We were driving home from my medical imaging exam, which was booked at 6:30 PM in the evening! The time was 7 PM getting closer to 8 PM, so it was getting late, and we didn’t have time to cook for dinner.
Feeling hungry and frustrated, I didn’t know what to eat. I just wanted something healthy!
There were no other relative “healthier” options, and I’m already sick and tired of ordering our last-minute meals like the Mediterranean bowl from Freshii, or the whole wheat vegetarian pizza from Pizza Nova.
It got to the point where I just didn’t care about eating healthy because for one, I was STARVING from having to fast 5 hours for my medical scan!
Secondly, I rather eat something good tasting than to go for fake healthy alternatives. If it ain’t home-cooked made from whole foods with loads of FRESH veggies, grains, and fibre, then it ain’t healthy!
So, I may as well surrender for the night and just enjoy something delicious.
Should we go for some juicy mouth-watering burgers? Or one of the top Japanese places for some ramen?
It took a long time to choose between burgers and ramen (both are SO good), but I eventually decided to go for Burger Priest – one of the best burgers in Toronto – since my husband loves his beef burgers! When it comes to eating or dining out, I think about him, and not me – haha!
We went to the closest Burger Priest near us, which is the one at York Mills Rd. and Don Mills Rd.
By the way, there’s also a Five Guys burger joint across the street if you want to try their burgers too. We’ve had them in the past and they’re pretty good too!
Anyways, enough of my story – it’s not even as juicy as the burgers you’re going to discover at this amazing burger joint.
So, here’s our juicy review on Burger Priest Toronto!
Burger Priest Review Toronto
I haven’t stopped by Burger Priest in many years, so when we walked into the one at York Mills and Don Mills, I didn’t notice if there were any changes. I think it still looks the same, but for sure the burgers tasted a bit different compared to several of years ago.
We’ve tried Burger Priest at two other locations – the one on Queen Street E. at the Beaches, and the other on Adelaide Street W. and Simcoe St.
I remember I used to think they taste like the better version of McDonald’s Big Macs, and that’s why I didn’t like Burger Priest as much back in the days. But this time, it was different at this location, and I actually enjoyed it!
Food: 4/5
Here’s what we ordered from Burger Priest tonight:
- California Classic (him)
- Classic Hamburger (me)
- Poutine (for us to share)
He made the California Classic into a combo with Poutine and a bottle of water and ordered my Classic Hamburger separately since I already had my own hot water on the side.
Burger Priest Classic Hamburger
I generally like to go for the simple things, so I ordered the 1-patty classic Hamburger.
Plus, I generally don’t like cheddar cheese. If they give you the option of mozzarella, I will probably consider the cheeseburger, but they don’t, so no cheeseburger for me tonight. I’ll stick to the classic burger.
Can I have a cheeseburger without cheese, please? 😊
In my opinion, 1-patty is usually not very filling, but I didn’t want to overdo it with 2 patties since I’m trying to limit my intake of meat.
To combat my hunger, I had some poutine on the side. Carbs from the fries are pretty filling, so it satisfied my hunger along with my hot water. By the way, their poutine is a good size for sharing with 2 people.
You can customize your burger with a variety of toppings including:
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Onion
- Pickles
You can also ask for additional toppings, which costs about $1.80 to $2 extra for each one (I forgot the exact price):
- Bacon
- Sauteed Onion
- Grilled mushroom
- Deep fried jalapeno
They also have two different bread options including “gluten-free” or “keto.”
I have no idea what their “Keto” bread is made with and I generally don’t buy into those fake “health” fads where they over use these “buzz” words for advertising purposes LOL!
What I know is they didn’t have what I normally ask for, which is simple whole wheat, so I just kept it as the classic white bun despite not liking white bread. It’s a bummer when places don’t offer whole wheat options!
The Burger Priest also serves their burgers in wrapped lettuce instead of a bun if you really want to reduce the carb intake, but I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re really hungry. It won’t fill your tummy at all! 😂
Anyways, for my classic burger on the classic bun, I asked for lettuce, tomatoes, grilled mushrooms, and light mayo.
I don’t like pickled food and I always avoid them, so I never ask for pickles in anything.
I forgot to ask for extra tomatoes, but I will keep that in mind for next time! Burgers tastes so good when you have AT LEAST 3 thick slices of tomatoes. I usually like it when there’s 5 slices. The more veggies, the better!
That’s why I also asked for grilled mushrooms, and it’s SO worth the extra cost! They actually give you a decent amount of mushrooms and it enhances the taste of your burger.
I also specifically requested for VERY little mayo (I told them like a squirt or a “line”), which I was very satisfied with because they made it just the way I like it!
Usually, at other burger joints, when you ask them for VERY light sauce, they sometimes give you too much depending on who makes it.
So, if you’re picky about this, you’d have to be very specific with your order when you’re asking for less or more sauce/mayo/ketchup.
I mentioned earlier that I used to NOT like Burger Priest because it reminded me of the taste of McDonald’s Big Macs, just a higher quality burger. But this time, it was different from the past and I enjoyed every bit of the soft and juicy beef. The good thing is it didn’t remind me of Big Macs this time. It was actually really good to the point where it was tempting to order another burger, but I didn’t because it would be burger-overload for a late dinner!
Overall, the classic hamburger tasted really good, and you can’t go wrong with this order. If you love cheddar cheese, you can ask for the cheeseburger. If you love bacon and cheese, you can ask for the bacon cheeseburger.
They also give you the option to add a 2nd patty to your burger.
I can say I enjoyed my burger a lot! Both the patty and mushrooms were juicy and that’s what made my burger taste so good. I just needed to ask for extra tomatoes!
