Burger Review #63: Happy Burger

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: August 9, 2022
Location: Rosedale
BurgerTours Rating: 6.3/10

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Good	Messy	$11-$15	Fast Food	Veggie, Patio

Website

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Drew's Review 

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Smile. You’re on camera! 

For our 83rd BurgerTour, and burger stop for the month of August, we decided to keep things local. Happy Burger is a joint that has been on our list for some time so we thought it was time to pay it a visit. Opening in the summer of 2020, Happy Burger is a simple, modern burger joint serving up smash burgers, hot dogs and milkshakes, as well as other tasty side options. They have two locations now, (the first being Lippincott Street, near Bathurst and College in the Harbord Village area of downtown Toronto) after opening a spot on Yonge Street this past year. 

We entered the Yonge St. location shortly after the lunch rush and there were already a few diners inside the joint at the time. The interior was simple, plain white, modern and featured a giant sized menu on the wall beside the counter. The seating was plentiful and even had tables on the patio outdoors. The menu is pretty simple, featuring a few smash burgers, with some different toppings and arrangements, a chicken burger, a pastrami burger, some vegetarian options and then the hot dogs. You can order a combo which comes with a choice of side; waffle fries, onion rings or pickles, or opt for single burger/hot dog. 

Happy Cheeseburger/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

I stayed customary to my standards and opted for their homemade classic burger, the Happy Cheeseburger, which came topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions and happy sauce on a potato bun. We grabbed a table inside and waited for our burgers. I believe it was a 20 minute wait, as there were already a few customers who had ordered before us who had priority. Our orders were called and we retrieved them and brought the meal back to our table. 

After I had bitten into the Happy Cheeseburger for my first bite, it tasted like your average smash burger, however the meat was just slightly overcooked. The flavor from the beef was a little dry and I relied on the toppings to satisfy my tastebuds. The buns were soft…super soft in fact was ready to crumble in my hands. It wasn’t the perfect balance between the softness of the buns, and the crispiness of the smashed patty. 

We also got the waffle fries on the side with added Happy Sauce and it was very appetizing. The Happy Sauce is a blend of mayo, ketchup, mustard and secret spices and it was a pleasant dressing, both on the burger and to dip your fries into. 

Overall, Happy Burger was satisfying and it did fulfill my expectations of their burgers, however, the Happy Cheeseburger I had gotten was slightly overcooked and didn’t really consist of any significant flavors. I’ve had better smash burgers before and maybe this burger was left on the grill a little too long. I’m not sure. The waffle fries were the only thing I would go back for, and maybe I would return and try a milkshake. In the meantime, I’ll be faking a smile until I find my way back to Happy Burger. 

6.1/10

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Mark's Review 

Impossible Vegan Burger/Photo by Mark Avila

Happy day, everyone! This burger tour took us to a happy place, a very happy place. This joint was on our radar for quite some time, and happy that we finally to try them. If you haven’t noticed my overly use of the word ‘happy’ so far, I’m happy to say that for this burger tour we pay a visit to… Happy Burger! 

Happy Burger opened at the height of the pandemic in August 2020. Since then they’ve opened two locations in downtown Toronto. The main location is located close to Bathurst & College, and the restaurant we visited is along Yonge St just south of Rosedale subway station. 

Walking in the peak of lunch time, this location was particularly busy. We placed our orders and asked to take a seat while they were in the queue. To be quite honest we waited quite a while for our meals. I would say it was a 30-35 minute wait. Way too long for a burger. I guess it was a lesson learned not to come by during lunch time. 

 I ordered the Impossible Vegan Burger - a plant based veggie burger layered with vegan cheese, pickle, tomato, onion, lettuce, and topped with a vegan happy sauce under a vegan bun. The happy sauce is a mix of mayo, ketchup, mustard, and undisclosed spices. 

My first impressions… looked like a a refined Mc Donald’s Cheeseburger, but healthier of course. The first bite was soft and tender, something that I’m not used to with a plant based patty. The taste was very much in line with a traditional Cheeseburger, and the happy sauce gave it a little more kick of flavour. Overall, it was a satisfying meal. 

 6.5/10