The Best.... of Kingston

Logan's Lunch

2013-05-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

Stephen's review - Jo and I are huge fans of street food and we have often commented on the lack of food trucks in Kingston, especially in the gourmet category... until now! Logan's Lunch - Gourmet2Go... is located just off Centennial Drive in the Princess Auto parking lot directly across from Costco. Logan's Lunch, where everything is fresh and fabulous, is brand new. In fact today was day one! Not the best weather but we brought along a healthy appetite so our attention was clearly on the food and not the weather.

Melanie, who is the owner, operator, front-person and mother of Logan, has started with a limited menu but it is a very encouraging start and offers a good selection of the Logan's Lunch version of some favourites. Gourmet Burger, Mediterranean Chicken Wrap, Pulled Pork, Gourmet Grilled Cheese, etc... along with a daily special and as expected, some absolutely fantastic 'chip-truck' fries that were to die for! Today's selection also included Fresh Baked Banana Bread with organic banana's, dark chocolate chunks and made by Logan herself!

Of course you can't do a burger blog without a burger so for me, it was the Princess Auto Burger. I added the fries and diet coke to make it a full combo. This burger comes with fresh lettuce, caramelized onion, tomato and pickle and as always, I added mustard and ketchup. The bun was a very fresh gourmet sesame bun, kaiser style and the burger was a hand-packed, nicely seasoned, perfectly cooked mountain of burger bliss! Ok... so I loved it!

As you can see by the pic's, this was a meal and then some. On top of the huge burger were those mouth-watering french fries. Hand cut, perfectly cooked and for me seasoned with a little vinegar and salt, and were the perfect combination to this great meal. Simply an awesome burger along with awesome fries!

For me, Logan's Lunch and the Princess Auto Burger scored into the top three of all the burgers we have rated on the Best of Kingston's search for the best home style burger in Kingston! Try it out... you will be very pleasantly surprised.

Jo - Having experienced street food in other parts of the world, we wondered why the idea hadn't come to Kingston yet. We were pleasantly surprised when we heard about the opening of Logan's Lunch (and to steal a phrase... their offering of "curbside cuisine"). We weren't disappointed when we decided to have lunch there on opening day.

Okay, so I didn't order a burger this time. That is because I was sooo tempted by the gourmet grilled cheese combo.

This was one serious gourmet grilled cheese. Maple smoked bacon, carmelized onions, havarti, swiss cheese, and thin slices of crunchy green apple, grilled to perfection on artisan bread (sourdough I think, but I forgot to ask). What a lovely combination of flavour and textures! And those fries... as Stephen said, "to die for"... especially if you love those authentic chip wagon fries. The portions were generous and made to order.

I did exchange bites with Stephen and the burger was excellent. The vegetable ingredients were fresh and the combination was delicious. Salad greens instead of plain lettuce was a nice touch. I also like the fact that the drinks were ice cold (and not from a soda fountain). So Logan's Lunch is highly recommended! Gourmet food on the run, reasonable prices, fresh, local ingredients and service with a smile. What more could you ask for?

Sir John's Public House

2013-02-26T13:25:00.004-08:00

Last summer we spontaneously went into Sir John's Public House for lunch. We were sorry that we didn't have our camera with us because our lunch was delightful so we vowed to return. What better evening than dinner at a Scottish Pub and then off to the K-Rock Centre to watch ladies national curling (the "Scotties") later at the K-Rock Centre?

When we arrived at Sir John's, they were seated at capacity. The waiter's were very courteous and were so apologetic about the fact that we had to wait for a table. However we did not have to wait long.

The establishment is very intimate and embellished in the style of an old pub. We love the ambiance of Kingston history when we go downtown. It would be nice to see even more establishments exploit the theme of the Historic Limestone City. If you've ever been to Savannah, Georgia (where the downtown core maintains their architectural heritage) you know what I mean.

Jo-Anne's take - The menu is pub style Scottish fare. It offers a great special of appetizer plus entree plus dessert, however I was not hungry enough to take advantage of this option. With its generous portions, this would have been a great deal offered for a flat rate of $20.

I ordered the Angus Burger and Caesar salad for $14. We did not have to wait long for our orders in spite of a full house. Before any mention of the burger I have to comment on the Caesar salad. It was created in the traditional way a Caesar Salad is SUPPOSED to be made. Fresh romaine in a creamy (not too much) dressing with LOADS of real smokey bacon, delicious croutons and generous shavings of real parmesan cheese... I was in heaven right then and there. The meal also came with a side of crispy delicious marinated slaw. It was a classic bacon cheese burger assembled with a hand-packed Angus beef patty, a slice of tomato, lettuce, dill pickles, rings of red onion, mushrooms, strips of smokey bacon and melted cheese.

I'm embarrassed to say that I'm not usually a fan of burgers that have a huge patty. That's until I had this burger. A generous amount of beef with not a lot of filler. The meat was flavoured with an amazing array of spices (garlic, cracked pepper, rosemary, and oregano to name a few). It was cooked perfectly with ample juiciness complemented with a fresh bun. The smokiness of the bacon added flavour "to die for".

This is a pub so be aware that if it's busy you will be seated in close proximity with other tables. The bar is in the centre of the pub. We were comfortably seated next to a couple from Syracuse. As we engaged in conversation we learned that they came to Kingston often and were regular patrons at the Sir John's.

So that's my take on Sir John's... nice ambiance, great, friendly service and it's fairly obvious that I really liked this burger!

Stephen's take - As Jo-Anne mentioned, we had dropped in to Sir John's late last summer and were very impressed with the atmosphere as well as the food. We are both absolute fanatics of the history we have in Kingston and whenever we can frequent any of the downtown establishments who have embraced either their own or the cities heritage, we will happily partake!

Now I probably shouldn't do this but I have to mention that in our first visit to Sir John's, we had both ordered the Aberdeen Angus Burger Plate and there was one element of that early burger that was missing from this current version... home made lime zest mayonnaise! Wow... it was delicious. We loved it so much that it has become a favourite we often make at home. (Jo did mention to the Chef this evening, how much we loved that element of the previous burger and here's wishing, it makes a return.)

