Burger Review #33: BQM

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: August 22, 2017
Location: Riverside
BurgerTours Rating: 7.05/10

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

Website
 

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Drew's Review

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

BQM, also known as the Burger Shoppe, was our second #BurgerTour stop of the day. When I had ordered the Double Trouble from Hangry Burger nearly 4 hours earlier, I had no idea we were going to eat at two burger joints in one day. Had I known, I would have ordered the Single Trouble (insert laugh track here).

We arrived around the evening rush and it wasn’t as busy as I had expected. The dining area was really small with only a few seats and tables to choose from. Finding this place was really easy. All we had to do was look for the BQM stamp on the front window. Upon arriving, we didn’t know what to expect as we didn’t have time to do our research like we normally do for each #BurgerTour. We also had no idea what we were going to order. It was like walking into a restaurant blindfolded and hoping it all goes well.

We read over the menu and there were quite a few options that sounded appealing. Reading down the list, I was leaning towards the Riverside, the Ossington and the Liberty. I settled on the Liberty, a hand-crafted beef burger with blue cheese, Dijon mustard, red onion and garlic aioli. I was ready to give my taste buds a ride of flavours.

The Liberty/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

We grabbed some stools and sat next to the window. Within minutes, our burgers were ready. The tray was huge. The burger, not so much. I was ready to dig in. I decided not to order a side and went with a bottle of water to quench my thirst. I took my first bite and it was delicious. The first bite I got was mainly the blue cheese and the Dijon mustard. I knew the blue cheese was going to be a strange leftover taste, but I had hoped the additional toppings were going to balance it out. In other words, it was a satisfactory flavour and the additional toppings were a delight.

The meat was juicy and well cooked and every bite was satisfactory. The bun was soft and well represented on a small burger. I tried some of the fries Mark had ordered and they were a great side option. The fries weren’t anything special but they were just slightly above average.

Overall, BQM offers some really juicy creations and very creative options in their three locations in the GTA, (King West, Ossington, Riverside). I will certainly like to visit their other locations someday, but for now, I’m simply BQM’d.

7.1/10

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Mark's Review

After a short break from our first visit at Hangry Burger, we walk across the Don Valley into Riverside. Here, we take you BQM (Beer Quality Meats).

BQM sets to differentiate themselves from other burger joints by producing locally handcrafted burgers, sandwiches, beers, and much more, through quality. Their restaurants reflect the character and culture of certain neighbourhoods and surrounding areas. The Ossington, Riverside, and Liberty are examples of such burgers that highlight the food culture and local ingredients that are found in the neighbourhoods where BQM currently resides.

I went for the Ossington, which had a portobello mushroom patty base, layered with mozzarella cheese, caramelized onions, and topped with garlic aioli.

The Ossington/Photo by Mark Avila

This burger was no joke to get around. It was quite a struggle to find the perfect spot to take that first bite, but once I did, I dug in. My mouth was greeted by the thick mozzarella cheese, followed by the sweet caramelized onions. What caught me off guard was the mushroom patty. I'm accustomed to the juiciness and soft bite of a beef patty, but instead the mushroom presented itself as a light and creamy touch to the burger experience.

Overall, I was fond of the difference of flavour this burger presented. It was a new taste, but not out of the ordinary.

Riverside was a new neighbourhood for us, and they definitely didn't disappoint with this burger tour. 

7/10