I was eating lunch with three of my co-workers yesterday when the topic of burgers happened to come up. Cassandra turned to me and asked, “What was the place you were telling me about the other day?” That place was The Burger’s Priest. BlogTO considers The Burger’s Priest to be the best burger in Toronto, and though the site’s commenters tend to have criticisms for any restaurant that is posted, I have had great success with restaurants I’ve encountered on BlogTO’s Best of Toronto lists. (The sandwich that make the world better was on the Best Sandwiches list.) So engaged were my co-workers when I told them of The Burger’s Priest’s multi layer cheeseburgers, they decided that we not only had to go, we had to go as soon as possible. Wednesday was going to be the day.
Kathleen started our morning off with an email that said HAMBURGER DAY. Oh yes, we were that excited. We spent the morning debating about choices. Not only was there the regular menu to choose from, but also the only posted online Secret Menu. Finally, the hour came. It was decided that I would be the one to get the burgers because I’m the fastest walker and the only one who knew where the place was. Before I left, I emailed the ladies I was ordering for — the men were too intimidated by the menu to join us — and told them that like the Blue Brothers before me, I was on a mission from God.
Like a gazelle I moved, not stopping for anything! Except for this picture, because the lighting was nice.
I arrived at the restaurant at 12:10 and the line was already out the door. Since I came with orders for three others, I couldn’t back out. I waited in line and looked at the posted menu. I was surprised to see that the religious theme extended beyond the menu. Scripture passages lined the wall, along with a picture of a lion and a lamb.
Though The Burger’s Priest’s website calls it a typical American cheeseburger joint, the philosophy behind the restaurant goes deeper than that. Included on the website are links to articles about the Gospel, and suggestions of churches in the downtown core.
After waiting in a twenty minute line, I had the chance to order.
I ordered The Priest, a burger with a beef patty and their veggie patty called The Option. The Option is made up of two portobello mushrooms with cheese in the centre, breaded and deep fried. (Apologies to my vegan friends. Though The Burger’s Priest has a vegetarian burger, they do not currently have a vegan Option.) I stepped up when my name was called, proud of my two bags of burgers, and prouder still that I did not order them all for myself.
This is The Priest intact.
This is The Priest looking a little less intact. You just can’t fake that kind of cheesiness.
The verdict: The Burger’s Priest is worth going to. Next time, I’m getting the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Two beef patties and two Options in between grilled cheese buns. On second thought, that would be a bit difficult to eat at my desk.
Song of the Day: Welcome to Love by Johnny Rain
