Burger Review #46: Great Burger Kitchen

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: July 22, 2020 

Location: Leslieville, ON

BurgerTours Rating: 8.25/10

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Awesome	Messy	$11-$15	Fast Food	Veggie, Gluten Free

Website

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Drew's Review

How's everyone doing? Good. So you're doing well then? 

It's been nearly six months since restaurants and public places were forced to close down. The ongoing pandemic has taken a toll on many local businesses with some closing for good. Many however are still striving and making the most of it. Everything is slowly starting to reopen again so business can continue with a few new measures for safe social distancing. One of the many joints who had reopened to customers is our next BurgerTour stop. 

For our 58th burger joint, we bring you to Great Burger Kitchen, a local stable on Gerrard St. that specializes in naturally raised beef, low-carb wraps and plenty portions of poutine. Upon deciding our next take-out venture, we posted a poll on our Instagram account to engage our fellow burger enthusiasts in helping us choose our next destination. And with a unanimous favour between the two joints, Great Burger Kitchen came out on top (with a helpful endorsement from themselves). 

We placed an order by calling ahead and was told it was going to be a 30-minute wait. Not a problem. We pulled up right around lunch time and I hopped out of the car to run in to pick up our order. Once inside, a server was taking an order from two gentlemen at the counter ahead of me and right after I entered, another takeout delivery service guy entered and waited on the appropriately marked arrows on the floor. I approached to counter to claim my order and retrieved a plastic bag full of curiosity and wonder. I quickly ran to Mark who was eagerly waiting for me back in the car. 

Riverdale Burger/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

We arrived back at my place and began digging in. I had gone with the Riverdale burger which is a homemade specialty that the GBK custom made. It came with honey mustard, tomato, lettuce, red onion, homemade GBK sauce and Swiss cheese. The burger was hefty looking. A decent sized patty sitting between two warm soft buns. The fist bite was tasteful. The meat was succulent and juicy. The buns were soft. The toppings harmonized ever so well with the composition of the burger that it didn't even matter if I was eating it upside down or right side up. This was a craftsman's greatest aspiration. One can only dream of creating a small, delicious compact burger, yet still satisfying from first bite to last. 

Not to be outdone, but I also had to try one of their signature poutines, nicknamed after the province, the Ontario Poutine had bits of bacon, onion, cheddar cheese and gravy. It was delicious with every bite and every bite as tasty as the last. Highly recommended. 

Overall I was really satisfied with the burger. The quality was outstanding given the portion size and the manageable price. The food was delicious and I look forward to returning sometime sooner rather than later to try some more homemade specialties. And thanks for the shout out GBK!

8.5/10

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Mark's Review

We are back with another burger tour! Still in the middle of a pandemic, but things are looking good as restaurants slowly welcome diners to dine in once again. Though this might be the case for some, ordering through an app or calling in for take out is still the current norm. We decided to play it safe and called ahead for take out. 

For this tour we posted a poll on Instagram and had our followers choose where we should visit. It was an unanimous vote, and the winner was… Great Burger Kitchen! 

They promote an ethical, healthy, sustainable, and local food culture through locally sourced Ontario Beef Burgers to bring you the finest quality product. Additionally, their fresh cut fries are double fried for extra crispiness extracting its full flavour. 

Voodoo Burger/Photo by Mark Avila

I opted for the Voodoo Burger- a beef patty layered with tomato salsa, chipotle mayo, guacamole, balsamic, fried onion, and lettuce. As a change for this meal, I chose a lettuce bun to hold all these flavours together. 

Taking the first bite… the lettuce bun shredded and everything oozed out like a volcanic eruption. Unless there’s a proper way to eat a burger with a lettuce bun, this meal was just gonna go downhill. I found myself using the lettuce to scoop everything into my mouth.. more or less this was a nacho in burger form. Aside from that struggle, everything tasted fantastic. The beef patty was nicely cooked, and the sauces were a balance of sweet, spicy, salty. 

Overall, a filling and flavourful burger. The lettuce bun was an interesting experience, but I probably would’ve benefited with a regular bun. Definitely would want to check this place out again once more COVID restrictions are lifted. 

8/10

Special Burger Review: Peters' Drive-In

Photo by/Mark Avila

Date Visited: June 22, 2020
Location: Edmonton, AB
BurgerTours Rating: 9.5/10

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Excellent	Clean	$11-$15	Restaurant	Veggie

Website

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Mark's Review

I’m back in Edmonton once again for another special burger tour!

