What’s on the menu at Happy Burger, the west end’s new spot for smash burgers, hot dogs and waffle fries

What’s on the menu at Happy Burger, the west end’s new spot for smash burgers, hot dogs and waffle fries

Name: Happy Burger
Contact: 76 Lippincott St., 647-352-7777, happyburger.ca, @happyburgerto
Neighbourhood: Harbord Village
Previously: BB’s Diner
Owners: Juliana Carlucci and Chris Kalisperas (Mamakas Food Group)
Chef: Chris Kalisperas
Accessibility: Fully accessible, no washrooms
Covid-19 safety measures: Hand sanitizer at the order window; outdoor picnic tables are sanitized when guests finish their meal; no public bathrooms; cashless payment. Order at the takeout window, through the website or via delivery apps.

The food

Cooked-to-order burgers, made with patties smashed on a chrome griddle, served on buttered and toasted Martin’s potato rolls and slathered in their mayo-based Happy Sauce. There are various iterations of the signature Happy Burger, including a Super Happy one topped with bacon, one loaded with shaved pastrami and even a Beyond Happy Burger. There’s also a fried chicken sandwich, Nathan’s all-beef hot dogs and corn dogs. Sides are simple but good: waffle fries (with or without Cajun seasoning), crispy onion rings and dill pickle spears.

The Happy Cheeseburger comes on a potato bun and is topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, sliced pickles, onions and Happy Sauce. $6.95. 
The Big Happy Cheeseburger features two patties, each topped with cheese lettuce, pickles, onions and Happy Sauce. $10.95. 
For the Pastrami Burger, thinly sliced steamed pastrami is piled onto a potato bun, along with a smash burger patty, cheese, lettuce, onions, pickles and Happy Sauce. $10.95.
The Happy Chicken is a brined-then-fried chicken breast on a potato bun, topped with lettuce, pickles, cheese and Happy Sauce. $8.95.
The Happy Dog dresses a griddle Nathan’s all-beef hot dog with pickle, onions and Happy Sauce. It comes on a potato bun. $5.45.
Monthly specials include creations like the Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger with griddle caramelized onions smashed into the patty. $6.95.
Fried sides include waffle fries, with or without Cajun-style seasoning ($4.45), and crispy golden onion rings ($5.45) that can be paired with happy sauce for an extra buck ($1) or house-made sour cream and chive ($2).
There are also pickle spears. $2.95.
And here’s a whole Happy Burger spread
The drinks

Just your usual burger joint beverages: cans of pop and bottled water.

The space

Happy Burger started as Kalisperas’s side-project pop-up at the start of the pandemic, but it’s now a permanent fixture. Previously the dining room of BB’s Diner, the space is now an open kitchen lined with quarry tiles and plexiglass barriers.

Kalisperas (pictured here, smashing a patty) splurged on a chrome griddle which isn’t only energy efficient, but it also doesn’t absorb food particles. With less smoke and no carry-over flavours, the result is food that tastes cleaner.
Here’s the full menu.
The primarily takeout operation has two picnic tables and a bench out front for those who can’t wait to get their burgers home. Tables and benches are sanitized after each use.