the stockyards

amazing burger, great date spot and more than you can ask for in food. bartenders were super cool and made everything we wanted to perfection

very friendly staff, roguish looking cook with a cool sense of humour. fries were plentiful and up to standards. the butter burger was simple yet delicious, i couldn’t stop eating and it was gone before i knew it. all in all warm rustic ambiance with funky music and hearty food. will return for the ribs.

a great place for the stockyards and they do it quite well. the only place where i'd dock a point off is for the price for the the stockyards. but, if you are looking at other places, then it's pretty much competitive especially when the meals do come with unlimited, salad, rice and miso soup.

so, overall, quite great and don't forget to check in to claim a free soft drink! another thing is that they were pretty friendly and quick for the refills

friendly service. had the dirty bird dish from the sunday menu. chicken was moist inside and crunchy outside. waffle was fluffy and fresh. gravy, egg and canadian bacon hit all the right spots. everything was seasoned perfectly. worth the wait for a table. would go back next time i'm in toronto.

for our 32nd burger review, we travelled to the west end of the city to visit one of "toronto's most underrated burger joints" the city has to offer. doing some research about where we were going to eat at for this month didn't really take any time at all. our minds were made up and the stockyards was the next on the list. we had heard about this place a few times over the last few months, but it was the location that was a bit of a challenge for us. basically, mark and i weren't familiar with the st. clair west area, so we really didn't know what to expect, and this was going to be a new adventure for the both of us. we arrived shortly after 2pm on a day in early january and there was already a small group of people dining in the restaurant. when we entered, we were quickly given a choice of where we would like to sit. we grabbed a couple of stools up along a bar they had against one of their walls. the space was fairly small, yet big enough to fit a few hungry customers. given by my first impression, i could tell this place was a neighbourhood go-to hangout. but of course, this day in particular attracted to burger enthusiasts to its shop to try some delicious homemade creations. and i came with an empty stomach. upon arriving, mark and i had given the menu a quick glance and saw only a few burgers to choose from. but they weren't your typical original cheeseburger or signature hamburger. these were creations made by the kitchen staff at the stockyards, prepared fresh daily. all of the burgers sounded very interesting to try and i was going over them one by one in my head before the waiter returned to ask for our order.

great food. they even have some vegetarian options as well. the fries are delicious and fried to perfection. sometimes the wait can get pretty long but its definitely worth trying.

when you plan a visit to the stockyards, you should also plan a visit to the gym. stockyards is comfort food done right--their menu is home to burgers, sandwiches, ribs, and chicken, with no expense spared on flavour. it's a modest joint, only seating 20 people at a time even though they could easily fill a much larger venue – especially on tuesdays, fridays, and sundays when they serve their notorious bbq ribs and chicken. stockyards is owned by tom davis, who's perfected the art of smoking meat. his chicken, for example, is marinated with garlic, cumin, and buttermilk for 24 hours before being smoked (in his homemade wood smoker) for seven hours to create his signature southern style chicken.

2017/02/11
i had bookmarked the stockyards a while ago, based on something that i had read somewhere about good burgers, and today we had an opportunity to check it out at lunchtime. the first thing i noticed when we entered is that it is not a big restaurant. about a third of the restaurant is occupied by an open kitchen, and the remaining areas only have counter and stool seating. i am not fond of stools, but it's about the food, right? the restaurant was relatively full, but there were two seats together at the end of the main counter in front of the kitchen. when it is busy, you are sitting and eating elbow to elbow with someone. it did feel a bit cramped at times.

we looked over the menu briefly. we notice that the people sitting beside us had chicken and waffles that looked pretty good, so swmbo's decision was made. she chose the 2 piece ($14) instead of the 4 piece ($17), which turned out to be more than enough for lunch. the chicken is marinated in buttermilk, and then deep fried, giving it a pretty crispy exterior. the thicker of her two pieces could have used a bit more time in the fryer; it was probably cooked all the way, but she did leave a couple of small bites.