Seeing that we are still in the middle of a pandemic, some places in Canada have started to lift restrictions on social gatherings. Alberta is one of few Provinces where COVID cases have trended downward, so it was perfect timing that malls and restaurants began to open prior to my visit.

Photo by Mark Avila

Now that “life” has somewhat returned to normal in Edmonton, I was curious to see how the dining experience would be like where social distancing has become the new norm in public spaces. After searching from one burger joint to another, it was actually pretty easy to find a spot where dining in was available. But, once I had made a choice of where to go… I came across Peters` Drive In. Reading about its popularity within the Alberta burger scene, I knew I had to experience the hype for myself. Peters` is one of the few restaurants not permitting dine in or walk in orders due to their health and safety policies, so the only choice was to as the name suggests… drive in!

Their slogan is “the drive in you can’t drive by”, which I found to be true. You definitely can’t miss the line up of cars sitting on Calgary Trail just to get into the parking lot. I’ve read people waiting in line up to 4 hours for a burger, but luckily I came in the late afternoon and waited under an hour.

This location in south Edmonton opened in May 2020, and is the newest addition to their chain of three restaurants. The other two are based out in Red Deer, and Calgary where the first Peters` Drive In opened in 1962.

I was genuinely excited to try this place.. mainly for their commitment to "realness" They claim to serve burgers from real grade A Canadian Beef, special sauces made daily, and milkshakes made with real ice cream and real fruit. Gus Pieters, the man who started it all, established his restaurants to buying the best ingredients, providing the highest level of customer service, and offering a clean and welcoming environment for its guests.

My first impressions of seeing the restaurant… the blue and white exterior, and logo made it look like a car dealership, Ford in particular, which I found rather amusing. Looking at the menu online there weren’t much options for burgers. You could only select from the basic cheese and veggie burgers with the options of single, double, and triple stacks. They also offered hot dogs, poutines, ice cream, sundaes, and milkshakes.

I opted for the Double Cheeseburger - a double beef patty topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and Peters` special sauce. On the side I had onion rings and a mango milkshake.

The Double Cheeseburger/Photo by Mark Avila

Peters` Drive In is also known for their Milkshakes with over 4,500 different flavour combinations to choose from.

Taking that first bite… it was an explosion of flavour! The patties were nicely cooked and juicy, but the highlight of it all was the special sauce. It was smoky, sweet, and savoury. Three flavour combinations that I’m not a huge fan of, but it worked all together in this masterpiece of a burger! They serve a generous offering of onion rings, golden brown and crispy. The mango milkshake was probably one of the best I’ve had in a long time. Knowing they used real mango made this more enjoyable for my tastebuds.

(already craving a milkshake as I’m typing this…)

Peters` Drive In certainly lived up to the hype. This is probably a rare burger joint that claims to serve “good food” that’s fresh, and actually delivers with tasty and well made burgers. In addition, the service was also commendable. My drive thru experience was quick, efficient, and no hassle waiting for my order. It’s nice to see a restaurant with a systematic approach to food preparation, despite having just opened with staff that were recently trained. Overall, this is probably my favourite burger joint so far. Peters` will definitely be my go to place whenever I’m in the Edmonton or Calgary area, and craving a good burger.

9.5/10

Burger Review #45: Avengers Burger

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: May 28, 2020
Location: Scarborough, ON
BurgerTours Rating: 8.6/10

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

Website

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Drew's Review

Here it goes. Our second pandemic burger review.

The day we chose to do a BurgerTour just happened to be National Hamburger Day, and so it was our best interest to provide another documented evaluation of another burger joint found in the GTA. When selecting the burger joint, we wanted something nearby as we were either going to get it for takeout or delivery, and seeing how we did takeaway last time, we went with delivery. For this delivery we chose the destination to be Mark’s parked vehicle, so right away, this was going to be something different.

The nearest burger joint that we had yet to have tried was Avengers Burger, and we landed on it after browsing their menu. Avengers Burger provides an assortment of homemade customized burgers with its names being related to an Avenger, or a superhero theme such as Thor’s Hammer, HULK...SMASH! or the Infinity War burger, which is a triple beef patty monster, (I may have to order that next time.) Again, dining in Mark’s car, we weren’t able to dine inside, or even interact with the staff of Avengers Burger. I hope to return in the future to pay a visit when things are back to the usual…hopefully.

