Dangerous Dan’s Diner

I kept hearing about this place, so I finally went to check it out. I got the kahuna burger. It was massive. Definitely some solid artery clogging eats here, which isn’t my usual jam so that’s why I’m giving it a 3 star rating. The burger was good though, but I tapped out half way through. Got the onion rings too, good ‘ol standard onion rings. I dig the atmosphere and they have well priced beer on their menu.
If you’re into lots of meat and an old school burger with no frills, this is the place to go. They don’t skimp on the meat.
Note: The women’s bathroom has a cow on it. If you’re a woman and need to wash your hands after eating a burger (and you will) enter the room with a cow on it.

An interesting idea /​name, but one that stops at the door. Inside is greasy & dirty, Cheap plywood seats, car seats not bolted down that you can fall off of. Glaring compact fluorescent lamps. Worst burger I have ever had. Bland flavourless mash of long frozen beef. Cardboard would taste better. We ordered their special burger, on food arrival Waiter asked who is having the XX. Neither of us had ordered etc. We said we had order the YY special on the board, it doesn’t seem to be called that. Oh, was the response I’ll guess we’ll have to fix that. Best thing they could do is close & lock the doors, & start over again. We will never go back, and you should never go here either. Forget this spot. There are a lot better places to choose from in Toronto

After hearing all the buzz about double D’s, I finally made the trek east.
We went around 4pm, so it wasn’t busy at all. When you arrive, the lady behind the high counter shows us the paper menus and told us when we’re ready, to go up to the front and order.
We both order the Kevorkian burger and I got a small Strawberry milkshake. The total came to $ 13.10 + tip.
It took a little longer than I thought, but when it arrived it looked good. Homemade, juicy and plump party with a huge bun holding it all together.
With all the buzz of DD’s being a greasy spoon diner, I was surprised the grease didn’t roll down my hands while I bite into my burger. Overall, it was very a filling and satisfying burger! Props to DD.
So, If you don’t mind the van bucket seats and old retro furnishing, it’s definitely a Toronto must!
Service is as it is, but it’s nice. I would definitely come back!

Came here after an event at the Opera House last weekend. Some friends from my program raved about it and once I was in the area I realized where it was and we decided to give it a try for dinner.
Being the plain Jane that I am I just got the plain burger with pickles, lettuce and ketchup lol! But it was fantastic and only $ 5! Excuse et moi? :P My boyfriend got the cowboy burger I think it was called, it had beans in it and some other fun things: S you couldn’t pay me enough to eat something like that but he enjoyed it! We shared a poutine which was great, the fries were wedges and it was well put together.
They also served beer which I was happy about, I don’t drink it but my boyfriend wanted a few and we were celebrating something for him that night so it was a nice addition. All that for $ 28 bucks! Cheap date eh? Can’t go wrong.
The guys who worked there were nice and meant business. They were very strict about people not sitting down until they’ve ordered and paid which is a pretty good system I must say.
Our table was cool too, the seats were from a car! Definitely something different and I appreciated that.
I would definitely come back if I were back in the area and craving a good, affordable burger.

Went here after a walk wanted to see if it was better then the «other» burger place down the street. Well it wasn’t, it’s a big burger yes but even with all the topping bacon cheese onion rings mushrooms and more it still seems like it’s missing something. The burger did fall apart into 6pieces after the first bite lol don’t know how to feel about that.

The hamburger.
This has become an increasingly misunderstood food in Toronto.
The hamburger is not, and never will be fit for gourmet. All attempts to be hipster and van-​guard with the hamburger have failed. The burger is the powerlifter of sandwiches. The Mopar of foods eaten with the hands. It should be large, meaty, satisfying and free of pretentious bastardizations like truffle oil, gingerly placed sprigs of dill or rare stinky cheeses. It should be big enough to make one-​handed eating impossible.
For you, the large hungry man, it couldn’t matter less whether the buns are gluten free. The smell of beef juice wafting from your fingers for hours after your meal pleases you in a way reminiscent of middle school.
Yet you are no fool, you seek grassroots quality; flame grilled, 100% ground beef served fresh and no processed toppings. Dad’s belt was made of leather, not vinyl wrapped plastic.
Enter Dangerous Dan’s, all ye who bravely seek to consume the best burger in town.
Here the burgers are big, free of nonsense, and filling. Patties are fresh, packed by hand in the back and thrown directly onto man’s greatest creation — fire. Hot, searing fire, the same fire that resides in the belly of hell itself.
The peameal bacon is thick, the cheese is not processed. The gravy contains meat. The sides are hearty and generously portioned. There’s beer. There’s sports on TV. And the signs on the bathroom doors are clear and easy to understand.
Dangerous Dan’s is the hamburger unleashed. It’s big, greasy, and unapologetic. This is the speakeasy of burger joints in a prohibitioned age of raw juices. Complaining about grease and artery-​clogging fare at an establishment like Dangerous Dan’s is like whining about the bark and splinters at a log cabin. Relish the experience.
Long live Dangerous Dan’s.

