The Stockyards

Wow two burgers in a span of four days! I am on a roll. I originally wanted to go to La Bruschetta for lunch, but missed their lunch seating by 15 minutes... who stops seating for lunch at 1pm?! Anyway, since we were at St. Clair West I decided the next option would be The Stockyards. As you may or may not know, I've been eyeing it for a while yet it is so out of the way that I never had the opportunity to go, and I'm also not sure that I want to go out of my way to go to a dinky little place with not much seating. Before I keep rambling on, I must say, this is the most overrated burger joint that I have been to. So overrated that I'm bolding the word overrated.

We got the Beast style burger - $14. My burger from GBC three days ago was half the price and gave me double the enjoyment. That was expensive to be getting just a burger with no sides. 

As much as I normally enjoy thick patties, griddled burgers, cheese, etc. - which this burger had - it just didn't do it for me. This definitely did not get anywhere close to living to its hype. I might have had better luck with just a single patty, because the beef was so overwhelming with blandness that I didn't feel like I had buns or cheese on my burger. The burger had secret sauce, cheese, carmelized onions, pickles. and lettuce. The first few bites were good, but it actually just got tiring to eat. How can a burger get tiring?

messy

In short, it tasted like a really fresh, juicy, thick, double big mac - which actually surprises me because these are usually the adjectives that I want in a burger! For some reason either it just didn't work, or something was lacking. Also, the secret sauce at a lot of places now seem to be some variation of Mac sauce. 

Despite my disappointment in the burger, let me tell you about their 4 piece fried chicken dinner! Absolutely phenomenal.  Best fried chicken I've ever had.

   

Now this my friends, was worth the $14!

Gourmet Burger Co.

I was so hungry for a burger as I had dreamed of one all day at work. I decided to finally try GBC, which is beside Wow! Sushi (really good sushi by the way).

I go and order the $6.95 Works burger, sans the sauteed onions and the tomato. It had lettuce, sauteed mushrooms, regular cheddar, bacon, and GBC sauce. I opted to add jalapenos and their garlic dijon mayo, and ordered it to go. Oh boy did my stomach beat me for that as it had to wait another 10 minutes before it got to feast.

oh the anticipation

I quickly unravelled it to discover:

beautiful.

Wow! A picture perfect burger even though it had been tossing and turning in my take out bag for a while. The patty looked thin at first, but the buns weren't thick either. It also somehow paired perfectly so that there was no extra beef or bun parts sticking out. Nothing about the burger was dry. Taste wise, the ratio I would have to say is perfect - it definitely made me a believer of thin patties again. My only concern was, where's the cheese? No wonder they called it "regular cheddar".

cheese is where?

I wish I had asked what GBC sauce is. I'm going to assume it was some kind of mayo because I couldn't really taste the dijon mayo, and I had this light creamy pinkish sauce that kept dripping out. Price is definitely better than decent compared to many of the other burger joints, which is quite a huge factor for me to be a repeat customer. I also liked their choice of garnishes. OH and guess what? I had their whole wheat bun! Now that's a first. You can view their full menu here. I'll be back....

All Beef Party - Toronto Life

This is an interesting post... Toronto life posted "Toronto’s 25 best burgers ranked in order of heart-stopping, messy magnificence"

The top of the list is Harbord Room, which is one that I've been eyeing as well. Among those that made the list I also would like to try Stockyards and Marben... And I'm also curious about e11even and Queen and Beaver! Didn't think that a MLSE restaurant or a pub burger could be of such significance. I'd like to also know how these burgers were rated for the list...

Stripburger (Las Vegas)

I wasn`t even going to blog about this random burger joint - but I think it`s worth a post on my blog. We stumbled upon it after pool clubbing at 5pm as the first meal of the day (if you don`t count the calories from alcohol). The place had a fancy looking patio - which I wish I took a picture of - and the $2 pints of beer drew us in to keep drinking. I got the bacon cheeseburger with fries, which was their special that day for $9.99.

