Burger Review #70: Ugly Delicious

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: July 28, 2023

Location: Kensington Market
BurgerTours Rating: 6.85/10

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

Website

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Drew's Review

Oh my God, we’re back again. 

Tucked away in the heart of Toronto's vibrant Kensington Market, Ugly Delicious is a unique culinary experience and a respectable selection located in a market known for its standout cuisine. 

We arrived shortly before the dinner rush and it was quiet. The ambiance is cozy and hip, fitting perfectly with Kensington Market's eclectic vibe. The service is friendly and efficient, and the menu offers an array of enticing options. The pricing is a bit on the steeper side, considering the portion size and the fact that the burger doesn't quite reach the level of satisfaction that it promises. 

Double Classic Burger/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

I ordered the Double Classic burger, a wagyu smash patty with Amhas a unique culinary experience and a respectable selection of American cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and Ugly sauce. The burger certainly excels in certain aspects. The star of the show is undeniably the Wagyu smash patty. It's cooked to a perfect medium-rare, with a beautifully crispy and flavorful exterior that adds a satisfying crunch to each bite. 

The choice of condiments is also commendable. The pickles offer a refreshing contrast, cutting through the burger's richness with a satisfying crunch and a tangy kick. The lettuce and tomato bring a welcome element of freshness, and the Ugly sauce, which I got as a side dip for my fries, complements the other ingredients on the burger exceptionally well and gives the burger a unique character. 

Overall, Ugly Delicious is a great hangout and burger joint located in Kensington Market and a great burger option if you find yourself in the area. When it shines, the wagyu patty is a true gem, and the Ugly sauce is a noteworthy condiment. However, a more thoughtful approach to balancing flavours and textures could elevate the burger to a whole new level of deliciousness. The dining experience is enjoyable, but the pricing might deter some diners from seeking a more substantial meal. 

6.2/10

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Mark's Review

We are back in Kensington Market for another burger tour! I can’t remember the last time we were here, but it does feel nice to be back. Burger joints tend to come and go in this area rather quickly. As sad as it is to see some of our favourite joints disappear, it’s always a welcoming surprise for us to discover a potentially new spot to call our favourite. 

For this burger tour, we pay a visit to… Ugly Delicious! This joint uses Halal slaughtered Australian Wagyu and AAA beef that they form, by hand, into smash burgers. They have a decent burger selection, but the one that caught my eye was the Onions We Crazy. Having a choice of a single or double patty, I opted for the double wagyu smash patty topped with American cheese, pickles, ugly sauce, smashed onions, tomato, and lettuce. 

Onions We Crazy/Photo by Mark Avila 

My first bite was met with the crisp outer edge of the wagyu patties, followed by the river of juices flowing down the sides. This was met with the creamy texture from the American cheese, which was countered by the savouriness from the onions and ugly sauce. I don't know what they put in their ugly sauce, but it definitely made the burger more delicious than what I was already experiencing. Despite this burger being filled with onions from rim to rim, it was not overpowering at all. If anything, I found it to have enhanced the flavour profile. 

Overall, this was probably one of the best smash burgers I've had in a while, and getting the double patty was the best decision to get the full flavours. Presentation wise, it was ugly, but the overall taste was delicious! Ugly Delicious was a great find, and definitely a go to spot for a good smash burger in the Kensington Market. 

7.5/10

Burger Review #69: 6ixside Burger

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: June 23, 2023
Location: Scarborough, ON
BurgerTours Rating: 6.15/10

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

Website

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Drew's Review

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

"Life can always change, you have to adjust." -Drake 

"Obtuse rubber goose green moose guava juice giant snake birthday cake large fries chocolate shake" - also Drake 

For this BurgerTour, we stay in Scarborough to visit our neighbourhood Drake sanctuary, 6ixside Burger. Located on Warden Ave., just south of Eglinton Ave., 6ixside Burger offers delicious burgers, steaks and milkshakes while Toronto icon and hip-hop rapper Drake judges your every bite. 

The burgers hone their names from a selection of Toronto-based neighbourhoods, like Broadview, Liberty, Rosedale and Hillcrest just to name a few. Every burger is cooked using halal ingredients and slaughtered by hand. They also have a selection of wings and poutine if burgers aren’t your fancy. 

We arrived around dinner time to an empty restaurant with our stomachs empty and our wallets full. The vibe is friendly and cool with a huge mural that dedicates its love for Toronto and on the back wall, a huge mural of Drake, almost like a shrine for the Toronto rapper. A guy from the back appeared to quickly take our orders and then disappeared again, only to be seen again when our burgers were ready. 

Riverdale Burger/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

I ordered the burger adaptation of Riverdale which came with two 6-ounce beef patties, Canadian cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and “6ixside” aioli. The burger was huge. The two beef patties were massive and the toppings just added to the colossal layers of the burger. The presentation was really well done - The 6ixside aioli was Drizz(y)led neatly underneath the bun with the sauce melting and oozing down the sides of the burger. I knew this burger was going to be a two-hander and very messy. 

It was hard to wrap my mouth around, but I took a small bite and got a satisfying taste. And then the burger fell apart. The overly massive weight of the toppings was enough to warrant more napkins than the mess could handle. I think with the Riverdale being two 6-ounce beef patties, the toppings felt a little excessive and took away from the overall taste of the burger. There was just too much happening all at once, as Drake watched on while I battled this enormous creation. 

Overall, 6ixside Burger does burgers right and the beef was good enough to finish the meal. The Riverdale, although a bit excessive when it came to the toppings, was a good option to try for the first time and I sure hope to return again to try other options from their Toronto-inspired menu. In the end, 6ixside Burger doesn't just serve burgers; it serves up a slice of Toronto's soul between buns, with a side of Drake for that extra flavour of the 6ix. 

6.3/10

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Mark's Review

We are back in Scarborough to bring you another BurgerTour! Another new joint in the Golden Mile area by Warden & Eglinton, we take a visit to… 6ixside Burger! 

Guildwood Burger/Photo by Mark Avila

6ixside has a wide selection of burgers named after distinct Toronto neighbourhoods. This is the second joint we know of that has followed this theme. Curious to see if there are others out there that have adopted the same. Regardless, I was excited to see how 6ixside interprets the city's main neighbourhoods through burgers. 

I opted for their plant based option, the Guildwood. This a plant based patty layered with green and red peppers, caramelized onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and their 6ixside aioli. Taking that first bite, my mouth was met with the sweetness of the caramelized onions followed by the slight spice from the aioli. It was a good balance of both worlds that fused the flavours of the burgers together so well. 

Overall, the burger itself was decent, flavourful, and exceeded my expectations. It was interesting to see the Guildwood as a plant based burger. But, I guess it would reflect the greenery and parks across the area. 6ixside Burger was a nice find, and definitely a new favourite joint in Scarborough. 

6/10