Now I ordered my Angus Burger with a side of fries and as you can see from the photo above, it was a plateful! Jo mentioned all of the trimmings piled high on this burger and I also, as I always do, added mustard and ketchup. I also cut my hamburger in half to get a better grip on this monster and was surprised to see just how big this burger was. The all 'Angus' beef patty was cooked perfectly and was at least an inch thick in the centre... yes, an inch thick! Definitely a hand-packed burger, seasoned well, juicy and very, very flavourful. What an excellent meal, great surroundings, very accommodating staff (including the Chef who Jo spoke with after our meal), and an all around positive review. Thus we both highly recommend Sir John's.

Now I can't stop without adding a little more of our experience and more to the point... what we will be ordering the next time we visit Sir John's. As Jo mentioned we struck up a conversation with a nice couple from Syracuse NY who are frequent visitors to our city. They both took advantage of the $20 all inclusive meal Jo mentioned earlier. But, I have to add a little more to that fact. For appetizers, he ordered the Scotch Egg plate and she the Deep Fried Haggis Fritters. Both looked fantastic and in our conversations back and forth... our neighbours thoroughly enjoyed every bite. For their main course, he had Balmoral Bangers and Mash while she had the Highland Lamb Shank and again... rave reviews all around. Yes, they both had a dessert course as well but Jo and I had to get going to the K-Rock and missed our new found friends' dessert review. So yes, we will be returning and I can taste that lamb shank already!

The WORKS GOURMET BISTRO BURGER...

2013-01-03T06:44:00.000-08:00

298 Princess Street

It's been awhile I know. Our lives have been a whirlwind - all very good and we'll leave it at that.

From our previous post we were not particularly motivated to go out and search for the ultimate burger joint any more because we had such a great experience in the Brooklyn Bar in Dalian, China. However when Jo's brother and sister-in-law suggested we meet at "The Works" before enjoying a "Dala" concert, we were excited to sample one of Kingston's newest burger offerings. "The Works" is a Canadian franchise that began in Ottawa in 2001. It has developed quite a following and after our experience, I can see why.

Jo-Anne's experience: When we arrived at the restaurant, it was quite busy - not surprising for a Saturday evening at 6 pm. We were immediately ushered to a table (for 6) in spite of the line-up. Our waitress was very professional, friendly and helpful.

The decor was very industrial, polished metals mixed with natural stone and wood, with many neat little trinkets like the 'light bulb' salt and pepper shakers shown here on the right. It was very clean. Although the seating was somewhat crowded with numerous tables, it didn't bother us at all.

I have to admit that I found the menu somewhat overwhelming with so many choices. Thank goodness the menu is well organized and it even leads the patron through various steps to create his/her burger experience.
Step 1 - Choose your patty (beef, chicken, turkey, veggie, portobello mushroom, or elk);
Step 2 - Choose your topping (70 combinations to choose from);
Step 3 - Choose your bun (white, whole wheat, or gluten free);
Step 4 - Choose your side (regular or sweet potato fries, various veggies, mashed potatoes or slaw);
Step 5 - Choose an upgrade (18 possibilities)..... SO MANY CHOICES!

Just a few left.....

We were warned to expect a 20 minute wait because our meal was to be made to order. This was not bothersome as we planned to engage in social chatter. Besides, that gave us an excuse to order the Tower O Rings - an onion ring appetizer.

I selected the "Firestation #6", a ground beef burger topped with avocado, salsa, sour cream and jalapeno peppers with sweet potato strings. This burger was $12.98 (fries or side included). I know many will balk at this price, however I challenge you to find a meal in a restaurant at this price. Remember, this is not a fast food burger joint... this is a full meal entre. By the standards of an evening meal "out", the bill was quite reasonable.

The 20 minutes went by quickly and oh my, the onion rings were flavourful and beautifully crisp. The industrial theme was evident in the plating of our orders. Very large portions were presented in large rectangular metal baking pans. I liked the presentation and I liked my burger even more! It was a juicy flavourful combination on a very fresh bun. Yes, it was messy to eat and the baking pan captured any drippings but it was heaven.

Stephen's Review: Wow! Talk about choice... as Jo detailed, the amazing number of selections were almost overwhelming except for the organization of the menu. In fact, it was a topic for conversation as the six of us discovered some of the unique combinations and shared them around the table. This really got the juices flowing as several times I changed my mind about which one to order.

The "Dead Ringer"

My final decision was the "Dead Ringer". Like Jo, it was a ground beef burger patty, on a white bun and it was dressed with BBQ smoked brisket, smokey BBQ sauce, jack cheese and an onion ring, with a side of fresh cut french fries and the cost was $12.91. Now my trepidation was that what I might have just ordered would turn out to be an American style, overstuffed burger that relied on quantity rather than quality. You know, one of those massively wasteful and ugly monstrosities you sometimes see on Triple D! Well, let me tell you that any trepidation was completely and utterly gone with my first view and that first bite. I went directly to burger heaven!

Now this was a big burger, in fact, the biggest burger we have seen in most of our many reviews but thankfully, it was not that ugly overstuffed monstrosity I feared. This was utterly delicious! The flavours were fantastic and the juicy, perfectly cooked, melt in your mouth brisket completely complimented the perfectly cooked beef patty. The BBQ sauce for the brisket along with the jack cheese and other toppings were very well matched and for me, simply the perfect combination.

I know many will scoff at the price but this is not your average burger-joint. This is a destination for a meal with great food that is very well prepared and served by very knowledgable staff who guide you to a great burger experience! For Jo and I, our time in China and that heavenly taste of home at the Brookyln Bar in Dalian will always be a treasure but, if I am being honest, my experience at the Works has jumped to the top of my list!

In summary - highly recommended by BOTH Jo & Stephen.

More yummy offerings...

The Brooklyn Bar - Dalian, China

2011-06-08T13:28:00.000-07:00

A lovely establishment.

