Baja Burger Shack

Best burger in town. Great location and view of the water and the setting sun. Great drinks, hard working and lovely staff, and reasonable prices. We’ll be back.

Location, location, location? Well, it couldn’t be a better location, and maybe that’s the issue. A bit overpriced, and a bit undercleaned, means that the otherwise decent Baja burger is a letdown. Put this place anywhere else, and the price and presentation would be major drawbacks.

Some friends were playing volleyball in a league on the beach (how cool!) and asked me to come around afterwards for drinks… OK!
I am from Ottawa and had not been back for awhile — I did not even know that this place existed! I am so glad I have now found it!
I cannot comment on the food as we had already eaten prior to going but I can tell you that this mango concoction the owner made me was soooo good! Slushy and so mango-​y. The service was super friendly and prices were reasonable.
The washrooms were locked right beside the beach bar and you have to go to the main building, be prepared to walk! This may be a park rule to lock the washrooms after a certain time.
We sat at picnic tables within the tiki bar and talked the night away, it was quite busy but never any drink line-​up).
I can see myself coming back to eat here in a heartbeat, the other reviews I read for this place have made me hungry again!
The drinks were a small price to pay for great company and for watching a cool pink sunset on the beach!

BEST BURGER I have ever had from a restaurant. Better than the works, better than five guys, better better better!
Tender burger, moist, flavourful, even without any toppings! Bun was fresh! Burgers made to order– not sitting precooked under heat lamps! Best value for your money!
Fries were good too!
I would highly recommend eating here especially if you’re at Britannia beach!

Loved the cheeseburger! So juicy it was dripping. They are hand-​made patties, thick like mama makes. :-) Bonus: They have gluten free buns — and they’re even good gluten free buns. (A rarity — most gluten free buns are dry and grainy in texture. Pretty sure these ones are egg-​based.)
Also tried the poutine — a bit on the salty side, but enjoyable none-​the-​less. They were out of iced tea — disappointing — but had one of their other frozen drinks and it was enjoyable.
Surprisingly (to me) — for a joint on a public beach — they server beer/​wine and mixed drinks.
Staff were great to deal with. It would be cool if they carried that Baja theme thru more of the seating area, instead of just at the front with the grass skirt-​like décor. Great view to the beach area.
It is hard to find. Park, and walk toward the main beach building. It’s on the beach side of that building. Parking was a bear the day we were there. Not sure if it’s always that bad, but consider biking or walking over there if that works for you.
Would I recommend: Yup.
Would I return: You becha. We’ve got out-​of-​country guests coming in — and a day at the beach, with a great burger and poutine is on our menu.

I stop by here every week after volleyball, and as far as beach side burger shacks go this is actually pretty good. The cheeseburger made it on Ottawa Citizen’s ‘Best Burger’ list and I think it’s deserved as I quite liked it. Nice fresh patty. I’ve also tried the chicken burger though and that doesn’t quite measure up. It was more deep fried batter than chicken.
They also have a limited selection of beer, both one on tap and bottled beer, at decent prices.
The music selection varies depending on who is working I believe. Some nights it’s really fun Caribbean music while tonight it was more like sock-​hop rock.
Also note that it is cash only, but they have an ATM on site.
Basically, if you’re at the beach it’s a great place to stop by for some food and a drink, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to try it.

Very friendly staff here! This was a convenient and cute little place, which was fairly packed when we were there. I was so glad they were open on that hot sunny day when we were there! We needed something cold to drink.
There was a lot going on on the beach while we were there. Apparently they often have volleyball tournaments there — not only the Hope. Now I can see why.
UPDATE June 17 2015: I’ve gotta say that they’re still great! We went back to Britania Beach for our annual event, and the food and location was stellar. Even the weather cooperated! Can’t wait to bring the family to the Baja Burger Shack! Awesome food!