I demolished it. And the fries too. It must have been good. Frand got their blue cheese burger - also lovely.

And here my friends, is the best hot dog ever - Pink`s Hot dogs inside Planet Hollywood. I also demolished it as if the burger and fries wasn`t enough... on our way back to the hotel. I know it`s not a burger, but I just had to share this delicious, bacon and cheese sausage on which I drunkenly drenched in mayo.

it. was. SO. good.

In-n-out Burger (Las Vegas)

Another place with a big line – fortunately not as bad as the one for Shake Shack in NYC. I had high expectations for this place, and it didn’t quite meet them. No, I was not disappointed, but I just don’t see the hype.

I know, bad pic - the sign was rotating

There are literally only three burger options on the menu – hamburger, cheeseburger, and double cheeseburger. I had a double cheeseburger (of course) with animal fries. I’m going to have to say that the prices shocked me – they are comparable to Mcdonalds, if not cheaper! It was something like $3.65 for the double-double burger, $1.99 for a milkshake, and $5.65 for a combo. Unfortunately I am also going to have to say that the burgers are also comparable to Mcdonalds, with the exception of the cheese.

the double-double

One thing I forgot about America is that they don’t have “poutines” – they have cheese fries instead, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I got the animal fries which wasn’t on their menu. As I was finishing my order, I saw piles of it being made and asked for it instead of regular fries. It had cheese, diced fried onions, and spread. The “spread” is their “secret sauce” for their burgers and fries, which is somewhat similar to Mac sauce.

the "spread"

My next post will contain a better burger. 

Burger week

MAANNN I'm missing out! $5 burgers! Get outta here!  I can't ruin my current 3-pack (2 + a giant roll) 1 week before Vegas *cries*

Uh oh

Oh dear. So... I am now officially employed as a nutritionist. I really hope that my identity can stay anonymous and that none of my clients ever find out about this blog! I have a bunch of burgers lined up for the month of June: In-n-out burgers in Vegas, Heart Attack Grill (Vegas), GBC, and Big Smoke (I need to try this one again). In the meantime,

welcome to my lair...

Milestone's

Milestone's Kobe Beef Sliders.... these things are AMAZING. I have never gone to Milestone's without getting them because they're probably the only things I like there. The cheesiness, the fried onions, and the dip. Make sure to order extra dip. I don't know what it is but I don't want to ruin my own surprise for the magical sauce. It tastes like some wasabi dijon mustard blend. I know, it's not really a burger but definitely one of the things I randomly crave and totally hits the spot.

instagram makes everything look cooler

Slab Burgers

SO let me tell you how I'm on a diet. Again. This time for Vegas in June! It seems like I'm always making excuses about going to sunny destinations to not eat burgers and blog but I sucked it up and decided to treat myself after a workout. Slab Burgers on Charles St. at Yonge and Bloor looked interesting and new, so I decided to try that despite Gourmet Burger Co. being a few doors down (I'll try that next).

had to try it cuz I keep seeing the sign

And here is the menu. They have sauteed mushrooms as a free topping! *cheers*

iPhone edit that menu, ooh yeah.

So what it DOESN'T say on the menu that the "small slab" burger is 4oz, and the regular size is 8oz. I had to find that out for myself on the take out menu as I was walking out the store. First, I found out the guy in front of me got a small burger when his order came up. When mine came up however, it looked like the small Asian cashier was holding a baby with her hand.

that would be the burger, grasping my hand for dear life

Obviously I got the regular. Psh. I have too much pride to get a baby one. Also, I have bad experiences with "smaller versions" of burgers being a thin little patty with a fat piece of bread, pet peeve. 

et voila!