i was trying to decide between a pulled pork sandwich and a burger, so i asked our server. she asked me if i had ever had one of their burgers, to which i replied no, and she suggested i try that first. i chose the green chili pimento cheese burger and added fries. i watched the cook prepare the burger. first he sprinkled salt on the flat top grill, then he dropped a ball of hamburger meat on top of the salt. he used a hand press to squash the meat to a uniform thickness. once it was cooked on one side, he flipped it over and added a large dollop of a thick, white sauce that must have been the jalapeño, cheddar and mayo mixture. when done, that was placed inside a grilled bun with butter lettuce, and served in a cast iron skillet, with a pile of fries. this was a pretty good burger. the fries were also pretty good too.

so overall some mixed results, but still a good outing. i would go back if someone i know wanted to give it a try.

another restaurant featured on diners, drive ins and dives that is a great place for burgers and fried chicken. it's not spacious so you're better off taking it too go but once you're in and having a good time then you're all good.

the owner is a great guy and the rest of the staff are friendly too. expect good recommendations but be warned everything is good.

we were curious enough to drive there to try out a burger made famous on the show which had beef bone marrow and butter. unfortunately that burger was discontinued.

but no complaints as the other dishes were great. try their fried chicken as it's really good. we also had the green chilli pimento burger and the dirty thirty.

the stockyards is a place not to be missed.

i've been here twice now. both times, it was for lunch on a weekend and both times i ordered the deep fried chicken and waffles. both times, the chicken was dry and overcooked. i love the atmosphere and decor, but i think the chicken is highly over-rated. i do not plan to return.

this is some seriously good chicken. whether it's the fried chicken or chicken and waffles (seriously, if you haven't tried it, you must) this place is up there with the best homemade fried chicken from the southern us. prices are a little high but worth it for the occasional spoil-session.

i have been here a couple times over the years. most recently i came here for an early lunch with a friend.
she had the smoked trout breakfast sandwich - delicious!!!
burger - well cooked with regular toppings, extra pickles. good tasting beef.
service - delightful
it was nice to sit at the counter to watch the cook do his thing.
i did get the smoked trout a couple days later myself and it was super delicious. the flavours were delicate and well suited to each other.
will return!!!!!!

went here with jamaal and ordered fried chicken dinner and beast burger. was gonna do the chicken and waffles but that's only available til 3pm and we came for dinner. to be honest i just don't get the obsession with c&w but for some reason i just keep trying and being underwhelmed so i didn't mind missing out. the burger and chicken came fairly quick for being freshly made but i will note we did beat the dinner rush by showing up at like 6:30. burger was good and reminded me of burger priest which is good. chicken was well seasoned (much better than other places i've had) and crispy but not overly breaded for my taste. hot sauce was needed for sure. fries were wicked and nice and thin and crispy. be warned: the portions are really big. i could have split chicken dinner with another girl and been satisfied. i think for portions the price was fair. friendly and attentive staff.

i've had this restaurant flagged on my restaurants to try list for awhile due to the rating. one night i had a burger craving, so decided to drive down to this location to try it myself. the place is small, the staff are great, food arrives fast. and the food was good. it's not a restaurant i would go out of my way again though. when my stomach was finally full, it's just like another burger joint, but with better staffing and atmosphere

i met a friend here for lunch yesterday. we waited a short while before being sat along the wall in their very tight spaced establishment. we placed our orders and after awhile we suspected our food had been lost in the shuffle. a quick chat with the waitress and everything got settled. while we waited, she was kind enough to drop off two pieces of chicken with some fries at no extra charge. the chicken was unreal. so tasty. so tender. go get some! haha. our burgers eventually arrived and they were totally worth the wait. i had the dirty30. they only make 30 a day so i was worried we may have been too late. fortunately for me, i was wrong. this burger comes stuffed with house made smoked cheddar and blue cheese. stop. savour. ok! it also came topped with onion frites, pickles, and house mayo. i was really impressed. a very tasty burger!! certainly ranks up there as one of the best in the city (that i have had). my friend ordered and really enjoyed the beast which came with a mustard seared patty, secret sauce, caramelized onions, lettuce, american style cheese and pickles. few words shared during this feast. we were only charged for our burgers. the chicken, fries, and sodas were on the house. a small hiccup repaired in a big way! going back verrrrry soon.