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