Burger Bar

Unfortunately I didn’t get to try the food because the server forgot to put the order in.
It was summer, and we were out on a stroll looking for something to try. Burger bar had a nice crowd, so we thought we would check it out. We walked in and stood there for a few minutes before a server pointed us to a dirty table that she would clean for us. We sat down, and no one came to clean up the dirty table for about 5 minutes. I had to brush crumbs off the chair before I could sit down. She took our order and I thought everything was A-​Ok. She brought my friend’s beer and told me that my juice would take a few minutes because they ran out of ice and had to get more ice. I got my juice about 10 minutes later.
We waited about 45 minutes and our food had not arrived. We tried to get our server’s attention several times, but I think there were only 2 – 3 girls taking care of all the tables. Finally after an hour she informs us that she forgot to put the order into the system. She was definitely sorry, and asked us if we would like to wait another 10 minutes. After 1.5 hour of waiting, we didn’t waste any more time. There are other very good restaurants in the area. Maybe the food is good, but the service was really poor. It looked like the servers were overwhelmed, and the restaurant was very under-​staffed; which is no excuse for a place like this.
I hope to return and try the food some day. And when I do, I will update my review.

Location: 319 Augusta Ave (Kensington Market)
Price: $$
Service: Alright
This is heaven for french fries lovers! That’s ME… Absolutely in love with their fries– from regular to sweet potato fries. YUMMY!!! I died when I had their fries; shoe string cut fries were orgasmic.
I ordered a Cowpoke burger and got regular fries. It was under $ 20 including tax and tips. The portion was more than enough; the burger was just right and not burnt while the fries were heavenly (crispy but soft on the inside). The service was a little slow but the busy market kept me occupied. It was nice sitting outside on the patio because of its location.
Must GO!

Burgers and beer? Yes Please!
Burger bar has a ample selection of beer, so ample. AND you can get them in giant sizes as well. That paired with the burgers, which are tastey and hearty, makes this place worthy of a visit. Come here for a sweet reprieve from Kensington Market or even make the trip for the eats.
There are few things in life that pair more naturally together than beer and burgers. That you can have them on a sunny patio makes them all the more a tender treat.

So I ended up coming back here for a drink and snack while in Kensington. We had been drinking sangria so had my fingers crossed that they had some. They didn’t appear to, but they had a sign advertising mimosa’s, so I was excited about that. Not to my surprise, however, they didn’t have any mimosa’s left by late afternoon on Saturday. I ended up getting a glass of house red which wasn’t bad. But the main thing I had my eye on was the panko crusted onion rings that I didn’t get to try last time.
The onion rings were really good. I’m glad I finally got to try them. The bowl was really big too, and could easily be shared as an appetizer. The chipotle aioli was delicious with the onion rings as well.
My friends all got the saag poutine. I’m not a big poutine fan, but had a few bites. It was definitely an interesting flavour. The thing I liked the most was the cheese squares that just melted in your mouth when you bit into them. You could tell there was curry in there, which I don’t love. But it wasn’t overpowering. I wouldn’t get it myself, but would have a few bites if someone else got it again.
The service was decent this time. It was pretty busy, but the waitress wasn’t too bad at attending to us and the other tables.
Overall, a better experience than I had last time.

Delicious Ontario beef. That about sums it up there. There breakfast burger is an interesting take and if they had more unique items like this one I would recomend you visit regularly but you simply dont get what you pay for.
I still suggest that you go there at least once and more than that if you dont mind spending the money.

I was unimpressed with the service level of this place. A couple who came after me was served immediately and their order taken. Meanwhile, I am waiting patiently in my table and was ignored. I’m the solo diner but my money is still printed by the Bank of Canada and I don’t want to brag, but I’m a generous tipper. Because I was ignored, I walked out.

