I asked Toronto locals for their favourite spots in the 6ix and narrowed it down to three highly rated locations in the city serving up juicy burgers with different styles.
To best compare these three spots, I tried their most popular burgers with no substitutions and ranked them on three levels, taste, price and presentation, all out of five, for a total score of 15.
For taste, I was looking for the flavour profile and that overall first-bite feeling, for price, I looked at the value per dollar, quality and size, and for presentation, I took into account the way the burger was displayed and the general ambiance of the restaurant.
Here's how these three spots stacked up.
I Tried 3 Toronto Burger Spots Recommended By Locals & Found My Burger Heavenwww.youtube.com
Burger Drops 12/15
Double cheeseburger at Burger Drops.
Brooke Houghton | Narcity
Location: 116 Atlantic Ave., Toronto, ON
Price: 4/5
I ordered the double cheeseburger for $12, and for the size of the burger and the overall quality of the AAA meat, I would say this is a fair price.
Ideally, I would want my burger to be a little bit cheaper, but you're definitely getting restaurant quality, so you have to expect to pay restaurant prices.
Taste: 4/5
This burger came with griddled sweet onion, American cheese, pickles and drop sauce on a potato roll, and it tasted like the all-American cheeseburger of my dreams.
The two patties were so juicy and packed with flavour, and the smash burger technique made the edges perfectly crispy with a tender centre. The bun was bouncy, and the toppings were the perfect accent.
My only critique would be that it was a little bit greasy.
Presentation: 4/5
This burger came neatly packaged, and each table inside the restaurant was prepped with wet wipes, which I thought was a very classy touch. The burger came in a brown bag and a takeout container which makes sense given the restaurant's small seating section.
Matty's Patty's 11.5 / 15
Double cheeseburger at Matty's Patty's.
Brooke Houghton | Narcity
Location: 923a Queen St W., Toronto, ON
Price: 4/5
I ordered the Double cheeseburger with Matty's Patty's Sauce for $12, and similar to the last location, it is more than I'd like to pay for a burger, but the quality did reflect the pricing. So I wasn't mad about it.
Taste: 3.5/5
This burger was my least favourite of the three because of the grease. This burger had the smash urger technique, which I love, but the greasiness from the meat was overpowering.
The burger came with two patties, cheese and Matty's Patty's sauce, a mix of ketchup, mayo, mustard, and cubed pickles and onions.
The cheese was thick and not melted, which I wasn't a fan of, and although there were some veggies in the sauce, I think it could have used a bit more freshness.
That being said, the flavours were delicious, but I prefer a lighter burger.
Presentation: 4/5
This burger came packaged neatly in a cardboard box on a classic tray, which is pretty standard.
But what really stood out to me was the restaurant's beachy decor and chill vibes with a surfboard leaned up against the wall with tropical music playing.
This spot had the best ambiance for sure, and although the seating inside was limited, I would recommend enjoying your burger inside and soaking up the tropical vibes over taking it to go.
Holy Chuck 13/15
The Holy Chuck burger.
Brooke Houghton | Narcity
Location: 1450 Yonge St., Toronto, ON
Price: 4/5
This was the most expensive burger, but I have to say it was worth it.
The Holy Chuck was $14.75, but it was massive. I could have easily split this burger with a friend, and the quality of meat being ground in-house sold me on the price.
That being said, I do wish it came with some fries at this price point, so I did take a point off for that.
Taste: 4.5/5
The Holy Chuck is, hands down, my favourite burger of all time.
This monster of a meal comes with maple smoked bacon, cheese, caramelized onions and two juicy meat patties. Each bite had the perfect crunch from the bacon, sweetness from the onions and tender juice from the patties.
This burger was dripping in juice, and yet the bun stayed fluffy and perfectly dry, which seemed borderline magical to me.
Presentation: 4.5/5
This was the only burger to come out on an actual plate, and I definitely appreciated the classic black and white napkin setting it was placed on, so I had to give points for the effort.
The presentation was clean and tidy, although, for the price of this burger, I would have liked it to be plated with a pickle on the side or just something extra.
The vibe of the restaurant was very homey and had a traditional burger joint feel, although it was a tad less put together than the other locations for a more relaxed vibe.
How do they stack up?
All three of these burger spots served up a great dish, but the clear winner was Holy Chuck. The burger was massive and jam-packed with flavour, and although Burger Drops was a very close second, it just couldn't compete.
However, at a slightly lower price point, Burger Drops is definitely worth it and was a champion in its own right serving up a no-fuss, delicious cheeseburger straight out of the movie The Menu.
Matty's Patty's was my least favourite burger of this taste test, but that doesn't mean they don't have a great product. If you're like me and prefer a fresher burger, I'd recommend subbing in some greens and maybe going for a single over a double because the flavour was definitely there.
Although when it comes to my heaven in-between buns, you'll find me at Holy Chuck.
Capteur de champ magnétique Burger King.Vincent Mc Cabe | Narcity