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| Photo by Andrew Hockridge |
Location: Parkdale
BurgerTours Rating: 7.15/10
| Taste | Messiness | Price | Venue | Pluses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great | Chaos | $16-$20 | Restaurant, Bar | Veggie, Gluten Free, Liquor |
Website
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.
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| Photo by Andrew Hockridge |
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.
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| Photo by Andrew Hockridge |
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.
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| The Mac Daddy (Vegan Big Mac)/Photo by Andrew Hockridge |
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
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.
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| Vegan Big Mac/Photo by Mark Avila |
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
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