So I opened to find out that it's actually two patties. And two top buns. Why the hell is it two top burger buns? I should've asked for two bottom ones. I did like how the cheese melted and fused so nicely with the burger though. What I didn't like was the fact that they used romaine lettuce in a burger - I don't even do that for my sandwiches! That lettuce is strictly for Caesar salads in my opinion. My burger had grilled onions, lettuce, mayo, habanero sauce, and sauteed mushrooms. I had asked what "slab sauce" was and she said it is like a ranch. No thanks! 

there's no way I'm eating the whole thing 

Actually, I COULD eat it... but MyFitnessPal says I can't. Womp womp. To be honest, my first bite reminded me of a double Big Mac. Now, I love Big Macs, but I was expecting some super fresh burger based on the claims on their site and twitter. Personally, if it is in fact such a fresh, natural burger, I would have liked to have it cooked medium or medium well. I hate to say this but I think my burger was overcooked - there was some hard spots where I expected a soft, melt in your mouth patty. Nonetheless, it wasn't dry, it was a good beef to bun ratio, and enjoyable to eat.  

Bymark

It's not a burger place I know, and I would never come here to eat such an expensive burger- other than the fact that Karla and I came here for Winterlicious. I figured I'd give it a try since this Bymark 8oz USDA Prime burger is $35 on the regular menu and I had it for $25 with an appetizer and dessert.

The toppings were king oyster mushrooms and brie cheese, and it also came with fries. I got it done medium rare, and this is what I get:

the first picture didn't do justice for the size of this thing

It was probably the rarest burger I've had. Don't worry, my stomach was fine after. The beef was pretty bland but somewhat overwhelming and quite messy. I wasn't able to taste the cheese at all, and I love brie :( The first half was good, but it started to get tiring from there and it was also very filling. I wouldn't get this again. For a thick gourmet burger done medium rare, Origin was definitely much better.

the appetizer

The crab cakes that I had for the appetizer was definitely phenomenal for Toronto though. Nothing can beat Maryland crab cakes *sigh*

Holy Duck!!!

It's been a while, and it might feel like I'm cheating because I posted about Holy Chuck Burgers only... two posts ago. That means that I can keep it short because a) you already know that it's located at Yonge/St. Clair, and b) that I am quite fond of the burgers already. So why am I posting about them again? Because there is freakin' GOOSE LIVER aka FOIE GRAS on my burger!

that's right. FOIE. GRAS.

The first observation by Nat was that it was missing veggies. By the end of it I'm pretty sure that a leaf or two wouldn't really have contributed much. I don't even know where to start. The duck fat, bacon, beef, and the truffle oil was such a nice combination that it did not need anything else. The foie gras melted so nicely in your mouth and the flavours were sooooo awesome. Surprisingly, it was not a messy burger at all, granting it extra points for no wasted good food. I am still reminiscing the foie gras taste as I burp, four hours later. As you can see in the picture, it was a pretty generous portion of goose liver for a $25 burger.

We also got these yam chips that were pretty good (they gave us free lemon aioli to dip). Karla had a great suggestion to dip them in the oil that dripped out from Nat's burger since she had a whole puddle. Lucky b*tch.  

you can see how the bun soaked up the grease- and still kept its composure!

Before I forget, I also need to credit them for making the bacon tender enough to chew through without pulling the whole thing out! We enjoyed every moment of it. Very, very, slowly and delicately. It was so delicious- I'm glad we all had a small lunch just so we can feel less guilty about this meal. Towards the last bites of our burgers, all three of us agreed "ah, I'm getting so full..." How ladylike. I was totally lying, guys. I WANT MORE. 

follow the cow's pee to the washrooms!

Great Burger Kitchen

I contemplated whether or not to blog about this burger but I figured hey, what the hell- the picture I got looks pretty good. The disclaimer for this post is that I wasn't completely sober when I ate this burger, and we know that things do tend to taste better in that state. Thanks to Groupon's mobile app, all I had to do is pull out my phone and valiantly flash them the $15 coupon that I had previously bought for $7. In case you didn't know, I love coupon clipping, group buys, redflagdeals, etc. No, I am not hardcore like those guys who can buy like $800 worth of groceries for $20. 

