Ontario's Best Burger Joints Ranked

This is it!! Southern Ontario’s best burger joints ranked!! 

These joints are ranked based on everything they have to offer:

• Burger taste,
• Fries,
• Overall menu,
• Atmosphere,
• Price.

Try them all if you can.

Starting with the best!

#1.  The Works

Set up like a restaurant, has a great atmosphere, and has the overall best menu at any burger joint I’ve ever been to.  Top off all of that with locations across Ontario and we’ve got gem of a joint that is accessible to almost everyone.

#2.  Little Louie’sBurger Joint and Soupery

This place just does so many things right, that its flaws are easily overlooked.  It offers the second best menu of all the joints, and their limited hours of operation make it something you want even more, just because you can’t always have it.

#3.  Holy Chuck

Holy Chuck has the juiciest and most delicious burger by far on this list.  Somewhat limited menu and not so great atmosphere keep it from topping out list, but the burger is a must-try for everyone.

#4.  Five Guys Burgers and Fries

The U.S. chain proves it can compete with Ontario’s best.  Although the atmosphere is hospital-like and the menu is one of the leanest, great tasting burgers keep Five Guys out of the bottom of the list.

#5.  Royal Meats BBQ

Not so much a burger joint as it is a butcher shop; Royal Meats serves the freshest burgers you will find anywhere.  If they dedicated their business to burgers only, they could easily top our list.

#6.  Woody’s BurgerBar & Grill

This Etobicoke joint is the best in what I would call an upscale burger joint.  Great atmosphere, but long wait times and a break-apart bun stopped this place from making it out of the bottom half of the list.  I said in my review that I wouldn’t crave the burger again, but the atmosphere definitely makes me want to go back.

#7.  The Burger’sPriest

Considered one of Toronto’s best, they may need to step it up a bit in an ever more competitive market.  Too much cheese and overdone meat keeps this joint from fulfilling its destiny of having the best burger around.

#8.  Big Smoke Burger

Another disappointment from what is considered one of Toronto’s best.  Big Smoke Burger has great potential, but possibly the smallest burger on the list hold it back.  People will still talk about this joint as one of the best, but great atmosphere is clouding their judgment of the actual burger.

#9.  Magoo’s GourmetHamburgers

Magoo’s takes on a family atmosphere but keeps their image and overall quality targeted more towards children than adults.  Great fries keep this joint a rank above another that is eerily similar…

#10.  Lick’sHomeburgers and Fries

Lick’s is a sad story, a once great gourmet burger chain being outdone by new independent joints that are substantially raising the bar.  This may be on the bottom of our list, but it’s still a great joint.  Competition is fierce and it takes more than just good burgers to be the best.

Please feel free to wage all-out war on my opinions in the comment section, then share this with your friends so they can get in on it too.

Review of Royal Meats in Etobicoke Ontario

This week I’ll be reviewing the burger I had at Royal Meats in Etobicoke.

See this is what friends are for, yet another burger joint I only discovered through referral.  This time I am pleasantly surprised at what I had, something similar yet different.

Royal Meats stands out amongst its bland surroundings and just seems like something special.  You walk in and everything from the flooring to the lighting is top notch and modern.

You pick what kind of meat you want; they have beef, chicken, and various sausages.  The meats are all fresh and on display right in front of you as you order.  This doesn’t seem like so much a burger joint as a butcher shop.  They only have one type of burger, and several meat platters for take-out orders.

I ordered a 1/2lb royal burger and sweet potato fries.  With a drink this total came to about $15.50, which is actually a tad expensive considering I didn’t order any cheese or bacon.

