What’s on the menu at Elijah’s Automatic Flame Broiled, a fast-casual concept from the founder of the Burger’s Priest

Name: Elijah’s Automatic Flame Broiled Contact: 821 The Queensway, Etobicoke, elijahsautomatic.com, @elijahsautomatic
Neighbourhood: The Queensway Owner: Shant Mardirosian Accessibility: Not fully accessible

Seven years after selling the Burger’s Priest, Shant Mardirosian is back in the burger business. “I thought about doing a flame-broiled concept even while I was at the Burger’s Priest,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to do it.” But the sale of his burger empire came with a non-compete clause that prevented Mardirosian from acting on his flame-broiled fantasies for five years.

Instead, he opened the Fourth Man in the Fire pizzeria in 2019 and, shortly afterward, its California-style doughnut offshoot, Harry and Heels—a pandemic-era pivot that hit it big (they’re now carried at many Farm Boy locations). Now, with his pizza and doughnut operations chugging along smoothly, burgers once again beckoned Mardirosian.

Related: Inside the kitchen of Shant Mardirosian, the founder of the Burger’s Priest

Mardirosian has a tradition of selecting restaurant names with biblical references to pay homage to his years studying in seminary school. Elijah’s is no exception: Mardirosian christened his flame-broiled baby after the prophet who proved his faith by successfully setting a soaking wet offering aflame. “Everything I’ve learned over the last 14 years in the restaurant business, I’ve put into this,” says Mardirosian.

The Food

The Burger’s Priest was known for igniting Toronto’s smash burger craze, but Mardirosian wanted to go in a different direction with Elijah’s patties. “I believe we’ve reached peak smash burger in Toronto,” he says. “Whereas, in the fresh-ground, premium category, there’s nobody doing char-grilled meat.”

Elijah’s patties are made from AA Canadian beef that’s ground on-site with 45-day-aged prime rib fat added to the mix. “We’re basically grinding steaks,” says Mardirosian.

The Drinks

On the no-frills drinks menu, you’ll find staple canned sodas like Coke, Sprite, root beer, Orange Crush, ginger ale and bottled water (all for $2.50).

The Space

Mardirosian chose steakhouse-inspired decor to reflect the restaurant’s focus on premium beef. “I didn’t want to do another bright white-tiled kind of spot,” he says. Elijah’s unofficial tag line is “See you tomorrow” because you’ll be back—and Mardirosian knows it.