Friday, December 24, 2021

Burger Review #58: Yonge Burger

Photo by Mark Avila
Date Visited:
September 21, 2021

Location: North York, ON
BurgerTours Rating: 6.65/10



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

Website


Drew's Review (Written for Mark's Burger)

What’s up guys! This is BurgerTours, I’m Andrew and welcome to our review of Yonge Burger! 

Photo by Andrew Hockridge
Yonge Burger is a burger spot on Yonge Street, just south of Steeles Ave. in North York. It opened in late 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic by friends who have a desire for great taste and flavourful food. Yonge Burger is a symbolic staple of the North York neighbourhood and have entered the GTA burger scene with a mighty menu. Every burger is made from 100% naturally raised beef locally and every ingredient is from sustainable and environmentally friendly resources. 

According to a Facebook post dated December 26, 2020, the creation was first thought of when a group of friends were driving up and down Yonge Street looking for a decent eatery for a quick bite, and there wasn’t one in radius, especially a single burger joint; thus Yonge Burger was born. 

We found this location one day while searching for a new burger joint to visit for the month of September. We landed on Yonge Burger after glancing at their menu and become intrigued with their burgers. Each burger is named after a popular Yonge Street intersection in Toronto, spanning from Steeles and Yonge, (beef patty/crispy chicken patty combo) to King and Yonge (2 7oz. beef patties). They also have a Kimchi burger, a Veggie burger, or their signature Yonge burger, which features a single 7oz. beef patty. 

There was hardly anyone in the joint when we arrived just after noon on a Tuesday. Given the amount of space it had, and the number of tables and chairs to dine at, we decided to dine in. When going through the menu, the one that really interested me was the Shepperd and Yonge burger which is a meaty 7oz. beef patty with secret sauce, Canadian’s finest bacon and artisan cheddar cheese. HOWEVER, Mark and I got our orders mixed up and I ended up eating his burger; College and Yonge. The College and Yonge burger is Mexican inspired with secret sauce, smooth guacamole, crispy jalapeños and a 7oz. beef patty. So instead of reviewing the burger I had originally ordered, I will be reviewing the College and Yonge, the burger Mark ordered. 

College and Yonge/Photo by Andrew Hockridge
The College and Yonge burger was tasty, savoury and spicy all in one. The meat was tender and a little dry, but flavourful. Every bite was oozing with a nice mix of veggies and spiciness. I’m not such a huge fan of spicy burgers, but this one was different. There was very little kick to the spiciness and overall, the guacamole and the secret sauce provided a great compliment to the crispy jalapeños and the beef patty. The one thing however that stood out were the buns. Yonge Burger was advertising “artisan style” buns on their menu inside the restaurant. These were not the artisan style buns that were advertised. These buns were similar to a Burger King bun with sesame seeds. Maybe we just had to ask for the artisan style buns? 

Overall, Yonge Burger exceeded my expectations when it came to the flavour of the burger. The College and Yonge burger is a fine burger to try, but one that you only need to have once. Because the menu is huge and Yonge Street has many intersections in Toronto, there are many different options on the Yonge Burger menu to satisfy your craving. I hope to one day return to try the burger I had originally wanted to try and maybe then I will be met with great expectations. Next time you find yourself in the North York area and need a burger joint to dine at, Yonge Burger is the place. The joint also takes orders through UberEats, Skip the Dishes and DoorDash. But be sure to pay a visit so you can “keep calm and eat burger.” 

6.3/10


Mark's Review (Written for Andrew's Burger)

We venture once again to North Toronto where we find another hidden gem in Toronto’s burger scene. For this tour we take you to Yonge & Steeles where pay a visit to, coincidentally named, Yonge Burger! 

Yonge Burger sticks out for multiple reasons… the restaurant was started by foodies who wanted to express what they love doing through food, and their burgers are named after major intersections along Yonge Street spanning from the intersection at Steeles Avenue down to King Street. Browsing through the menu I was impressed by how diverse each of their burgers were. They were comprised of ingredients that reflected the local offerings of the area represented. Seeing that this location was in the vicinity of Koreatown, a Kimchi Burger was for sure to be on the menu. As tempting as it was, the Kimchi Burger was gonna be something to save for the next visit.

Yonge & Sheppard/Photo by Mark Avila

After much consideration I decided to go for the Yonge and College- an homage to Mexican flavours with guacamole, crispy jalapeños, tomato, lettuce, pickles, and topped with a secret sauce. The first bite was creamy and light as the juices from the patty cascaded off the bun onto the table. As I was thoroughly enjoying this amazing burger, I realized that there was something missing… where was the heat and flavours of Mexico that I was expecting? It wasn’t until halfway through that I looked at Andrew’s burger and noticed the guacamole and peppers, and finally clicked that we been given each others meals. 

