THE BURGER'S PRIEST

THE BURGER'S PRIEST

LOCATION:

1636 Queen St E  

Toronto, ON M4L1G3

theburgerspriest.com

RATINGS:

Food: 3 / 4

Price:$

If you have not made your way to The Burger's Priest then you have been missing out. This tiny burger joint makes a mean burger. They are known for their interesting burgers and a secret menu for the more edgy burger eater. If you plan to go to The Burger's Priest and want to order off the secret menu,  make sure you do some google searching (or look at their website under the section titled 'secret menu)because when you get there, the secrets are not posted and the staff will not give them up. 

I ordered the PRIEST BURGER which  is one of the restaurant's signature  burger. The all-beef 4 oz patties are accompanied by, 'THE OPTION': which is two breaded deep-fried Portobello mushroom  caps stuffed with cheese. I  finished it off with all of their standard toppings: tomatoes, lettuce, and sliced onion. I added one secret menu item which was the 'SMOKES': which are panko-crusted jalapeno peppers. The bun was soft  and reminded me of wonder bread. The meat was juicy and well-seasoned, however,  the impressive part was the crispy crusted Portobello and ozzy, melted, stringy cheese. 

Would we go back? Yes

MESSINI AUTHENTIC GYROS

MESSINI AUTHENTIC GYROS

LOCATION:

445 Danforth Ave

Toronto, ON M4K1P1

www.messini.ca

RATINGS:

food: 2.5 / 4

Price: $

Messini is one of the most popular spots on the Danforth to grab a quick Gyro. The portions are large and the price is very reasonable. There is always a line up of people waiting to order but they are fast and you will never have to wait too long for a take-out order.

We ordered one carb-free GYRO PLATE, which came with a side fries and tzatziki. The portion was plentiful and the chicken was juicy and full of flavour.

We also ordered one CHICKEN GYRO fully loaded with fries, red onions, tomato and tzatziki. It was a solid authentic Greek gyro, how can you really go wrong?

Would we go back? Yes

BANH MI BOYS

BANH MI BOYS

LOCATION:

392 Queen Street West
Toronto, On M5V 2A9
(416) 363 0588
www.banhmiboys.com

RATINGS:
Food: ☆☆☆
Price: $


I somewhat expected my trip to Banh Mi Boys to be all hype for I have had Banh Mi before and didn't think that it was something to rave about (for those of you who do not know, Banh Mi is a meat filled Korean sandwich). Boy was I wrong!
Tasty tasty tasty. That's how I would describe my meal at Banh Mi Boys. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. This is a great place to stop in for a snack or even a quick meal. Most of their tacos, steamed boas and sandwiches are between $4 and $7. The portions are not large but if you add some yummy kimchi fries or papaya salad you will be just fine.

The KALBI BEEF TACO was served with purple cabbage slaw, kimchi, pickled carrots and cilantro, topped off with incredibly tasty marinated beef. They use a house-made Chinese pancake for a base instead of a tortilla taco, which was a nice change and added a flaky texture. Make sure you grab some napkins, it can get quite messy.

The PORK BELLY STEAMED BAO was served with pickled cucumber, carrots, radish and cilantro. The pork was a little tough, but the flavour was very nice and melted together with the soft, chewy steamed bun.

The KIMCHI FRIES.  At first we were not so sure how we were going to feel about them, but they were very delicious. It's amazing how well the kimchi,  pulled pork, sweet hoisin sauce, cilantro, tangy mayo and green onions went with the hot, crispy fries. It was a nice size portion - all three of us shared it without a problem.

We also had to try the GRILLED CHICKEN BANH MI; after all, thats what the place is named after. The sandwich comes served on a warm roll with a crunchy crust, but has a soft and fresh inside. The sandwich was stuffed with well marinated grilled chicken, pickled radishes and carrots, and cilantro. It had such a great balance of textures and flavours. 