Falcon Burger/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Our orders were placed and nearly 30 to 45 minutes later, our UberEats delivery guy walked up to our car with our orders in hand. As simple as that, we took our burgers, thanked him and began devouring our meals. I decided to go with the Falcon Burger. It was a simple, compact burger that came with a beef patty, cheddar cheese, beef bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickles and rosemary garlic aioli. And the first bite was phenomenal.

I couldn’t get over the delicious creation. The meat was juicy and succulent and the toppings were well mixed into the sandwich. The buns were fresh and every bite was savoury. The bacon offered a nice crisp to the burger and the garlic aioli was the best dressing to complement this burger. And the fries were beyond exceptional. They were thin, golden brown and slightly crispy, the perfect addition to a burger combo.

Overall, I really wished we could have conducted this review over normal circumstances while dining in, but for the time being this will just have to be the new reality. Avengers Burger definitely has the charisma and the drive to compete amongst the elite burger joints in the city and furthermore, they certainly met all my expectations. The burger was delicious and I am looking forward to paying a visit in person in the future.

8.2/10

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Mark's Review

Quarantine and social distancing is still the norm pretty much everywhere, but that didn’t stop us from doing this BurgerTour. Most restaurants in the city continue to remain open, but dining in is still a big no-no. The last tour we opted for calling in our orders and driving to pick it up ourselves. This time around we decided to order from the UberEats app. We were restricted on where we could order, since UberEats could only connect us to restaurants in our area.

Avengers Burger was listed as the closest, so we decided to try them out. Not to our surprise, it was all Superhero themed! Browsing through the menu, the burgers were all named after a Superhero with ingredients relating to that particular person.

Along with burgers they also offer sides of fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, poutine, vegetarian poutine, and milkshakes.

The Earth is Closed Today/Photo by Mark Avila

I previously mentioned hat I would order more vegetarian and vegan options for a little change in pace. And so, I opted for the Earth Is Closed Today Burger - a veggie burger patty, topped with sautéed mushrooms, sautéed red pepper, lettuce, tomato, and rosemary garlic aioli.

The first bite was a flavour explosion! First came the rosemary aioli, then the sautéed mushrooms and red peppers. I must say, that was probably one of the best flavour trio that I’ve ever tasted. There was a hint of spice that balanced the overall taste of the burger.

Overall, I was surprised by how good everything tasted, and wished I ordered a second serving. As a new joint in the Toronto burger scene, I was impressed with the food they had to offer, and could see them growing into a popular destination for foodies in the future. Another place I would visit again post quarantine!

9/10

Special Burger Review: McCoy Burger Co

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: November 4, 2018
Location: Oshawa, ON
BurgerTours Rating: 5/10

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Good	Chaos	$11-$15	Fast Food	Veggie

Website
 

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Drew's Review

McCoy Burger Co. was simply just a forethought after reading that our first, desired option, Baldwin Street Burger in Whitby, was closed due to “unforeseen circumstances.” For a chilly day in early November, I didn’t mind driving out to Oshawa to try this burger joint. Within the last few months, I had seen McCoy pop up in a few searches of intended burger joints to try. Seeing they once had a location on Yonge St. in midtown, I didn’t want this one to be “the one that got away.”

We arrived shortly before 2 in the afternoon and we were pretty hungry. McCoy has two locations remaining; one in Ajax and one in Oshawa. The one we drove to was located in a small plaza in North Oshawa and if you’re not paying attention, you may miss it. We walked in to see a small number of people already dining for a late lunch/early dinner. Now because this wasn’t our originally planned joint, we barely did any research about what to order/what to avoid. The girl at the counter seemed kind of indifferent and wasn't to helpful with the menu.

With a quick glance of the menu, I decided to go for the Double Jack burger. It came loaded with two 4.5 oz. of premium Canadian beef on a ciabatta bun with 3 slices of real Monterrey Jack. Onions sautéed in BBQ Sauce and topped with lettuce, tomatoes and McCoy Sauce. Before my first bite, I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew this was going to get messy as sauces were already oozing out of it.

Double Jack/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

The first bite was mouth-watering, but it didn’t last long. It was harder to eat than I anticipated because the ciabatta bun was slowly disappearing before the rest of the burger. The sauce was still oozing out before the rest of the contents started to fall out. I also felt like the world was watching me eat, struggling to wipe up the mess that was escalating before me. I wanted to tap out, but I refused. The clash between the BBQ sauce and special McCoy sauce created a river of liquid that the burger itself could not contain. I was running out of napkins. I could barely taste the Monterrey jack cheese, the exact embodiment of what this burger was named after.

