Saltyz Grill

Location: 2075 Lawrence Ave E, Scarborough, ON M1R 2Z4

Website:  https://www.saltyz.ca/

Price: $29-ish

What We Ordered:

  • Lebanese Burger
  • Swiss Mushroom
  • Sweet potato fries
Exterior of Saltyz in Scarborough
Exterior of Saltyz Grill in Scarborough, Ontario

Burger Review:

The hubs suggested we try Saltyz Grill after learning of its existence somewhere online. The reviews looked good and I really wanted to try the Lebanese Burger. So I hopped in the ol’ Jeep and trekked through the first snowfall of this season for take-out. The place was not busy at all, and there was plenty of parking out front.

The Lebanese Burger was better than I thought it would be. It tasted like a shawarma plate, which is perfect for me. It does have fries in the burger, but they were hardly noticeable. What really stood out was the nutmeg flavour of the sauce, the sweet n’ saltiness of the pickles, and the coleslaw.

My only couple of complaints was the sauce was so runny that my burger was desperately soggy by the time I got it home even though we don’t live too far. And my other complaint is they use styrofoam containers and non-biodegradable bags for the burger.

The take out is not in eco-friendly containers
The Lebanese Burger unwrapped shows how saucy it gets

Meat: Patties are thin, but they stack them twice with a slice of cheese in between. The hubs thought his was a bit too well-done for his liking. But I found mine to be perfectly medium-well. They tasted fresh and formed on-site (ie not pre-fabbed frozen), but I didn’t ask to confirm. That’s just my hunch.

Toppings: The Lebanese Burger comes with fries, pickles, cheese, coleslaw, ketchup, mustard, and house sauce. I was worried I wouldn’t like it with ketchup and mustard, but if it was indeed on there at all, it wasn’t overpowering and blended right in. I don’t know what magic they put into their sauce, but it came out tasting like Shawarma with that hint of nutmeg. YUM!

Bun: The bun is a sesame seed bun. It wasn’t bad or anything, but it didn’t stand out as anything special. I might even lean towards saying it was a bit too big and fluffy. But it worked well with this burg. Unfortunately, the bottom was very soggy by the time I got it home to chow down, so I’d suggest consuming asap.

Cross-section of the Lebanese Burger
Cross section of the Lebanese Burger

Other Food

I did have a taste of the Swiss Mushroom burger and it was just ok. But I’m not a huge mushroom fan, so maybe that had more to do with it. The hubs had a sample of my burg and we both agreed the Lebanese Burger was where it’s at. He decided if he orders from here again he’d get the Lebanese burg for sure. We also had some sweet potato fries which were chunky and delicious. They didn’t come with any dip though which is normally a nice little touch I like to see since sweet potato fries work great with aioli, but aioli is not something most people typically have at home.

Sweet potato fries from Saltyz

Atmosphere & Staff:

The place is in a little plaza with other restaurants and shops. There was plenty of parking at the time, but I can see how it might get crowded if there was an event going on nearby or when we’re no longer pandemic living. The staff was very friendly. I was greeted at the door by a guy unloading supplies and carrying them in. The lady behind the counter was nice and friendly, and at one point another lady peak out from the kitchen to give a smile as well. The interior is very spacious and glamourous. It looks recently done. The picture below is only showing the back half of the restaurant and there’s a whole front section as well. The place would be perfect to host a birthday party or some other celebration (post-pandemic of course).

Interior of Saltyz
The interior of Saltyz is very spacious

Final Verdict:
4 stars

The Lebanese Burger is definitely worth heading out for if you’re into fusing your craving for a burg with the deliciousness of Shawarma. I know I’ll be back for this mash-up.

Local Leaside

Location: 180 Laird Dr, East York, ON M4G 3V7

Website: http://localleaside.com/

Price: $17.50

What We Ordered:

  • Brooklyn Burger
Outside the Local on Laird Drive in Toronto (East York)

Burger Review:

I was meeting my Mumzie for lunch and she suggested the Local because (as per her text) “The Local is good” and she had an errand to run close by. There’s free parking in the back and I’m down for going anywhere as long as there is free parking. They had some really nice salads on the menu. But this isn’t a salad blog. It’s a juicy meaty burger blog. So I got the burger, natch.