They have the usual toppings but there is freshness to everything.  The lettuce isn’t the usual fair, but seems like something more suited for a salad. They don’t have any gourmet toppings aside from a red pepper paste and some white stuff that I got (seems like cream cheese).  The main problem I have is the lack of cheese options.  Don’t come here expecting to get a cheeseburger, although they do have feta.  It doesn’t seem as if burgers are their thing, they just happened to have buns and added it to the menu.  The bun was incredibly soft but the meat was just a bit too thin and bland.  I could’ve went for the full pound burger but that would’ve added another $3.00 and it’s already on the pricey side.  The meat was perfectly done, not greasy, and had a smoky taste to it.  The meat just seemed a bit small.  It says ½ lb but it’s much smaller than ordering a ½ lb at Wendys.

Lettuce Burger?

I ordered sweet potato fries which were typical fair and I did try their regular fries as well.  Regular fries are skin on and crispy, not greasy at all.  I feel like they could’ve been fried for a little longer but this comes down to personal preference.

Pros:

• Very Fresh
• Good Fries
• Don't feel like you hate yourself once you ate it.

Cons:

• No bacon,
• Meat shrinks,
• Lack of cheeses.

This doesn’t seem like a place I’ll go to get burgers.  I feel that grease and cheese are necessary.  This is definitely a place I’ll go when I want to get good food, and even though it may not seem like a burger joint, they do make one of the best burgers in the GTA. 

8/10

Magoo's in Etobicoke Burger Review

Went to Magoo’s  in Etobicoke on a recommendation but I must tell you it was not my first choice.  I desperately wanted to review Dangerous Dan’s; however, when I arrived there they had some problems with their equipment and told us to come back thirty minutes.  I could not wait this long and after longing into the window from across the street wondering if they were ready, my friend and I gave up and hit a pub on the corner.  So screw you Dan you won’t be making the final list! I'll be reviewing Magoo's this week instead.

Now onto Magoo’s, this is gonna be a short one.  Basically it’s as if there used to be a Lick’s in the same location that was sold to Mr. Magoo, and then Mr. Magoo decided not to change a damn thing.  The appearance, layout, and set up is the same as Lick’s save for some colour choices, and the menu is very similar plus or minus some minor details.  There’s 50’s music and it seems like a place to take your kids, in fact, everyone else had kids with them.

The burgers come in 4oz or 6oz and you can get a combo with fries and a pop for $10.  I ordered a 6oz with cheese (.95) and bacon (1.50) for a total of $12.62, about $4 less than I’ve been paying at most of Toronto’s burger joints. They also have regular fries, spicy fries, onion rings, chili fries, and poutine.  There are no substitutes with combos so you’re stuck with regular fries, they won’t even let you pay the difference.   They have all the standard toppings with the few exceptions of guacamole, bruschetta, and Magoo sauce (AKA Lick’s Guck Sauce). The burger was good even though it was well done; the only problem was that the cheese was not melted; it was just kind of sitting there hating its existence. 

The fries are where the difference from Lick’s comes through.  If you can remember, Lick’s fries were the worst I’ve had so far and thankfully Magoo’s are better.  Fries were fish n chip style and a bit bland.  A friend of mine ordered the spicy fries and they are much better.  They’re not spicy despite their name, but they’re the perfect crispness especially compared to the soggy regular fries.  Very pissed that I got trapped into getting the regular fries when I asked if I could get spicy fries!!  If you wanted to order a-la-carte style, you’d be spending quite a bit more and it just seems like they’re gouging you at that point.

Note the classy trays

I must say that most of the staff were incredibly friendly and seemed to know the customers very well. 

I honestly can’t get over how similar Magoo’s is to Lick’s.  It’s not a bad thing, Magoo’s and Lick’s are both good places, it’s just disappointing to review two places that are so similar.

Pros:

·         Good Value.

·         Friendly Staff.

·         Great Spicy Fries.

Cons:

·         No gourmet toppings

·         Non-melty cheese

·         Can’t substitute my fries?! You kidding me?! Change that ASAP and your score would go up half a point!

The few changes from Lick’s make Magoo’s the better joint, but not worth passing a Lick’s on your way there.

