The Burger's Priest

We have visited the Burger's Priest twice...once in March, 2012 (the Beaches location) and once in August, 2012 (the North Toronto location). These are our experiences:

August 18, 2012

The Burger's Priest
3397 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario

416-488-3510

In her opinion:
I've been thinking about "the Pope" (one of the secret menu choices) since I had it last March, 2012. The delicious beef patties, the soft bun, the "Option" (a cheese stuffed portobello) in the middle and dreaming to returning to the Burger's Priest to grab one. Well, this last Saturday I convinced Edgar that it was time for a return to visit to this "church" to the humble beef burger.

Instead of driving to the Beaches we opted to visit the North Toronto location.  We walked in and found that it wasn't as tiny as the Beaches location.  We even managed to find seating for the three of us. I ordered myself a "Pope"...I know...I had it last time but it was so good and I had been dreaming about the "Pope" not a different burger.

This was burger perfection. It lived up to all of my expectations. God, I love the "Pope". It's really heaven on earth.  

The North Toronto location has milkshakes. So we ordered a chocolate banana to share.

This was a good milkshake. Not too sweet. It was actually refreshing. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

My second visit to the Burger's Priest was as awesome as the first.

In his opinion:

When my wife tells me at 3 PM on a Saturday afternoon that she is craving Burger's Priest "Pope" burger, and wants to drive 1 hour to downtown Toronto to have it that same day, 2 things come to mind. She is either pregnant and hasn't told me or it is inconceivable the lengths to which a "foodie" will go for a good meal. 

Fortunately, for me, it was the latter and just confirmed that burger lovers will do anything to have a good or a favourite burger. We arrived in perfect time to the Yonge Street location just before it got super busy and we were able to order and even grab a seat. I had been pondering what burger to have all the way since I left Cambridge and decided to have something from the "not so secret menu anymore", since it is now featured on their website.

After some consideration, I opted for the mother of all burgers and went straight for the "Tower of Babel". For those not familiar with this colossal burger, it is basically a combination of 2 of their most famous burgers. It's a "Pope" with grilled cheeses replacing the buns (like the "Vatican") to make it the Tower of Babel. It tastes amazing but you may need the skills of a boa constrictor snake, to dislocate your jaw to even get a bite in.

Oddly enough, it's not the biggest burger they make. There is a also 6 patty, 6 cheese slice burger with the obvious name of 6x6, just in case you have Andre the Giant type of appetite.

While savouring my "Tower of Babel", the 2 people next to me were gazing in awe at my burger and in between one of my bites, they asked me what was that? I told them what it was and they were surprised to find out that there is another menu besides the one advertised in the restaurant. I guess even now, when the secret menu is on their website, some patrons still don't know of its existence. I'm making a point of changing that, one customer at a time.

The Burger's Priest never disappoints and well worth the long drive to have their burgers. One day they may tell us what's in those juicy, amazing beef patties and we can attempt to replicate one of our favourites in our backyard grill. Well...I wouldn't hold my breath.




March 11, 2012

The Burger's Priest
1636 Queen Street
Toronto, ON

647-346-0617

In her opinion:

We decided to spend the day in Toronto with our non-foodie child and try out a couple of much talked about culinary draws - the Burger's Priest and Table 17. We got into Toronto and to the Burger's Priest about a half hour before it opened. There were already cars parked out front with people waiting for this shrine to the burger to open.  We explored the neighbourhood including the LCBO for wines to review later on this blog and got back just before this church was opened for service.

By the time we got back to the Burger's Priest, there was a line-up about eight people deep, mostly big guys with big appetites waiting to order these little pieces of heaven. This burger joint is small. There's seating for maybe 6 people. Which meant most people were taking it to go or having it in their cars - just like we did.

By the time it was my turn to order, I came armed and prepared.  I knew the secret menu.  I had discovered that this menu existed a while ago when I was researching the Burger's Priest. And I was the only one from the first group that ordered, that knew it...I bet those big boys wanted to know what the heck I was talking about and when the cashier called out "a Vatican City" and "a Pope" I got a lot of weird and inquisitive looks.  Regardless, I did my good deed for the day and told a dad and his son about the secret menu when he started gushing about how cool this place was and how it was his first time there.