They have a few burger options, but the Brooklyn Burger jumped out at me because A) I’m a fan of New York and B) there is Red Pepper Jelly on it. I loooove red pepper jelly and was excited to try it on a burger. This burger did not disappoint! I really liked it and would totally recommend it. My first bite impression was peppery (black pepper, not the red pepper jelly), and the cheese reminded me of a classic grilled cheese which was delicious. My only issues with this burger is they cook it well done and there wasn’t enough of that yummy red pepper jelly on it so there were a few bites that felt it was lacking in the sweet and vinegary flavours that I like to have in my burg. But I didn’t have to add ketchup – which is usually a good sign of a near-perfectly topped burger.

How the Brooklyn Burger arrived at our table

Meat: Their patty is ground off-site and hand pressed into a mould and is cooked from fresh (not frozen). I wasn’t asked how I like it cooked which isn’t unusual in Canada but I think if I did have the option to get this cooked medium instead of well-done it would have made a world of difference to improving the patty overall. My first bite I could taste lots of black pepper, but it was not too salty. The patty was a size I like (not too thick), but the bun overpowered it at times due to the thinness.

Toppings: These toppings were perfect together. It comes with mayo, rocket lettuce, onion ring, aged white cheddar, house-made red pepper jelly. My only issue with the toppings was that there wasn’t enough red pepper jelly which meant some bites were missing that sweet/vinegar taste. But other than that, I can’t complain. It was good!

Bun: The bun is a baked in-house brioche bun which was so light and fluffy. I later learned this is because they don’t use egg in the recipe. They top their bun with black and beige sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Maybe some other seeds too but I couldn’t tell. The bun was slightly too big for the thickness of the patty so the breadiness overtook the overall flavour on some bites. But it was a treat to have a well thought out bun that was clearly crafted with lots of love and care.

Cross section of the Brooklyn Burger

Other Food:

The burg comes with fries on the side. They were ok. Very thin and lightly fried. I didn’t feel super heavy after eating them or anything. There was very little salt on them which I think is a refreshing change. About halfway through I wished I’d gotten some salt and vinegar to liven them up a bit. Actually, they would lend themselves really well to being tossed with parmesan cheese, garlic oil, and herbs prior to serving. If you’re reading this Local, think about it!

Atmosphere & Staff:

The atmosphere is industrial cool with lots of TVs and big bright windows. We got the last booth during the lunch rush which was good for us because otherwise all their seating is uncomfortable high-tops. They bring a jug of water to your table right away. I adore getting a jug so I don’t have to fuss for refills. The staff were very friendly and cheerful. And there’s free parking in the back (bonus!)

Inside the Local

Final Verdict:
4 stars

This burger was close to a 5-star for me. Maybe I caught it on an off day because very minor tweaks that were related to preparation would otherwise send this burger into the hall of fame. Not to say the cooks did a bad job at all because I would totally recommend this burger any day. I’ll be dreaming of that red pepper jelly. Yum!

Webers

Location: 8825 Hwy 11 N, Orillia, ON L3V 6S2

Website: http://webers.com/

Price: $15.33

What We Ordered:

  • Cheeseburger
  • Double Patty Hamburger
  • Fries
Webers’ pedestrian bridge erected in 1983 due to overwhelming popularity. The burger shack can be seen across the highway in the background
Looking at Webers from their pedestrian bridge over Hwy 11 in Ontario. You can see the crazy line-up of people and the delicious smelling smoke coming from their grills

Burger Review:

Webers is an Ontario landmark that opened in 1963 along Highway 11 that connects the southern tip of Ontario with cottage country and the major cities closer to the center of the province, like Sudbury and Thunder Bay. Webers became so popular that the ministry of transportation had to put up a fence in the middle of the highway in 1981 to stop people from running across four lanes of speeding traffic to get a burger. A few years later, Webers constructed a pedestrian walkway that became the only privately owned pedestrian bridge over an Ontario highway. I mention this to let you know just how popular Webers burgers are. I have never NOT seen a line up outside of Webers and today was no exception. The line up is so long that young staff members come along the line and pre-fill your order on a card you hand in upon entry. Then they take your cash to ring you up and run in to grab your change. You can see and smell the charcoal grills emanating from the place as you eagerly await your coveted burg. This is all before you even get inside the building. The place is so jumping that Starbucks recently opened up in their parking lot. 