What this burger lacked was the consistency of a natural burger. The ciabatta buns were merely bread slices between two stacks of 4 ½ pounds of meat and a sauce that was waterier than an ice cream on a hot summer day. Along with the texture and no flame broil taste, it was greasy. Really greasy. Like so greasy, it would make Burger Priest seem like a health food staple. There was barely any flavour and maybe the only thing the burger needed was a little salt.

Perhaps my expectations for a place that once operated in midtown Toronto were too high? But maybe there was a good enough explanation as to why it closed up shop in the big city and maintained their east-most joints.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The meat itself was juicy and it was really good quality beef, but felt like it needed a touch of craftsmanship. The Double Jack came across a bit bland for my tastes and I probably wouldn’t get it again.

4/10

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Mark's Review

The Mediterranean/Photo by Mark Avila

This tour was a more spontaneous than usual. Coming home from a weekend north of Toronto, we decided to take a quick detour to Oshawa. Here, we were originally planning on visiting a joint to do a tour, but to our surprise they were closed for a private function. As a backup, we drove a short distance to McCoy Burger Company.

This joint with locations in Ajax and Oshawa, prides in handmade burgers, farmed by Canadian Farmers, and grilled to perfection to provide you with the freshest and juiciest burger.

I opted for the Mediterranean. Local Ontario Spring Lamb on a bed of feta cheese, tomato, tzaziki, and lettuce. This perfectly brings out the flavours of Greece in a single burger.

At a first glance, it was sloppy and not put well together. However, the taste was good enough to save the presentation. The flavours fused together really well, and the taste was not overpowering as I was expecting. The lamb was nicely cooked, and the Tzatziki was definitely a highlight for me. It was a nice blend of citrus and sweetness to balance out the flavour.

It was nothing spectacular, as I was hoping for a good quality burger. But, it was decent enough to satisfy my hunger. Overall, the experience was underwhelming, but I hope to visit again soon for a better burger!

6/10

Burger Review #38: Shamrock Burgers

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: July 29, 2018
Location: Highland Creek
BurgerTours Rating: 7/10

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

Craving a burger, and not in a drive-thru rush? If you’re in the area, try Shamrock. It’s a bit of drive, but if you live in the east end of Scarborough, it’s definitely one of the better burger joints out there.

Shamrock Burgers was established in 1970 by Mr. Danny Maleganeas, and has since grown to three locations (2 in Ontario, and 1 in Alberta). This place at first glance doesn’t look like much but when you walk in, the staff are super friendly and there are few places to sit. The place itself is a bright and clean, fast-casual atmosphere with a mixture of "rock and roll" and Irish themed décor.

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

When Mark and I walked in on a sunny summer day in late July, it was just after the dinner rush, but diners were still trinkling in. There were seats and tables to sit at, and we were eager to get a table. So we made our orders brief.

Now, the food...

Shamrock’s menu consists of homemade fast food items such as burgers, fries, prime rib steak on a bun, chicken wrap, poutine, chicken souvlaki, and much more. Their goal is to offer a "fun, friendly and interactive rock and roll experience coupled with great homemade food to their customers". Overall, they have stayed true to their initial principles of using quality ingredients, and providing fresh made-to-order meals.

I really enjoy their list of selections on the menu. Lots of tasty toppings, your choice of cheese and a saucy selection complement the standards. Can't decide between fries and rings? Don't! Go for frings!

Double-Decker Grilled Cheese Burger/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

I decided to go with the Double Decker Grilled Cheese, which was a massive beef patty between 2 grilled cheese sandwiches, 2 pieces of side bacon, red onion, romaine lettuce and tomato. The bread had a decent amount of thickness, so the ratio between the bread slices, and patty wasn't too bad. This was an overall tasty grilled cheese burger, and definitely filling. I also got a side a golden crispy fries and a Vanilla milkshake, because I was starving, clearly.

Overall, the food is crazy good. Not bad value for what they give you which is a huge burger. If you're a burger fan, or just craving burgers, this is a great place to go. The place does seem a little small and cramped and not that great of an atmosphere, but if you're there just for the food, it's amazing.

This place is well worth any drive you need to take to get there or bus if that is you only option. I am very jealous of the people in the neighborhood that have access to this all the time. But leave your conscience behind because you will be carrying lots of greasy calories out with you.