7/10

Little Louie's Burger Joint and Soupery review

So I’m sitting in an economics class in College in Toronto, and the Professor is trying to make a point about something to do with economics.   He says ‘Little Louies in Cambridge makes the best burgers anywhere’.  Now I have no idea what this had to do with anything but it’s probably the only thing I remember from that course.  My girlfriend lives in Cambridge and hasn’t even heard about this place so I figure I have to see for myself.  But if College has given me any benefit, it’s given me a damn good burger joint.

This place looks like a dump from outside.  It’s basically a trailer in the middle of a gravel parking lot, but you’ll forget all about the esthetics once you try it.  Inside is pleasant and has a bit of a country feel.  Lots of lighting and adequate seating with tables, something I’ve missed with all my Toronto visits.

Now I must be honest, my review is based on a visit I made a couple of months ago because I wasn’t able to make it there for this week.  Why?  Because they have the absolute worst hours of any burger joint I’ve reviewed so far.  They’re not open on Weekends! And they close at 6!  WTF!! Cambridge isn’t some sort of hipster town where being the first one there gives you bragging rights…let people with jobs try it to!

Now on to the food, this place was actually opened just to promote another restaurant so I guess that explains the crappy hours.  But this may explain why the burgers are top notch quality.  The burger menu uses a checklist type system where you pick your meat, buns, and a wide variety of gourmet toppings.  They have soup and sandwiches too written all over the place but I had my eyes on the prize.  I ordered an 8oz burger (you can also get 5oz wimp) with bacon, smoked Gouda, fried onions, and roasted red peppers.  The meat was perfectly done and juicy, the cheese was starting to melt, and everything was perfect.  The best part oddly enough, was the bun.  I think its called an egg bun? but regardless it’s the perfect bun for a burger, chewy and delicious. 

Seriously, where do we have to drive for this?!

I skipped fries and ordered crispy fried onions as my side.  You know those little onion straws they put on steak sandwiches usually.  While I really do appreciate them offering these (seriously, I freaked out) they were a bit too greasy and they give you so much that eating them all is a cry for help.

Pros:

·         Good Portion

·         Delicious

·         Lots of toppings

Cons:

·         Greasy onion things

·         Terrible hours

·         Pave the parking lot!!!

I saw my professor in the hall and thanked him for telling me about this place and then walked away.  He probably thought I was a jackass.  But since he’s not a hipster, he was probably actually happy that I got to share in the experience.

Call in sick and make you way to Cambridge.

9/10

Review of The Burger's Priest in Toronto

The Burger’s Priest has received a lot of hype in the last little while.  It’s been voted the best burger in Toronto on Blog To’s list: http://www.blogto.com/toronto/the_best_burger_in_toronto/.  I used this list as my personal burger guide for a long time until  I decided I’ll be making one on my own, and I must say that I don’t agree with their ranking.  The Burger’s Priest is good, but it’s not the best joint I’ve been to.  

The location is quite small but there is enough room to dine-in if you’re less than three people and it’s not during peak hours.  There’s a counter along the wall with some stools and it does the job adequately.  The menu is rather limited at Burger’s Priest, consisting of a cheeseburger, double cheeseburger, the Priest, The option (vegetarian) and What’s Right (double cheeseburger combo with chili fries).  They have the usual fries and chili fries with typical toppings of lettuce, tomato, pickle as well as premium topics of bacon, fried onions, and deep fried jalapenos.    The Burger’s Priest has received buzz not so much from this menu, but they do have a secret menu which includes items such as The Pope and The Vatican. You must check it out before going in: http://www.theburgerspriest.com/secret-menu/.

I went ahead and ordered the Priest off the regular menu (cheeseburger and the option, two mushrooms and cheese that are breaded and deep fried) with fries and a pop.

The price came to $16.70, which is pretty much what I now expect to pay at these gourmet burger joints..  They only take cash, no debit or credit. 