Webers cheeseburger

Meat: Thin beef patty cooked on an open flame grill. They grind and pack their own burgers on site in a converted CN Railway car out back (for real). I’m not sure what magic they put into the fire they use to grill on, but it leaves a wonderful smokey flavor on the meat that is hard to duplicate. It’s a really good beef patty.  

Toppings: They have the traditional toppings of a burger joint and nothing fancy. I don’t think they even have bacon. Their cheese is the sliced processed variety, and the works include a slice of tomato, diced white onions, pickles, ketchup, and mustard. I had the cheeseburger with the works except mustard. The toppings were fresh and had a generous amount of onions and pickles (yum!). They don’t have lettuce, but it was not missed on this burger.

Bun: This is where the burger lost out on the 5-star rating for me. The bun was a soft kaiser style bun. If they had gone with a slightly sweet hamburger bun, like the kind The Burger’s Priest uses, this burger would be a slam dunk home run.  

Webers cheeseburger cross-section

Other Food:

We had the fries and they were soooo good! They were shaped like McDonald’s fries and looked golden yellow. But unlike McDonald’s fries, these were seasoned to perfection with some mystery seasoning and absolutely addictive. I’ll be thinking about these fries. They also have an ice cream parlor right next to the burger shack that serves Kawartha Ice Cream. 

How our food came

Atmosphere & Staff:

Busy! There is no seating inside the building where you pick up your food, but the property is littered with picnic tables (many with shade) and a large lawn. There is also a converted CN Railway car that makes an air conditioned dining area if it’s raining or too hot. You can also hop back into your car if you just want take-out. The staff working the line and cleaning the tables outside are young teens. I’m sure the kid running the ice cream counter next to the burger shack was 13. But everyone is polite and efficient. They keep the line ups moving fast and the picnic area absolutely spotless. 

CN Railway cars and picnic area provide ample seating for hundreds of burger lovers
Inside the air conditioned railway car with my burger buddy husband

Final Verdict:
4 stars

This burger comes really close to a 5-star rating for me because of the unique smokey flavor they get into that patty and the quality of the toppings. The only thing holding it back is the bun. But this piece of Ontario culture is absolutely worth a stop on your Canadian Burger Tour. 

Woody’s Burgers

Location: 3795 Lake Shore Blvd W, Etobicoke, ON M8W 1R2

Website: https://www.woodysburgers.ca/

Price: $14.60

What We Ordered:

  • Beef stuffed Gorgonzola blue
  • 50/50 Fries
Outside Woody’s Burgers in Etobicoke

Burger Review:

I was excited to be driving by this burger joint on the way back from a meeting so I stopped for lunch. They use a Canadian hardwood burning grill which is apparent right when you walk in, as you’re hit by the yummy smell of open flame grilling. I got the beef stuffed gorgonzola blue burger. I was worried that maybe the gorgonzola would be skimpy, but boy was I wrong! This was piled high with gooey blue cheese and toppings so I was in heaven (I love blue cheese burgers!). They have a lot of toppings to choose from, and I was reluctant to make a decision between five kinds of mayo that all sounded fantastic. I would say the only thing holding me back from a 5-star review on this burger is the thinness of the patties which makes them overcooked and a bit dry. I know it’s a 4oz, but they flattened it out too much to meet the width of the bun. If they used smaller buns, they could make the 4oz a little thicker (but not as wide) and produce a nicer patty. But that’s my opinion. I know others really like a thin patty, and if that’s you – this might be a 5-star winner. 

Just look at that dripping blue cheesy and saucy deliciousness

Meat: Two 4oz thin patties with no processed ingredients. The meat comes from local farm raised cattle. They do press the burgers fresh on site daily. But I suspect they are using a mold, as the patties come out perfectly uniform. They also have a 7oz patty which may offer a different experience as I imagine it would be a thicker patty (although I didn’t see it so I’m not sure). They char the crap out of this patty but it works well with the blue cheese and generous amount of toppings so I didn’t mind. 

Toppings: This burger joint offers a lot of toppings for free and reasonable prices for premium toppings like brie or pulled pork for $1.95 or less. I had garlic mayo, ketchup, BBQ sauce (which was sweet and sticky), gorgonzola cheese, long-sliced pickles, arch cut red onions, and sliced tomato. The gorgonzola was piled high and so amazingly yummy. 