7.5/10

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Mark's Review

For this Burger Tour we take you to east Scarborough to the neighbourhood of Highland Creek, where we visit Shamrock Burgers. One of two locations in the GTA, Shamrock Burgers is known for delivering a unique burger experience starting from friendly service, to an “edgy and youthful rock alternative”, with quality ingredients and burgers.

The rock and roll theme populates their menu with the Classic Rock, Rock Star, and Famous Combos.

I opted for the Gaelic. Since Shamrock screams Ireland, might as well go for an Irish-inspired burger.

The Gaelic/Photo by Mark Avila

The Gaelic is layered with lettuce, tomato, sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, shamrock cheese sauce, and house made lemon-tarragon aioli. Unfortunately, the sun-dried tomatoes were not available.

The meat was juicy and sweet. The citrus from the lemon aioli contrasted with a smooth sour flavour. No flavour overpowered the other; it was a perfectly balanced burger.

Good experience and delicious offerings. Will definitely have to try their edgy rock and roll style burgers next time!

6.5/10

Special Burger Review: Burger Royal

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: June 23, 2018
Location: Le Plateau - Mont Royal (Montreal)
BurgerTours Rating: 8.95/10

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Excellent	Messy	$11-$15	Restaurant	Veggie, Gluten Free

Website
 

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Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Drew's Review
Do you know what they call a quarter pounder with cheese in France? A royal with cheese.

Burger Royal is nothing to mess with. Located in the Le Plateau Mont-Royal neighbourhood on St. Laurent Blvd., this place is seriously regal. A true dignity to burger royalty.

We went on a Saturday at around 8pm. It being a Saturday evening in late June, this place was bustling. There was a table open we saw just as soon as we arrived. It was the beginning of summer in Montreal, so everyone is out and about. Needless to say, this place wasn’t hard to find at all.

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

I advise to come with an empty stomach. Burger Royal offers good sized portions, and hearty food. Burgers come in three sizes. 3, 6 and 9oz. (The 6 will satisfy most, the 9 is massive). You can also choose how cooked your burger is (rare to well done). And there are a large selection of burger choices, or you can customize to your liking. And you know when they ask you how you like your burger meat cooked, it's going to be delicious.

It's juicy, the meat is seasoned, it's heavy 6oz but at the same time light and fluffy when you bite into it. I don't know how else to explain it. They have a bunch on the menu for you to choose or you can make your own from scratch.

I gave the menu a hard read and after a few minutes reading over the options, I made the toughest decision I made all weekend. Of all the creations that sounded amazing to try, I went with the 3 oz. Awks burger. It was a burger that came loaded with Monterey jack and cheddar cheese, pickles, ketchup, mustard and mayo. It's juicy, the meat is seasoned, it's a heavy 3oz but at the same time light and fluffy when you bite into it. I don't know how else to explain it.

Awks/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

The sensation was pure delight. The craftiness put into this small creation went beyond expectations. The flavour was succulent with light elements of tangy and zesty. The meat was cooked light and was able to bite into it without any difficulty. It was soft and tender and the juices clashed nicely with the quality of the burger.

Burger Royal can fit into any category seemingly well. Alcohol isn’t an option, but veggie and gluten-free options are. The burgers are compact and fit into many mouths and generally served for hungry customers. Burger Royal was exactly what I wanted and needed after a long day of exploring the city. It's a great vibe and definitely a must-go when visiting Montreal.

8.9/10

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Mark's Review

We set off once again to discover more local and authentic burger joints outside of Toronto. But, rather than touring the GTA like we’ve done the past few months, we drove 5 hours away to a previous BurgerTour location, Montreal. This is our second time to tag a burger joint in Montreal, the first being Uniburger back in 2015. For this special BurgerTour, we visit Burger Royal.

Burger Royal was on our list to visit back in 2015, but with the distance being out of reach for us at the time we decided to save it for our next trip... three years later, here we are!

They take a fine spin on comfort food, taking the freshest mountain raised and grass fed beef from Mont Laurier. Aside from burgers, they also serve a variety of: chilli, mac n’cheese, poutine, salads, and hot dogs.

Located in the Mont Royale neighbourhood just west of Downtown Montreal, this burger joint situated on Boulevard St. Laurent is clustered among a group of restaurants and bars that often see high volumes of people during the week. We were in the area on a Saturday night, so we weren’t surprised had the restaurant been busy, but luckily for us it wasn’t.  Andrew and I were joined by two other friends who indulged with us for this foodies weekend, and we weren’t going to let them miss out on a burger tour experience.