the food menu

We went to the one at Church and Front, because we happened to be drinking nearby. This was the Friday-night-9pm-post-happy-hour-drinks-dinner; there was not a single soul in sight, aside from the lonely teenaged employee. I am going to assume that it gets a rush from the late night drinkers on Esplanade later throughout the night. I was also surprised to find that they serve beer- combine any burger, fries, and drink (pop, beer, or juice) and get $1 off. Whoopee. 

the beer menu

It's been so long that I threw out the receipt, but thanks to the menu on their site, I have an idea of what I had and the pricing. We shared the Great Burger (double patties), added brie and guacamole, and had spicy aioli and GBK sauce with a side of fries and a diet Coke (don't judge) because I was thirsty. I had absolutely no expectations of this burger, other than that it would be a nice, greasy addition to my night. I've heard reviews from friends that it was a very dry burger- I half believed it because one of them was torn between GBK and Gourmet Burger Co. when trying to tell me the name of the restaurant. 

am I right? isn't this a pretty good picture?

LOOK at the size of this monster. It was really hard to evaluate the burger as a whole when every bite I took only got a fraction of the burger. It was either beef, lettuce, or bread pretty much so I couldn't really put it together... kind of like the Quad C at Dangerous Dan's. For a grilled burger, it definitely was pretty juicy and flavourful though! I was scared at first because of the char on the outside, but relieved after I took a bite. This burger was also super filling- 2x 6oz patties. The cheese and guac were pretty good, they really added to the burger. The fries were also a greasy, soggy addition that we barely touched. I hate soggy fries. 


My verdict on this burger: I'm probably not going to try it again anytime soon. Despite my $15 off, I still had to pay a balance of $13. That's $28 for ONE hungry dude's meal!!! GBK got a bonus by catching me in my munchies state and still did not WOW me, which means it probably won't get any better. Location wise, the only reason I'd go is if I really wanted a burger after going to Bier Markt. 

Holy Chuck Burgers

Now that I've put Shake Shack on a pedestal, I might as well quit blogging. Seriously. When will I ever find such an amazing burger again??? I've eaten a few burgers in the past two months but I was so unimpressed that I didn't blog about it. Don't worry, I hadn't gone vegetarian - I was just being lazy. I ate this Bronx burger from Earl's and it was just awful - I didn't even want to blog about it because I had absolutely nothing nice to say about it. The mini mac from 416 Snack Bar was pretty good, but I wasn't sure I wanted to blog about a little Big Mac. Plus, our server told us that it was coming off the menu soon anyway! I'll never get sick of Big Macs <3.
So why does Holy Chuck get an entry? Obviously because it left a good impression!

Situated at Yonge/St Clair, I think I've found a close substitute for Burger's Priest. Holy Chuck is not so out of the way being on Yonge and all, but I'd still have to go all the way to the beaches if I want "the Option". Holy Chuck also has a deep-fried stuffed portobello mushroom which they call "animal feed", but feta and cream cheese stuffing just isn't the same. They have a pretty big menu, but I don't think I'd opt for a lamb or pork burger anytime soon.

My double cheese burger for $7.99. The only toppings I had on the burger were onions, lettuce, and mayo. The selection was even smaller than Burger's Priest- I'm guessing they prefer you eat the burger without any vegetables or excessive sauces in order to taste the beef. Frand got the Mad cow, which is the animal feed and a patty for $10.99. He also added an extra patty to the burger for an extra $2.99. Our burger chefs were ecstatic because they said we were the first ones to think of adding a patty to it, as they gathered around to take pictures of the work of art.

we'll name it one day

Again, the portobello mushroom was disappointing because we enjoy oozing cheese, not cheese chunks falling out of the burger. What we DID like about this burger was how well the buns were able to hold the weight of the patties and the portobello, where Burger's Priest had a grease-soaked bottom bun that fell apart as you eat it. The patties were juicy and tender. I may be biased, but the flat iron is much, much better than the grill. And guess what? The 4oz patties was freshly grounded in store, so they were able to keep it pink!