I’ve been here a couple of times – most recently for brunch – and have happily not suffered some of the service and food woes that other reviewers have. Overall I’d say that I’ve had some great food here and have never had issues with the service.
My pal and I saddled up to the hipster-​cowboy joint with some hungover tummies to fill. We were both deeply drawn to the shrimp with truffled hollandaise eggs benedict (with brioche instead of anglomuffins). It absolutely met my expectations: good hollandaise, perfect eggs, and it came with a side salad and some fantastic sweet potato fries.
Service-​wise, we had a few unusual requests that were met – iced coffees, which they don’t really do since they serve theirs French press-​style – and takeout cups for those coffees. While the server was a little inaccessible at times, it wasn’t near being annoying. It was actually nice to have a more laidback approach, as I find places that really «do» brunch come with attached with a nervous, rushed feel.
Previous ventures here have been more for sharing appetizers. The saag paneer poutine is really a treat.
In conclusion, I’m not a big gourmet burger junkie, and if I’m headed to K-​town for dinner or drinks, BB would not be my first choice out of the myriad options – but I’d definitely be back for brunch.

I had read reviews about this place, about their lack of service, about their so-​so burgers, and also seen some photos that wasn’t exactly the most attractive food (but they are just burgers, right?)
A bunch of friends decided to check out this place because of the burgers and tequila, so why not? At 7pm on Thursday, this was the only place that seemed packed. We were able to grab the last table (more like a first come first serve system), and waited as our friends were running a little late. They showed up 15 minutes later and at this time, we had still not received any service whatsoever. In total, it was probably 30 minutes before someone even greeted us. I did notice that there was ONE person serving the entire restaurant, and 2 people cooking in the kitchen. There were about 20 — 25 people seated in the entire space. I noticed at least 2 parties leaving without ordering anything because they were literally not even being acknowledged — thank goodness we had good company or else I would’ve walked out too.
After finally getting some attention, we ordered the saag paneer poutine to share and each with our own creative burger mix. The poutine had spinach, coconut milk and did not taste heavy like I would have thought. It was actually very tasty with a hint of indian spice. Although not a fan of skinny fries, these were drenched in the sauce, making it tasty and loaded with flavour.
The burgers come as is, and you have to order fries /​salad for an extra cost, which I find to be quite pricey (burgers starting at around 8 dollars — 20, depending on the type of beef and toppings). I ordered the simple 4 oz burger and topped it with tomatillo/​avocado salsa and caramelized onions. It came with lettuce, ketchup and mustard (which I could not taste), but no tomato because the menu states that they do not have them if they are not ripe enough… they can always buy from the supermarket and I would not have minded!
The burger came and it looked HUGE, then I realized that it was topped with the onions. What I was surprised about was that I thought the carmelized onions would be freshly fried, but it clearly looked like mush — from a jar or something. The salsa, I expected to be chopped up with tomato and avocado bits, was clearly a spread — also from a jar. The lettuce from a huge head was small and starting to wilt… and as much as I am complaining about what I thought I was going to get, the burger was GOOD. Maybe I can pat myself on the back and say that I picked the right toppings, but it actually turned out wayyyy better than I could have ever imagined. It was juicy, saucy, and dripping with every bite. I was scared to put it down, afraid that the burger would fall apart.
Everyone else made their unique creations, with egg, peppers, mushrooms, bacon… you name it, we ordered it. One of us ordered the OMGJMKM burger which had chili beans, onion ring and the works. We were all sooo pleased considering how terrible the service was.
Not going to lie, I would not come back unless someone really wanted to — I’m know that there will be great burgers elsewhere without having to compromise for service. If you’re looking for a tequila shot, you should check it out — a beef jerky infused shot of whisky was ordered and I was told it lived up to the description.
Burger — 4 stars
Poutine — almost 4 stars
Service — not going there
= just closer to 3 star but not quite there.

BOTTOM LINE: Maybe they should call it the Unburger Bar.
Harsh, I know, but the burger competition in Toronto is fierce, and this joint doesn’t even come close to making weight.
Their menu actually does sound enticing but their patties were thin, dry and tasteless. And the buns weren’t even toasted! My friend ordered a salad (which doesn’t seem to be on their menu any longer), but essentially it was a head of lettuce cut in half with dressing on top. Really?! Finally this place may need to revisit their staffing schedule… not to the fault of the server, but when you’re the only one on a busy night, service will be sloooooooow. Aside from having the Kensington Brewery IPA on tap, this place is overwhelmingly underwhelming.