Well, as you probably know, we temporarily suspended our posts to “The Best of… Kingston” because we have been in China for the past few months. The food here; that is the authentic and 'real' Chinese cuisine is a far cry from what we are used to back in North America, however we discovered a restaurant in Dalian that specializes in Western food. It is called “The Brooklyn Bar” and we couldn’t resist trying their hamburger.

The Brooklyn Bar is owned by Wayne Hou, who was born in Chicago, U.S.A. After graduating university with a major in Finance, Wayne decided to venture to China to open up this establishment. He has worked very hard to lead his staff in providing excellent service and excellent food.

Perfectly cooked burger.

Jo - Although we heard that pizza was the specialty, we were eager to try “The Brooklyn Burger”. I ordered it with cheese and you had the choice of cheddar, American or mozzarella. I ordered Canadian cheddar of course. The burgers were made to order so we settled in with a beer and took in the scenery – lovely brick walls and delightful ambiance. The burgers arrived with home cut fries. I took my first bite and let me tell you, it was one of the best burgers I have ever eaten. The burgers were hand-made, nicely spiced and grilled to perfection. The patty rested on a fresh brioche bun – unbelievable… topped with crisp fresh lettuce, tomato and onion. All I can say is that I loved this burger. So much that we went back a week later and enjoyed them a second time. Good job Wayne!

Stephen - Yes, it is true... we went all the way to North-East China... 6,648 miles to be exact... to find what I can only describe as a perfect burger! This was heaven! OK, so it is true that we are far away from home, have been surrounded with 'unusual food choices' here in China and perhaps, just perhaps, a little wanting of some good old western comfort food... but the fact remains... this was a great burger! As Jo so aptly described, everything was perfect, bun, patty, condiments, atmosphere and of course for me... an ice cold Corona! I simply can't describe this experience any better than to say it was awesome. I will add that as Jo noted, we did return for a second helping and we met one of Jo's co-workers there; an American who describes himself as a true-blue burger boy and to reinforce our positive reviews... Mike ordered the burger as well! I rest my case.

Brooklyn Bar - Dalian, China

A little time away...

2011-04-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

Just wanted to let everyone know that Jo is off to China for a few months and I will be joining her for at least a month so we will be taking a brief break in our search for The Best "Hamburger" in Kingston. Hope to resume the search in July and will pass on our thoughts to this blog at that time.

Enjoy... Stephen

Urban Spoon Rocks...

2011-03-30T05:15:00.000-07:00

Vinny's burgers & fries

2011-03-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

During one of our burger quests we saw Vinny's while driving down Princess Street. Of course, if you're trying to taste test burgers in Kingston, it made sense to try an establishment that calls itself, "Vinny's Burgers & Fries". Located at 292 Princess, we heard that originally they opened as "Vinny's Fine Italian Sandwiches", however reopened several months ago with a focus on take-out burgers and fries. Boasting a $2 burger, we just had to try it.

Now it's unfair to assume that all of the establishments we review are compared on a level playing field. Different restaurants tend to choose their own particular niche market or target clientele. In some cases, high end gourmet offerings at one end of the spectrum, and at the other end of the spectrum, low cost fast food. In our opinion, Vinny's is going after the low cost fast food audience - one step up from the chains. Head on so to speak as "McDonalds" is right across the street and can be seen looking straight out of Vinny's front window.

Vinny's in our opinion is not a restaurant - but rather is set up as a take out (although there are stools against a counter so that you can choose to eat in if you so desire). The decor is red, white and black and on the wall there are a couple of nice "Godfather" movie posters-on-board.
I like the posters but I didn't really see the connection with the theme of the restaurant. The menu was very straight forward and visible on the walls. No nonsense offerings at VERY reasonable prices. The burgers are flame broiled and all food is made to order (meaning it's not cooked until you order). The server then adds the toppings chosen by you (somewhat like Harvey's).

Jo's Review - I ordered the single banquet burger #3. A banquet burger is cheese & bacon and in my case, on a single burger with fries and a drink. We were the only people ordering so I have to say that the service and attention was excellent. We received our orders quite quickly. For my review, I'll start with the positive.... everything was fresh, including the bun, the lettuce and tomato. The fries were cooked to a nice crisp and were golden brown. The drink was a can of pop rather than soda fountain pop and the bacon was plentiful and cooked to perfection. The portion sizes were quite generous and you won't go away hungry. On the "not so positive....." the fries were frozen fries with very little taste, the hamburger patty was a frozen patty (& it didn't taste like a high end frozen patty) and although fresh, the bun was like a supermarket bun - not much flavour. Having said that, for a complete meal @ roughly $5.25, it was a deal and one could get the #3 for less than $5! In my opinion, if Vinny's is targeting a young, less discriminating customer who want a fast burger for a low price, then Vinny's has hit the mark. My suggestion for improvement though is to explore suppliers who could offer better tasting fries and patties within the same price point.

Stephen's Review - As Jo noted, we saw the sign for Vinny's on a trip down Princess Street one day. After asking around, we had understood this spot to be exactly what Jo said; a quick take-out burger joint for a really good price. It certainly was that!
First, I must offer an apology for the pic's... we were so hungry when we dropped in for lunch, we just forgot to snap the photo's before we had chowed down on almost half of our burgers! Oops...

Again, as Jo noted, this basic burger and fries are just that... basic. The offerings are fresh from the perspective of being prepared once you place your order but they are a basic frozen product (both the burger patty and the fries). I would agree that the patty is certainly no high-end frozen patty but just your everyday frozen product found in any frozen food section of your local grocery store. I suggest the same applies for the fries.

I ordered the Cheese Burger at $3.25 and added fries and a diet Coke. What brings this fair a cut-above your average burger chain is that the condiments; lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, etc... are fresh cut. I found the bun although basic, again was very fresh. The cheese was a decent quality and the nicest surprise for the bacon and cheese burger was that the bacon was prepared fresh when ordered! Another big positive for us was that the diet Coke was a can of diet Coke! Kudo's for all of this.

