around for the text, we walked down to a nearby Starbucks to grab some refreshers before we ate. It was while Mark was in line that we received the text that our table was ready. We quickly rushed back because we had a time limit of 15-20 minutes before our table became up for grabs. Luckily, we got there with 2 minutes to spare before they were going to give our table away. The waitress walked us over to a small table, and two really small bar stools. It was a small space, but for what it was, I was willing to put up with it.

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

The interior was dark with neon lights in one corner and an unusually small kitchen with about 5 chefs in it. There was also a bar to one side, and a rack full of booze for your pleasure. This was an added bonus, but I didn’t feel like I needed a drink that day.

Within a few minutes, a waitress walks over, hands over the menu to us and gives us the spiel about it being our first time and what Doomie’s has to offer. She mentioned that because we weren’t seeing the Mac Daddy on the menu, didn’t mean we couldn’t order it. What they do is they take a double cheeseburger and add a special sauce to it; thus, the Mac Daddy, Otherwise, it’s just a secret to customers who only read the menu. Mark and I both decide that that is what we were going to try. Again, for the third time in BurgerTours history, Mark and I order the same thing.

The staff here were really friendly, so at this point, it didn’t matter if we had to wait a few minutes, or an hour to receive our meals. I was going to be pleased either way. We received our burgers after a couple of minutes and the Mac Daddy looked delicious. This vegan version of the Big Mac consisted of two soy-based patties, lettuce, pickles, onions, cheese and special sauce on a sesame seed bun. But with the sauce already oozing out of the sides, I could tell I was going to need more napkins than what they supplied.

The Mac Daddy (Vegan Big Mac)/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Upon taking my first bite, I picked up the burger using both my hands and opened my mouth as big as it could go. I got a taste of just about everything on the burger. For the most part, you couldn’t really tell the difference between the soy-based patties and a beef patty. This one tastes just as good with a little less grease, and a lot more mess. I was serious when I said it was going to be a disaster. The burger fell apart within seconds and it was hard to keep a grip on the buns. I almost felt bad that we were sitting directly beside a family with 2 young kids who were completely eyeballing us as we ate our burgers. I think that added to my messy embarrassment.

The order came with a side of fries but there are certainly countless other options if you do decide to opt out from the fries. There are also several drinks available to choose from, as I mentioned above, from soft drinks to alcoholic drinks or simply water. After we finished our meals, we wanted to find their “selfie room”, which was located downstairs and had a mirror with various drawings that feature vegan comics. We spent a good 5 minutes down there in front of the mirror posing for selfies and whatnot.

Overall, Doomie’s is, I hope, here to stay and I really enjoyed their vegan Big Mac. It was a delicious delight and a different contrast to what McDonald’s offers. The meal was a little pricey, but vegan food is never usually cheap, and I would definitely return again and try other options on their menu. After all, it’s not just a burger joint, but a restaurant that specializes in all kinds of vegan-goodness.

7.3/10

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Mark's Review

Let me start off by saying that I was genuinely excited to visit this joint ever since it opened earlier this year. What attracted me the most, other than the huge vegan menu, was the Vegan Big Mac. I was on a mission to try the Vegan Big Mac, but reaching this joint located near Queen St. West and Dufferin Street was a mission on its own. Finally, on a chilly and rainy day in mid May, we made the spontaneous decision and visited Doomie's.

Vegan Big Mac/Photo by Mark Avila

And was it ever packed! I was expecting it to be busy, but never did I expect to wait for a table, which was no problem at all. The hostess told us that it would be a 20 minute wait, and that she would call us once our table was ready. Walking around the area seemed no time at all, as we were notified within 10-15 minutes.

Taking our seat, it was no-brainer on what Andrew and I were going to order. Of course, the Vegan Big Mac! At a price of $16 this burger is loaded with lettuce, pickles, onions, cheese, and secret sauce. Since this was my first time trying vegan ingredients, I had high expectations when it came to flavour and texture.

When the Big Mac was placed in front of me, I could immediately tell it was different from the traditional Big Mac from McDonald's. The size, appearance, and the look of the burger patty at first glance looked was nothing close to what I was used to. It was darker in colour and looked pretty firm. At that point, I was hesitant to take that first bite. But, seeing that this burger was our sole purpose of being there, I went ahead and took a huge first bite.

First impressions... it definitely tasted like a Big Mac, but didn't feel like I was eating a Big Mac. My first thought of the patty being tough and firm was on point. It was pretty hard to chew and flavourless. I wasn't expecting anything more since it was a vegan patty, but overall the layers of veggies and the secret sauce made it the burger really flavourful. One critique, however, it was very soggy and difficult to pick up with my hands. I don't know whether if it was the sauce that made it soggy or how it was prepared, but it was a messy beast to tackle.

