Reviews The Burger's Priest

When it comes to burgers in Toronto everyone is pretty unanimous in choosing the best. Most people will send you to The Priest. They were featured on Anthony Bourdain's Toronto episode of The Layover, You Gotta Eat Here! featured them in season two, blogTO has them listed as the #1 Best Burger in town, and NOW Toronto has named them the #1 Best Burger 2018 and #1 Best Burger 2019. What started as one tiny location in The Beaches has expanded to 19 locations in Ontario and 2 in Edmonton, Alberta. They've had quite a decade!

I decided that it was time for me to visit the OG shop, known as The First Priest. Many of their other locations are quite spacious, but not this one. This one is extremely small, with barely enough room to place an order, let alone sit down to eat it. There is a very small counter space with four stools - that's the entirety of the room. But I liked this. I really liked seeing that something that started out so humbly was truly able to succeed and grow. It speaks to the quality of their product. You've probably heard their tagline, that they're "redeeming the burger one at a time." The church theme carries throughout all of their restaurants and they do such a great job creating this consistent look. The walls are always black and white - like a priest's robes and collar. The menu always appears on hymn boards and most of the sandwiches are appropriately named. The imagery is very good. In the beginning, they also always used to be closed on Sundays (for church).

Entering The First Priest on a Saturday evening, I was ready to confess all of my burger sins. Burger's Priest's whole deal is that they want to keep things simple; their beef is never frozen and their ingredients are fresh. Quality, purity and simplicity are their commandments. One other thing that you should probably be aware of is the secret menu. In the early days this menu was truly a secret and they wouldn't make you anything off of it unless you knew exactly what you were talking about. Today you can find the secret menu on their website - but it's no where to be found inside of the actual restaurants so you'll need to come prepared. (The secret menu is full of all sorts of abominations, namely The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse burger. It's a good idea to do a little bit of research.) I approached the counter in the small space and began to place my order. Once complete I grabbed one of the four stools and waited a short amount of time for my food to be ready, which was handed to me in a brown bag. It was time to start sacrificing some burgers.

I really like their Old Fashioned Shake so I started there. They do the usual flavours like vanilla, chocolate and strawberry (or try "Jarge" which is a mix of all three!), but also offer mint chocolate chip. However my personal favourite is the Riggs & Murtaugh (Vanilla ice cream + chocolate milk - $3.99). This used to be on the secret menu but now it's on the regular menu for all to see. Named after the characters from the Lethal Weapon film series, I love the way that this creamy vanilla milkshake has a little taste of chocolate milk combined with it. It's so good!

Now... I could've ordered something normal to eat. But unfortunately that's not who I am as a person. Instead I ordered one of my favourite things - and it's a burger that I invented myself. I call it The Priest: Vatican Style. ($15.07). Let's attempt to break this thing down.

I take The Priest which is a cheeseburger (original beef patty & American cheddar) with The Option (breaded, cheese-stuffed portobello mushroom cap) on top. Then I have them change the bun to The Vatican City bun, which is two grilled cheese sandwiches as the bun. Are you still with me?? You also get your choice of burger toppings and I always get "the works" (ketchup, mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickle). I usually leave out the onion. And I add secret sauce. Because everything is better with secret sauce.

So that's my burger! I love it because it combines so many of the unique and wonderful things that The Burger's Priest does well. The never-frozen 100% Canadian Ultra Premium, grass-fed, humanely raised sustainable beef tastes amazing. This creation of mine is clearly for cheese-lovers (such as myself) because it is simply oozing with cheese from like, four different areas. The Option is especially unique and a truly different way to approach doing a veggie burger. I love the crunch on the panko and the molten cheese that spills out. The vegetables are always bright and fresh. And then... Grilled cheese sandwiches as the bun, people. It sounds so wrong but you know that it's right. Eat this on an empty stomach and you won't regret it.

On this particular occasion they made my burger as a double cheeseburger (two patties) which I wasn't thrilled about (I didn't order it this way). It was just too much. I mean, this burger is already too much. It did not need an extra patty. I felt that the burger was too meaty this way and the meatiness over powered the other components that I had been hoping to enjoy for what they are. It was a mistake and I know that most people would be pleased to find a bonus patty that they weren't charged for.

Also, Fresh Cut Fries ($3.99)! I like their fries a whole lot. They're always fried to a delicious, deep golden brown and are nicely salted. These are the kinds of fries that I always crave the most. They make a Poutine as well, which I've never tried. I bet that it's great.

While I've never ventured beyond beef, I'm really interested in trying the Chicken Low Priest and The Token sandwiches that they do. These will be the next on my list!

