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.
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.
[caption id="attachment_536621" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] The Happy Cheeseburger comes on a potato bun and is topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, sliced pickles, onions and Happy Sauce. $6.95. [/caption]
[caption id="attachment_536615" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] The Big Happy Cheeseburger features two patties, each topped with cheese lettuce, pickles, onions and Happy Sauce. $10.95. [/caption]
[caption id="attachment_536627" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] 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.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_536616" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] The Happy Chicken is a brined-then-fried chicken breast on a potato bun, topped with lettuce, pickles, cheese and Happy Sauce. $8.95.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_536617" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] 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.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_536625" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] Monthly specials include creations like the Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger with griddle caramelized onions smashed into the patty. $6.95.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_536618" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] 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).[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_536628" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] There are also pickle spears. $2.95.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_536629" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] And here's a whole Happy Burger spread[/caption]
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.
[caption id="attachment_536623" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] 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. [/caption]
[caption id="attachment_536632" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] Here's the full menu.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_536626" align="aligncenter" width="2047"] 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. [/caption]
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