the burger's priest.

Some days, all that will do is a burger. (Please disregard the fact that this post occurred only a mere 3 days ago. Told you I'm tormented.)

This past Saturday was one of those days. I'd had a light dinner of cheese and nibblies the night before, and proceeded to dance off those calories and then some at the concert I attended after said dinner. On top of that, I peered into a fridge the next morning filled with absolutely nothing that appealed to me. So I waited until 3 p.m. to eat my first meal of the day. Yep, it was a big, fat, greasy burger kind of day.

Blog TO said that Burger's Priest had one of the best burgers in the city. And so Vanessa and I hopped our hungry butts into her car and headed down to their Queen & Coxwell location. Much to my delight, she had printed off a list of off-the-menu specialties  and I did the honours of reading them aloud as we drove and gleefully chose what we'd order ahead of time (it's the little things in life...)

Burger's Priest is a tiny joint with only a few counter seats, so we grabbed ours to go and curbed it. There was a lineup out the door and a large crowd outside and we saw various people stuffing their faces in parked cars out front - clearly everyone was on the same level of desperation. Vanessa ordered the Double Bacon Cheeseburger and I asked for the High Priest, which was described as their version of a Big Mac, including a middle bun and a "Big-Mac-esque" sauce (I was sold).

The first thing I tried was the first thing I saw in my takeout baggie, which were the fries. Crispy and fast-food-esque but slightly better, they were good, but needed more salt. Easy fix, so grab some when you go. 

Next came the burger, which appeared to be exactly what I needed once I carefully unwrapped it from its paper. And it was everything I needed... and more. The buns were soft and fresh, the cheese was delightfully processed, the condiments were generous and the meat... oh, the meat. 

Tender, juicy, melt-in-your-mouth, perfectly-done chuck. Don't let the unpretentious toppings fool you - the meat is clearly what sets Burger's Priest apart. According to their website, they "grind a custom blend of premium beef multiple times daily on the premises." Whatever they're doing, they're doing it right. And they should keep doing it. Forever and ever. 

As a disclaimer: if you're looking for a "gourmet burger" experience with various types of exotic cheeses and toppings, Burger's Priest isn't the joint for you. I mean, they get kinda funky with some of their variations (grilled-cheese-sandwich buns, anyone?) but the general vibe is greasy, sloppy all-American. The way a burger's meant to be.



My High Priest almost reminded me of a big, high-quality McDonalds burger. Which is by no means an insult (if you know me, you'll know that this could be, in fact, a compliment? Weird from a person who fancies themselves fit to write a blog about food? Maybe). The ingredients and toppings are similar to those you'd find on those lovely glowing menus at McDs, but they taste fresh. And real (well, maybe minus the cheese... but who, really, doesn't love a good slice of processed every now and then?)
 And so, so good. 

Just go. If I didn't care for my arteries, I'd be here every day. In fact, I might just bid them adios and come every day anyways. So if you wanna find me, look for a curb or steamy car out front...

The Burger's Priest

1636 Queen St. East

Toronto, Ontario

www.theburgerspriest.com

647-346-0617