Special Burger Review: Olympus Burger

Photo by Mark Avila

Date Visited: October 8, 2020

Location: Port Hope, ON.

BurgerTours Rating: 9.5/10

 

 

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Awesome	Clean	$11-$15	Fast Food	Veggie, Gluten Free

Website

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Mark's Review

A few weeks ago some friends and I were on the planning stage of a 3 day multi city road trip around Ontario. We would travel in regions within a 2 hour proximity from Toronto, but far enough to escape the hustle and bustle of the GTA. With the pandemic still going on, and little did we know that select regions would be returning to phase 2 the following week, our timing for this trip was perfect.

This special burger tour was the last stop on our first day, driving around Prince Edward County, and ended in the small town of Port Hope. Only an hour and a half drive from Toronto, this town is home to what is considered as one of the best burger joints in Canada… Olympus Burger! If the name sounds familiar, Olympus Burger was featured on the Food Networks ‘You Gotta Here’. And with that said, we definitely had to eat here!

The Hera Burger/Photo by Mark Avila

They offer a regular dine in/take out menu as well as a secret menu, and if you haven’t figured it out, pay an homage to Greek gods and goddesses. Their menu ranges from burgers, salads, fries, onion rings, poutines, and much more. Apart from their in house sauce they also offer secret sauces: tzatziki, peanut butter, and Nutella.

The 6oz. burger patties are made in house daily, and you can customize them with complimentary toppings with an extra $1 charge per add-on.

If that’s not enough, they host a Burger Contest on Sundays (by appointment) called the Labour of Hercules. It’s a 6oz. Beef patty layered with crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, jalapeño and habanero peppers, and their secret Olympus Burger Hot Sauce. As a consolation for devouring this beast, you walk away with a free t-shirt and a 10% discount off your next meal.

Now, to the burger. As much as I wanted a burger smothered in peanut butter or Nutella, I decided to keep it simple and go for one of their vegetarian options.

I opted for the Hera- a portobello mushroom cap with mixed greens, with roasted red peppers, and red onions.

First impressions… the flavours complemented each other so well, the portobello cap was soft but not at all chewy. A kick of spice was released by the red onions, and the roasted peppers gave it a sweet and savoury bite. Being my first time having a burger with a portobello cap as its base, I was surprised by how filling a mushroom could be. It was a nice substitution to the traditional beef patty, and I must admit that at one point I thought I was actually eating meat! I would definitely consider this as an alternative when given the chance. Overall, my stomach and burger cravings were satisfied.

As my first (burger) dine in experience since the start of the pandemic, Olympus Burger was an experience worth waiting for. The food and service were exceptional, and even though we were hesitant to dine in the staff were more than welcoming to serve us. During these times where restaurants are struggling to get diners in their seats, Olympus Burger exemplifies the appreciation of welcoming anyone that walks through its doors with open arms.

9.5/10

Burger Review #46: Great Burger Kitchen

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: July 22, 2020 

Location: Leslieville, ON

BurgerTours Rating: 8.25/10

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Awesome	Messy	$11-$15	Fast Food	Veggie, Gluten Free

Website

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Drew's Review

How's everyone doing? Good. So you're doing well then? 

It's been nearly six months since restaurants and public places were forced to close down. The ongoing pandemic has taken a toll on many local businesses with some closing for good. Many however are still striving and making the most of it. Everything is slowly starting to reopen again so business can continue with a few new measures for safe social distancing. One of the many joints who had reopened to customers is our next BurgerTour stop. 

For our 58th burger joint, we bring you to Great Burger Kitchen, a local stable on Gerrard St. that specializes in naturally raised beef, low-carb wraps and plenty portions of poutine. Upon deciding our next take-out venture, we posted a poll on our Instagram account to engage our fellow burger enthusiasts in helping us choose our next destination. And with a unanimous favour between the two joints, Great Burger Kitchen came out on top (with a helpful endorsement from themselves). 

We placed an order by calling ahead and was told it was going to be a 30-minute wait. Not a problem. We pulled up right around lunch time and I hopped out of the car to run in to pick up our order. Once inside, a server was taking an order from two gentlemen at the counter ahead of me and right after I entered, another takeout delivery service guy entered and waited on the appropriately marked arrows on the floor. I approached to counter to claim my order and retrieved a plastic bag full of curiosity and wonder. I quickly ran to Mark who was eagerly waiting for me back in the car. 

Riverdale Burger/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

We arrived back at my place and began digging in. I had gone with the Riverdale burger which is a homemade specialty that the GBK custom made. It came with honey mustard, tomato, lettuce, red onion, homemade GBK sauce and Swiss cheese. The burger was hefty looking. A decent sized patty sitting between two warm soft buns. The fist bite was tasteful. The meat was succulent and juicy. The buns were soft. The toppings harmonized ever so well with the composition of the burger that it didn't even matter if I was eating it upside down or right side up. This was a craftsman's greatest aspiration. One can only dream of creating a small, delicious compact burger, yet still satisfying from first bite to last. 

