burgernator

it was my first time to theplaceand i'll definitely be back! i had the bulldozer hold the jalapeños and it was delicious! my friend tried the island burger that was on special and it was just as tasty. nothing beats a juicy burger and all the fixings dripping down as you attempt to eat it. awesome job!

my vegetarian cinematographer told me this was the best burger joint in toronto. how can you refuse that recommendation? he was right. the burgers are juicy and fall apart in your mouth. from simple standard burgers to more gourmet options thisplaceexcels across the board. only thing that would make it better would be more outside seating.

as you may or may not know, big chubby’ s was one of my favorite burger restaurants.  in fact, i even helped along the newplacewhen they took my advice on fixing the decor that was turning off some pedestrians, so i really liked theplacethat was there before the burgernator   showed up. which meant i was like old arnie was in the 80s: no mercy. the theme, which revolved around eliminating enemies and conquering the city, as well as weapons and war, might just make michael moore take back what he said about canadians being peaceful [if g20 didn't already, or with what the oil sands are doing to the environment, look, it's callumpolitcizestoronto!], but i noticed something more subtle as well. mayor rob ford’s motto the burgernator is reminiscent of the burger priest: flat top cooking, some crazy-a$$ [as if dollar signs actually censor it] challenge burger with a triple patty and grilled cheese sandwich buns, and that sleek modern decor. it also had the other feeling, oh, what was it

this is one of the hotspots if you are in china town or kensington market. really liked the burgers we tried a vegetarian and a chicken burger. the pattie was really crispy and juicy. really delicious. i however did not like the attitude of the cashier. she was a lil arrogant. however the server was really nice. but a really niceplaceto visit if you are in visiting this part of the town.

dark and cold, theplaceis best suited for take out or a break from the sun on a hot day. the burgers however… holy f. are they ever tasty.
for a great experience:
order the atomic burger with the deep fried herb crusted cheese. nuff said.

...also the daily specials are pretty out of this world.

ambiance/decor

the walls are painted dark (black). not much decor at all. the menu is written on the wall. it's a pay and choose your table kind of establishment. they bring your food out while calling your number. theplacedoes get packed quickly on weekends.

food:

tried the original commander with burgernator fries (chilli fries). much tastier then the works, montanas burgers. it was the perfect amount of flavor. it wasn't dry and tasted fresh.

the chili fries were very tasty too!
sweet potato fries: tasty

the prices don't include fries and drink. it's an extra $3.50 for that. but the price of the burger range from $5-14 which is reasonable!

overall, definitely tastier then most burger places i have tried!

if you love burgers, you must try this place. i'm not a huge burger fan but i'd definitely go back to this place. the decor is lovely and the restaurant is spacious. on zomato's recommendation i tried the captain jerk and it was worth it. my friend had the bazooka jr. and she wasn't disappointed either. if you're in the area do give thisplacea visit.

like most fast food services you order at the front and wait until your food is made. the only difference here is that they will deliver the burgers when they are ready. napkins and other stuff can be found in the middle of the restaurant. i know tipping is always a big debate in the online communities, but like i personally wouldn’t tip more than 15% here unless you do a huge take-out order.

[food]
milkshake
definitely not horrible. average at best. i really can’t comment too much on it because it was just okay (easy to slurp but the taste wasn’t long-lasting).

[burgers]
to start off, everything is made on the spot so supposedly it’s fresh. the burgers are definitely warm when they are served and unlike other restaurants, they will fit into your mouth (no surgeries required to overly widen that jaw). the atomic burger i ordered was quite good, especially the fried crusted cheese – i would say it is to die for. the bun itself did not surprise me as it was not super soft. my boyfriend’s burger was just regular lols, we don’t even remember the name (damn).

overall thisplaceis pretty nice, given that it’s located in kensington market i’m surprised there’s room for bathrooms downstairs. unfortunately they were renovating or something so the entire floor was covered in wet paint (referring to the basement) and i did not know how to walk around it. quite a chill environment. i do like it, but no wow factor.

the burgernator; a burger joint that opened in kensington market in february of 2013, specializes in big burger proportions and endless customizations. they offer all kinds of signature burgers: 6oz. patties which they call “burgers of mass destruction”, and 4oz. patties, also known as classics. the one thing that sets the burgernator apart from other burger joints is their slogan: “the burger is our weapon; toronto is our battlefield.”mark and i walked into their restaurant one day in late march and it just so happened that my birthday was a couple of days away. it was mark’s treat to buy my order this time around. upon walking into the joint, i had no idea what i was going to order. the burgernator was aplacethat was on my “to try” list for a while and before we arrived, i had been meaning to go back to kensington market for some time. this was the perfect opportunity to sight-see and go for a delicious burgertour lunch.

