Burgers and Shakes in Toronto for Great Noms
May 5, 2008 8:04 PM   Subscribe

If I don't find a fabulous burger and vanilla milkshake in Toronto, I may just die. Where can I find shake 'n' burger nirvana in this crazy town?

My Internet Researchings have thus far turned up mainly un-recommendations for places. Some of which contradict positive recommendations. Yeesh. So I'm asking you, fine people of TorontoMeFi, for your suggestions.

Downtown is good; somewhere I can get to via the subway is good too. However, I have an irrational distrust of buses and streetcars.

Oh, fabulous is like tasty and flavourful with really fresh ingredients; giant burgers are useless to me (I'm only small and can eat only so much).

Hope me please!
posted by ambilevous to Food & Drink (19 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
Have you tried Lick's? There's a few locations on the subway line.
posted by purephase at 8:23 PM on May 5, 2008 [1 favorite]


Best answer: You are most certainly looking for Dangerous Dan's Diner.
posted by thisjax at 8:24 PM on May 5, 2008


Fran's right at College and Yonge or Vesta Lunch
posted by dawdle at 10:10 PM on May 5, 2008


Detroit, at Danforth & Chester.
posted by scruss at 2:40 AM on May 6, 2008


Best answer: ... and you've consulted Cheapeats, right?
posted by scruss at 2:42 AM on May 6, 2008


Oh fuck no, not Fran's. That place is good for some things, but burgers are not on the list.

I'll echo Dangerous Dan's, and raise you Freshwood Grill. It's on Roncesvalles, east side, a bit south of Howard Park (go to Dundas West stn and take the King car, get off 1 stop south of Howard Park). Open wood fire grilled 100% sirloin burger of HEAVEN. Milkshakes ain't bad, neither, and if Sunny is working ask him to make it a happy milkshake.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 4:49 AM on May 6, 2008


Oh fuck no, not Fran's. That place is good for some things, but burgers are not on the list.

Well, the burgers are just OK, maybe, but they've got some good milkshakes. And this is coming from someone who usually doesn't like milkshakes.
posted by thisjax at 5:54 AM on May 6, 2008


Best answer: BlogTO did a roundup of good local burger joints recently.
posted by sevenyearlurk at 6:05 AM on May 6, 2008


My vote goes either to the Burger Shoppe or the Burger Shack...
posted by laroodles at 6:35 AM on May 6, 2008 [1 favorite]


I can'te beleive no one's mentioned Allen's on the danforth. They must have the best burger in the city! Go in nice weather and sit on the patio. (No idea if they have milkshakes or not, but the burger is so good its worth forgoing it.)

Hero Burger is supposedly good too, but i've never been. (And i'll chime in for 'fuck no' to Frans. I've only had a burger there once, but it was dried out and horrible.)

Dirtynumbangelboy, ... happy milkshake? Explain, please.
posted by Kololo at 8:03 AM on May 6, 2008


kololo, a happy milkshake is like a normal milkshake, but with booze in.

Also ask Sunny (he's a bit older, slightly rotund, very gay, big smile) for his Happy Coffee. That's a hell of a way to start a weekend morning, I tells ya.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 8:57 AM on May 6, 2008


Hero's kind of overrated. The topping varieties are good, but the actual burger is usually a little dry and tough.

Dangerous Dan's was going to my recommendation.

(Disclaimer: my info's like 2 years old, but I don't think either of these things have changed that much.)
posted by SoftRain at 9:19 AM on May 6, 2008


If it was only a shake you wanted, I'd offer up Mars Diner, but I haven't eaten their burgers.

I'll 4th Dangerous Dan's though.
posted by Chuckles McLaughy du Haha, the depressed clown at 9:27 AM on May 6, 2008


Freshwood Grill is pretty decent as well. Never tried their milkshakes (as I don't drink milk) but their burgers are pretty good. The one on Ronces just underwent a renovation so it's patio is pretty nice. Perfect for a weekend walkabout on a nice summer day. Sangria's not bad either.
posted by purephase at 9:45 AM on May 6, 2008


Response by poster: Based on it being, uh, fourthed by people; the odds are very good that I will be at Dangerous Dan's having a burger this evening. Probably I'll be there about 6:30 or thereabouts (tickets to a performance demand early dinner) if you're in the mood for hanging out with highly recommended burgers.

I'll be the dorky chick in a blue xkcd hoodie.
posted by ambilevous at 1:00 PM on May 6, 2008


Response by poster: (I found Dangerous Dan's to be okay-I-guess. I probably would have been just as happy with a burger from a cart/caravan.)
posted by ambilevous at 5:59 PM on May 7, 2008


okay... you guess?

HERESY
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 8:26 PM on May 7, 2008


I've never had the meat burger at Freshwood but I'll say their veggie burger is the worst in the city, if not on the planet. I'll also say that Mars and Fran's don't make the best anything and would recommend you avoid them. Same goes for The Vesta Lunch, which you should only eat at if it's after 2 am and you're on your way home from a concert at Lee's.

Though I don't eat meat, my meat-eating friends recommend Utopia Cafe (College near Manning). They offer beef, bison, lamb, and other things. I have zero doubt that they beat out DD. They also have the best veggie burger in the city if you order it like this: "Utopia Burger with a Veggie Pattie. Mayo, Lettuce, Tomato, Grilled Onion."

As for shake, the best shake (and anything ice cream related) can be found at Dutch Dreams, which is on Vaughn, steps north of St. Clair. If their Banana Splits were sentient, they'd rule the galaxy.
posted by dobbs at 7:57 AM on May 9, 2008


Yeah, the veg burger at Freshie does kind of suck balls.

The meat burger, though, approaches perfection. The pulled pork sandwich exceeds it.

And yeah.. christ.. Dutch Dreams. I heart that place.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 1:23 PM on May 9, 2008


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