There are some comparisons that can be drawn to California's famed In-N-Out Burger. First of all, they both have secret menus. Secondly, the Priest does "Jarge Style" which is essentially equivalent to In-N-Out's "Animal Style." And thirdly, the Priest has a burger called the California Classic which is pretty much made in the same style as an In-N-Out burger (complete with secret sauce). So if you're a huge fan of In-N-Out (and who isn't?) The Burgers Priest is an excellent place to visit right here in Canada.

Last but not least, I couldn't leave without getting The Vatican On Ice (Ice cream sangwiched between two grilled cheese buns - $5.99). Yup... Yup. This is a thing. And they're doing it. And you know what? It works. Everyone loves salty and sweet flavours and that's exactly what this is. The bun is warm and crispy from the grill, the ice cream is cold and melty... The whole thing is a contradiction wrapped in an enigma and it's good. However, I highly recommend sharing it with someone. Nobody needs all of this to themselves. (And no, "sangwiched" isn't a typo.)

Welp. I think that I've said everything that I need to say about The Burger's Priest. Phew! We got through it together and our arteries are still (mostly) intact! You don't need to order "crazy food" like I did. The normal, basic burgers are what make them shine and they're damn good. Now get out there and be a part of the redemption!

Great staff. Loved the burgers. The burgers are worth the price. I had cheese burger which was too good in taste. Had a nice time here with good food.

Omg, we almost didn't make it here.. 5 min till closing. We came here because we heard through the grape vine that this is the best location! Great thing, you can park on the street and walk inside in like 1 second. The service was really fast! We ordered 2 cheeseburgers and an order of fries. We received complimentary bacon which was soo bomb! Totally made my day! :) The burger was really nice and juicy and had a great amount of grease which I love. Not over the top greasy, but definitely what a burger should taste like! Their fries are okay, nothing to rave about, but definitely an important side and worth reordering. I feel like I have become a true Torontonian after having this. Definitely ranked in top burger joints in my books!

Burger Priest is heaven! I love their burgers and I am addicted to them. Whenever I'm in the area, I make sure to grab a burger at burger priest. I've tried a bunch of different kinds of burgers here and they're all so yummy. I love that their burgers are unique and they offer a variety of flavours. 

The burger priest locations I've been to are not that huge and I prefer taking out. They have the typical toppings and add ons that you can get at other burger joints. Be sure to check out their secret menu (online) before you go in, incase you want to try something extra special.

I had never heard of the place,I was visiting from up north.I absolutely LOVE the place and don't think I will ever be able to eat any other than The Burger preist.

Right after eating at Hole-E Burger a week earlier, we both agreed that we had to top it somehow. We decided it was going to be the Burger's Priest, which I was also being convinced into trying by friends and family. This being the Burger's Priest, we both said, "Sure, what the hell."

The location on Queen Street, just east of Coxwell, is the GTA's first location to open in 2010. Since then, the Burger's Priest opened up six additional locations in the GTA, and have expanded to Edmonton as of March 14, 2015.

We entered the mini shop in the late afternoon, right when school was ending. There were already a couple sitting at the bar table along the wall when we arrived. We saw there were only three other bar stools available if we wanted to dine-in. Its space really wasn't that huge and this place was already giving me some doubt.

We stood in a small line and after looking over their menu for a good minute, I decided to go with The Vatican City; my only thought about ordering this was now I could say, "I just finished eating the Vatican City." And it was at this time that I learned it was CASH ONLY. Luckily they just had an ATM machine by the front window, but I can never really trust those machines unless they're authentic and have a bank logo on it.

After waiting 5-10 minutes for our burgers, they call my name and my order was ready. I chose not to get anything on the side as the burger alone sounded like it was going to be a handful. I unwrapped it and there, staring back at me were two cheeseburgers, sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches. Holy Christ, I was in heaven.

As if this burger wasn't big enough, I topped it off with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and mayo. First of all, it was difficult getting my hands to wrap around this thing. How the hell am I going to review it if I can't even pick it up? I squished the burger together to make it smaller, and more easier to take a bite out of. Once I got my hands around it, I picked it up, opened my mouth as big as I could and took a massive bite. Consensus: it was Holy-good.

Whether it is the two burgers, the four layers of cheese or the extra toppings, this burger was definitely appetizing. I didn't need the fries after all and was stuffed upon digesting. I once tried a similar combination while I was working for Canada's Wonderland not too long ago. The only difference was this one had two beef patties instead of just one. It was to my surprise that a burger this size was hugely popular with kids who ordered after us. I guess it goes to show that size doesn't matter after all.