The secret menu can be found here! The blogger or bloggers at "Food With Legs" took the time to explain the secret menu in great detail, so I suggest that you take the time to study it. It offers burgers that are not on the Burger's Priest standard menu displayed in the restaurant.

The secret burgers are out of this world.  I ordered "the Pope" for myself, although we shared both our burgers so we would know how each tasted. I devoured most of this gorgeous creature.

The Pope

This burger consists of two four-ounce beef patties with cheese and there's an "Option" in the middle of the cheeseburgers. An "Option" is a deep-fried cheese stuffed portobello cap. This burger is outstanding. The "Option" in the middle of these succulent cheeseburgers is what makes this burger out of this world. I loved loved this burger. I've been thinking about "the Pope" all day and not the one in Rome.  So good. I tried Edgar's "Vatican City" which was actually featured in Toronto Life's Eating and Drinking 2012 magazine as "Burger of the Year". This burger was also very very good...but "the Pope" gets my "Conclave" vote. These burgers may be the draw to get this girl back to "Church" on a regular basis.

In his opinion:

I will try to avoid all the Church/Religious/Vatican/Rome puns that have been widely displayed all over the internet reviews when describing this sanctuary to all things burger. Although, it's not the salvation of anyone, it will be the redemption of most. Damn I'm too late to avoid that...

I'm sure some of you have heard about the Burger's Priest through all the fanfare of their recently opened new location, or you already know all about the so called "best burger in town" joint that packs day in and day out a collection of devoted followers that religiously devour these amazing forbidden fruits (oh, here I go again.....focus!!!)

Line-ups at noon for the Saturday opening, really? It felt like Best Buy on boxing day but I guess it's that popular. I waited patiently in the cold for my turn to enter the "church" and as I finally made it through the door I quickly realized that this is truly a take-out place. Don't get me wrong, there are seats, kinda like the back seat on Porsche 911's, symbolic and for show only. I tried to sit in one of the seats with my son and felt in the way of all the people lining up behind me. Burgers to go it was, and our SUV was the "picnic table".

We ordered from the "not so secret menu". It's not a secret any more because of all the internet leaks.  And the few that don't know about it must be living in their secret underground bunkers.

The "Vatican City" and the "Pope" were the chosen burgers to order on this day. The "Vatican City" is Toronto Life Magazine's "burger of the year"...enough said. Besides needing to dislocate your jaw to actually take a bite of this monster burger, the mix of textures and flavours will keep you wondering if you actually had ever used all the sensors in your tongue in the past! The colossal mushroom in the middle of the "Pope" elevates it to a new level of burger taste, unknown to most of mankind. Amazing taste, succulent, moist and worth every trip to the church, even for confession. Okay, maybe not for confession!

Vatican City Burger

My choice was the "Vatican City" burger. How do I begin to explain this burger? Well...it's grilled cheese meets best cheeseburger in the world. It's exactly as described, grilled cheese on top and bottom and double cheeseburger in the middle. Double burger patties cooked to perfection, soft, tasty and easy to bite into. The taste is unlike any burger I have ever had. It felt like, as I was about to bite the tastiest burger ever, someone stuck two great grilled cheeses in my mouth. It is totally decadent, tasting almost illegal from being so good.

Are these the best burgers in TO? I don't know and I'm sure neither does Mark McEwan with his "best in town" Gucci burger claims. I must admit that it makes you stop and redefine everything you have ever thought a burger was or could be. Their taste, innovativeness and dedication are evident in every bite, and the legion of followers lining up outside at any given time of the day suggest that this church has a large congregation. Don't bother attending this church on Sunday's as it is real Church day as advertised. But give it a try any other time. Worth the possible clogged arteries any day!

Go and have fun...but go there for a " good time, not a long time"! And take it to go (as if there was any another option)!