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| Photo by Andrew Hockridge |
Date Visited: January 30, 2021
Location: The Danforth, ON
BurgerTours Rating: 5.25/10
| Taste | Messiness | Price | Venue | Pluses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Messy | $5-$10 | Fast Food | Veggie |
Website
Drew's Review
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| Photo by Andrew Hockridge |
Hello, and welcome again to BurgerTours, tasting our way through Toronto’s best tasting burgers! And for this review, we order in from Retro Burger.
Retro Burger on the Danforth has been operating for nearly a decade now and I’m quite baffled as to why I haven’t dined there before. They also have an additional location in Ajax and are opening three more locations in Newmarket, Aurora and Concord soon. But known for their original location on the Danforth, Retro Burger has been serving the community and the GTA with its original charbroiled burgers for a while. And seeing it as a well-known spot for burger enthusiasts on the Danforth, this was a must-try.
Retro Burger offers a classic charbroiled burger that can be topped however way you want it. They also have chicken, souvlaki, salads and new to their menu this year, wings! They also have a large variety of poutine available of which I have yet to try. And something was urging me to try one of their classic milkshakes too, but that will have to wait for another review.
We phoned in our order and drove to the joint to pick it up. Thus still in the middle of an ongoing pandemic, the chairs were piled on top of tables, and only a few workers, all dawning masks inside. Our order was ready within the 30-minute span of phoning in our order and picking it up. We unpackaged our brown grocery bag to unveil our meals. The burger sat in a disorderly wrapped wrapper, but the burger itself looked acceptable. I had ordered the 5oz. burger with cheese, topped with lettuce and ketchup. I wanted to get a sense of their original creation with very few toppings to properly review their masterpiece.
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| 5oz. Burger with cheese/Photo by Andrew Hockridge |
The fries were golden brown, similar to your local food truck style fries. Crispy, warm and fried to perfection. The fries were however the best part about this meal. They complemented the burger ever so effortless, and a single order of French fries could fulfill your hunger cravings.
Overall, Retro Burger lived up to my expectations. They offer good quality charbroiled burgers and if you’re a fan of a classic cheeseburger, this is the stop for you. The cheeseburger I has ordered may have just been a little well cooked for my tasting but that’s not stopping me from giving them a thumbs up. And this was a GOOD burger. It just lacked the preparation. From the reviews I’ve read online, Retro Burger does burgers right, so I was disappointed to have a “meh” burger. And one day I can hopefully return and redeem my expectations.
6/10
Mark's Review
Once again, we take BurgerTours back to the Danforth. Seems like this stretch of road in the city’s east end will never run dry of burger joints. No complaints, we’re from the area, so we love supporting local businesses especially during the times of COVID. Looking to uncover more of the Danforth’s hidden burger gems in the future!
Anyway, we take this tour to a local joint that’s been on our radar for quite some time. A favourite among locals and receiving positive reviews from food wanderers alike, we take you to Retro Burger!
Located on Danforth Rd east of Coxwell Ave, just steps away from Coxwell Station, Retro Burger is known for their friendly service and delicious food. A bold statement knowing how much burger joints we’ve come across that claim the same ‘status quo’. Some hit the mark with their service and mouthwatering food, but others fail to impress, especially on the latter.
Their menu has an array of diner favourites including 100% premium cheese burgers, hot dogs, fish & chips, and poutines. Since the Danforth is home to the city’s Greektown, they also have a small Greek selection of Souvlaki dinners and Gyros. As much as I was eyeing a Souvlaki dinner, we had to stick to what we came here for, the burgers.
If you’re a true burger connoisseur they also have the Big “10” Burger, which is double everything! Double burger, double bacon, and double cheese… who wouldn’t want to pass on this monstrosity. For us? Maybe next time.
Breaking from the veggie burger streak that me and Andrew have been on for the past couple of burger tours, I decided to go for the Swiss Mushroom burger.
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| The Swiss Mushroom Burger/Photo by Mark Avila |
Now for the real test, the taste. It was decent. Since we had to drive out to pick it up and drive back to dine in, it was already a little cold. I’ll give it a pass for that reason. However, the first bite did absolutely nothing. It did have a nice grill taste to it, but other than that it was pretty bland and dull. I don’t know whether it was the fact that it had already cooled from the drive, but there was no taste and a lack of seasoning throughout. At this point, I was somewhat disappointed.
I can’t fully blame them, but based on what I had eaten there was zero spark in the burger. It lacked that “delicious” touch from what the reviews were saying, and the hype it was given. I would definitely give Retro Burger another chance as soon as dining in is back on the table. I want to see for myself what other diners have experienced, and give them the opportunity to redeem themselves with that one delicious burger.
4.5/10