Verdict on this burger? The value isn't great, but it can somewhat satisfy my craving. It's pretty expensive for what it is, and I wouldn't go again for no reason. I know, it's no Shake Shack, and I somewhat wish that I haven't tried it because it makes it that much harder to find something of that degree.

Shake Shack

Have you ever waited an hour and half for a burger in the middle of a park? I HAVE.  

worse than women at a MAC sale.

No seriously, do you see that long line for Shake Shack? Incredible! This little joint in Madison Square Park, NYC without any indoor seating or a washroom can generate this kind of revenue on a regular Friday at 12pm.  The line grew even longer by the time we got to the front. 

wonder how these seats are in winter...

After finally placing our order, we even get a little buzzer to notify us when our burgers were ready.

technology makes up for the lack of everything else. 

I got the double Shackburger and the Shackstack, which respectively is a double cheeseburger and a cheeseburger with a deep-fried portobello mushroom stuffed with cheese, similar to "The Priest" at Burger's Priest. I was surprised at the lack of condiment options, but with a burger like this, I don't see what else to put on there.  It comes with tomato, lettuce, and Shack sauce (some flavoured mayo). I got mine sans tomato of course.

ogod.

It was so delightfully heavenly.  Beef, cheese, bun... everything in the right proportions with the cheese oozing out. The beef was juicy and bigger than the one at Burger's priest, and the portobello was not as battered. Juicy but not greasy to the point where the bun cannot support the weight of the patties. Unfortunately, frand said that 2 patties wasn't enough and that I should've gotten him 2 patties PLUS the portobello.  Oops. There's no way I'm going back into that line, even though the wait was completely worth it.

oozing. cheese.

The cheese fries were also wonderful but quite small.  I didn't end up getting the milkshake because I figured that would be overindulging, and I was thirsty. This burger will definitely stay in my heart forever.  Just like these girls <3. *inserts big awwwwwwwwwwww*

four sexy burger models.

My verdict on this burger? Don't leave NYC without having Shakeshack.  It's gonna take 2 hours to line up for Statue of Liberty anyway and it's probably pretty lame.  They also have other locations in the States as well.  A blogger's tragic flaw, but I'm sincerely at a loss for words to describe this scrumptious burger. Sorry. :(

Joe's Hamburgers

I'm not sure why I decided to go eat a burger in Richmond Hill and blog about it today when I could've just waited a week until I'm in NYC eating Shake Shack.  The chicken shawarma at Joe's also looked quite appealing, but I decided to get a Big Joe's with cheese instead for $5.79. I find that Mediterranean people seem to like having burgers on their menu, like some signs I saw in Danforth for burgers in a Greek restaurant, or that Middle-Eastern man who made the horrible burger I had at Chef Burger (I don't even want to link to that blog post).  Quincy suggested that perhaps they like grilling souvlakis and kebabs so much that they decided to try grilling the burger.  But I kinda like flat-top burgers now...

Behold! Big Joe

So I decided to put some shawarma options on my burger in addition to the typical lettuce, onion, pickle, mayo, ketchup, mustard, etc.  I went for this mixed coleslaw stuff and tzaziki sauce. It was good!  It was kinda like a beef shawarma burger.  I liked how the burger was grilled so hot that my bottom bun felt too warm to pick up, but not the kind that starts getting soggy from all the juices, yet not so hard that all I taste is bun.  Good bun.  The patty itself has probably been frozen, but the 8oz patty was pretty juicy nonetheless.  The cheese was processed and kinda gross. Quincy liked his bacon if anyone cares.

In conclusion: I'm going back.  For the chicken shawarma.

Jetsun's Juicy Burger

I should really just quit blogging after trying The Burger's Priest. However, Richard is convinced that this Jetsun's Juicy Burger would be good, so I agreed to go.  Located right at Yonge/Empress, I saw so many options on Yonge that would make an equally great lunch, but the goal today was a good burger. For some reason, it kept reminding me of Johnny Rockets, but it's not a diner- more like a wannabe growing fast-food chain that only serves burgers.

quite the extensive menu

We both got the $5.49 Juicyburger and added cheese for $1.  Both got a small pop (free refills) and split the onion rings. What I really should've tried was their milkshake- they had 8 flavours of ice cream which could all have been turned into a delicious milkshake but too bad, I wasn't feeling it. Their menu was pretty boring, with only one type of burger and the options were either adding cheese, bacon, or chili, so I expected the condiment section to be a little more exciting.

not excited.