Burgers are good, but totally on the greasy side. Poutine has actual chunks of meat in their gravy. They’re not kidding about clogging your arteries. Elvis milkshake was good for that extra dose of diabetes. Staff is friendly enough except for the owner. Guy’s a real dick.

Everybody raves about the burgers at this place. I went on Tuesday Sept ⁸⁄₁₅ for a lunch burger. I had the Big Cheese (love Blue Cheese) & it was good. I wouldn’t say it blew me outta the water but it was good. I would have thought it would have been a bigger burger. I’d do it again in a pinch but I don’t think it would be a destination burger.

There hasn’t been a time that I’ve dined at Dangerous Dans wherein the service has been good — or, that the food has been worth the obnoxiously rude service. I know the owners and staff pride themselves on their surly demeanour, but I think it’s just an excuse to be completely inflexible and discourteous.

Stumbled upon this diner after a 5k run out to Leslieville to try out Descendants Pizza. only to find out they’re not open for lunch on weekend! Booo-​urns.
Apparently, you’re not allowed to block the entrance or ask for change or ask to use the washroom — the hand written signs say so! Curious to see what kind of food this had to offer so we tried the beef brisket sandwich special ($ 10.99 with fries and drink) and their bacon cheddar burger ($ 5.80?)
This place is cheeeap. And in the good way! Humble, diner food at reasonable prices. The lady at the counter could have been more friendly, but she got my order quick and correct. Food took about 15 minutes to prepare for take-​out.
The burger was huge and the patty was definitely homemade since it was crumbling out of my bun. You had to eat this burger with two hands. It could have used more seasoning and sauce but not bad for $ 5.00.
The beef brisket sandwich was delicious. Melt in the mouth beef, smothered in homemade BBQ sauce. It was really good and to have a complete combo meal for only $ 10.99, I can dig it.
Pro-​tip — they don’t have mayonnaise. Sad burger :(

Got the bacon and cheese burger. Was it the best burger I’ve ever had? Sadly, no, but it was good. What I wasn’t crazy about was the bun — just a typical, run-​of-​the-​mill white bun. A nice whole grain one, toasted, would improve the burger as those sugary white ones get soggy real fast. I ordered onion rings instead of fries as I read a few reviews slagging off the fries and they were a big disappointment. Could have been crisper and some flavor also would have been nice. They were so bland that I didn’t finish them and for me, that speaks volumes.
It was a bit of a let down as I’ve wanted to try their burgers for ages. The quest for that perfect burger continues on.

A disgusting experience on all counts. The food is bad, the place is not clean and they have a poster of a cow on the women’s washroom instead of a sign (whereas the man’s has a nice M on the door).
We ordered 3 different burgers, all ranged between awful and bland. The buns are so bad they don’t even deserve to be called buns. But what’s even worse than the bad food and service is that cow sign on the washroom, which we discovered as we were about to leave, and the condescending and unapologetic attitude of the guy behind the counter when we confronted him. I’ve never posted a review here before but this place was truly repulsive. Do yourself a favor and stay away!

