The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro

The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro
92 King Street South
Waterloo, Ontario

519-885-6000

In her opinion:
So there has been some buzz recently about The Works, Waterloo's fairly new gourmet burger joint. I wanted to see what all the buzz was about.  So we took our little man and ventured to Waterloo.

The place looked pretty full as we approached it; however, they had a few tables available and sat us right away.  Our informative waiter explained how to order their delicious burgers and how they take about 20 minutes to cook.  He also explained that they would be a little pink. 

Our waiter took our drink orders right away. He told us about their refreshing lemonade that was not on their menu. That's exactly what I ordered to drink.

The lemonade came in a 500ml measuring cup...interesting. It was indeed refreshing and delicious.  Not too tart and not too sweet. Just right.

We started off by ordering one of their "High Octane Poutines" - the Fajita Poutine. It is described on their menu as hot fresh cut fries with jack and cheddar cheese, oodles of gravy, sauteed onions, green peppers, Salsa Loco and sizzlin' fajita chicken.  It was huge.  It came in a small bucket. It was absolutely delicious. A very interesting flavour combo.  So good.

For my burger, I choose the beef "Rambo Burger" with a side of sweet potato strings.  It is described on the menu as "mushrooms, smokey bbq, cheddar and double smoked bacon".

I could taste the smokiness of the bbq sauce and bacon right away. The mushrooms and cheese added the right amount of balance to the burger.  I didn't think the burger was pink but rather well done. I would have preferred if it had been more pink but it was still quite good.  The sweet potato string fries were also very good. Overall, a very good burger. It was too much for me to finish...so I brought lunch for tomorrow.

It's nice to have another gourmet burger spot in the region.

In his opinion:
Who doesn't love a good burger joint? I mean, besides vegetarians and calorie counters, but there is even burgers to please that crowd in most menus these days. At the Works you can find vegetarian alternatives and even domestic elk burgers. Sorry calorie counters, you are S.O.L....but again "burger" says it all.

The Works is a franchise of gourmet burger joints that has enjoyed a lot of success and awards all over Ontario and is now finally in our Region. Located conveniently in downtown Waterloo, it seems to be packed every time I drive by.

Sooner or later it was inevitable that I would stop in and give it a try. I like the exterior look with the big open windows and catchy curb appeal.
Inside more of the same, decorated in an industrial, outdoor style, it's cozy enough but not too neighborhood burger joint like. Thank God, because I couldn't take another 50's theme burger place.

The menu is quite extensive and for all of you "always in a hurry" type, this is not Burger King. Your burger will take 20 minutes to cook, so relax, have a coke and a smile...or some really good poutine while you wait because it will surely be worth it.

We started off with a poutine ourselves. There are so many to choose from and they all sounded great. We picked from the "High Octane Poutine" part of the menu and settled on the "Fajita Poutine". I'm glad that we each didn't order one because these poutines are huge. Served in a large tin bowl or small bucket, it was delicious. Great combination of toppings and flavours (see above for description).

For my burger (above),  I picked the "Perimeter Burger". Loads of avocado, beach house sauce, sun dried tomato and feta cheese. It was extremely delicious and the combination of flavours in outstanding. The patty itself is huge and the bread is soft but firm enough to keep things together. Can't wait to try a few other burgers on their menu and I will surely return.  As a side I had the spicy die-cut chips and it was good. I prefer the sweet potato strings myself.

The Good: Great atmosphere, the staff was super attentive and the managers were checking in periodically to ensure a good experience. The burgers are huge and very tasty. Great selection and taste.
The Bad: Beef patty itself tastes rather bland. Not sure if it's because of the sheer size of it but thankfully the whole burger works great together.
The Verdict: As long as you are not expecting "drive thru" type of speedy burgers, there is absolutely no reason why you should not be coming to The Works for all your burger cravings. Try it and do it often.

I give it 3 olives out of 5 as rating.