This burger had far too much cheese, I mean it was just oozing out of the option but there was so much that it wasn’t gooey, it was starting to get firm and gross.    The meat was a bit overdone and seemed to break apart into pieces.  The seasoning and texture of the burger was very similar to a Wendy’s patty, although a bit larger.  The meat was good and I wished I had just ordered a double cheeseburger and been spared the overly cheesy mess. 

Fries were only slightly seasoned and were very similar to what you would find at Swiss Chalet, which is a good thing.

The Cheese is just hiding and waiting.

The staff was friendly and seemed really into working there.  Unfortunately in the end I feel as though The Burger’s Priest has become a victim of its own hype.  I recommend you go there and check it out, but if you never do, you won’t be missing out on too much.

Pros:

·         Secret menu is interesting.

·         Good vegetarian option.

Cons:

·         Secret menu is….secret!!

·         Pray your meat isn’t overdone.

·         Too much damn cheese.

7/10

Holy Chuck Burgers

I first discovered Holy Chuck’s on Yonge and St. Clair after leaving my Doctor’s office.  I used the old Urban Spoon app and was pleasantly surprised to find a cool looking burger joint down the street.  Being told my blood pressure was on the verge of becoming high didn’t stop me from trying the place, and this is one place that inspired me to write this blog.

They have the most interesting menu I’ve seen to date.  All gourmet style burgers including one with Foie Gras that goes for $28.  I could go over the list but I’ll let you adventure on it here http://holychuckburgers.com/our-menu/. 

This was the first time I ever wanted to order a veggie burger over meat.  They call it animal feed and it consists of panko crusted Portobello mushroom stuffed with feta & cream cheese, deep fried, topped with lettuce, tomato & lemon herb aioli.  But for the purposes of this blog I had to order meat and went with the Holy Chuck Burger (their signature) which is just a double cheeseburger with bacon and caramelized onions.  They tell you not to add anything and they’re right, this thing is amazing!  First of all this is the first time I`ve been asked how I`d like my meat (rare, med, well etc.)  I ordered medium and although it did seem a bit pink, this was the juiciest burger I`ve ever had!  Cheese was oozing and dripping everywhere, this was also one of the freshest burgers I`ve ever had.  The bun was extremely soft and soaked up all of the juices making it even better.  My only complaint is that the beef was a bit too pink for me, maybe I`ll order it medium-well next time.

The burger is definitely the star of the show

The fries were soft and short and well-seasoned.  They know that the burger is the star of the show and they don`t try to take the spotlight.

The last time I came here I ordered a lamb burger, but I was much more impressed with the beef burger this time around.  The location doesn`t have a great atmosphere and you won`t feel enticed to hang around. 

$16.75 for a burger, fries, and drink is a bit steep the burger alone is definitely worth it.

The Pros:

·         Juiciest burger

·         Great menu

·         Very fresh

The Cons:

·         Not the most inviting atmosphere

·         Fries were mediocre

Overall this is a great spot when it comes to the great burgers, and I`ll definitely need to try a fudge, bacon, sea salt milkshake next time. 

8.5/10

Big Smoke Burger Review

Big Smoke Burger

This week I visited Big Smoke Burger on King St West.  Big Smoke used to be known as Craft burger.   Craft burger was always a place people talked about when you brought up burgers. 

The location was fairly small.  There is a single bench along the wall with chairs across the small tables lined up in single file.  The tables are crammed so tightly that you cannot pass between them if you’re sitting on the bench, and everyone has to get out of the way if you need to go to the washroom.  This is worse than getting up in front of everyone in the middle of a packed movie theatre.

They offer chicken, lamb, beef and vegetarian patties.  There are a whole bunch of gourmet burgers; I ordered a Big Smoke Burger which horseradish mayo, caramelized onions, smoked cheddar, tomato & lettuce.  They offer fries, onion rings, poutine, and salads as sides.  There are 8 signature burgers to choose from but unfortunately the choices feel limited.  All the burgers seem similar and they don’t seem to encourage customization at all. 

My Big Smoke burger with fries and a pop came up to just under $15.