Andrew had ordered the Sheppard and Yonge, which was an all Canadian burger with a beef patty, Canadian bacon, artisan cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles and their signature burger sauce. The burger was probably one of the best that I’ve had in a quite a while. It was your typical bacon cheese burger, but better! The bacon was crispy, while the cheese added a balance of sweet and savoury. 

Regardless, of the mixup I was not disappointed. Though sometimes I wonder how it matches up to the Yonge and College. 

7/10

Friday, December 17, 2021

Burger Review #57: Triple O's

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited:
August 16, 2021

Location: Mississauga, ON
BurgerTours Rating: 7/10



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

Website


Drew's Review 

Not only was this our first burger joint in Mississauga, it was our first burger joint inside a gas station! 

Triple O’s is a Western Canada burger franchise that recently opened two Ontario locations; Mississauga and Vaughan, and plans to open more in Ontario in the new year. Originating from White Spot, the name Triple O’s comes from its famous hamburger sauce consisting of mayo and hamburger relish. The famous west coast pickle-topped beef burgers have been fulfilling B.C. residents since the early 60’s as apart of White Spot’s burger menu. 

When we were researching places in Mississauga, this joint caught us by surprise. We had never heard about it before and had no idea Triple O’s was originally from British Colombia. So after settling on the place, we were expecting some good, delicious burgers. 

We arrived in the middle of the afternoon and was surprised to see it inside of a gas station. I wonder if that’s a staple for a Triple O’s franchise location or if Ontario will see a standalone in the near future. When we entered, there were only four other diners sitting at tables, and because it was inside a gas station, seating was limited. We browsed the menu for burgers that met our satisfaction, placed our orders and grabbed a table to dine at. It was only a 10-minute wait before our burgers were ready. 

Chipotle BBQ Bacon Melt/Photo by Andrew Hockridge
I had ordered the Chipotle BBQ Bacon Melt, which came topped with smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, tomatoes, spicy Chipotle mayo, tangy BBQ sauce and mayo. In a sense, this burger has a lot of flavour, and clearly, I could understand why this burger is among the favourites. The first bite was tangy, spicy and a blend of deliciousness. The beef patty was well cooked, fresh, juicy and tender and the toppings provided very savoury bites from start to finish. Overall, I was completely satisfied with the burger. 

The one thing that was a little bit of a turnoff was how messy it was. This burger was oozing with sauce and having three different sauces on this burger made the buns feel moist and crumble apart. The flavour was alright, but it was quite the mess while picking it up to eat. 

Overall, Triple O’s satisfied myself and my stomach and it’s a wholesome welcome addition to the Toronto burger scene. You’ll probably be seeing a lot more of this fast-food option in the near future and I can sure say that any burger lovers in the GTA are going to love it. That’s my review and I’m sticking to it. 

7.0/10


Mark's Review 

Original Impossible Burger/Photo by Mark Avila
Triple O’s is a local burger joint in British Columbia that has made its way east, and has flourished with over 70 locations across Canada and Asia. They value the use of local ingredients and freshness through the use of local butter, eggs, and 100% Canadian Wheat. All of these contribute to their delicious burgers, hand scooped milkshakes, thick cut fries, artisan style buns, and mysterious triple “O” sauce. 

The dining experience was a little out of the ordinary since the restaurant was located inside a gas station. But, the vibes were pretty much the same. The smell of burgers frying mixed with the pungent aroma of petrol. 

I opted for the Original Impossible Burger- plant based patty, lettuce, tomato, topped off with a pickle, and their secret triple “O” sauce. I was also tempted to try their Cajun Fries- a cajun spice blend with cajun mayo, and a creamy Caesar to give that familiarizing flavour of the south. 

First bite of the burger, it was simple but full of flavour. The triple “O” sauce was definitely the highlight as it was sweet, creamy, and tangy. It had a nice kick that give the burger some character, but at the same time not compromising the overall experience. It was a perfect balance for the palate. The Cajun Fries did exactly what they were suppose to do.. the spice from the cajun sauce mixed with the creaminess from the Caesar was the perfect combo. The fries alone were very crispy and not as oily as I had initially thought. 

Triple O’s was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting such a simple, yet delicious burger to come out of a gas station burger joint. But, I guess never judge a book by its cover. 

 7/10