the burgernator; a burger joint that opened in kensington market in february of 2013, specializes in big burger proportions and endless customizations. they offer all kinds of signature burgers: 6oz. patties which they call “burgers of mass destruction”, and 4oz. patties, also known as classics. the one thing that sets the burgernator apart from other burger joints is their slogan: “the burger is our weapon; toronto is our battlefield.”

mark and i walked into their restaurant one day in late march and it just so happened that my birthday was a couple of days away. it was mark’s treat to buy my order this time around. upon walking into the joint, i had no idea what i was going to order. the burgernator was aplacethat was on my “to try” list for a while and before we arrived, i had been meaning to go back to kensington market for some time. this was the perfect opportunity to sight-see and go for a delicious burgertour lunch.
photo by andrew hockridge

we walked into the shop and the first impression i got was, “wow, this is totally different from all the other burger joints we’ve eaten at.” the interior is very modern. the walls are largely painted black with logos, slogans and huge designs etched out in chalk, resembling a massive black board. there are tables along the two sides of the restaurant with a condiment bar directly in the centre. take note, if you do choose to go on a weekend afternoon, the seating here is very limited. the best time to go is during a weekday afternoon. trust me.

on one of their walls, opposite of where i went toplacemy order, is a huge menu etched out in chalk. the same menu can be found on their website and on a small handout printed on brown construction paper. i took a glance at the menu and there were two things i thought about trying; their signature burgernator burger or the lieutenant burger. if i had gone with the burgernator, it would have been a resemblance to the burger i had at the burger’s priest: beef patties in between two grilled cheese sandwiches – a huge burger that i wasn’t prepared to eat a second time. so i went with the smaller option; the lieutenant burger, which had a double patty, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles and the special burgernator sauce, (i was instantly attracted to its own signature sauce).

within minutes, our orders were ready and we picked it up and walked back to our table. the burger looked amazing. nothing was falling out, nothing was crumbling apart. this looked like a real good tasting burger and i couldn’t wait to get my hands around it. i took my first bite and my taste buds were blown away. the burgernator sauce was a nice combination with the toppings on the burger and the meat was really juicy and cooked to perfection. the combo comes with a side of fries and a rosemary garlic aioli dip. the fries were freshly cut potatoes and well salted, and the dip sure adds to the flavour of the meal. by the time i had finished eating my meal, i was full. and this full was a good full. it was a satisfied type of full.

overall, the burgernator is a uniqueplacethat serves up classic burgers and fits nicely among all the independent stores and food places kensington market offers. i don’t think i could have asked for a better burger. it’s surprising to see a burgerplacethis good get so little recognition. so next time you find yourself in kensington market and craving a delicious burger, do yourself a favour and help rid the city of “half-hearted” and “undercooked” burgers by making a stop at the burgernator.

while showing a friend around the city we decided to grab a quick bite. at first i thought theplacewas closed, it looked so dark inside. so happy that i decided to double check! my burger was very juicy and perfectly seasoned. the veg was fresh and the bun held everything together perfectly. i would definitely return to try some more of the menu. service was fast and the pricing was pretty good !

so burger places are popping up all over the place. competition is a good thing because it should make proprietors better, and we the public are the benifeciaries!
burgernator, in the (always) entertaining kensington market, is one such place. a wall of many (but not too many) burger options are scrawled in chalk.
this day, i went caribbean and had the jerk burger with jerk poutine riding beside. indulging my carnivorous tooth, this burger holds a 6oz patty, chicken strips, lettuce, tomato, roasted garlic and rosemary mayo. flavours that sound like they go together, and they do! well cooked and delicious! i loved the combination of chicken and beef, but some of you won't. the poutine was a great side because it carried the jerk flavour between the two.
theplaceis a little divy, but it's a burger place; you should want to smell like smoke and grease when i come out of a joint like this!!
go! now!

...through the street vendors on augusta to the burgernator. the door was wide open during a burning summer day, which means… they don’t have air conditioning... the menu took up the whole height of the wall beside the open kitchen. it was easy to read with white letters on a black wall. staff were friendly and efficient. we waited about 15 minutes for our burger, theplacewas bustling with customers....the burger came out with greasy, cheesy toast and dry-looking meat. we split our burger and the meat immediately crumbled. it was well seasoned but the only part i liked about it was the grilled cheese. the menu lists caramelized onions in this burger, they weren’t caramelized. overall, i didn’t enjoy the burger.

i am not a big burger fan but since i had to try thisplacebecause the burgers were too tempting to try. it was all worth it, i love the burgers they are making, the stuffings are just amazing and provides a juicy flavor to the burger. staff is great and friendly, the food is cooked freshly and you can see what you are going to get. theplaceis very busy all through out the day, i love the chilli burger here :)

the burgernator proclaims a mission to fight the good fight against poorly made burgers in toronto with their own delicious handcrafted ammunition. i’ve gotta say, thisplacedoes a superb and creative job in keeping their decorations and menu items in line with their battle theme. it’s a lot of fun!