five guys

I think that Five Guys may be my new favourite burger spot. But only for their burgers. Not that their fries are bad (they're not, they're just not my fave), but their burgers are awesome. I'd classify these burgers as a step up from fast food, but not the same as the "gourmet burgers" that come with all kinds of crazy toppings. When you walk in there are bags of roasted peanuts for munching on (free!) But if you're allergic, be warned that they also cook their fries in peanut oil.

I went for the cheeseburger (not to self: a regular cheeseburger here is actually a double). And got it topped with ketchup, mayo, extra pickles and grilled onions. I loved the fact that none of their toppings cost extra (even the grilled onions or mushrooms). And they use my beloved processed cheese! Cheeseburgers are so much better with processed cheese.

The juicy hand-formed burgers are grilled on a flat top to order and are really messy to eat. Next time, I'll go for the "little cheeseburger" (one patty), which I think would be the perfect sized burger.

Five Guys

Locations throughout Ontario

the works

This past weekend, Joe and I stuffed our faces at the new-ish (to Toronto) burger chain, The Works. 

Instead of regular glasses, the sodas come in measuring cups. 

Our waitress pointed out that all of the burgers are made to order, so they take about twenty minutes to cook. We decided to get started with their Tower-O-Rings, a big, crispy stack of onion rings that come with your choice of two dipping sauces. We went with the Beechhouse (a creamy veggie and garlic mayo) and the Hotter Than Hell (not really that hot, but still delicious). I was real happy with these crunchy, non-greasy rings.

For burgers, Joe chose the BT Breakfast Burger topped with mayo, a fried egg, tomato, cheddar and bacon.  

I got the Beach Boardwalk Burger topped with an onion ring, Beechhouse sauce, brie, havarti and gouda. It was huge. I ate about half before calling it quits. I also got the spicy die-cut chips (not spicy at all) as my side—they were awesome dipped in even more of that Beechhouse sauce. 

Was this a good burger? I would say yes. It was juicy and hearty. Considering I could barely move after this meal, next time I'd probably split a burger rather than attempt to eat a whole one on my own. Plus, then maybe I'd have room for their deep-fried dill pickles. This city needs more deep-fried pickles.

The Works

888 Danforth Ave.

holy chuck burgers

I've been wanting to go to Holy Chuck Burgers for months, so I was pretty excited when Joe suggested we go over the weekend. Joe had the signature Holy Chuck (a bacon double cheeseburger w/ caramelized onions) and hand-cut fries:

I went for the Mad Cow (a junior cheeseburger + a deep-fried cream cheese-stuffed portobello mushroom) and house-made chips:

A closer look at my burger:

So how did it rate? Well, I'm not entirely sold on this place. First off, it cost about $34 for these two meals (including drinks). That's quite steep (but I guess not really crazy for "gourmet" burger joints). The burger patties were fresh and juicy, the buns were pillowy soft, and the fries and chips were awesome. My main problem was that the portobello mushroom on my burger wasn't cooked enough. The coating was uber-crisp, but the mushroom was pretty much and I am not a fan of raw shrooms. I actually took it off my burger and just ate the cheeseburger portion. I also didn't like the herb aioli which was too overpowering. I still want to go back, however, next time I'll go for a plain burger (Joe's was really good) and maybe try one of their outrageous milkshakes (uh, Nutella and salted caramel? Yes, please!). I'm also planning a visit to The Burger's Priest soon to see how their burgers compare.

Holy Chuck Burgers

1450 Yonge St.