Last but not least we tried the SQUID TACO. The lightly battered tender squid was mixed with was the pickled veggie slaw, tangy mayo and cilantro. The sweet squid and the picked slaw worked really well together. One thing Banh Mi Boys has truly mastered is combining ingredients that help build flavours and fulfill a nice textural profile.

Would we go back?? Yes. Hopefully very soon!

STANDOUT DISH OF THE NIGHT:

Kalbi Beef Tacos

PAULETTE'S ORIGINAL DONUTS AND CHICKEN

PAULETTE'S ORIGINAL DONUTS AND CHICKEN

LOCATION:
913 Queen St E
Toronto, ON M4M1J6
http://paulettesoriginal.com

SERVICE: 
Take out only

FOOD:
2.5 / 4

Last Sunday, my cousins and I finally made it out to Paulette's for some fried chicken and doughnuts, we had all been dying to go since it opened in July. When we walked in to the small store front we were all instantly greeted by friendly staff dressed in an old fashioned diner hats and uniforms. This trendy spot is set up strictly for take-out, though there are benches outside the door. We decided to cross the street and eat at a picnic table in the public park.

We ordered  one CHICKEN COMBO between the 4 of us to share. We figured one piece each would be enough for we wanted to leave room for some doughnuts. The combo came with 2 pieces of white meat and 2 pieces of dark meat, one dipping sauce and one side dish. We could not distinguish the dark meat from the white but none of us really minded that.

The Fried Chicken was so crispy and delicious yet not at all greasy. The skin was well seasoned and perfectly fried; it crackled with every bite we took. At first we were a little nervous that the meat would be dried out because the skin was so crispy, but we were pleasantly surprised it was still moist and juicy.

We couldn't decided which side sauces to get, so we got a few to try, including the Tandori BBQ sauce (which featured a variety of very spicy indian flavours. it was not my favourite but JB liked it) and the house made hot sauce which I liked the best.

One thing we could all agree on was ordering the side MAC AND CHEESE. The macaroni was  smothered in a thick, creamy sharp cheddar cheese sauce and topped with crispy chicken skins. It's making my moth water just thinking about it. We should have ordered a large; we were all fighting for the last bite. 

to this point we were very pleased with our choices. All we had left to try were the doughnuts. My cousins, who are both pastry chefs, were especially excited. We ordered the BLUE BERRY BALSAMIC, COCONUT BANANA CREAM, CINNIMON SUGAR and the MOJITO DOUGHNUT. We were largely disappointed by all of them. They were dry, overly sweet and very dense. We all would have rather gone to Tim Hortons for our after dinner treat.

Would we go back? Yes. But for Chicken only!

STANDOUT DISH OF THE NIGHT:

Fried Chicken

HOLY CHUCK

HOLY CHUCK

LOCATION:

1450 Yonge Street  Toronto, ON M4T 1Y7 (416) 962-4825

RATINGS:
Service:  2 / 4
Food: 2 . 5 / 4
Price: $
Holy Chuck doesn't chuck around. They use fresh meat ground in house daily. This Burger joint provides interesting menu options that go beyond the standard beef patty with cheddar. Some interesting items include lamb, beef and bacon patties, slow braised veal cheeks, seared Quebec foie gras, truffle oil, crispy mustard, and panko crusted Portobello mushrooms stuffed with feta and cream cheese to name a few.

In order to actually taste the burger patties themselves we went for the more simple options. THE DOUBLE CHEESE BURGER was a classic smash burger.  Smash Burgers are created when the cook smashes a ball of ground meat onto the grill in order to create a crispy sear on the outside while locking in all the juices . The salty, homemade CRISPY CHIPS were sooo good, a must try.

Mmmm, THE HOLY CHUCK. Their signature burger is a double cheese burger, with bacon and caramelized onions. I added sautéed chilli peppers, ketchup, mayo and mustard, all against their advice.They like this burger to be served as is, but what's the fun in that?!?

We also ordered THE POUTINE, which came with thick gravy and real Quebec cheese curds. The gravy was a little salty; the crispy chips are a better choice. 

STANDOUT DISH OF THE NIGHT:
Holy Chuck Burger