The Vegan Big Mac was an interesting first taste of a vegan meal, and I was not disappointed. It was a new experience for my taste buds and wouldn't mind trying this burger again. In fact, the other vegan selections on their menu seemed appetizing that I plan on visiting Doomie's again in the near future to try them out. So, if you're craving a Vegan fix, Doomie's is the place to go!

7/10

Burger Review #21: P & L Burger

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: April 25, 2016
Location: Queen Street West (Permanently Closed)
BurgerTours Rating:7.65/10

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Great	Some Drip	$11-$15	Fast Food	Veggie, Gluten Free

Website

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Drew's Review

The Matty/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

The P & L Burger has been on our #TourList for nearly a year, and after much anticipation, we finally got around to trying this burger joint.

Opening in 2013, the P & L Burger has had quite the support from the Toronto burger community and gained a larger crowd by placing a win on the CMT show, “Burger Wars”. The P & L Burger is a side-venture off of a Parkdale restaurant, Parts and Labour, operating since 2010. The P & L location sits on Queen Street West, directly near a Burger’s Priest, Toma Burger Addiction and a now defunct Gangster Burger; interestingly enough, this is where 15% of Toronto’s top burger joints tend to operate. (And now we can say we’ve been to all 4.)

We entered the Queen Street West location on a day in late April, and as opposed to going in the early afternoon, we arrived shortly before the dinner rush. As soon as we walked in, I was pretty surprised to find the space really narrow. The dining area had very little seating room, and had bar stools up against the long, narrow wall, against a long narrow counter. It reminded of the Burger’s Priest at Queen and Coxwell because of how tight the space was for people to place an order, then wait, and wait, and then shuffle through some people to grab a seat (if there is one). Even so, you’re practically closer to other diners you don’t know than the ones you came in to eat with, which to me, I’m starting to grow a fear with.

We quickly glanced over the menu before making our decisions and I decided to go with the Matty. It looked very appetizing and in my opinion, I wasn’t going fully overboard. Maybe it was also because I wanted to say the Matty out loud. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯The Matty came with American cheese, pickles, onions, ketchup, mustard, and all of it placed in between two pressed buns, because that’s how I like my burgers. I ordered it as a combo with a side of French fries and a root beer. At this particular moment, I was thinking, “Andrew, why don’t you go all out and get something the ordinary Andrew would never order?” “Because Andrew, there’s a lot out there that you haven’t tried yet and I’m not sure if you will have an allergic reaction to it or not.” So I took the safe route. Once I placed my order, we grabbed a tall chair, facing a bare wall. In this setting, I think I’d rather be facing a bear wall instead of a bare wall.

After a few minutes of not hearing my order being called, I thought I was losing my hearing. But it turns out it was because it got rather noisy in there in seconds. And so I walked, aggressively, to the back where they hand out the burgers and waited a few minutes longer. By this time, Mark had already gotten his meal, so I was a little eager to get my burger and indulge. Not too soon later, my order was ready and I brought back to the table with me what looked like a grilled cheese sandwich/burger combo with all of the fillings on it. It looked messy, but I was determined to get this burger into my mouth, and it wasn’t going to be easy.

The 'Messy' Matty/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

The sandwich was already falling apart before I could take a bite, and most of the toppings ended up falling out of the burger entirely. The buns, which resembled toast, were thin and crispy, and after my first bite, it was a mouth full of delicious flavours. It was like having an original hamburger, and the only difference was that the buns were pressed on a grill and made it a little difficult to keep a hand on the toppings inside the burger.

The fries on the side were a tasty side option, and I highly recommend them when eating a burger.

Overall, P & L was a different experience for me in the sense that I really had a superior expectation about this joint, and somehow, left disappointed. The burger I had was definitely one to crave for and I would certainly get it again, but other than that, the Matty is just your typical hamburger with really no specialties about it. You keep being you, P & L, and maybe sometime in the future, I may get my sense of satisfactory burger cravings back.

6.8/10

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Mark's Review

I say we've ignored this joint on Queen West long enough. P & L burger has always been on our lists of places to visit, but we never seemed to force ourselves to step inside. After long months of waiting, P & L has finally been tagged by #BurgerTours.

We were immediately greeted as we walked in, but had no idea of what to order. They have a decent menu size, so I didn't feel overwhelmed looking over their selection. In the end, I ended up choosing The Castor. 

The Castor/ Photo by Mark Avila

This burger is a beast! Fully loaded with cheddar cheese, peameal bacon, crispy onions, lettuce, BBQ sauce, and spicy mayo. At a first glance, the presentation was a little sloppy, but the taste makes up for it. I was expecting the BBQ sauce and spicy mayo to clash, but they fused so well to create a balanced flavour of spice and tanginess.

There is really not much critique I can say about this burger, everything about it seemed almost perfect.

Overall, this meal was quite satisfying, and I would consider the Pastor to be a new favourite. Among the burger joints that we've visited on Queen West (west of Spadina), I say P & L is definitely one of, if not, the best.

8.5/10