Now when you consider that the total price for both orders, that's the two burgers, two fries and two diet Coke's was only $10.51 total... wow! Thats right... just over $10 bucks for all of it! Double Kudo's for the price! Overall, it's a very basic burger and fries... just as the sign says and for the money... a pretty good value if you're in a hurry and you're hungry.

Kelsey's

2011-03-06T09:23:00.000-08:00

On our way to Kingston's Garden Festival, we decided to go to "Goodies" for lunch as it was recommended by our oldest (Garrett). Well my dear, we couldn't follow up on your recommendation because since you moved to TO, the premises was being renovated and it looks like to a different restaurant. We don't know if the new premises will be with new owners or not... but it looks like Goodies is no longer. So, being in the area, we headed to Kelsey's for their burger fare. We have gone there on numerous occasions in the past for dinner and snacks (nachos, spinach dip, etc.) but neither of us had tried their burgers before. Kelsey's Neighbourhood Bar & Grill is a Canadian bar and grill restaurant chain headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario owned by Cara Operations. Cara Operations also owns other restaurants including Swiss Chalet, Coza!, Milestones, Montana's and Harvey's.

Kelsey's offers 5 burger choices including 1 veggie burger. All meat (except the veggie) burgers are a substantial half-pound, Canadian beef and served with a pickle spear and choice of side: crispy fries, coleslaw, soup, or salad (house or Caesar). Depending on your burger selection, there are a number of condiments added that range from lettuce, tomato, red onion, onion rings, bacon and a few cheese options as well. It's interesting to note that although the menu says "all burgers" are served with a pickle, neither of our orders had one.

We have evolved toward ordering two different types of burgers and then splitting them for comparison. Therefore we ordered the "Cracked Peppercorn Sirloin Burger" - a patty lightly coated with cracked black peppercorns and topped with melted Swiss cheese, 2 crispy beer battered onion rings, peppercorn ranch sauce, tomatoes and shredded lettuce. This was paired with a side of french fries.

Our second choice was the "Cheddar Bacon Sirloin Burger" - topped with melted cheddar cheese, double smoked bacon, tomatoes, shredded lettuce, red onions and mayo. As you can see in the pictures, the buns were a yellow egg bread style (a favourite) with sesame seeds and lightly toasted. This one was ordered with a Caesar salad side and both burgers were priced @ $11.99.

Stephen's Review - Kelsey's has been one of my favourite restaurants, especially when out for dinner and a movie and we have rarely been disappointed in any way. This visit was no exception. Friendly greeting upon entering and smiles all around through the whole experience from all of the wait staff. The food was served hot and as you can see from the pictures, it looked pretty tempting. Serving sizes for the sides was very much appropriate in my books and enough to share with little to no wasted leftovers. Just the way it should be! As you can also see from the pic's, the burgers were substantial. Jo and I cut the burgers in half so we could each share in the taste-test and quickly jumped into each burger.

Now as I have noted before, I am not the most 'adventurous' diner and tend to stick to my own tried-and-true selections... most of them pretty safe. I have never been a big pepper fan although I have had a few steaks with awesome 'peppercorn sauces' so, I was looking forward to trying this Cracked Peppercorn Sirloin Burger. On first bite, initial impression was of a moist, well cooked patty; not overly done in any way and some very fresh condiments. I didn't really taste the pepper until after swallowing that first bite and it was not bad. I see the patty had a nice sprinkling of cracked peppercorn and coupled with the peppercorn ranch type dressing and the balance was very nice. I was surprised that I did not find any noticeable taste or texture from the onion rings, which I was looking forward to; this was neither a pro or a con, just an observation. Perhaps a little bit crispier may have made a difference. The bun was very fresh, lightly toasted and as an egg-style-sesame-seed bun... my all time favourite that really added to the whole experience. This was a very good burger in every way, especially I would assume for someone who has a better appreciation for the taste of pepper.

Now on to the Cheddar Bacon Sirloin Burger. Again, first impressions were very good. (Just take another look at that picture above!) This was a big burger with a really great taste! For me, this is what I would call the 'classic burger'. Classic in that it had a nicely cooked patty, very moist with a little char on the edge (best part), fresh fixings including red onion, lettuce, tomato, real cheddar and a fantastic smoked bacon that was just the right side of crispy; all contained (overflowing actually...) on a very fresh egg bun, lightly toasted. This is my definition of a classic burger! There was no disappointment here in any way-shape-or-form. A very tasty burger indeed.

I should also note that on this visit and for both burgers I did not add any additional condiments (mustard, ketchup, relish) at the table like I would normally do. I was trying to let the real flavours of the burgers come through without masking them in too many condiments. However, with only a few bites left in my Cheddar Bacon Sirloin Burger, I added a little ketchup and mustard. Wow! This burger with those condiments that I have almost always used really pushed this burger over the top in my books! Lesson learned: if you know how you like to garnish your burger from years and years of experience, don't change! Those last few bites, dressed the way I would normally do it, were exceptional.

As for the sides, the fries were pretty solid as was the caesar salad although as I have said before, I am not a fan of a heavy dose of salad dressing on any salad and for my taste, this caesar had more than enough dressing... good flavour, just a little heavy for me. Overall for me, these were two of the better burger plates I have had and I would rate the Cheddar Bacon as one of my favourites, especially when it was dressed to my tastes!

Jo's Review - I agree with Stephen that the service was excellent - friendly and sincere. The restaurant was nicely busy with about 70% of the tables full. We received our orders in a timely manner and dove into our burgers. One thing I love about embarking on this quest is that although I'm much more adventurous than Stephen when it comes to trying different foods, until now, when it came to burgers I would normally order a plain cheeseburger. I am enjoying burgers that I would never have tried if it was not for this review.

For my taste, both burgers were cooked to perfection. I particularly liked the flavour of the sirloin - in spite of the fact that it is not a hand-packed burger. Yes I know the purists are rolling their eyes up but unless a hand-packed burger is seasoned and cooked to perfection (stop squeezing the juices out by flattening them with a spatula while cooking!) it is too dry and flavourless for me. Not the case with either of these burgers.