Burger Priest California Classic
My husband ordered the Double California classic.
This is pretty much a double cheeseburger with their secret sauce, and a ring of sautéed onions, sandwiched between buttered buns. The topping is already premade for you and you’re getting their secret sauce, which he told them to go lighter on.
By the way, they also offer the Single California, which comes with 1 patty if you think two patties is too much for you.
He loved this burger a lot and said it was packed with a lot of flavour even after asking to go lighter on the sauce.
Unlike me, he didn’t tell the server to go super light on the sauce, but less than the regular. He loves his cheddar cheese, so this along with the sautéed onions mixed well with the juicilicious beef.
The only thing he didn’t love as much was the buttered buns. He said it tasted like fried crispy bread soaked with a lot of butter, so it felt a bit on the heavier side.
If he had a choice, he would’ve preferred this burger with the regular bun. He likes the classic buns. Plus, it was easier to hold the burger without having your fingers feel greasy griping onto the bun. 😊
Despite the greasy and buttery bun, he really enjoyed this burger and would definitely come back!
Burger Priest Poutine
Don’t be deceived by the image – it’s actually bigger than it looks!
If you’ve ever had Burger King’s poutine, I would say it’s equivalent to 1 and a half of that (maybe even almost 2 but not quite), so it makes a good side to share for 2 people.
I’ll be honest and say this wasn’t the best poutine like the ones you have in Montreal, but it wasn’t the worst either.
We’re at Burger Priest and they’re known for their delicious burgers – not their fries – so we obviously didn’t come here for the poutine. However, it’s a good side to have when you’re ordering a burger. Just like any combo that includes fries and a drink, we just decided to order this as a “filler” to share and to avoid getting hungry.
This is a classic poutine with fries, gravy and cheese curds. These baby cheddar cheese curds were good, but I feel like there wasn’t enough. That’s actually a good thing because cheese curds can become addicting to the point where you just can’t stop eating them, which isn’t good for your health or waistline. But it’s a poutine, so what the heck!
They also offer other sides such as regular fries, cheese fries, chili cheese fries, and chili bowls. They even serve sweets like cookies and soft serve shakes, but we didn’t come here for that either LOL! If you’re ever craving for some sweets, we recommend hitting up the best dessert places in Toronto here.
Anyways, I wouldn’t come here just for the poutine. I would only get this because having one burger with 1-patty isn’t filling, so a side will make your meal more complete when you share this.
Burger Priest Drinks
For the drink, we had water, so we didn’t consume any unnecessary calories or sugar. If you’re craving for sweet drinks, they have soda and soft serve shakes available for you to order.
Their shakes come in many classic and interesting flavours including plain vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, salted caramel, chocolate caramel, and mint chocolate. They even have mixed flavours for you like the “Jarge” soft serve shake which includes vanilla, chocolate and strawberry.
Otherwise, you can keep it simple with a regular pop.
My husband used to be a big sucker for Coke. He still loves his soft drinks, but he wasn’t feeling for it tonight, so he ordered their Aquafina water bottle with the combo for himself. Thank goodness these places offer water bottles!
I had my own warm water in my Yeti tumbler that I bring with me everywhere since I don’t like cold water or soda drinks. Plus, water will keep you hydrated after all that sodium intake for the night. 😁
If I’m really feeling for a nice, sweet, and refreshing drink, I personally wouldn’t order Coke or milk shakes. Instead, I always prefer to stop by one of the best boba or bubble tea shops in Toronto because they are so good especially when you’re craving for something sweet after a salty and savoury meal!
Service: 4.5/5
Our server was very nice, friendly, and patient with us despite the moderate traffic.
Rui and I tend to be very specific about our orders whenever we eat out (e.g. light sauce, extra lettuce and tomatoes, whole grain options, no butter/ketchup, etc.), so she was very patient with us and our order.
Despite the 10–12-minute wait – because they diligently prepare your food to perfection – we still give them a 4.5 out of 5 stars for overall service. It’s worth the wait, and I rather them be careful than to rush your order like other fast-food joints.
Ambiance: 3.8/5
Burger Priest is very clean inside at the Don Mills and York Mills location. They have a few places for you to sit and enjoy your burger and fries. It wasn’t a lot of space, but the good thing is the place doesn’t feel tight or cramp.
Unlike the old school and retro look of other burger joints (not a bad thing at all), the overall décor at Burger Priest is nice and modern. They also have wall art and photos on the wall for you to look at when you’re still waiting for your order.
Price: $$
The prices of their burgers are comparable to these other top burger joints in Toronto. It’s obviously not as cheap as fast-food burger chains like McDonald’s or Burger King, but for the quality and service, it’s well worth paying more for the burgers on their regular everyday menu.
On average, expect to pay $8 to $12 for a burger. They can get as pricey as $20 for a burger depending on your toppings and what you order. This is especially true when you go for the items in their secret menu. It’s worth it when you deserve a break or cheat day. When you go all out, the higher price tag on their special burgers will be worth it for the best taste and experience.
After having burgers from places like Burger Priest or The Real McCoy in Scarborough, you’ll NEVER want to go back to eating conventional beef burgers from McDonald’s again!
Burger Priest Rating
Overall, Rui gives Burger Priest a 4.2, and I give it a solid 4 out of 5 stars, so that makes it a final 4.1 rating.
Food was good.
Service was good.
Place was clean and modern.
Price was good in comparison to other similar burger joints. And as mentioned earlier, it’s worth the extra cost compared to conventional fast-food joints like McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s, etc.
So, overall Burger Priest deserves a good rating from us!
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