Overall, The Vatican City was beyond my expectations and would definitely recommend. Readers beware, the burger in the photo pictured above is ten times bigger in your hands. Even though the joint was small, and a little crowded, the Burger's Priest sure knows how to make a hell of a burger. And if you haven't converted yet, let me be the first to welcome you to the feast.

Burger priest is a pretty small store. There were a few seats with high chairs facing the wall, but it's more meant as a take out place. Since I love close by, this is no problem for me. It appears that they do delivery now. Also note that they only take cash.

I was surprised that it was very busy at 8pm on a Tuesday night. There were lots of people waiting inside for their orders, a few waiting outside, and the phone ran quite a few times with more orders.There were quite a few choices of burgers and they also have a secret menu online. Some of the choices sound like there was so much packed in it, I wouldn't know how to eat without making a mess.

I finally settled for the Vatican city which was a double cheeseburger sandwiched between two grilled cheese buns. You choose the toppings to add, and there is a list next to the register to choose from. This was a meaty and filling burger. I liked the crispy bits that the grilled buns added. There weren't a lot of toppings added though.

I also had a bite of the California classic with a single patty. This was much smaller in size and I found it more dry.

We also had an order of the chili cheese fries which I would literally describe the taste as chili and fries. The chili wasn't as saucy as I had hoped for but I guess that's why the fries retained their crispness. There was enough chili for all the fries.

The two burgers and fries came to about $30. I would say this a bit of a splurge for burgers, but with so many burgers and specialty places, I'm not surprised. I know there are places with much more expensive burgers. If I were to come back, I would try something on the secret menu.

Super duper delicious. Worth the drive from STC to Queens. 3 thumbs up.

Good, but crowded. The burger and fries were tasty, but not spectacular. At dinner time the place is just overcrowded and loud. It would be great to get a burger here outside of regular meal hours.

Yum! I had the classic cheeseburger and it was great. Fresh and made in front of you. The place needs some seating, but the staff is very nice and friendly. Next time I'll try the pope, 2 patties with a cheese stuffed mushroom called the option. Wowza.

Burgers of burgers. This is probable one of the best burgers in the city. Order from the secret menu, it is found on their website. I ordered the Vatican City, it's two patties with two grilled cheese sandwiches as the buns, and it was fantastic, just enough cheese. The burgers are made to order, so no chance of getting sick from the patties hanging around, unlike the other burger place that begins with an L and ends with an s.

My man loves it, not a ladies burger at all. Man food all day, it just looks like a hartattack waiting to happen lolol. It's really good though, if you can afford the thousands of calories!

To expensive not worth the money, I don't understand how small it is. I guess to make it look busy. Definitely don't recommend.

A-maz-ing. I've been wanting to try burger's priest for a long time, but for one reason or another never got around to it. Finally today, I went with a cousin of mine and I must admit the burger was the best I've ever had. Now I'll also admit, I had the religious hypocrite because I'm semi-vegetarian but it was probably the best burger I've ever had. Actually, scratch that, it was definitely the best vegetarian burger I've ever had. I went immediately after the lunch hour and there was no wait, so within 5 minutes i had the burger of my dreams. The fries weren't bad, certainly I've had better but I've had much worse. Everything was fresh and the service was quick and friendly. Obviously I wish they had a sitting area inside but it gave me a reason to sit outside.

If you want to give your palatte a treat, try this place. You won't regret it!

They aren't pretty but they're delish. Don't go too often though, you may get a heart attack lol

The burgers were good. Not sure if it's worth all the hype, but it is a well oiled machine and they know what they're doing. Didn't have to wait long and the price was reasonable. Go during off hours.

Boys Night Out - AMAZING. One coma-inducing "Tower of Babel" later and I'm still licking my chops. A little pricey at $25 for the combo, but similar to Rome, Babel wasn't built in a day.

Amazing place!!! I really enjoyed the experience and the burgers were so delicious. The meat was cooked to perfection and the customer service was great! The young lady serving me, a girl named Paige I think it was, was one of the most polite cashiers I've ever met. She handled my large order so well I was impressed! Keep up the good work and great food 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

The burger was very good. Just the perfect size. The fries are among the best I’ve had anywhere and very plentiful. Price was very competitive and the servers were extremely friendly. Very impressed !

Long time visitor of this iconic Toronto burger joint, I know what I’m getting every time I order. Like most things better you enjoy this meal as fresh as possible. Check out the secret (not do’s secret ) menu and grab a chocolate shake with that burger.