The Cracked Peppercorn burger had a nice heat to the after bite and the condiments were very fresh. The flavour of the mayo really complemented the burger. I agree with Stephen that there was little flavour to the onion rings, and they were not crisp, however they did not at all detract from the burger.

The Cheddar Bacon Sirloin burger fulfilled the desire for a classic bacon-cheese in every way. The red onions and lettuce were exceptionally fresh and I LOVED the fresh, lightly grilled egg yolk sesame buns. They were so yummy!

For sides, the flavour of the Caesar was excellent and a little creamy for me. Good crisp croutons and not very much bacon (which I didn't need because of the generous bacon on my burger). The fries didn't look particularly exceptional but they tasted very good. They had a nice flavour and texture but weren't greasy at all.

Both Stephen and I were very impressed with Kelsey's burger offerings. Pretty good considering it's not their signature dish.

ONLY IN AMERICA....

No, not part of our experience but this is a burger offered by a casino in California (coincidentally called Kelsey's). They have recently challenged their customers -- and their stomachs -- with its new burger, "The Weigh-In." The five-pound monster includes a two-pound patty (made of ground premium Angus beef), sits on a 10-inch bun and is topped with six slices of cheese, two sliced tomatoes and half a head of lettuce. If that's not enough, dill pickles, sweet onions and Thousand Island dressing are available on request. Only one person has finished the $24.95 US burger -- but he didn't even touch his fries. My only question is.... WHY???????

Montana's - Take out experience.

2011-03-03T08:27:00.000-08:00

The "Chipotle Firecracker Burger" from Montana's was next on our quest. This burger was recommended by our youngest, Victoria.

Hmmm, before experiencing this burger we discovered online that it contained a whopping 1060 calories! Oh well, this was not meant to be a "diet" quest but we will definitely be modifying our caloric intake for the rest of the day... and maybe step up the exercise regime for that week! :-)

Great Canadian Burger

Jo's Review - we followed a different MO for this taste experience. This time we experienced take-out rather than order for sit-down in the restaurant. I chose the "Montana's Great Canadian Burger". I ordered it with the caesar salad (no extra cost). The price was $11.99. Note: all burgers include the choice of either fries, house or caesar salad. This very large offering boasted a sirloin burger (not hand made) with a tangy apple-butter BBQ sauce, topped with 2 thinly sliced peameal bacon, Colby cheese and mayo. It was served on a very fresh and tasty seasoned bun with dill pickle, sliced tomato and lettuce on the side. MMmmm - I really enjoyed this burger. It was juicy without being sloppy and the sauce gave it a unique but not overpowering flavour, marrying both sweet and smokey. The caesar salad was excellent - creamy with real bacon bits, shavings of parmesan and spiced dark grain croutons. I really enjoyed this burger. Now I have to be honest and tell you that I actually split my burger with Stephen and vice versa. Having said that, I won't steal Stephen's thunder, but in my opinion, his burger was the star of the show!

Classic Sirloin Burger

We ordered take-out on our way to my sister-in-laws house for dinner and a movie. Therefore we invited her (Judi) to offer a review on the "Classic Sirloin Burger" she ordered. She was happy to oblige. The Classic burger with caesar salad was $9.99, plus 99 cents extra for cheese ($10.98 total). It included a sirloin burger with slices of tomato, lettuce and dill pickle on the side. Judi was quick to come to the conclusion that she loved this burger and she would definitely be a repeat customer for this burger. She felt it was cooked perfectly for her taste and she loved the texture of the bun. She also was impressed with the caesar salad.

Chipotle Firecracker Burger

Stephen's Review - As Jo noted, we opted for take-out this time as a part of our periodic visit to my sisters for dinner and a movie. This also allowed us; Judi, Jo and me, to try 3 of the 5 Montana burger selections. (We did not try either the Big and Bold Brisket or the Vegetable & Feta Burgers.) Although we can't really comment on the in-house service on this visit, I can tell you that when I went in to pick-up our order, it was smiles all around from the wait-staff. I was directed to the bar area where take-out is picked up and the waitress/bar keep again was very pleasant. She quickly checked on our order and returned to say it would be a few minutes and asked if I would like to have a seat and also offered me a complimentary drink! Pretty solid customer care if you ask me!

I ordered the "Chipolte Firecracker Burger" although as Jo said, she and I split the burgers, salad and fries. The firecracker starts as a sirloin patty served with lettuce, tomato, colby cheese and bacon on top of which they add crispy deep fried cajun onions, crispy jalapenos and then smother... and I mean smothered in a Chipolte-Honey-BBQ sauce! Now you should know, that I am not the most adventurous diner when it comes to spicy, hot or almost anything out-of-the-ordinary... but this was an exceptionally flavoured treat! Yes the jalapenos were there (nice & crispy deep fried) and the chipolte was full blown, but I found that the addition of the honey-bbq sauce in the mix was enough to blend the tastes without being overpowered by any one flavour or without being overly hot, spicy or sweet. This is a burger I would highly recommend and will be on my plate again sometime soon! Great recommendation Victoria!

Bella's Bistro

2011-02-19T17:03:00.000-08:00

Jo's review... I REALLY wanted this to be a good review. Operated by three local chefs, Bella's is located at 4050 Bath Road (the intersection of Collin's Bay and Bath Roads). They are a casual neighbourhood bistro serving pizza, pasta, panini and more... I have often heard from friends that Bella's serves great pizza and they are well known in the area for their pastas. When driving by at any time of day or night there always seems to be lots of customers.

Stephen & I stopped in one Wednesday afternoon and there were many customers - a good sign in my book.
From what we've read both on the internet and on the chalk boards, the establishment makes every attempt to purchase local meat and produce. I was impressed by the focus on local (Sandbanks and Kingston) breweries and wineries. The waitress was very knowledgeable about the vision of the restaurant and enthusiastically answered our questions regarding where the meat and produce was sourced.

