Burger Review #65: Matt's Burger Lab

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: January 20, 2023
Location: Downtown Toronto
BurgerTours Rating: 7.6/10

 

 

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Awesome	Very Messy	$11-$15	Fast Food	Veggie

Website

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Drew's Review

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Our first BurgerTour of the new year brings us to Matt’s Burger Lab, and we visited one of its three locations in the GTA. Creator Matt Yilmaz opened the original Burger Lab in Parkdale in 2020. Since then, Matt has opened two additional locations, one on Adelaide in the downtown core and another one on the West Mall in Etobicoke. 

The Burger Lab prides itself in between an “experimental” burger restaurant focusing on new creations to see how “ingredients interact with each other.” Each burger is created from their chefs, aka the scientists, and the Burger Lab’s goal is to provide customers the unbreakable chemistry between happiness and the first bite. Interesting 

We arrived on a Friday evening and there was barely any diners inside. There were two, maybe three working in the back when we went up to the counter to place our orders. Their available menu offers simple creations with the potential to add to your liking. Start off with a beef, chicken or plant-based burger and then you can add additional toppings such as pineapple, fried egg or even chicken tenders. You can also add fries, onion rings or poutine as a side to your meal. 

Cheese Smash Burger/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

I decided to keep it simple and ordered the Cheese Smash which was a smash burger with American cheese, a 4 oz. prime beef patty, caramelized onions, a pickle and special “Lab sauce”. The burger was oozing with the special Lab sauce melting out from between the buns and creating a puddle of sauce on the paper of the tray. The first bite was tasteful and delightful. It was a soft, and juicy crunch and the ingredients were well selected. The smash patty was tender and succulent and the edges were just a little crispy. It was everything to my liking and more. 

The fries on the side were another grand experiment gone right. Paired with the secret Lab sauce, the fries were golden crispy and soft, and they were a perfect option to pair with a smash burger. 

 Overall, the Burger Lab is an experiment worth dining at and if you ever find yourself among one of its trio of locations, do yourself a favour and indulge in this savoury craftsmanship. The smash burger I had ordered was grilled very precisely and delicately that I was blown away by the consistency and the flavour of the patty. The toppings from the burger were heavily crafted and the ingredients were all fresh and paired really nicely. Compliments to the chefs…I mean the scientists for their very tasty creation. 

8.7/10

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Mark's Review

Entering a new year with a new burger tour. Continuing with our countdown to 100 burger joints, we take you to Burger Lab! Finally venturing back to Downtown Toronto after a long while, we’re happy to have Burger Lab welcome us back to this part of the city. Located along Adelaide, this family-friendly joint prides itself on locally sourced and fresh ingredients. 

Pineapple Smash Burger/Photo by Mark Avila

I opted for the Pineapple Smash — a 4 oz beef patty layered with American cheese, caramelized onions, grilled pineapple, and topped with a spicy BBQ sauce. Taking the first bite, my mouth was met with the sweetness of the American cheese followed by the savoury heat of the BBQ sauce. I honestly thought it would be more spicy, but to my surprise it was more so tangy. The beef patty was seasoned nicely and started to fall apart after the first couple of bites, but that wasn’t much of an issue. The sweetness of the Pineapple mellowed out the savouriness of the BBQ sauce, balancing out the flavours of the burger. 

Overall, it was an okay Burger. Compared to the smash burgers I’ve had previously, this one isn’t a favourite. The flavours were decent and met my expectations for a smash burger, but I was expecting a lot more. 

6.5/10