Any T.O. burger joint to rival the The Burger Joint in NYC?
Just got back from NYC and had the distinct pleasure of trying the Burger Joint hamburgers (tucked away in Le Parker Meridien hotel, midtown Manhattan -- rated the best burger in NYC and indeed in the USA).
Has anyone found anything even remotely similar in T.O., I mean in terms of flavour, juiciness, etc.? TIA.
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For those of you who are not in the know for comparison purposes Burger Joint is a retro style straight up chargrilled burger, hand formed patty, served on a Wonder bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, mustard, ketchup and mayo . They do cook to order but a medium (no pink) is still nice and juicy. Not that long ago they were $4.50, now they are 7 bucks. Weekday lunches they sell over 1000 burgers. It's a well executed version of what most burgers were once like. You will not find microgreens or avocado or chipotle anything, and praise the lord for that. The dominant flavour note I find is the char. Your bun will fall apart before you finish the burger, live with it.
So first off, cross off your list anyplace that does fancy toppings, if you couldn't buy it in the Dominion Store in Thunder Bay in 1975 it doesn't belong on a burger. Same goes for the bun, a supermarket white bun is essential, frankly that's the tough part these days, few places will use the right kind of bun. That pretty much eliminates any of the current crop of gourmet burger places (Burger Shoppe/BQM, Craft etc.) If memory serves Golden Star in Thornhill does a burger that has the right feel, not their regular burger but there is a deluxe one described as homemade on the menu, but honestly it's been years since I've been there otherwise I'd tend to expect to find the right thing in a diner rather than a burger specific place, I have a vague feeling that the Patrician Grill is close but again, it's been a few years.
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Patrician Grill
219 King St E, Toronto, ON M5A1J9, CA›1 Reply -
Rudiger
Mar 21, 2010 04:37 PM
While I haven't been to the 'Burger Joint' that you mentioned, I can certainly provide a good recommendation.
I think that Stockyards BBQ has the best burger in the city. They cook it on a beautiful flat top and there was some wiggle room as to how I wanted it cooked (as rare as you'll make it was my order and it came out nice and pink). The burger is seasoned lightly with S&P, has a great beef flavour and you don't need to ask them to butter the bun because they do always do!
Last Friday they had a smoked green chile pimento cheese burger on special which was out of this world. A perfect homage to the green (hatch) chile cheeseburger of New Mexico.
I WANT ANOTHER!
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The Stockyards
699 St Clair Ave W, Toronto, ON M6C, CA›3 Replies-
re: Rudiger
Jamie Eats Burgers
Mar 22, 2010 06:48 AM
that sounds good. but I would have preferred an actual green chilie cheeseburger.
they are not hard/expensive to do.
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Notorious P.I.G.
Mar 21, 2010 03:29 PM
No. But I also think that the Burger Joint is a bit overrated.
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re: jayt90
Nothing fancy, no embellishments. Just a good, simple barbequed burger. Juicy, smoky, and tasty as anything you've ever had (I'm talking BBQ meat-wise). They make a small burger or cheeseburger (two cheeses), it costs around $5 per, and everyone flocks to this place -- young and old, rich or threadbare, famous or infamous or shut-in.
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re: yaddayadda
jayt90
Mar 21, 2010 04:10 PM
For a simple burger, hand made, with a bacon strip and grated cheese, I've had a good one consistently, with fries, for $6 at Collegiate Lunch, Gerrard and Jones.
http://www.chow.com/restaurants/37963... -
re: yaddayadda
I share your enthusiasm for a good burger. But I had a question -- by barbeque do you meaning cooking over an open flame? Because if you do, you might want to call it grilled. Barbeque is meat cooked low and slow over indirect meat -- a pork shoulder or beef brisket are classics.
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re: yaddayadda
Notorious P.I.G.
Mar 21, 2010 03:59 PM
I guess overrated is maybe too strong a word but so is rating it the best burger in NYC and the USA. (not that you gave it that rating) I guess it comes down to preference. I personally like Shake Shack/BlueSmoke, Spotted Pig, or even Gordon Ramsay at Maze's burger is also really good. If you want to go a little more expensive then you can spend $26 at Minetta Tavern and get their black label burger or DBGB/DBBistro Moderne's Burger however the latter is a different beast altogether. (Burger w/Foie Gras etc)
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re: Notorious P.I.G.
True. I guess I should have specified "regular" burger or, perhaps, a regular priced burger of similar taste. Say anything less than $8. (Definitely not the Foie Gras versions or those $30 gourmet versions so much the rage a few years ago -- those are truly a different beast.)
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re: yaddayadda
Notorious P.I.G.
Mar 21, 2010 04:10 PM
Yeah, regular burger of similar taste I prefer Shake Shack's burger, or Blue Smoke which is the exact same thing as the Shake Shack (both Danny Meyer owned) but with a more substantial patty. Then after SS I would have to put In N Out Burger right up there.
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re: Notorious P.I.G.
aser
Mar 22, 2010 03:23 PM
Pat LaFreida black label burger, been dying to try that but getting a seat at Minetta isn't exactly easy.
Black Label is also available at City Burger.
http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2...
I think Shake Shack is better than The Burger Joint, by a good margin.
Allen's is your best bet for the $10 burger range in the city. Best burger overall in Toronto if price wasn't a consideration is Bymark.
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Bymark
66 Wellington St. W, Toronto, ON M5K 1J3, CA
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