At this time of day, the menu offered a number of $10 lunches, including the "Classic Burger" and fries. For an extra $1.50, I ordered Caesar Salad instead of fries. First the positives... the service was excellent and the waitress was warm, sincere and cheerful. The salad was delicious (with real bacon). Unfortunately, the hamburger was very disappointing. My burger was overcooked and charred on one side, and my bun was stale. Therefore even with the fresh condiments, my burger was so dry that I could not finish it. So disappointing! I also have to mention that Bella's offering was priced the same as Harper's - but Harper's was so much better - in both taste and presentation.

Stephen's review... As Jo noted, we really wanted this to be a huge hit in every way. This because, over the years Bella Bistro and it's predecessors have all served us very well. I have had many a meal here and never a bad experience in any way shape or form. Since the advent of Bella's we had heard many good news stories especially about the menu, local selections and concentrations and as always, the friendly staff.

As Jo said, we finally had the opportunity to hit Bella's for lunch and as you can see from the photo's... the burgers looked fantastic. My first disappointment was the shoe-string style fries. Now the taste was very good but I just am not a big fan of this style of french fry. Inevitably, you are left with a quantity of overcooked, tiny pieces of inedible fries! Again, the taste was excellent but the leftovers... not so appetizing.

Now the burger looked awesome. Great size patty, well seared, nice fresh condiments; lettuce, tomato and pickle on the side, to which I added mustard and ketchup. Now on this occasion I did not order cheese and bacon like I have done in most of my other reviews. Again, the order looked fantastic. However... from almost the first bite, there was something missing. I tried hard to ignore it but if we are going to be honest in this endeavour, I must call it like I taste it. This gorgeous looking burger was dry... very dry. As I have noted before, I do like a well cooked burger, certainly on the medium-well side, but this one was really a little too well done even for me. The bun was a good sized kaiser style and it looked fantastic with a light toasting but again... it came off very dry. I can't easily say that it was stale but it certainly came off very dry. Now this is where I have to say that perhaps had I ordered my burger with bacon and cheese, perhaps that may have aided in adding a little more moisture to the mix. However, as I ordered it, this burger was simply dry. A big disappointment for sure but based on previous experiences, I will commit to a second try at some time in the near future.

Foot Note: Well as mentioned, I was somewhat disappointed with my first burger bite so I went back to Bella's for a second try a few weeks after our first visit. Unfortunately this time, Jo was not with me as I was meeting an old work buddy for lunch. Again, the staff were excellent; very attentive, friendly and another welcoming and positive experience from that perspective. I ordered the burger with fries, same as last time and added the same condiments. I can say that I did feel that this serving was a little bit moister as the patty did not seem to be as well done as before nor did the bun seem as dry. However, despite my best wishes and highest hopes... this one was just another burger; certainly no more and no less. As before, I would give it my recommendation but would not suggest you go out of your way just to try it.

Harper's Burger Bar

2011-02-06T17:58:00.000-08:00

Thank you Bettyann for this recommendation. As promised, our next adventure led us to Harper's Burger Bar at 93 Princess Street. This is a gourmet burger bar from the owners of "Atomica: gourmet pizza and wine bar" and "le Chien Noir: bistro". The decor is quite lovely (however I'm a sucker for interior brick, stone and natural wood) and meshes quite well the old world materials with a modern flair. The menu encourages local meat and produce offerings and there is an emphasis on environmental stewardship.

Jo's Review - I heard a lot about Harper's before going, so my expectations were high. We went on a Sunday afternoon when it was only moderately busy so we easily found a seat. Very quickly a lady came over to our table and dropped two menus on the table. Without even making eye-contact, she abruptly turned and went back to the bar. I found this so off-putting that I felt insulted. Also, our table needed to be wiped clean of dried spill marks, but this never happened. Fortunately, this was the extent of our bad experiences. Our waitress arrived soon to take our orders and she was very amicable.

Typically, I like to graze - so I just couldn't resist the opportunity to try the triple-slider offering for $11.50. You can order 3 different mini-burgers (sliders) from the ten different beef burger options. My 3 options were the #2 EASY (Ontario cheddar; local bacon; soya glazed shrooms; and secret sauce); the #6 UMAMI (brie; balsamic candied onions; soya glazed shrooms; and white truffle aioli); and the #8 DELUXE (monterey jack cheese; avocado spread; local bacon; roasted garlic; and rosemary mayo). I also ordered caesar salad and a diet coke, bringing my meal to a whopping $17.50 (ouch)! My favourite slider was the traditional #2 - perfectly cooked and flavoured. But I have to say that I loved the #8 also - probably because of the refreshing avocado spread and the unique flavours. The presentation was very nice... with pickles, onions, lettuce and tomato on the side for you to add as desired. The pickles were kosher/brine style (not my favourite) and I personally prefer the sour dill type but it's understandable that gourmet burgers would feature the kosher style. I read in other on-line reviews some complaints about the portion sizes being too small. For us, the portions were the perfect size which I appreciate because I really dislike the waste of food. Overall, I enjoyed the burgers (especially the different grazing choices). The caesar salad was okay, lacking in some of the characteristic flavour I prefer. I do recommend that you experience Harper's yourself and hopefully, with a few reviews brought to the attention of some of the staff, they can learn how important it is to provide attentive service to customers.

Stephen's Review - Of all the places we have tried to date, this one I was looking forward to the most. We had seen pictures of the interior, the decor, the menu and had heard and read a fair bit about what to expect from the food as well so I had some pretty high hopes. On entering, again it was as expected, a pretty good feel. Like Jo, I loved the decor; exposed brick, rough sawn wood (on the ceiling) and oak wood flooring. Very well done. The tables, chairs and booths were dated but the rest of it was pretty cool, especially the pendant lighting. The massive menu board was a tad intimidating at first but once you got into it, was very helpful for first-timers to this restaurant.