I’m surprised to hear people raving about the burgers here. I found them coming out of the kitchen rather sad looking and tasting pretty average too!
Burger Bar does have a nice little patio with good selection of beers — $ 5 bottles and $ 6.25 drafts. Perfect spot to grab a pint in the summer (if you can get a table).
I’m not gonna lie, the service is kind of shite. The waitresses are friendly enough, but it’s always so sloowwwww, especially if you are on the patio. We typically wait 15 mins just to get handed a menu, another 10 – 15 before they take our drink order and another 10 to get the drinks.
It would take forever to get a good buzz on here, but it’s good if you just want to grab one drink in the sun.

This place is fun but I am sort of conflicted about it.
YAY!:
— Kitchy, Western-​themed décor and typeface
— Good cocktail selection
— Unique veggie burger — it’s almost like a big falafel, lots of chickpeas and veggies all mushed together and nice and crispy on the outside, served with a yummy tzatziki sauce
— Daily combo is a good deal — beef or veggie burger + fries or soup of the day (last time I went, yam & ginger) for $ 10
— Saag paneer poutine!!! Enough said.
— Nice little patio
— Good for big groups
NAY!:
— Indifferent service. Came in a group of 7 but only 6 people ate (one person had already eaten). They do not do separate bills, so we each went up to the counter and paid individually. She accused us of not paying enough, «you had 7 people, only 6 have paid!» until we figured out that one person didn’t eat.
— Sometimes in the summer it gets really hot inside. I’m not sure if they have A/​C.
I think the goods things about BB just slightly outweight the bad things.

I took my surfer to Mill St and one of the staff recommended this bar for their selection of micro-​brews. I’m not a beer person but I would even say they have a fantastic selection! Even their shots are pretty interested to read. I can’t imagine trying them though! ha!
I had the ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ fries; so half potato fries and half sweet potato fries. With a chipolte ketchup and mayo. Yum! And they don’t have soda/​pop on tap or in cans. they have Ryan’s soda from Niagara Falls, US. made with sugar cane. Yum!
The burgers smell amazing. we didn’t have one though. I’ll definitely be heading back to this place! There is the patio outside as well.
The interior is fun! A cowboy sort of western décor. while we were there they were playing old, old, old western movies! ha! Clean bathrooms. Great staff!

My husband and I took a walk to Kensington Market this afternoon with the goal of having lunch at the Burger Bar. We’d had a burger by them at a craft beer show a couple weeks ago and it was good.
The Burger Bar is known for the craft beer. I’d never been so I was looking forward to checking it out.
We were able to grab the picnic table on the patio in the shade … great place for people watching coming in and out of the Market.
My burger was good … tasty and juicy. Beers were $ 5 each.
The inside looks cute. The bathrooms have an unusual nature quality … you’ll see what I mean when you go.