Dangerous Dan’s is a decidedly casual, no-​frills, no-​nonsense burger joint. The décor doesn’t exist. The drinks don’t come with a coaster or napkin wrapped around the can. The staff aren’t brimming with over layered swaths of fake sentimentality, and there isn’t a wall of brand new 50″ LED’s to watch the game on. But there is one thing that DD’s may share with the aforementioned martini lounges I’ve just been pantomiming, and it’s that the staff DO all wear matching black uniform shirts: They’re t-​shirts, and they all say Dangerous Dan’s on the front. Now you know where you are.
This is not a new place by any means, so I won’t say it’s following along the lines of the attempt some years ago to create a new restaurant type of food with ‘tude. But the attitude does come free on the side with your burger order (albeit in a tongue in cheek manner). It’s part of your dining experience at DD’s as they like to call themselves (the menu also states «the burgers are bigger at the DD. Very clever), and it’s part of what makes the experience here so much fun.
As soon as you walk through the doors you are greeted boisterously by the head cashier/​owner (I assume) and informed that the bright yellow menus are in a holder at the front so that when you are ready, your order can be placed through them.
The menu continues with the burger humor giving suggestions for items that may be favorites for recreational cannabis users (there is a asterisk that leads to a qualifier that this is meant for humorous purposes only just in case any hard cases find that a bit too cutting edge), and the burgers are titled playfully as well with names such as The Big Kevorkian, The Big Kahuna and The Big Pig gracing the menu pages, just to name a few. In the land of Dangerous Dan’s burgers, size DOES matter, and none of the customers have a problem with that. They’re huge, flavor packed burgers that are as delicious as they are ostentatious. The fries are also noteworthy, as they are one of the rare establishments that still serves steak cut fries. Perfectly cooked to a golden brown color, it’s worth adding to your meal even if the burger is enough to feed a small family and you don’t need them. When eaton here, ‘need’ is automatically prequalified to most of what’s on the menu.
Drink selection is also good. Soda’s, flavored drinks like Iced Tea and of course Beer is also available. But no martinis. And that’s just fine!
GO. NOW!

Was a fun experience to try Dangerous Dan’s. Their seats were those from an old van and the set up was simple. I had the big cheese after a long day of sailing with the boys. The burger was very greasy (in a good way) but there isn’t much flavour to it. Would come back once every other year just for kicks. And on a cheat day.

Saw a TV show last week about the best burgers in Toronto and Dangerous Dan’s was one of them. Dangerous Dan’s won.
We plan on trying the top three.
Drove from Etobicoke to Queen and Broadview and eventually found a parking spot. $ 1.50 per hour. That was the best part of our trip.
Not sure what to order so I opted for a bacon and cheddar burger with Onion rings. Not too many toppings to choose so I got the mustard, relish, onions and hot peppers. You order at the counter and then sit down.
My wife had the rib sandwich and fries.
We sat in a booth and they brought us our meal.
Burger was average flavour but could use some spice to kick it up a notch. The onion rings were standard frozen fare. Tasted the batter more than the rings.
The rib sandwich was tasty and she would order it again if given the opportunity. The fries were just OK. I personally do not like the fat fries as they are too potatoey (is that a word?)
The milk shake was thick and very good, but they give you a skinny straw that makes you suck in your eyeballs. Makes more sense to give you a milkshake straw!
Would we go back? No, so off to the next one!
$ 30.00 for our meal!

Fantastic options of interesting burgers, with flavour combos you would never think to mix together, but put a surprising taste in your mouth!

I like the newer reviews from his friends to help bolster this guys ratings. You cant ignore the facts and saying he is better is like saying your abusive husband did not mean to beat you down. Simply put a bandage over the real problem.
Your opinion to reduce your standards since you seem to like abuse.

I don’t care, I’m bumping this place up to five-​stars.
I’m still not a fan of their fries, and definitely not their mashed potatoes. But my addiction to the BOB and growing addiction to the slightly-​healthier option ‘The De Niro’ means I happily frequent this joint far too often to give anything less than five stars.
I cannot praise that BOB sandwich enough. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever tasted, (And, trust me, just as tasty at 5pm as it is at breakfast time. Last night proved that.)
On a more serious note, their service and general manner of the staff has much improved recently (in my experience, at least). Just because the staff here don’t engage in the usual ”Hi, how are you” ”Good, how are you?!” ”Good! What can I get you this lovely fine Saturday!!! :) :) ” rubbish doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with their attitude.
I can always count on this place for a cheap, delicious meal to either eat-​in or take-​out. No higher praise than that!

