Ultimate Burger Guide: Toronto Edition

By: Adam Gurza, @Everything_Delish Toronto Contributor 

Toronto; notorious for Drake, but more well known for their most DELISH burgers. When it comes to food, almost everyone knows that my go to is burgers- I make a mean homemade burger, I love breakfast burgers, and I have been trying to find the best in the city for an extremely long time.

Double Cheeseburger topped with all of the goods from Museum Tavern in Toronto.

For me, there are a few things that make the burger over the top. 1- the bun, if the bun cannot hold the meat together and isn’t fresh, its just not good. 2- the meat, it’s got to be simple and cooked to perfection. 3- the toppings, they shouldn’t go over the top, they need to add flavour as well as crunch.

Keep reading for the Everything Delish Ultimate Burger Guide for the 6ix.

Golden Star

when it comes to homemade, family run institutions, Golden Star in Thornhill takes the cake. They are making burgers from scratch every day since 1964. Looking like it has since it opened, I was treated to a burger topped with delicious cheddar, crispy bacon, pickles and caramelized onions. The pickles and bacon added a delicious crunch, the onions complimented the bacon and pickles, and the bun did its job. All in all this burger 100 percent did the trick and this place is a can’t miss if you are in the mood for a delicious burger that has been doing it right for over 50 years.

Banquet Burger from Golden Star in Toronto.

Museum Tavern

Cheeseburgers!! One of my best friends has always told me that a hamburger is not a hamburger if it does not have cheese on it. I can always tell that a burger is good if I don’t ever put it down, and that is exactly what happened at Museum Tavern. The double cheeseburger served on an extremely fresh sesame seed bun was one that I have been thinking about since that day I had it. Please try this burger and tell me that you can’t call it one of the best you’ve ever had.

Double Cheeseburger from Museum Tavern in Toronto.

Rasa

The Rasa burger is special. Again cheese is one of the highlights of this one along with the bun. But when you can add to the holy grail of the hamburger and make it unforgettable, that is a special thing. At Rasa, the burger includes beef cheek, which adds another element to this incredible burger. Topped with provolone and pickles, this burger is almost as close to perfect as a burger can get. Pro tip, if you can add to the meat and improve the taste, you’ve done well. Rasa is a great institution selling one of the best burgers in the city, hands down.

Rasa Burger: beef cheek, provolone, gochujang mayo, pickles, scrapchi, taro chips in Toronto.

The Carbon Bar

When you think of burgers, most likely you think of the USA. They’ve been doing it since the beginning of time and they’ve arguably been doing it better than everyone else. So when you hear of a spot that’s calling themselves an American restaurant that’s changing their burger frequently to use only the freshest ingredients, it’s a place that you can’t pass up. The burger comes with smoked Gouda, bacon, and a garlic mayo that was special to say the least. What I loved about this burger, is that you can taste how fresh everything is. If you want a burger this is fresh, and constantly going to be delicious and different- The Carbon Bar is for you!

The Carbon Bar Cheeseburger: 8 oz beef patty, lettuce, charred red onion, pit smoked bacon, Thunder Oak gouda, dill pickle, ballpark mustard, smoked chili mayo from The Carbon Bar in Toronto.

Holy Chuck

This place should be called HOLY SMOKES. They are doing things bigger than any other burger institution in the city. From burgers on croissants, to bacon burgers, to almost anything outrageous you could expect on a burger, they are doing it, and doing it well! When a burger is called the challenge, you know I am going to get it. So here is what I ate- SIX PATTIES, cheese, bacon, tomatoes, caramelized onions, oh and goes what- it was between THREE GRILLED CHEESE PATTIES!!!! Grilled cheese is one of my favourite foods and they do it well, crispy bacon, and very simple yet delicious chuck beef made for me enjoying definitely no more than half of the burger. If you need a burger on the go that is doing some insane stuff with simple ingredients, go to Holy Chuck!

Go Chuck Yourself Burger from Holy Chuck in Toronto.

Richmond Station

Please don’t hold me to this, but I may have saved the best for last. When you walk into a restaurant at lunchtime during the week, with over half of the tables enjoying the burger, you know you have selected well. I am going to end off with the meat so be patient for a little bit. Milk bun- fluffy, warm, fresh, which held the juiciness together with ease. Aged cheddar, the cheese that in my opinion compliments hamburgers the best. Beet chutney, those two words are always a yes with a burger. Ok now to the meat- THERE IS SHORT RIB COOKED INTO IT!! Are you kidding me? The short rib allows the burger to be cooked perfectly and added a whole ridiculous other layer to the burger. All these elements together make for burger perfection! 

Station Burger: lettuce, beet chutney, aged cheddar, milk bun, rosemary fries, dill pickle, garlic aioli from Richmond Station in Toronto.

E11even Restaurant

The Maple Burger from E11even is topped with Guinness Cheddar, Double Cup Bacon and Garlic Aioli. This juicy patty is sandwiched between the most perfectly toasted sesame seed buns and cooked to a perfect medium. I decided to pair the burger with regular hand cut fries, because hey, who doesn’t love a classic burger & fries combo? Definitely one of the top burgers in Toronto!

The Maple Burger from E11even Restaurant

There are a reckless amount of memorable burgers in Toronto, please make sure you tune into Everything Delish as we continue to explore! Check out the Ultimate Chicago Burger Guide while your at it!