Menu Board

And speaking of first timers and first impressions, I was very disappointed initially with the wait staff. Not a hello or welcome to be had and in fact as Jo noted, the first waitress simply walked towards our booth and simply tossed two menu's on the table and returned to the safety of her wait station... no eye contact, no welcome, no greeting of any kind. For me, it set a pretty subdued feeling towards what I had hoped to experience. However, after a brief wait, a different waitress approached and although she was not outgoing in any way (not a bad thing), her smile was genuine and she did look us in the eye with a big broad smile. She asked if we would like a drink and so we ordered a couple of diet cokes.

Jo and I had spent some time thinking of what we were going to try before we got there so we were pretty much prepared to order but while we waited, we had a good read of the menu board and our options. With our drinks delivered, we ordered and I opted for the #1 Classic with fries. I decided to forgo the bacon and cheese this time in an effort to reduce the quantity of fixings in hopes of better tasting and appreciating the burger itself. The Classic comes with lettuce, red onion, tomato and pickle on the side while the bun had a dab of special sauce on top and bottom with a pretty awesome looking char broiled burger looking really, really good inside. I placed all of the fixings onto the bottom bun and added mustard and ketchup to the top bun and piled it all together. Again, as Jo likes to say... it looked like the picture.

Now before I taste-rate the Classic, let me tell you about the fries I ordered as my side. First disappointment was that they were those little shoe-string cut fries like you get from Mickey Dees... not at all what I was expecting after reading so much hype about fresh-cut, Yukon Gold, crisp-fried, etc... etc... They were served in a relatively small, brushed aluminum, flower-pot-looking container which sat atop a wire-mesh platter/basket/tray with a piece of wax paper on the bottom. (Different for sure... and kind of trendy.) Although most of the fries were cooked well and very tasty, many were stuck together and as I often find with shoe-string cut fries, there were lots of very small, very overcooked pieces that you simply can't eat. I also tasted Jo's Ceasar Salad side and for my taste, it was a little too heavy on the dressing but just the way Jo likes it. The fresh lemon wedge was appreciated by us both.

Now back to the Classic. I was pretty pleased with the first bite or two... better than expected taste, just the right amount of flavours and juice from the condiments and the patty was exceptionally good. Not overcooked, juicy, seared perfectly and just like a homemade burger straight off the BBQ at the lake. However, I had a few bites where there was a bit of an off taste that had me confused. Was it the secret sauce, perhaps a little grease from the burger or something in the condiments. After discussing with Jo, it turned out to be the pickle. Definitely a brine style pickle and I would probably go-without the next time. After really understanding the full flavours and tastes of the Classic, I really was able to sit back, assume the elbows-up-and-out position and enjoy.

Overall, I was pleased with the burger and some of the fries and found the quantity perfect for me. Don't plan on sharing your fries because even though I thought it a perfect amount for one (like Jo... I hate food waste as well) they really won't go far enough for two. Right Jo? I was pleased that although I ordered the drink, burger and fries separately, our waitress priced my order as what I believe is the only combo on the menu... the "Lunch Box" which came in at an even $10. I was pretty pleased with that, especially when you compare Jo's slider's, salad and drink at a whopping $17.50! (Not a chance for that combo again!) Our total came in at $31.08 and although the food was very solid and pretty good overall, we could not get past this sense that no one really cared that we were there as customers and for that price... I can be ignored somewhere else.

Rose and Crown

2011-02-05T10:14:00.000-08:00

Sean, (youngest son) recommended that we try the Rose and Crown, one of his favourite hamburger options. This restaurant is renowned for their excellent English style fish and chips so we were surprised at the recommendation.

Jo - Well Sean, I'll get to the point early - good choice! I ordered the 6 oz "bacon cheese burger with chips", except I substituted caesar salad for the chips (knowing I was going to share Stephen's fries :-). The regular burger & chips is $8.45, but with the additional $1 for each addition of cheese & bacon, the platter was $10.45.
The patty was obviously hand packed and at 6 oz, quite substantial. The condiments were fresh and the kaiser-style bun was perfect in size and texture. The flame broiled taste really sparked my memories, reminding me of a true diner burger from the late 60's. The atmosphere is designed in "pub style" with the dark woods and the large wooden bar - the waitress was very friendly and attentive (with out being overly attentive) and we will definitely be repeat customers.

Stephen - Well this recommendation from Sean certainly did catch us by surprise. I think everyone in the west end of Kingston knows the Rose and Crown for their absolutely fantastic Fish & Chips... not to mention a huge selection of English staples and sweet treats, both on the menu as well as in their Take-Out area that almost doubles as a mini-mart for most things British! (A great spot to browse while waiting for your pick-up.) So we were a little surprised to hear that R&C not only served a burger, which should not surprise us but that it came so highly recommended by the younger crowd.

The R&C has a really vintage feel to it and I can only imagine (having not experienced a typical English Pub in Britain...) that it emulates the real thing across the pond. Certainly my greatest comment will go to the wait staff who every single time I have had the pleasure to enter the establishment, have been nothing short of excellent. Big smiles, happy conversation, very attentive and helpful at every stage of our visit. In fact on this visit, we were obviously spanning two shifts and our original waitress went out of her way to explain she would be leaving us in another waitress' hands and even that waitress came over and introduced herself even though we were almost finished our meal. You simply can't feel more wanted than that!

I ordered the 6oz Cheese Burger with chips, Jo ordered with salad and as always, we shared the sides. As our waitress said, this is a fresh hand made patty, seasoned and cooked to order. I had lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and added mustard and ketchup at the table. The bun was a good size, kaiser style and the whole burger was again... just like a picture. The flavour was excellent and although the patty was a little on the well done side (which I love), the flame broiled patty had that great seared edge on it that gave it a semi-steak-like taste. Flavourful, tasty and lots to satisfy, I can tell you from my perspective... it was great! Adding to the burger were the always superb fries. I think that everyone who is a french-fry lover and has experienced them from R&C, would agree that they are among the best!