A friend and I tried this place today based on the ‘best burger in Ottawa’ article in the Citizen.
I don’t know if it is ‘the’ best since I haven’t tried all the other ones yet, but it is pretty good. Definitely better than Five Guys (which I put at the lowest). Maybe not as good as Dick’s.
Anyways, some facts. First off, the map location in google is off. It’s further down the road and pretty much right at the beach. (Drive down the road and take the parking lot on the right and walk towards the beach. The second parking lot which is on the left is too far (well, further I guess).
They have a small eating area outside with some tables as they have beer you can order. But you can take the food (no beer though!) and sit in the park. Definitely gets points for the scenery depending on the time of year.
They don’t have a huge selection (four burgers) and I had the Big Kahuna burger. There was some sauce on it for flavor but I think they spice their meat as well. Anyways, a nice place. Recommend to at least try it.

After a summer of volleyball I had a chance to eat here more than a handful of times and had the chance to try a few items on the menu.
The baja burger was definitely my favourite item though I felt it got worse as the summer went on. If you don’t get the baja burger with everything on it (sauce and cheese) I didn’t find it as good.
The fries were alright as are the hot dogs and the shake. I’m not sure what it was but I found the food a lot better near the start of the summer versus the later months of it. It might also have been the time of day as my first review was during lunch when the beach wasn’t to busy versus most nights when the beach was full due to the volleyball players as well as school being out.

Eh…
It’s a notch above Harvey’s.
Baja is definitely not all it’s cracked up to be. The burger was mediocre at best, fries were hot & fresh but just so bland, and the milkshakes (I had to wait extra because mine was forgotten) were nothing special. If you are here for the beach or volleyball, it’s an acceptable lunch — but I wouldn’t go here otherwise.
To get there, you drive down Greenview Avenue to the parking lot at the very end and walk around the building to find Baja Burger Shack. It’s all outdoor seating… it can get pretty hot in the direct sunlight! It gets pretty busy at lunch, and it took a long time for my burger and fries. Kinda disappointing, especially when my meal costs $ 14… outrageous! But the fries are big enough to share. As long as you can keep the many circling flies at bay.
To sum up, this is definitely *not* Ottawa’s best burger. Go to Hintonburger instead for cheaper and better food. Or if you want to pay the same price, enjoy the full-​service atmosphere and delicious milkshakes from The Works.

It was okay. I had a chicken burger and the chicken was really good — lots of white meat and no suspect chewy bits. Barely any of the «baja» sauce on it… I couldn’t even taste it. Fries are terrible! Basically taste like McCains that have been briefly dunked in a deep fryer. They also blast really terrible music at top volume, which is kind of annoying.
Ottawa’s best burger it definitely is not, but it’s not bad. The best part of this place is getting to sit on the beach and watch the sunset while you have dinner.

so voted #1 burger in ottawa — had to check it out… good burger, i would argue whether it was the best… burger was very tasty though… fries were not crispy so i think that was a downer for me. great atmosphere for a summer burger joint though right on the beach… chocolate shake was good — super thick — we stuck it in the sun to thaw it out alittle. lol

First off, Baja is basically the snack bar at a municipal park. You know, the place where you get an ice cream, maybe some fries? Nevertheless, the owners have really kicked out the walls on their limitations. Upside, great view of the beach and the park. Downside, no indoor seating — though you could cower under the eaves if a rainstorm hit.
Upside — they have a liquor license — Yup. somehow in stodgy Canada you can sit on, or near, the beach and have a beer or piña colada. Wonderful.
Upside — Live music on the weekends — «The Reals» were playing when we were there. Talented and enthusiastic 20-​somethings doing bluesy covers of Janis Joplin and other 70s stuff.
Downside — music, beer and food continue till 9:00, park bathrooms close at 7.
Hopefully this will be rectified ASAP
Upside — really good food. Kitchen seemed clean and well-​supervised. Burger was excellent. Juicy, slightly pink, lovely fresh egg bun. They also have various tacos, caesar salads, wraps, etc. as well as big thick milkshakes.