Location: 1289 Wharf Street Bay Ridges, Pickering, ON L1W 1A2
Website: http://portrestaurant.ca/
Price: $18.50
What We Ordered:
- Cheeseburger
Burger Review:
I had a lunch with some long-time friends at PORT restaurant in Pickering. Since it was my first time there, I had to try the burger. Their only option was a classic cheeseburger with american cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, aioli and a side of fries. It was good, but not something I’ll crave or make the trip to go back for. The place was incredible, with a view of Lake Ontario and the weather was warm enough to sit outside. The patio chairs were slightly uncomfortable and mine was a bit wobbly, but otherwise it was nice to have a bite outside before winter descends upon us. Plenty of free parking on-site. They’re right on the waterfront so you could go for a stroll after your meal.
Meat: This beef patty is cooked how you like it. I got mine medium. The patty is thick and they did a good job of making a nice crust on the outside with a pink center. The patty was a bit salty for my liking, but overall it was fine. It was not something I’d go out of my way to come back for.
Toppings: They only have the one burger option and it was definitely a classic cheeseburger. There was shaved iceberg lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, American cheese, and aioli. I added some ketchup to my burger too because that’s how I like it. The toppings suited the burger well. But overall it’s just a traditional burger.
Bun: The bun was really good. It had good structure from a light toasting with a nice soft inside. The bun is always hard to nail, and I think the bun was the saving grace of this burger.
Other Food:
The fries had some kind of olive oil drizzle or something similar and herbs with some nice sea saltiness. It comes with mayo on the side if you like your fries that way. They were really good. We also had the hummus. It tasted homemade, which I thought was nice. But it was not mind blowing. There were olives in the middle with a drizzle of olive oil and some spices sprinkles on. It came with pitas which we shared between three people and they lasted through all of us eating so there was definitely enough to go around.
Atmosphere & Staff:
We made reservations online to sit on the patio near the water. When we goth there, they did have our reservation, but the host escorted us to a table in the middle of the room. I mentioned our reservation was for a water view, and they said they can’t take reservations for specific tables. Which kinda defeats the purpose of a reservation. I have been to restaurants with views who do let you reserve a table with a view. But anyway… other than that the staff were polite. The food took a while to come out but the host let us know beforehand that they were a bit behind. I got the feeling a cook arrived late for their shift or something. The place is stunning with a view of Lake Ontario. Their were dozens of swans out swimming around which was lovely to see while we enjoyed our meals. I do recommend coming here for the overall atmosphere.
Final Verdict:
3 stars
This burger was fine, but it’s not a place to travel to for the burger. PORT is magnificent and the patio was lovely to hang out on with some friends. So I do recommend you check it out for date night or a day out with your best buds.