Overall; simply a great experience. We both ordered the bacon, cheese burger; one with caesar salad and one with fries and we both had a diet-coke for a total of $28.60. A solid meal, a really good burger, excellent fries and a very pleasant surprise.

Five Guys

2011-02-02T20:11:00.000-08:00

When we were at Boston Pizza - we asked the waitress where she would get a great burger (besides BP of course) and she told us of a recent franchise in Kingston called Five Guys.

So on our next outing, we "shot the drag" as we used to call it and ended up at 185 Princess Street. It's not a secret but the concept is simple.... burgers, fries and sandwiches (grilled cheese or veggie). The restaurant was very clean and the employees were VERY amicable. The red/white checkerboard, peanuts and bag of potatoes decor was fun. The hamburgers are hand made, the beef is fresh (not frozen) and every hamburger is made to order therefore customers take a number and are called when their order is ready.

Jo - I ordered the single bacon cheeseburger. We were warned about the abundance of fries so we split a small order between us (thank goodness!). All toppings are free and I ordered "all the way" (mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup and mustard). Other toppings available are relish, onions, jalapeno peppers, green peppers, A-1 sauce, BBQ sauce and/or hot sauce. In my opinion, this is a hamburger for the purist. The burger actually looked like the pictures and even though I had the "little" hamburger, it was huge and great for the price of $5.29 and $3.19 for fries. However because I ordered the works, after I was half-way through the burger, it got really soggy and very messy to eat. This did not affect the taste. However the next time I would order fewer toppings (probably pass on the grilled onions & grilled mushrooms). I have to add that even though Stephen and I split the fries, we couldn't eat them all even though they were awesome!

Stephen - I was not sure what to expect upon entering but I was pleasantly surprised. I liked the retro red tile checkerboard design, the decor of 50lb bags of potatoes, huge cans of peanut oil and the strategically placed help-yourself salted peanuts for the taking. The entry leads you easily up to the ordering counter, menu boards and easy to read (and understand) options. I really liked the friendly greeting complete with big broad smile, eye contact and key question... "is this your first visit?"
Like Jo, I too ordered the "Little Bacon Cheeseburger" and had it "all the way". This single patty burger might sound like a small... but when you dress it up the way we ordered it, this was definitely a meal! It was huge! On a subsequent visit, a good buddy of ours came with us and he had the regular Cheeseburger which comes with two patties and like us had it dressed "all the way" and he could not finish it. Trust me, it was not for any other reason but the quantity! Really huge. Like Jo says, this is for the purist. Hand made, fresh, all beef patty, seasoned as it is cooked to order along with a lightly toasted bun. The bun was simple and almost tasted like an egg-bread... very good and not over powering the whole experience. My only criticism would be that when the burger is prepared and packaged for you (every order is wrapped and placed in a bag to be presented to you when your order is called) the burger is wrapped fairly tightly and this caused the bun to be somewhat squashed-together. However, after the first bite, all was forgiven!
The condiments were excellent; fresh, flavourful as well as plentiful. I agree with Jo in that towards the end of the burger, it became messy... gloriously messy! So I too will probably drop a few of the condiments in order to better appreciate and taste the star attraction... the beef patty. I may even shoot for the double! As Jo mentioned, we split a small fries and again they were excellent... some of the best we have ever had... and there was more than enough for the two of us. Of course, the salted peanuts we chomped on while we waited for our order probably didn't help in our ability to eat all of what we ordered... but they were addictive and somehow greatly aided in both the conversation and the atmosphere. We both had a diet-coke with our meal, a bottomless cup for the one price and our total cost, including tax was $20.06. Awesome experience all around and as Jo noted, the staff were excellent!

Boston Pizza (Gardner's)

2011-02-02T13:43:00.000-08:00

Inspired by the Food Networks show; Triple D (Diners, Drive-ins & Dives), we thought we'd like to embark on a quest to discover Kingston's Best Hamburger. With no real plan in place, we went to the Boston Pizza on Gardner's Road.

Boston Pizza only has one burger on their menu and they boast a 1/2 pound prime rib patty. We ordered one with french fries and one with caesar salad and we each had an alcoholic beverage. At $9.95 each for the burgers, our total bill was just over $30.00 (for the two of us) with beverages & taxes.

Jo - I loved this burger - particularly the flavour of the beef patty. The portion was huge, the condiments were fresh and the burger was delicious and juicy. I'll let Stephen give you more details...

Stephen - We'll if you have never been to Boston Pizza, I would highly recommend it. It has a very clean, friendly and inviting atmosphere and the wait staff we've encountered so far have all been full of smiles. Jo and I had the chance to visit a BP down east in New Brunswick and we were again impressed... great people, nice atmosphere and great food. I gotta admit though... on this visit to the Gardiners Road BP, I was expecting a run-of-the-mill "production" burger but, this was not the case at all; this burger was pretty good!
The flavour was a nice surprise for me, very juicy and well seasoned. As Jo noted in the comments section, this patty is not made fresh on site but you would never know it from the taste. We still have not put our finger on the 'secret' ingredient but can tell you that the taste was good. We think that with another visit and another taste we might be able to narrow it down. We had the burger fully dressed and I added both ketchup and mustard and the condiments were very fresh. I too found the portion was big and we shared the salad and fries. The price was pretty good when you factor in the drinks; Jo had a virgin Ceasar and I had a Corona. The atmosphere was nice and our wait staff was very friendly... in fact she gave us a lead to our next stop in our quest! Overall a very good experience, good flavours, lots of food and a great meal.

OK... yes we are Dragon's Den fans and Jim is one of our favourites, but we did not let that influence our review. Honest... we didn't!

BP Burger

Served with your choice of fries, Caesar salad or garden greens with our signature sun-dried tomato balsamic vinaigrette.

Product:	BP's Prime Rib Burger
Description:	When you have one burger on the menu, you do it right. Consider this: 100% Canadian (just like us) half-pound prime rib beef patty, fresh lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickles. Plus, our secret ingredient - a zesty sauce that simply defies description. Recommended for burger connoisseurs.