I have a bad habit of amassing coupons and then having to go out of my way to use up said coupons before expiry. Luckily I have a spreadsheet to keep track of all the deals sorted by date of expiry… Yes, I art a nerd.
With my $ 16 voucher in hand, we arrived at Burger Bar on a Wednesday and the place was relatively empty. Mind you we arrived just a little short of 6PM.
We grabbed a seat by the window. The tables are lined with white and red picnic-​esque paper then with a sheet of newspaper and finally their «place mat» is their cocktail list. Its always nice to get a visual.
Being the good Unilocaler that I was, I had already pre-​read reviews, and when I arrived at Burger Bar I already knew I wanted to order.
We ordered:
Pineapple Juice
Mint Iced Tea
Market Burger subbed with Wagyu (Kobe) Beef
Saag Poutine
A few minutes after ordering, the server returns. Sorry we’re actually out of pineapple juice, and we can’t actually sub the burger with kobe beef because it is a pre-​made patty mix with chorizo and rice. Novice server. Nothing worse than ordering something, not being told on the spot of its unavailability, it just exacerbates the feeling of disappointment.
The Mint Iced Tea, as mentioned by other fellow Unilocalers is not pre-​sweetened. I felt like a drug addict in that I started craving the missing sugar in my drink, but resisted temptation at the end. The iced tea itself was quite refreshing and was a great palate cleanser in the end.
The Saag Poutine was quite interesting. Please check all your expectations of poutine at the door. Contrary to the French Canadian style of poutine, the fries are thin-​cut which, in my humble opinion are the most flavourful kind. The paneer was rather bland, though texturally it was just the right amount of firmness. The green curry sauce that smothered the fries was quite divine though it made the fries extremely soggy. It was also a bit on the greasy side. The radishes did nothing for the dish, neither from a textural nor flavour perspective. The traditional poutine uses rather heavily salted cheese curds to give it most of its flavour, while I found the Saag Poutine needed that added bit of saltiness that neither the curry nor the paneer delivered. It is an interesting dish to try, but I probably wouldn’t order it again.
When the burger came I felt like it had been raped of its fixings… «What a sad looking burger,» I said to myself. The bun was cold and actually quite hard — I would’ve preferred a warm bun. The bun itself was nothing special. The burger came sandwiched with a solo piece of lettuce, arugula pesto, and blue cheese. The patty itself was a beef-​chipotle chorizo & toasted rice blend. It was extremely moist and flavourful. But somehow, this burger was all out of its element. For starters, by using a rather bitter arugula instead of the traditional pesto, it led to an unpleasant «am I ingesting some sort of Native Indian herbal medicine, Buckley’s face!» kind of taste. The bitterness would’ve been offset by the blue cheese had they been more generous with the amount of blue cheese in the burger. Texturally it was a «softer» burger in that, other than the sad solo piece of lettuce to add a bit of «crunch» — the burger was in essence, soft. I think some onions would’ve kicked up the textural component a notch.
At the end of the day, although we weren’t treated with snooty behaviour upon presentation of our coupon… our server did scribble in «Please tip on the original amount…» I found this to be tacky and unnecessary at the same time. I was originally going to give Burger Bar 3 stars, but because of this little incident, I have had to reduce it to a 2.5 star.
The bill, had it not been for the $ 16 voucher would’ve come to $ 25. I don’t think I will come back again because I didn’t get a $ 10 burger, and its simply outrageous to charge almost the equivalent amount for an order of poutine, give or take a few cents (unless its adorned in jewels or something).

Of all the millions of burger places that have popped up in Toronto, Burger Bar is my (current) favorite. I love the décor (watching old Westerns while I eat burgers works for me!) it has delicious burgers, great appetizers, tons of non-​burger options, a large craft beer selection, aaaand AMAZING fries!
So in all honesty the fries are really what make this place for me. The ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ fries (half sweet potato, half regular) are so good and they come with a great spicy dipping sauce. They are the perfect size to share, so any time I’m looking to go for drinks /​apps with a friend, this is the perfect spot.
If you’re looking to create your own burger, the tomatillo salsa is delish, and they also have kimchi, and a few other unique additions. I recommend being wary of the kimchi… because it doesn’t «go» with too much else on the burger menu, and you might end up with a weird combination!
The only downside of this place is that since they’re all about going local, you can’t always get tomatoes… I get the whole local thing, but I also really like tomatoes!!! Also the service can sometimes be iffy, but everyone has off days!

Came here with a friend and fellow Unilocal’er tonight (Saturday). She found a voucher on Dealfind — $ 20 for $ 40 worth of food. We were reservation-​less and managed to find a seat rather quickly.
The menu is relatively extensive — they even offer gluten free options for those who cannot or choose not to consume gluten.
Food ordered was:
— regular burger w. ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ fries (mix of sweet fries and regular fries)
— bison burger w. arugula salad
— organic grapefruit juice
— red tea
The food was awesome; however, I found the service to be quite slow. Also, there were a few items that I could not order as they had been sold out since the afternoon… really?

I just really enjoyed this place on a growingly crisp Autumn afternoon.
The sun still strong enough to enjoy some beers outside, and relax with some good appetizers, of cheeseburger spring rolls.
Wide selection of beers on tap, at reasonable prices. Looks like a good happy hour and Octoberfest prices also. Nice place to watch the bikers and pedestrians stroll by while you relax. Our waitress was friendly and willing to chat, which always makes it nice when you are a stranger in a new place. Good place.