The only issue is that for $15 for a burger, I expect to be full and bursting when I’m done.  Maybe I've crossed the threshold of pure gluttony as the folks next to me were complaining about how stuffed they were, but I could of ate another burger without stopping to take a breath.  Don’t get me wrong, it was delicious; the meat was tender, and the horseradish mayo gave it the perfect tang, but it was just a tad too small. 

I'm leaning towards pure gluttony as the problem

The fries here were good, but they were either cooked in lard or the oil had not been changed in a while and that left the fries with a strange, smoky taste. (Description of fries was given by my girlfriend who accompanied me. For the record, I seem to be completely oblivious to these sorts of things and now bring her along). 

The staff were very friendly and the wait was 8-10 minutes.  The location was dimly lit and had a nice atmosphere.

Pros:

·         Friendly staff.

·         Fair price.

·         Nice Atmosphere.

Cons:

•      Not filling.
•  Tight space.
• trange taste on fries.

Big Smoke burger does everything fairly well, but larger portions will definitely add value.  I know there isn’t much wrong here, but there’s nothing that stands out in any way.  I’m a little disappointed with everything.  It’s not bad, it’s just not great.

6.5/10

The Works Review

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So I found myself in London Ontario where I was going to review Relish burgers.  I saw it on “You Gotta Eat Here” and have been there twice.  The first time was great but the second visit was completely disappointing.  I decided I wanted a change and after googling “Best burgers in London Ontario” I found The Works to be overwhelmingly popular, and Relish to have unanimously gone downhill. 

Luckily after visiting The Works I can see why it’s London’s choice, and fortunately for the rest of you, there are locations all over Ontario.

The Works is set up more like a restaurant than a fast-food joint.   Although the speed of service was excellent, a restaurant set up is not the most convenient thing when you’re ordering burgers.

The menu has a build-your-own burger setup where you pick your bun, meat, toppings, and side.

There is a large selection of burgers and you can choose from such as beef, chicken, turkey, elk, or a mushroom cap.  Instead of listing toppings to choose from, they just list a ton of topping combinations each with its own theme.  It is very time consuming to pick as there is over 50 selections, but there’s definitely something for everyone. 

I ordered a beef burger covered in peppercorn, with goat cheese, and bacon ($13.95).  The bun was the perfect density and never slid or broke apart.  The bacon wasn’t too greasy, and the goat cheese was amazing, as goat cheese always is.  My only complaint would be the seasoning as there was way too much peppercorn that it overpowered everything else.  Luckily I had a nice cold beer to wash it down.  Yes, another joint that serves beer!  Portion was average (I could’ve destroyed another). 

The Good:

·         Great selection.

·         Good service.

·         Nice atmosphere.

The Bad;

·         A bit pricey for just burgers and fries.

·         Restaurant style is inconvenient.

·         Over-seasoned meat (probably just for burgers with peppercorn)

I actually wanted to go back to The Works within hours of leaving.  I will definitely go again and try another of their great choices.  You definitely must try it, and I’m sure there’s a location near you.

9/10!

Lick's Homeburgers Review

Lick’s Homeburgers was the first place that I’ve been to that I really felt was a burger joint.  The love that the staff put into those burgers, the taste, the portions, it was all new and amazing to me.  Lick’s is a chain of restaurants and I questioned their inclusion on this list but I owed it to them.

 I’ve seen a few locations close down and every time it hurts a little.  Unfortunately, after being exposed to some of the other independent burger joints in Ontario, I can’t say that I’m surprised.

When you walk in Lick’s seems to have it all…Great selection of burgers, salads, poutine, chili, onion rings and desserts.  Menu is simple and there is definitely something for everyone.  There’s turkey, chicken, beef, and veggie burgers as well as carb-free options and even wrap versions of their burgers.