Their fanciest sauce was probably the garlic mayo.  I got lettuce, pickle, garlic mayo, ketchup, and dijon mustard.  I didn't like how the onion was cut and I got the pickle anyway even though it didn't look too fresh. And banana peppers are just a disgrace on any burger. I saw that they toasted my bun, which was a +1.  Then I saw them put the patty on the bun with the cheese still looking cold and unmelted on top.  -5, one of my biggest pet peeves.

Iceberg lettuce totally fails.

Romaine lettuce would probably have been a better choice because it's more flat so it can actually stay inside the burger. The cheese ended up melting a bit, which was a bit better, and tasted like good, unprocessed cheddar that just needs to melt a little more. The bun was a little too thick so I ended up not eating most of the top bun.  The patty... was pretty good, 6oz or so and you can tell that it hasn't been frozen because of how tender it is despite looking somewhat overcooked on the outside.  I wouldn't exactly call it very "juicy", but still had a nice texture that kinda tastes like a thicker Harvey's burger.  

Overall, I don't really understand the niche, because they're not exactly competitive in style, originality, variety or value. We have new fads such as Hero Burger expanding everywhere with their varieties of gourmet burger toppings and condiments, the older burger joints with their regulars that have adapted the taste, other fast-food chains, and full-service restaurants which Jetsun's Juicy Burger is none of the above. Perhaps location, since there isn't a Harvey's around there. So I can see how people would like it, kinda like how people enjoy Harveys.

The Burger's Priest

Ta-da! Look where I finally went to after a two month hiatus from my burger soul searching.  There's never an opportune moment to go since it's far with nothing nearby- except for the beaches.  So after a tanning session we decided to go (well I decided to drag everyone) to this much raved hotspot.  

look how it's even glorified by the sun

We walked in to a cramped little place with literally six stools on the side. No more than 2 average sized people can stand comfortably side by side in the space between the counter and the stools.  How ironic, I thought yummy burgers were for fatties.  

They used a flat top instead of a grill, which is newer to me. I don't mind- unlike those other critics who think that a burger has to be grilled- because sometimes grilling makes the burger too charred and dry tasting. We ordered "The Priest", which was a $9.99 4oz cheeseburger with "the Option."  After 10 minutes of waiting, our burgers are ready.

"The Priest"

This isn't a fair fight. This burger was so amazing, so delicious, and everything went together so well.  They didn't have the fancy condiments, and I just got ketchup, mayo, mustard, lettuce, and onion.  The thinly sliced onion was quite delicious.  The cheese oozing out of "The Option" was quite heavenly.  

the cheese

But wait- where's the beef?  This burger would have tasted quite lovely even without that shrimpy 4oz patty. The beef seemed pretty tender, moist, and juicy without soaking up the bun, which is a positive thing. I was blinded by "The Option"- which is two portobello mushrooms sandwiching gooey cheese deep fried in panko breading.  The bread wasn't toasted and it carried a McDonald's bun sort of style to it.  It makes me wonder how it can hold up those secret menu items, because my burger felt heavy on the bottom bun already. The Priest was the perfect portion, making me completely satiated without feeling like I overindulged. 


The verdict? I need to go back and try a double-double so that I can decide whether or not to crown them for the best cheeseburger. On the other hand, I may just have found a perfectly constructed cheeseburger that I will continue to crave over and over. At first I thought $9.99 was a bit steep, since there wasn't even really any sitting space to enjoy my burger. But I have since changed my mind, it's worth it. I am salivating right now as I blog, thinking about this delicious combination of nature's gifts that man has enhanced. In other words, GO GET IT CUZ IT'S KICKASS.