Not to be outdone, but I also had to try one of their signature poutines, nicknamed after the province, the Ontario Poutine had bits of bacon, onion, cheddar cheese and gravy. It was delicious with every bite and every bite as tasty as the last. Highly recommended. 

Overall I was really satisfied with the burger. The quality was outstanding given the portion size and the manageable price. The food was delicious and I look forward to returning sometime sooner rather than later to try some more homemade specialties. And thanks for the shout out GBK!

8.5/10

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Mark's Review

We are back with another burger tour! Still in the middle of a pandemic, but things are looking good as restaurants slowly welcome diners to dine in once again. Though this might be the case for some, ordering through an app or calling in for take out is still the current norm. We decided to play it safe and called ahead for take out. 

For this tour we posted a poll on Instagram and had our followers choose where we should visit. It was an unanimous vote, and the winner was… Great Burger Kitchen! 

They promote an ethical, healthy, sustainable, and local food culture through locally sourced Ontario Beef Burgers to bring you the finest quality product. Additionally, their fresh cut fries are double fried for extra crispiness extracting its full flavour. 

Voodoo Burger/Photo by Mark Avila

I opted for the Voodoo Burger- a beef patty layered with tomato salsa, chipotle mayo, guacamole, balsamic, fried onion, and lettuce. As a change for this meal, I chose a lettuce bun to hold all these flavours together. 

Taking the first bite… the lettuce bun shredded and everything oozed out like a volcanic eruption. Unless there’s a proper way to eat a burger with a lettuce bun, this meal was just gonna go downhill. I found myself using the lettuce to scoop everything into my mouth.. more or less this was a nacho in burger form. Aside from that struggle, everything tasted fantastic. The beef patty was nicely cooked, and the sauces were a balance of sweet, spicy, salty. 

Overall, a filling and flavourful burger. The lettuce bun was an interesting experience, but I probably would’ve benefited with a regular bun. Definitely would want to check this place out again once more COVID restrictions are lifted. 

8/10

Special Burger Review: Darrell's Restaurant

Photo by Mark Avila

Date Visited: November 05, 2017
Location: Halifax, NS
BurgerTours Rating: 8/10

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Awesome	Some Drip	$16-$20	Diner, Bar	Veggie, Gluten Free

Website
 

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Photo by Mark Avila

Mark's Review

This burger tour takes me to the east coast, where I visit one of Nova Scotia’s favourite burger joints. Marking the third solo tour and the 40th burger joint that we’ve tagged, I will be taking you to Darrell’s in downtown Halifax. This joint brought something different and unique to the plate, so don’t miss out on this promising review.

Darrell’s first opened in 1992 as ‘My Brother Darrell’. Since then, Darrell’s has won over their customers not just from the food, but from the service and hospitality. Their goal is to mould the customer experience, so that it’s personal and refined for each visit. I experienced this first hand as soon as I took my seat. The waitress that served me was from Newfoundland and knew I was from out of town. She asked where I was visiting from, and once I said “Toronto”, the conversation took off from there. I appreciated that she acknowledged who I was and where I was from, and that genuine effort over a short period made this visit even better.

Darrell’s has a wide selection from their menu ranging from burgers, pitas, wraps, sandwiches, salads, poutine, and desserts. As appetizing as they all sound, I had to focus on what I came here for... the burgers!

The Peanut Burger/Photo by Mark Avila

All of their burgers are made from fresh Certified Angus beef with your choice of Darrell Fries, regular fries, or a Darrell’s Nothing Fancy Salad.

The first thing that caught my eye was their famous Peanut Burger! So it wasn’t much hesitation that I immediately ordered this beast of a burger.

The Peanut Butter Burger is a spinoff of their BLTM burger (bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, relish, and ketchup), and topped with a thick layer of peanut butter. It looked like any other burger that I’ve had before, but as soon as I took that first bite, the peanut butter immediately made itself known as the main feature of the burger. The thick texture and nutty taste from the peanut butter created a well balanced flavour that added a touch of sweetness to the burger.

I wasn’t expecting the Peanut Butter burger to be so flavourful, but to my surprise everything tasted together perfectly. There was nothing I found out of the ordinary... if there was one thing... probably more peanut butter. Can’t have too much peanut butter!

Darrell’s left me a satisfying and memorable experience. From the service to the food this joint did not disappoint in its reputation, and I totally understand why this is a popular place among the locals. If I ever find myself back in Halifax, I will definitely be coming back for a second visit!

8/10