I am writing this review based on an experience years ago that was enough of an turn-​off for me to stop going here again and from recommending it to others, and a recent similar experience from a buddy reminded me once again of it. It’s pathetic really, how I would like to tell friends Dangerous Dan’s is the place to get the best greasy burger in the city when asked (because it’s the only place that comes to my mind, even though it has that reputation anyways – it’s the closest thing we have to Vegas’ infamous Heart Attack Grill), but I cannot.
These folks have been serving handmade patties long before gourmet burgers became a trend. The burgers here are big, cheap, decadent and shamelessly greasy. Not holy grail good, but satisfying enough to put your hunger to shame. Maybe a bit too greasy – by contrast their poutine is one of the worse and most tasteless I had, but damn they give you a lot. They show no shame in serving the infamous «Quadruple C» meal (the kind of extreme food worthy of a Man vs. Food episode), in taking pot shots at vegetarians and references to the munchies (is it 4:20 yet?), and in their grimy dive diner décor and iconic car seats (which I find to be hilarious and unique).
Apparently that entitled sense of don’t-give-a-damn, it’s-my-way-or-the-highway extends to the quality of service you get here, or lack thereof. I can tolerate being totally ignored except when requesting service, but I draw the line at «would you like a dose of complacent bitchiness to go with your fries with that?»
When you walk in to dine in, you are greeted with the grumpy voice of a thickly bearded man (who i believe is the owner, but could be wrong) who reminds you to place your order at front; they explicitly do not do table service. They expect your party to order before claiming a table, rather than claim a table before deciding what to get – impractical since there isn’t a lot of space to maneuver at the entrance where the cashier’s at.
The treatment I recall getting the last time I ever ate here was the guy rolling his eyes and being less than helpful when a friend asked about toppings, and exclaiming, «C’mon guys, hurry it up, I don’t have all day to take orders,» when it came to my turn. Clearly their way of doing things isn’t working. And oh, we got to hear the guy berate a staff for a mistake. This isn’t Hell’s Kitchen, is it?
Those who are regulars or have thick skin can probably get past this jerk customer service attitude problem, but I find it fucking off-​putting – he is more of a jerk than even the rudest TTC driver I have encountered. Holy fuck, I’d prefer pretentious hipster attitude over these guys’ brand of service. Now imagine if you were new – you might just feel like you and everyone else at the «Double D» is dumb and a damned burden for coming here.
It’s to say in summary, in terms of service, Dan’s is hopelessly terminally fucked.
Yeah, I’m not gonna bloody bother frequenting businesses that displays that kind of dick attitude; I don’t care how good the stuff is. Yet it amazes me this establishment continues to thrive to this day despite the well-​documented rude-​ass contemptuous reputation. Which I attribute to the business they get from burger aficionados and hipsters (many stumbling in hungry after a gig at the nearby Opera House, or perhaps drunkenly and stoned-​to-​oblivion mistaken Riverside for Parkdale), and some TV appearances (including on Burger Wars, which they didn’t win). There’s quite some complacency from what I gathered.
This local hipster-​magnet «burger institution» is in my neighborhood, and every time I walk past it I see signs on the door expressing passive-​aggressive disdain for non-​customers using the toilet and people standing at the door (see attached image), which says a lot about the general misanthropic outlook of Dangerous Dan’s. I suppose they see no reason to get their fucking act together. Why is it that the most highly raved about and highly recommended burger joints in Toronto are ones where I have been severely less than impressed?!
If you want to make a pilgrimage to the «Double D» and can get past the potentially off-​putting service attitude, be my guest. Good thing they offer takeout and delivery around the area. May be a good idea to be sure your life insurance policy is up to date.
{TTC: If you know how to get to Jilly’s by streetcar, then therefore you know how to get to Dan’s by streetcar! I don’t all day to give you public transit instructions. }

Triple D. Those are some big ass burgers.
The man who greets you often upon entering is surly, sometimes rude, and sometimes audibly a dick to his staff. I presume this is Dan. A note to Dan: Most of the time I like your style and find you funny. Your bitchy signs are amusing, but rolling your eyes when customers are confused isn’t cool. I’ve been here many times so I know the drill, but not everyone does, and don’t you want them to return/​say nice things about you? Even an institution like yours isn’t immune to what a negative reputation can do to it in ever-​changing Riverdale/​Leslieville.
The drill: Enter, order at the counter and pay up front, then go take a seat in one of the car-​seat booths and wait for your order to be brought to you.
Some people find the car seats dingy, I disagree. It’s some seriously cozy eating.
The glorious diner food is the tops. If grading on food alone I’d give this joint five stars. It does what it does ruhl well. Cheese burgers piled high and greasy. Poutine on thick cut fries. Greek meat options. Perogies deep fried or poutine style. Want an egg on any of this? No. Problem.
PEPPER POINTS: They deliver in the east end.