Toronto’s best new burgers—a smoky, saucy, succulent ranking
Including one spiced with masala, one with a Korean twist and one that eschews meat entirely
Susie’s Rise and Dine’s Cheeseburger Royale
10 Little Italy’s east-meets-west all-day diner slings a cheeseburger that respectfully plays it straight. A thick, medium-cooked seven-ounce patty of dry-aged brisket and chuck lands on a toasted custom-made sesame milk bun, blanketed in American cheese and crowned with a thick-cut slice of lightly charred white onion. The burger is served audaciously unadorned—no pickles, no sauce—because its own juices are flavourful enough. But, for any condiment queens in the house (no shade), a mustard-mayo-ketchup situation arrives on the side. $19. 539 College St., susiestoronto.com
Bonito’s Oklahoma Burger
9 The signature burger at this Ossington hotspot sports a crisp-edged and flattened (though not quite smashed) chuck patty seasoned to perfection. It’s dripping with melted American cheese, a ketchup-mayo “bodega sauce” and some thinly sliced dill pickles to cut through the fat. But it’s the signature charred onions—caramelized on the outside, still raw on the inside—that provide a delightful crispy-crunchy contrast to the pillowy potato bun. $14. 180 Ossington Ave., @boniiitos
Bindi’s signature Bindi Burger
8 The eponymous menu item from Remo Lobo’s sort-of-secret smash burger spot at the Monarch Tavern is where slow-cooked Indian flavours meet the full force of the burger boom. To strike that balance, Lobo stretches the form with a beef-and-lamb patty robust enough to stand up to his bold sauces: slow-cooked tomato chutney spiced with garam masala and a secret concoction made with Moishe’s pickles, diced white onion, tamarind chutney and chaat masala. The patty is pressed less aggressively than usual, giving its juices—and spices—room to sing. Fresh cilantro and mint provide backup. $13.75. 12 Clinton St., bindisburgers.com
Related: Sort-of Secret—Bindi’s Burgers, an Indian-inspired smash burger operation inside a Little Italy bar
Oldeseoul Tavern’s Tavern Burger
7 There’s a lot of talk in burger culture about “hand feel,” and the OS Tavern Burger—a seven-ounce brisket patty with a 3:1 meat-to-fat ratio—pushes the limits of what serious burger stans may consider a comfortable grip. It makes a persuasive case for two hands, a stack of napkins and a willingness to surrender to the mess. The patty is plunked on a Blackbird sesame bun that somehow holds its own against the onslaught of molten American cheese, horseradish aïoli and a thick slice of griddled white onion. And—because this is a Leemo Han joint—there’s a Korean twist: some subtly sweet galbi jjim jus on the side for dunking. $20. 1911 Queen St. E., @oldeseoultavern.1911
Elijah’s Automatic’s Chili Automatic with cheese
6 Landing somewhere between a smash burger and something from a backyard cookout, the flame-grilled Chili Automatic from Shant Mardirosian (founder of the Burger’s Priest and Toronto’s smash burger trendsetter) is smoky, succulent and scored with those signature grill marks. It’s made with two three-ounce Canada AA beef patties, house-ground and blended with 45-day-aged prime rib fat. They’re layered with American cheese that plays nicely with a deluge of rich beef chili, plus mustard, ketchup, raw onions and sliced pickles, all crammed inside a toasted brioche bun. $15. 821 The Queensway, elijahsautomatic.com
Stefano’s meatless smash burger
5 This plant-based diner will surprise—and delight—even the most committed skeptics with its meatless burger. Shoved into a Blackbird sesame bun, a smashed patty made from a well-seasoned blend of Impossible meat and nutty farro is layered with caramelized onions, vegan cheddar, crunchy pickles and a tangy Big Mac–style special sauce. Optional add-ons include organic mushrooms and yuba bacon, which mimics the real deal so convincingly that it could save Homer from a heart attack or two. $16. 1265 Dundas St. W., stefanosdiner.com
General Public’s happy-hour burger
4 Cooked in a cast-iron skillet to a juicy medium-rare, the blend of brisket and chuck is joined by a thwap of bone marrow as a little hat tip to the Black Hoof. The GP burger comes on a McDonald’s-style (but far superior) sesame bun spread with Branston Pickle, sprinkled with white onion and smothered in a rich Red Leicester sauce that vastly improves on American cheese even as it pays homage to it. It’s modern and nostalgic at the same time—and only 21 are available between the hours of 4 and 6 p.m. $21. 201 Geary Ave., generalpublic.ca
Dotty’s cheeseburger
3 Built from a blend of chuck and brisket and griddled on the flat-top to nail the perfect crust, chef Jay Carter’s simple-is-best burger tastes like a patty circa 1985. It rests beneath a melty mix of American and cheddar cheeses and is finished with mayonnaise, Heinz ketchup, French’s mustard, a few dill pickle slices and paper-thin white onions on a toasted Breadhead bun. Bells and whistles need not apply. $18. 1588 Dupont St., dottys.ca
Short Turn’s quarter-pound cheeseburger
2 Kevin Lo, head chef at this all-day-diner sibling to 416 Snack Bar, sizzles a thick patty made of a blade-and-brisket blend on the griddle until it’s seared on the outside, still pink in the middle. Then he smothers it in smoked Dutch gouda and peppercorn aïoli and tops it off with crunchy slices of sweet pickles. It’s all tucked into a smooshy milk bun for a tightly packed one-hander (because you’ll need your other hand for a cocktail). $18. 576 Queen St. W., 416snackbar.com/shortturn
The Frederick’s Harbord Room Burger
1 With the opening of the Frederick, chef Cory Vitiello’s Financial District clubhouse, comes the return of his iconic Harbord Room Burger: a blend of dry-aged, house-ground chuck and brisket; white cheddar (on both halves of the brioche bun); Guinness-glazed onions; a slice of pickle; tomato; shredded iceberg lettuce; and a whisper of silky aïoli. Even in a city filled with delicious brand-new burgers, this one still tops them all—nostalgia is one hell of a drug. $33. 10 Temperance St., thefrederickto.com
Erin Hershberg is a freelance writer with nearly two decades of experience in the lifestyle sector. She currently lives in downtown Toronto with her husband and two children.
