Burger Review #27: No Bull Burgers

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: November 23, 2016
Location: Beaches
BurgerTours Rating: 8.55/10

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Great	Some Drip	$11-$15	Fast Food	Veggie

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Drew's Review

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

It was the end of the month and we needed to decide on a burger place to eat at. I did a quick Google search of what was in the area and unfortunately, most of them were fast food chains or ones we've already tried. But there was one that popped up that caught my attention and was only one bus ride away. Mark and I both agreed as we were running low on options. The place was No Bull Burgers, and my first thought was, what an interesting name for a burger joint.

In 2011, Tony Tsakanikas opened up No Bull Burgers in the downtown core, serving Toronto residents with the objective to distinctively "cut the bull out of the burger business." In Tony's opinion, the joints in the Toronto burger scene lacked quality and authenticity. Within two years time, he decided to relocate the joint to his home neighbourhood in the Beaches, and focus more on a family-oriented approach.

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

We went on a wet and cold day in late November. We entered the joint in the evening, around the the time of the dinner rush and it was a small space with limited seating. There were already a few people already dining there at the time, which is always good to see. The walls were decorated with "No bull" posters and posters of the classic Toronto streetcars. From the outside, this joint looks pretty small, but a glance inside deceives your perspective.

Shortly after entering, we were quickly greeted by a man from behind the counter who was eager to take our orders. He ran threw some of the options available and we quickly decided we each were going to try two of their specials instead of customizing our own burgers. No offence to the customization option, but I like to leave the creation process to the burger creators.

After the guy behind the counter took our orders, we went to go grab a seat at a table along one of the walls. It wasn't a long wait at all. Soon after placing our orders, our burgers appeared right in front of our eyes. The burger was pretty big and the toppings were just about ready to fall out. I had ordered the Smoke Show. It was a quarter pound cheddar cheeseburger that came topped with naturally raised smoked brisket and naturally raised pulled pork, and drizzled in whiskey BBQ sauce. After one glance at this burger, I knew I had to stock up on napkins as this wasn't going to be pretty.

The Smoke Show/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

After the first bite I took, I tasted the flavour from the whiskey BBQ and it blended really well with the smoked brisket and smoked pulled pork. It was a little tangy at first, but it was very delicious. Bite after bite after bite, I just couldn't get enough and before I knew it, the burger was gone. I also ordered a side of deep-fried Mac & Cheese bites. They were well fried, tasty and a great side option if you tend to get tired of French fries. They were a nice compliment to the Smoke Show burger as the sweet, tanginess of the beef brisket mashed nicely with the crunchy taste of the Mac & Cheese bites.

Overall, this burger joint really grew on me from hearing about it, to the dining experience, to writing this review. I really enjoyed eating there and I would definitely return to sample more delicious creations off their menu. Whether it was the atmosphere of the joint, the friendliness from the men behind the counter or the taste of the burgers, No Bull Burgers came up as an unexpected surprise. It was quite simply beyond my expectations and when you're in the city that has a desire for great tasting burgers, it's enlightening to have this option. No bull.

8.6/10

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Mark's Review

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

For this BurgerTour, we take you back to our neck of the woods, where Andrew and I visit No Bull Burgers. This local burger joint in the Beaches located on Kingston Rd. just west of Victoria Park was a genuine find. I rarely find myself in this area, but considering there are many local food spots to discover, this may be my new locale of interest.

This particular tour was rather last minute, and a different setting for the both of us since this was our very first evening tour in Toronto...aside from our special Montreal Tour a year and a half ago.

Browsing through their menu took no time at all, as I made my quick decision and chose The Red Neck Burger. This beast is a quarter pound burger layered with swiss and cheddar cheese, peameal bacon coated in beer batter, rolled in homemade chips, and topped with lettuce, tomato, and whiskey BBQ sauce.

The Red Neck/Photo by Mark Avila

It was quite difficult at first to get around that first bite, but as soon as my mouth took in all those flavours, the whiskey BBQ sauce penetrated my taste buds with a fusion sweetness and spice, followed by the light crunch of the peameal bacon covered in the homemade chips, which gave the burger an additional touch of flavour from the beer batter.

I was expecting a heavy combo between all the infusing flavours, but to my surprise all the ingredients complimented one another so well giving me that Southern kick with the sweetness and spice.

