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Burger Shack
Categories: Restaurants Hot Dogs Restaurants Burgers Hot Dogs, Burgers [Edit]
233 Eglinton Ave WToronto, ON M4R 1A9
Neighbourhood: Yonge and Eglinton
(416) 487-1974
- Hours:
Mon 8 am - 12 am
Tue-Thu 8 am - 1:30 am
Fri-Sat 8 am - 3 am
Sun 9 am - 12 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night
- Alcohol:
- No
- Drive-Thru:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
22 reviews for Burger Shack
Review Highlights
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"...and unobtrusive and the onion rings added a nice crunch." In 4 reviews -
"...as being one of the best late night joints to hit up or..." In 3 reviews -
"They don't skimp on the toppings." In 4 reviews
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22 reviews in English
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Review from Peter T.
Toronto, ON
4/22/2012
It seems a lot of helpers have a similar opinion on this spot. however what some like, others don't.
The burgers are well done, but also very tasty. Fries are well done and very tasty. Prices are quite high, at least it certainly adds up. Two burgers and one fries and 2 drinks are $20. Not cheap but I actually really enjoyed it. My burger was delicious, but I like the fact it is well done, actually crispy on the edge of the burger. You may like that, you may not. The fries have their skin and are very crispy.
On the whole I like it, I like the old atmosphere, and I like the burgers...so I will keep going back. -
Review from Johnny H.
Toronto, ON
5/9/2012
I ate at Burger Shack only once. The burger was barely decent. The meat was thin, and didn't really have pleasant flavors. Maybe not seasoned. Or frozen. It didn't have that unpleasant wet cardboard texture though. The toppings didn't seem fresh either. However ,the buns were good.
I don't know about you, but I think the restaurant may need inspection. Damn that place is filthy and unorganized. It smells like rotting cow corpses too. And it is very noisy and crowded. But why is it crowded? Is it really worth lining up for these poor excuses that Burger Shack proudly call burgers?
And the parking lot is very tight. I don't recommend parking there. It is dangerous to maneuver the car around the lot. -
Review from Firstname L.
2/17/2012
I visited Toronto in late Jan 2012. I was dissapointed to realize that the show "Diners Drive-ins, and Dives" had no Canadian restaurants. I did a search for Canadian DDD's, and found this posting on Chowhound:
http://chowhound.chow....
where Burger Shack was mentioned.
I went one night during the trip; I got the bacon cheeseburger and fries. My American debit card wouldn't work in the ATM they have here, but thankfully they took US Dollars (at face value).
The burger was good, but it tasted like spiced lamb, not beef. It was a very interesting an pleasing taste. The fries were very good.
No complaints, and I wish I lived closer so I could try more items.
Basically a step below a diner, but they do things very well. -
Review from Michael D.
Woodbridge, ON
4/16/2012
A small place with a big burger.
Love It -
Review from Behrouz M.
Toronto, ON
2/1/2012
Food: B+
Service: A-
Food presentation: B+
Atmosphere: B
Prices: A
Recommended? Yes
I see the reviews for Burger Shack are all over the place. I stumbled upon Burger Shack a few years ago but I never had a chance to try out the burgers until yesterday.
The Shack looks likes it's been around for awhile by the worn out exterior and interior setting. But that didn't deter me one bit as I was starving. As I walked in I was greeted by "Tony" (not really sure what his name is but he definitely looked like a Tony) who was at the cash. A look at the menu and it's pretty obvious that the Shack does more than just burgers. I noticed anything from fish & chips, to souvlaki, to burgers. But since I'm a Burger junkie and the place is called the BURGER Shack, I opted for the "homeburger" recommended by Tony, which came to exactly 5 bucks after taxes.
What's the verdict? The homeburger was pretty big and it was cooked to a well done with good grill marks and served on an A-OK bun. The burger wasn't fantastic, but it was good considering the size and also the price. -
Review from Dave M.
3/3/2011
In my quest to not only find the GTA's greatest burgasm-inducing slice of ex-moocow, but to satisfy my ravenous appetite last night, I made a discovery.
After driving around and found most BBQ and burger dealers closed, the one sure thing told me that they were out of burgers. Seriously, are there any sentences as cruel as that at 11pm on a burger-lusting weeknight? I think not. But I pressed on, and stumbled upon Burger Shack!
First, they get a wink for the late hours. There really aren't enough places that stay open this late, or maybe I'm just not looking hard enough.
Inside the restaurant, it looks...how do I put this accurately...like shit.
Seriously, a high school bathroom would appear more hygienic. The tables were fairly clean, but the seats fold down from the table and are probably as comfy as the homeless guy in the parking lot coming in and shanking me in my balls. In case I didn't make the point strong enough, it's uncomfortable.
