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| Photo by Andrew Hockridge |
Location: Queen West (Permanently Closed)
BurgerTours Rating: 7.6/10
| Taste | Messiness | Price | Venue | Pluses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great | Some Drip | $6-$10 | Fast Food | Veggie |
Website
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| The Notorious Gangster wall/Photo by Andrew Hockridge |
Drew's Review
It started out with a tag on Instagram.
It was mid-July and Mark and I were talking about where to go next. It was an evening when I was randomly scrolling through the BurgerTours Instagram and we had received a notification from Gangster Burger tagging us in a picture with two burgers; the Dillinger and the Pretty Boy Floyd. The caption of the photo said: “Which burger do you prefer?” This was the first time we have ever been noticed in some capacity through social media. I said to Mark, “Maybe we should give Gangster Burger a try…?” Mark agreed.
We decided to go on a Tuesday afternoon and it was an hour after the lunch rush and there was only one other person dining when we arrived at the Queen West location. Right at that moment, I knew we were going to be treated like valued diners. Looking around, there were only three bar stools along the wall. The other wall is a collage of notorious “gangsters”; faces, articles and names of famous criminals. It was a fairly small burger joint and probably the smallest we’ve eaten at to this day.
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| The Pretty Boy Floyd/Photo by Andrew Hockridge |
In addition to getting the burger, we were informed the burger alone wasn’t part of a combo and we had to pay for fries separately. At the time of our meal, there was only Diet Coke in the fridge to drink. It was a little dissatisfying, so we just agreed to get a side of fries each. To go along with the fries, the gentleman gave us four different types of dips for our fries. The first was garlic aioli; the second was nicknamed “blue magic”, and was a secret creation; the third was spicy ketchup aka "Gangster Goo"; and the fourth was jalapeño ranch. (I still question to this day whether he was aware of whom we are or if he just treated us like we were your typical everyday customers.)
Within a few minutes, our burgers were ready and fresh off the grill. I unwrapped the foil and there sat a huge burger with the mac & cheese pouring out of it. It was literally stuffed and looked like it was full of flavour. I could not wait to eat it. I tried to wrap my hands around it, but my first attempt was a failure. I tried a second time and I picked it up and lifted it toward my mouth. The mac & cheese began falling out and I tried to extend my mouth around and take a huge bite. The taste was one big colossus mashup of burger meat meets mac & cheese. It was so good, and so cheesy that I literally ran out of napkins after my first bite. There was also a slight sting to the flavour and that was coming from the spicy ketchup spread nicely on the bun. It was right after that bite I looked over to Mark and said, “We’re going to need drinks after this.”
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| French Fries with 4 separate dips/Photo by Mark Avila |
After a couple of more bites, the burger was gone in a flash. The mac & cheese controlled most of the flavour of the burger. It’s something you don’t normally think to put on a burger but somehow it worked. The spicy ketchup was also a nice addition to the burger and added the extra sting the burger needed. I was surprised because after finishing that burger, I still had a bit of room for the French fries. And there sitting beside the French fries was the four dips we were requested in trying. The first dip, the garlic aioli was a little tangy, and almost tasted as if it would go well with a pizza crust; to bland for my tasting. The second dip was the blue magic and was a little hot and had a little kick to it, but was missing something. The third dip was the spicy ketchup, and because I already had this on my burger, the taste of spicy ketchup was still lingering in my mouth. So maybe, I thought, the fourth dip might be a little surprise. And it was. It was the jalapeño ranch that had the right spiciness and the right amount of flavour that went well with the French fries. I don’t know what it was, but the jalapeño ranch had something that the other dips lacked and that was the right amount of everything.
Overall, despite there not being any drinks to choose from other than Diet Coke, the meal was beyond expectations. The gentleman behind the counter was really friendly and he catered us as if we were special guests. It was beyond exceptional service. In a way, Gangster Burger really surprised me. From the delicious selection of burgers to the gangsters each burger is named after, Gangster Burger sure knows how to bring out the bad side in everyone. And maybe, Toronto doesn’t just need a hero or a priest all the time. Maybe all Toronto needs is a gangster with a good reputation.
7.2/10
Overall, despite there not being any drinks to choose from other than Diet Coke, the meal was beyond expectations. The gentleman behind the counter was really friendly and he catered us as if we were special guests. It was beyond exceptional service. In a way, Gangster Burger really surprised me. From the delicious selection of burgers to the gangsters each burger is named after, Gangster Burger sure knows how to bring out the bad side in everyone. And maybe, Toronto doesn’t just need a hero or a priest all the time. Maybe all Toronto needs is a gangster with a good reputation.
7.2/10
Mark's Review
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| The Dillenger/Photo by Mark Avila |
Thanks for the shout out Gangster Burger! You called us out and now we're responding with a promising review.
The Gangster Burger motto is a "burger you can't refuse" and we definitely didn't turn down what was offered to us. As soon as we stepped inside the restaurant, we were greeted almost immediately. We were asked if we've ever been to Gangster Burger before, the answer was no. But, that didn't stop the person serving us to go through the entire menu to help make our decision. Of course, we already knew what we wanted, but the extra effort made that first impression even more special.
When Gangster Burger tagged us in an Instagram post of two of their signature burgers, 'The Pretty Boy Floyd', and 'the Dillenger', we made sure those were the ones we would try. I opted for the Dillenger.
When we placed our order, we were told that we couldn't get the combo since there were no drinks available, except for Diet Coke, which we kindly refused. So we just paid for the burger and fries separately. In total, the meal came up to less than $12.00.
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| French Fries w/ 4 separate dipping sauces/Photo by Andrew Hockridge |
Anyway, back to the burger. The Dillenger is a burger like no other. It's a towering burger layered with a 6oz. beef patty, caramelized onions, dill havarti, chipotle mayo, spicy ketchup, bacon, and topped off with lettuce and tomato. Unwrapping and seeing it for the first time, I thought to myself, how on earth was I going to get around eating this thing or even finishing it. It was huge! Taking that first bite, I was immediately slammed by the spiciness from the Spicy Ketchup. And with that particular day being very hot and humid, I was already feeling the sweat come down my sides. I found the burger to be very balanced in flavour with all the ingredients being represented equally in taste. The dill havarti and chipotle mayo was a perfect combination that gave the burger a smooth and hearty taste. However, I found the Spicy Ketchup to be a little too over powering, to the point that it was all I could taste.
Overall, The Dillenger was very filling and flavourful. I would definitely have it again another time. My overall experience at Gangster Burger was satisfying. I appreciated being greeted right when we walked in, and being guided through the menu. You rarely get that nowadays and that definitely gave a lasting impression. From the service to the burgers, Gangster Burger is definitely a place to go to for a filling and satisfying meal.
8/10
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| Andrew (left) and Mark (right) #BurgerTours at Gangster Burger, July 21, 2015 |