I did not have a Burger at the Burger Bar… hmmm
I hardly eat Burger, maybe once a year…
Why I am in the Burger Bar? A group of Unilocalers wants to go for a drink after a UYE, and they took me here.
This place is dark. a Bar suppose to be dark, I need to lightened up! But I cannot take good photos when it is dark! hmmmmm
Anyway, I settle for a Red ice tea. Haha I don’t know what’s a red one is. VS the green or yellow one. It just pretty in Red! Yes the iced tea is freshly brewed type. not from the powder or syrup. and I love them unsweetened.
Service is good and attentive.
Maybe I will try a burger next time?

Kimchi on a burger?
I wondered how fermented cabbage would compliment with my meat. I mean, I like kimchi but I don’t LOVE it. But I tried it on my Straight Up Cheese Burger that included all of the toppings like Gruyère and pickles. The verdict: absolutely delicious! I loved it. I mean, I LOVED it!
These made-​to-​order burgers were oh-​so mouth-​watering: made of real beef with real ingredients. As soon as my burger arrived, I wolfed it down in an unlady-​like fashion, not because I was so damn hungry but because it was so damn good! Like Wendy H. mentioned previously, I liked that the burger buns weren’t huge. There’s nothing worse than feeling so full thanks to some huge hamburger bun swelling every inch in your stomach. I’d rather make room for more meat, thank you.
The big hit was the Saag Poutine. Wow, was that ever good! I recommend this to all of the non-​Poutine lovers out there to try: it’s a different take on the gravy version that you might find appealing and more appetizing.
I do have to commend the Burger Bar staff for accommodating our group as best as they could. They provided good and efficient service. For this event only, any of the spotty service should be forgiven, as our server never lost her cool and kept on top of things as best as she could.
I think it’s worth returning to this place, specifically to try their unusual yet appealing LamBam burger. Look out Burger Bar, here comes a very hungry, meat-​lovin’ party of one!

The farm door is shut and my ass is so red hot from being slapped that they are gonna start calling me Mustang Sally! It was like the showdown in the O.K. Corral (a.k.a. the Burger Bar) last night on Augusta Avenue as veteran Unilocalers and some rookies joined in the food and libation fun at the official kick off of the Decemburger challenge. What a fun evening.
The resto was basically taken over by two large groups of people. It was the Unilocalers vs. the Wives of Woodbridge County. The «Orange-Gina’s» with their Louis Vuitton bags and pushed up cleavage were trying to raise their cool factor by slumming in Kensington. It made for good fodder and a few giggles for us. Little do they know that Unilocal is the new black bitches! :)
I finally found a burger spot that has moved ahead of my beloved Craft Burgers in terms of Momma feeling the burger love. Hell I’d hit the BB up just for the cocktails alone. Started out with a house Margarita which got me primed for the rest of the evening. I also tried the Paloma, a grapefruit tequila concoction that comes garnished with a piece of dried pineapple that has some slow burn attitude on it.
I ordered up a standard burger with brie and mushrooms and a side of fries. The burger was perfectly cooked, juicy but just a little bit caramelized on the edges the way a burger should be. Bun was fresh and soft, I’m betting probably an Ace Bakery bun. Fries got a big thumbs up as did the onion rings. Onion rings were dredged in Panko crumbs so they were light to eat and the thick slices of onions were sweet and soft. I was surprised that no one ordered up any Sweet Potato Fries.
Gotta say that the Salmon Burger that Kat F. ordered looked pretty damn fine with goats cheese and avocado on it. To be honest, it looked like one of the best Salmon Burgers I’ve ever seen in a resto. Usually the salmon looks like one of those pucks but not this one. Check out the pics.
The big surprise of the evening was the Saag Poutine… WTF? Who’d have ever thought of creating Saag Poutine but the damn stuff works! Will ordered it first and when it got delivered he was literally swooped down upon by everyone wanting to taste it. For the good of group, Will just gave it up and the bowl made the rounds up and down the table. The mmmmm factor rose tenfold and Kat promptly ordered up another couple of bowls for a pass around. It was Saag Poutine nirvana.
As mentioned by other Unilocalers the service was a bit spotty but I think this is because our waitress was sifting through 20 different orders, everyone wanting their burger their own special way. There were a few glitches but nothing that I’d even consider knocking a half star off for.
All in all a fun evening. What a wonderful evening of food and friends. Two killa Unilocal events in the same week, life doesn’t get much better than that.
On to my next burger…