The cashier seemed a little ticked at yet another customer ruining her night by coming into the joint, but she was polite with me. I ordered two 6oz burgers, and that's it, which were priced just right. The burgers were cooked quick enough to not be McDonalds alarming, and I left. Screw those tables.
When I arrived at home, to my horror, I noticed that one of my burgers was overcooked. Ok, it was burnt, but I'm trying to make the fact that I still ate it seem less pathetic.
The fact that it was scorched aside, it still had some decent taste to it, and I toughed it out.
Burger the sequel was MUCH better, perfectly cooked and tasty. The buns were also very fresh, and I highly approved of it.
In the end, I'd recommend this place as a 'buy it and get the F out' option for night-owl burgies needing a fix, but beyond that, it's nothing special.Listed in: Burgasm Tour 2011, Late Night Eats
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Review from Tanya N.
1/7/2011
My friend brought me here when I randomly had a craving for a good, juicy burger. This place is called Burger 'Shack' so you really shouldn't expect it too be all shi-shi inside. Though I must way that I was taken slightly aback when I came in since the tables and chairs are from way back when and some of the chairs (you have to push down the seat) were crooked. I was scared that I was going to break them (especially while eating...how much of a fatty situation is that?).
Anyway, I got the home burger with all the toppings (standard condiments, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, hot peppers and sauteed onions). The toppings are laid out so you have choose whatever you want. The patty itself was a bit on the thinner than I expected but nonetheless juicy. It hit the spot.
I had the chocolate milkshake which tasted a bit like McDonald's chocolate soft serve ice cream back when it was around but just a bit more softer (well...technically ice "milk" but that's another topic entirely) . It was just a tad softer - I ended up using my straw like a spoon until it melted a bit.
My friend had the strawberry milkshake which tasted like strawberry flavoured Tylenol for kids. I didn't like it at all.
Overall, a great burger place if you're in the area but I wouldn't make the trek out just to go there to eat. -
Review from Terry P.
10/22/2010
The "homeburger", while large, was thin and overcooked, and the topping choices are pretty limited. The onion rings were absolutely terrible. They taste like chicken balls. Very strange.
To top it off, it cost $9 for a cheeseburger and onion rings (no drink). Go to South Street Burger instead. Their staff are friendlier, they have whole wheat buns and a huge assortment of toppings, and their onion rings are good. -
Review from Kane M.
Toronto, ON
6/2/2011
Ahhhh, the Burger Shack... where do I begin? My girlfriend lived across the street from the Shack so often times I would wake up to the sweet smell of burger in the afternoon.
But don't get me wrong, the Shack is not just open evenings and late nights, you can get breakfast as well! And the place is always packed. Well, pretty much always. At night it's filled with drunk teenagers and after bar stumblers and in the morning it's populated by construction workers and early risers.
Don't let either deter you!
The food produced from a simple flat grill and a deep fryer is pretty darn great. There's no great secret to producing basic non-franchise fast food, but the Shack manages to do something very right, from the homemade burgers (worth the extra $) to the yummy onion rings.
My girlfriend doesn't live there anymore (cuz she lives with me :) but every time I pass by there with some friends or my significant other the sight of the Hawaiian inspired sign is met with squeals of delight from this girly-man and followed by little jumps of excitement as well as protests to stop for some grub.
Oh Burger Shack, how I miss you... -
Review from Shari M.
Toronto, ON
Seeing as it is Decemburger, and after reading my friend Dale M's review, I thought I had better check this place out.
I come from the shwa. The land of basics. Where good unpretentious (and somewhat funny/odd) burger places run a plenty. So to impress me, this place was gonna have to be fantastic. It wasn't.
I did have high hopes when I walked in and thought I was in the shwa. Looks like shwa meat, must taste like shwa meat. Alas, no. But I will get to that in a moment.
What made it look shwa was that it was stuck in the '70s. A prerequisite for a fine shwa burger dive. Plus, when I went to the Burger Shack, it was all men, except for one haggard woman. There is a lot of haggard women in the shwa. I was also greeted with cold customer service by the cashier. Again, quite apparent in the shwa.
I ordered a milkshake that I could have made at home - and better - with beating a piece of bakers chocolate against the floor and pouring some milk over it.
The fries however were great! Really liked the fries.
The burger - wtf. When I ordered, there were 2 options for burger patties. When I inquired, one was fresh and one was frozen. Really?! Who opts for the frozen one?!
The topping bowls are just like the shwa. When I knew I may be in trouble, is when the man who topped my burger was polite. That is never a good sign.
I swear the burger had filler in it. And not fill-er-up good, but filler of an unknown variety. It had a bit of a sage-y taste. Not too sure what it was. It was also cooked to a hockey puck consistency. Again, not good.