The burger menu had a wide selection ranging from the traditional cheese burger with a local touch, to the most creative inspired by both local and international ingredients. I was torn between two, but since we were in Montreal, I opted for le Quebecois.

Le Quebecois/Photo by Mark Avila

Le Quebecois is a beef burger with Cheddar Cheese, Creamy Coleslaw, Mustard, and Relish. All of their burgers have a choice of a slider size or regular size for a couple more dollars extra. I chose the slider with a side of French Fries and a drink.

Even though I only got the slider, it was surprisingly a decent size, flavourful, and filling. It was an interesting first bite; the Coleslaw immediately caught my taste buds with a creamy and sweet start, followed by a tart finish from the mustard. The beef patty was cooked well and juicy, and the bun was delicate and soft. It was definitely a light meal, but I say my stomach was satisfied. Had I not been still digesting from our previous meal, I would’ve gotten a regular size or even two sliders.

Overall, I was very impressed by Burger Royal. I appreciated that they were able to offer two size options for their burgers, otherwise I don’t know if I would’ve been able to finish a regular size on my own. Le Quebecois was light and filling, and full of flavour that was able to satisfy my taste buds.

Without a doubt, Montreal left us with another amazing BurgerTour experience. I would consider Burger Royal to be one of my all around favourite food joints to check out in Montreal. Aside from the Poutine and Smoked Meat, I will definitely be seeking to return here during the next visit.

9/10

Burger Review #37: Fresh Burger

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: June 6, 2018
Location: Church and Wellesley
BurgerTours Rating: 7.6/10

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Awesome	Some Drip	$11-$15	Fast Food	Patio, Liquor

Website
 

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Drew's Review

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

How fresh would you like your meat? I think I’ve found an answer for you.

Former financial businessman, Jacques Kavafian, created Fresh Burger in 2013 by opening his first location near his home in Richmond Hill. Kavafian was “frustrated” with Toronto’s burger scene. He thought, “People are trying too hard to be different.” All he wanted was a good old-fashioned fresh hamburger. Thus, leading to him opening a small hamburger restaurant called Fresh Burger.

In January of 2018, Kavafian expanded his franchise by opening his third location of Fresh Burger. With three operational restaurants in and around the GTA, Fresh Burger has attained considerable attraction within Toronto’s burger scene.

We went one afternoon in June to visit the Church and Wellesley location with barely anybody in the restaurant. It was unfamiliarly quiet. The menu is simple. It serves burgers and fries with the option to customize your burgers and upsize your fries.

4 oz. Fresh Burger/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

I ordered the 4 oz. Fresh Burger with a slice of cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, bacon, ketchup and mustard. The special sauce is Mac Sauce/Thousand Island dressing. After the first bite, I was in love. I wasn't expecting something this good from here; the patties were juicy, bread slightly toasted, cheese melty, and caramelized onions oh so sweet. It was a delicious bliss and the consistency was very similar to a homemade hamburger. The ingredients all work well to provide a refreshingly pure burger experience.

The fries are not greasy which makes them great. They are crispier than most places, but still good.

Overall, Fresh Burger offers an amazing burger made from actual, FRESH ground beef, not the frozen kind, because in this “Fresh” world, freezers don’t even exist. After being on our list for nearly a year, I was absolutely thrilled that I gave it a chance. If you're looking for a great no frills burger in the village, especially late after visiting the bars, I would definitely stop in here. Their name really does reflect what you get here.

7.2/10

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Mark's Review

The Double Freshburger/Photo by Mark Avila

We take you back to downtown Toronto, where we visit the neighbourhood of Church and Wellesley for the very first time.

A burger joint that bears freshness to its name, Fresh Burger, keeps the original hamburger alive, cheap, and delicious.

One of two locations in Toronto, the other in Richmond Hill, Fresh Burger was first started in 2013 and has since been dedicated to serve the best quality burgers at the lowest price. They’re proud to serve fresh meat, vegetables, and ingredients daily as they run their stores with no freezers!

The menu was simple with only four burger options. I opted for the Double Freshburger, an 8oz beef patty with lettuce, tomato, and cheese. Additional toppings are available for $1.00. But, I decided to stick with the original load.

Taking that first bite, my mouth was blown away. The beef patty was well cooked and the flavours were well distributed throughout my palate. Taking the burger as it came was definitely a good choice. I was able to appreciate the freshness and simplicity, while enjoying a perfectly handcrafted burger that was full of flavour.

8 /10