Bun: Brioche style bun that was flaky on top. I’d say a tiny bit too much bun happening for the thin patties. I can imagine one 4oz patty getting lost in this bun. 

Cross section of the stuffed beef Gorgonzola blue burger at Woody’s Burgers

Other Food:

I had the 50/50 fries, which is half french fries and half sweet potato fries. They looked and tasted fresh cut. The sweet potato fries were really salty and the regular fries were a bit under cooked. I ate about 1/4 of the lot and tossed the rest. They were good, but not amazingly crave-worthy. 

How the burger arrived at the table. 50/50 fries can be seen in the back

Atmosphere & Staff:

I was in line for a while because I was behind a group of friends, so I would say the service is slow. Bring your patience with you if you come at a busy time. Ordering was very awkward, as even a short line up left no room for people to pass by. There is more seating than I see in some burger joints, and plenty of tables outside on a patio. They didn’t seem to have A/C so it was hot as heck but cooler under the fans inside than the humid day outside. They do serve beer so you could sit and drink on the patio if you wanted to. The place noticeably smelled like wood-fire BBQ upon walking in, and my hair smelled of it the rest of the day (which was fine with me). The staff was friendly, and they conveniently had buzzers to let you know when your meal was ready for pick up which was handy. I would say it’s a little too narrow and busy to navigate with a toddler or stroller, although not impossible. 

Final Verdict:
4 stars

If you are into char-grilled patties I would highly recommend this place. My hair smelled like campfire for the entire day afterwards. Worth a stop on your burger tour.

No Bull Burgers

Location: 1019 Kingston Rd, Toronto, ON M4E 1T3

Website: https://www.nobullburgers.ca/

Price: $7.75

What We Ordered:

  • Lil’ Burger with Blue Cheese
No Bull Burgers exterior (captured from Google Maps because I forgot to snap a picture as I was leaving)

Burger Review:

No Bull Burgers does organic and locally sourced meat that is ground and pressed daily on site. They have a host of premium toppings starting at $1, like bacon and cheddar. But they also get fancy with grilled cheese buns or fried egg which means you could create an epic monster burger if you wanted to. I do really like this burger because the meat is organic and local. You don’t get that kind of quality at other locations. The price isn’t the most expensive, but it’s not cheap which makes it not ideal if you want to bring the whole family for a meal.  The patty is thin and the bun is a bit too big so the meat gets overwhelmed by the bun and toppings. I still love it though! If I had to fix it to make it 5-stars, I’d make the patty a little thicker, use a higher fat content in the meat, and make the bun a bit smaller. 

Look at that glorious burger with blue cheese

Meat: 4oz organic, local, extra lean, AAA Angus beef. Ground daily on site and pressed so that it’s formed into a perfect circle disk of meaty goodness. They do a light shake of an “in-house secret spice” blend on these burgers but I couldn’t tell what it was exactly (I’d guess salt and ground celery seed as potentially in the mix). I can tell this burger is extra lean but it was juicy.

Toppings: I got blue cheese as a paid topping and the free ones were: chipotle mayo, sweet BBQ sauce, ketchup, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion. The lettuce is a green leaf lettuce, onions are circle cut red onions, the pickles are ripple cut which makes them thick and crunchy (yum!) and they are generous with the toppings. 

Bun: Traditional hamburger style bun with sesame seeds. It did look toasted slightly on the inside. The bun was a bit too big for a 4oz patty and caused the meat flavor to get lost.  

Cross section of the Lil’ Burger at No Bull Burgers in Toronto

Other Food:

I didn’t order any additional food this time, but I have had the fries and they are hand cut, skin on, fresh and delicious. They do have malt vinegar which is heavenly on these fries.

How the Lil’ Burger came to the table

Atmosphere & Staff:

Always very clean inside and out. They have a few picnic tables with umbrellas for outdoor seating. Once you order your burger at the counter, the staff bring it to your table which is nice service for a strictly burger joint. The staff has always been very pleasant and one of them learned my name after only two visits which I thought was impressive considering I don’t go every week. The atmosphere and staff combine to make it an overall great experience.

The interior of No Bull Burgers is always spotlessly clean and the staff is friendly

Final Verdict:
4 stars

I love that this burger is organic and local. Minor tweaks as mentioned above would give this burger a 5-star rating. I do recommend to put it on your list as a must-go for burger lovers.