Overall, No Bull Burgers was a pleasant experience. Since this is one burger joint close to home, I will definitely be back!

8.5/10

Burger Review #26: Burgatory

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: October 27, 2016
Location: Little Italy
BurgerTours Rating: 8.45/10

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Awesome	Some Drip	$11-$15	Fast Food	Veggie

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Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Drew's Review

It was the last week of the month and we were thinking of where we should go for the month of October. We did some research and after narrowing it down to a few places, we chose to go to Burgatory in Little Italy. After a quick Google search, we found the menu, the location and some pictures. It looked very pleasing, and I couldn't wait to try their burgers.

Mother-son duo Kristen Van Peteghem and her son Alexei, the entrepreneurs of Burgatory, launched the food truck in 2014. The food truck grew in popularity within the city, and through Alexei's enthusiasm and love for burgers, he and his mother decided to expand and in April of last year, opened the 30-seat restaurant on College Street. The restaurant offers the same burgers as the food truck, but with an expanded menu.

The thing that makes Burgatory special is that they offer a selection of burgers based on the seven deadly sins and include items such as The Envy Burger or The Sloth Burger. Every burger they make is made in-house from the highest quality beef in Southwestern Ontario and prepared fresh daily.

We arrived shortly after the lunch rush in the middle of the afternoon on a Thursday and I was a little surprised Mark and I were the only two dining in the restaurant at the time. The restaurant was a humble and spacious place that offered lots of seating, and it looked like we had first dibs on where to sit. As soon as we entered, we were pleasantly greeted by a man from behind the counter. We found the menu and went over the options in our heads. Normally with new places, it takes us a few minutes to gaze upon the menu and settle on what we will order. But coming into Burgatory with our minds set on what we were going to order after observing their menu online, we knew exactly what we wanted. We gave our orders and went to grab a table along the windows at the front.

The Sloth Burger/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Approximately 10-15 minutes later, our burgers were ready. We bring them back to our table and we spend almost another 5 minutes taking pictures and videos of our meal. I had ordered The Sloth Burger. It was a beef burger with Velveeta cheese, hickory sticks, topped with lettuce and tomatoes and drizzled with Sloth Sauce, their own, homemade Big Mac sauce. The burger was small and compact, which would probably mean there was going to be lots of flavour. I took my first bite and it was a delightful mouthful of heavenly deliciousness. The buns were warm and tender. The meat was juicy and well cooked. The flavour was succulent and there's not a thing I would've done to make it better. The Sloth Sauce was just the right thing this burger needed as a dressing to bring together the flavour of the meat and the hickory sticks: tangy and just the right amount of mess. It was simply perfection. The fries I had gotten on the side were golden, crispy and sprinkled with sea salt, and was a perfect pairing to the Sloth Burger.

Overall, we chose a great burger joint to eat at for the month of October. Everything that I had expected from Burgatory met my expectations. I would definitely return again and try other selections from their menu. If you're ever in Little Italy and are looking for a great burger place to eat at, Burgatory makes one helluva burger.

8.4/10

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Mark's Review

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

We take you to our first burger tour in Little Italy, at Burgatory! This joint located on College St just east Ossington Ave prides itself with serving the best quality meat from local farms in Southwestern Ontario.

Their menu was inspired by the seven deadly sins: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. However, only six of the deadly sins are featured on their menu. Since there are only six burgers featured on the menu, making a decision wasn’t that difficult. Looking at each burger, however, I was impressed on the creativity, thought, and effort that made each one resemble a deadly sin.

The Wrath Burger/Photo by Mark Avila

I decided to go for the Wrath Burger. It’s a beef burger topped with a special Hell Sauce (which is homemade Poblano and Chili de Arbol Sauce), layered with pickled Jalapeño, Red Onion, Lettuce, Tomato, and Havarti Cheese on a Brioche Bun.

At first, I was expecting to get a burst of spice from the Hell Sauce and pickled Jalapeño. But to my surprise, it was a sweet and spicy combination that gave my mouth a sensational dose of flavour. The beef patty was cooked close to perfection, and the brioche bun added a nice touch of smoothness to the burger.

Overall, the Wrath Burger exceeded my expectations. If you find yourself venturing around Little Italy and looking for a good burger to satisfy your hunger, Burgatory is the place to go.

8.5/10