I ordered a burger and fries, after only a 3 or 4 minutes wait; you pick your toppings for your burger.  Slim pickings here, there’s only lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, and cucumbers.  They also have their own version of mayo called Guck sauce.  This stuff is amazing and I highly recommend it.  You can buy it at most grocery stores so you don’t necessarily have to go to Lick’s to get it.

The burger was a perfect size on a perfect toasted sesame bun.  Not enough people toast their buns!

The burger tasted great and I was definitely satisfied, but something about it was bland.  I think it may be the lack of toppings, but the burger was missing a wow factor that so many joints have.  It was just a typical burger.

Now for the worst of the worst I’ve had so far…the FRIES!  seriously…from frozen, tasted terrible, as if they microwaved left over McCain fries.  Stay away, get onion rings instead!

Prices are pretty good at only $5.49 for a burger.

Pros

·         Good value

·         Decent burger

·         Guck Sauce!!

Cons

·         Few toppings

·         just…nothing special

·         WORST FRIES!!

I hope one day when you’re driving around at lunch deciding between Wendy’s and McDonald’s, you’ll think of Lick’s and choose it instead.  At least buy Guck sauce to keep at home.

I had fond memories of Lick’s but I only feel one way now….Disappointed.

6.5/10

Five Guys Burgers and Fries

So as promised I am bringing you my first burger joint review starting with Five Guys Burgers and Fries located in Mississauga on Erin Mills Pkwy.

First off I want to explain the reason I chose Five Guys for my first review:

This man’s perfectly auto-tuned review of Five Guys has made me look forward to this day for a long time now.  I couldn`t wait for that oozing cheese and bite-back fries served in grocery bags as promised by the video.

When you walk in everything looks clean and sharp.  The menu is free from clutter above the cashier but this is where the first problems arise.   The menu is simple, yet unclear.  A Cheeseburger is actually a double-cheeseburger, and a junior burger is a normal burger.  I haven`t been to Five Guys in years and had no idea what the difference would have been.  I assumed a junior burger was for babies or cowards so I obviously ordered a normal cheeseburger.  Now that I`ve blindly chosen my burger it is time for the toppings.  They have quite a few toppings and you pick every single thing that goes on your burger such as ketchup or grilled mushrooms.  This is problem #2, you have to pick your toppings when you order, unlike somewhere like Harvey’s where you can see them and choose afterwards.  There is no additional cost for any topping so I don’t understand why it is done beforehand.  I panicked with people behind me and could not make an informed topping choice.  I ended up with ketchup, mayo, lettuce, tomato, and grilled mushrooms.  Not a bad choice but I feel I could have done better.

Five Guys doesn’t have combos, you have to order fries and a drink as separate items, and this is problem #3.  The lack of combos means that an order of a cheeseburger, large fries (medium was the only other choice) and a medium drink came to $18.21!!!!  Now this is a reasonable price for a sit-down restaurant, but this is a low service fast food joint.

Now on to the food itself, after waiting 10 minutes for my burger I must say it tasted amazing!!  The cheese was oozing perfectly, the meat was moist and tender, and the mushrooms were perfect. The only complaint was the size.  The burger was no larger than a double-quarter pounder from McDonalds, but that being said, in terms of flavour I don’t expect any burger to top this one! The fries, as promised, came in a very large cup inside of an enormous paper bag.  The fries overflowed the cup and there were so many in the bag that it could have fit into another cup.  I ordered Cajun fries over regular but they were nothing worth singing a song about.  At least they have large ketchup containers so you have enough on hand to cover up the bland taste.

My last issue with Five Guys is that the walls are covered in awards and articles, mainly from Zagat awarding Five Guys with Best Value.  My biggest issue with Five Guys is the price, and these awards posted all around seemed to mock me as I ate.

Pros:

·         Great Taste!

·         Large portion of fries.

·         Very clean.

Cons:

·         Price!!

·         Fries are forgettable.

·         Deceiving menu.

To summarize you have to give Five Guys a try, maybe skip the fries and just get the burger to cut down on the cost.  8/10 – the burger is unreal.   DAYUM!!!