Introducing: The Burgernator, a new shop for burger lovers in Kensington Market

Introducing: The Burgernator, a new shop for burger lovers in Kensington Market

The Burgernator

Name: The Burgernator
Neighbourhood: Kensington Market
Contact info: 269 Augusta Ave., 647-748-0990, theburgernator.com, @TBurgernator
Owners and chefs: Amer and Laila Mokdad

The food: Griddle-smashed burgers made from Black Angus beef that’s ground in-house. The Bazooka ($11) is two patties topped with a fried egg, sautéed hot peppers, chipotle aïoli and jack cheese. The namesake burger ($15) is similar to over-the-top offerings at The Burger’s Priest and Holy Chuck: three beef patties tucked between a pair of grilled cheese sandwiches with caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms and a knife running through the middle.

The drinks: Milkshakes ($4.50) and Laziza ($2.25), a non-alcoholic malt beverage popular in Lebanon.

The place: The Mokdad family renovated the old Big Chubby Burger space, giving it a more modern industrial feel. There’s a full manifesto declaring their intent to rid the city of burger mediocrity hung from the wall.

By the numbers:
• 9, the age of Amer and Laila’s son Adam, whose love of the Terminator films led to the restaurant’s name
• $5–$15, the price range on the burgers
• 3, the number of Rona stores Amer cleared out of plumbing parts, which he used to decorate the restaurant
• 2, the current number of veggie options (this will expand and contract seasonally)