For those of you that are still reading and are familiar with suburban/country lingo....here is how my dad would rate this place:
Cock sucker that parkin lot is like a dog fucking a football*. If I had my ol half tonne** she woulda had a hard time fitin in der. The place is pretnear*** like the ones at home, so why the fuck would you drive into the city for a son of a bitch burger? At least with the city you wouldn't have to worry bout skitters**** in the summer like we do at home. Plus, I would only drive in here early Saurdee***** afternoon before the fucking crowds and lineups. The milkshake tastes like pony piss and the burger is cooked exactly how I like it, shoe leather.
________________________________________
*tight quarters
**a pick up truck
***pretty close to
****mosquitoes
*****SaturdayListed in: My Decemburger
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Review from Toshiro D.
6/10/2010
No matter where I have lived in the world, I dream of their burgers, their chicken kabab, their tzaziki - and the most incredible fries. When I return to Toronto, the first thing I do is drive over here and stuff my face. Been going there since I was a little kid. Never changed. Not one bit unlike Licks which turned into a tasteless disaster.
My highest recommendation. If you or someone can forward me their tzaziki recipe, you will have a friend for life.
Always busy and always good. And you have to love the sketchy and uppity mix of clientele. From the bum on street to the exec from downtown, they all come here for amazing food at a great price. -
Review from Dale M.
Toronto, ON
12/2/2009
The best thing about an unpretentious restaurant is that you can walk in without expectations. The Burger Shack, on that basis, far exceeded mine and made an excellent kickoff to my Decemburger.
On a colleague's suggestion, I hopped off the Avenue bus at Oriole and Eglinton Ave. W. instead of taking my usual subway home. The bus doors opened and before foot hit ground I was met with the glorious, primal aroma of seared beef. The restaurant is unassuming, tucked in the corner of a very small plaza, and the tow truck parked out front gave the place a roadhouse feel despite the fact that we were barely a mile from my home in midtown Toronto.
This place has the kind of old-school decor that defies the notion of an update - backlit brown and yellow menu lettering on slide-in strips, booths with flip-up seats and an ancient high-chair tucked on top of the drink fridge. At 9PM, the place was better than half-full of Average Joes hanging out and grabbing a bite.
I had had the "homeburger" recommended, added cheese and bacon for kicks and sprung for onion rings and a can of Nestea to round the order out (~$12). My cashier shouted at the man on the grill, who looked like he'd been running the place for thirty years, and he hopped to it. The topping station reminded me of Harvey's the way it used to be when I was a kid - same toppings, same glass-windowed counter, same bowls even - but the Shack had a more family-run feel to it. Inspired by a fellow yelper whose name I can't recall, I asked for a few of my onion rings on my burger along with the obligatory lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.
What a delicious, homestyle burger! It's nothing fancy, nothing special, but this was a great "everyday" burger for sure. Flavour was great, bun was fresh and unobtrusive and the onion rings added a nice crunch. The rings themselves were tasty, but lost their lustre as I worked through the ones that didn't make it into my burger. They're big, beautiful rings, but the batter is the sort of thing you'd see on half-decent Chinese food. Still, worth a try if you're in the neighbourhood. -
Review from Michael B.
Toronto, ON
12/11/2010
The burger shack.
I have been hearing about this place for years. Went their recently after a late theatre show.
Service: not bad. They are open late so you can't complain there. The place seems to be busy, but the service was fast. The place offers only counter service, but this is a seedy burger joint. The counter service leaves something to be desired, it is fast but not overly polite or pleasant.
Decor: okay the place is a dump. Few of the chairs are broken. The place could also be alot cleaner. Many of the tables have not been cleaned, being littered with the remnants of prior meals or just being plane greasy. It was dissapointing to have to clean off or own table to find a place to eat.
Food: okay the food is decent, but the prices are not. There are no combo meals, so expect to be ordering things individually which means the prices add up quickly. We had two home burgers, two drinks, and two sets of onion rings and the bill was a shade under 30 dollars. At that price you may as well hit a better establishment. Now back to the food, nothin really to complain about you will be satisfied. The burger pattie was seasoned well, and was a decent size. They don't skimp on the toppings. If you say extra pickles and extra hot peppers that's what you get, you don't have to ask twice. The sides where good portion sizes, and prepared well.
Decent place. But definately not a Jerrys. -
Review from Megan M.
Toronto, ON
8/12/2009 1 photo
MMMMMM. Burger Shack. I went to high school down the street from this place so I am well accustomed to it. If you can get past the 70's decor and grimy plaza (it's attached to a crappy looking Coffee Time) you will be rewarded by a great greasy meal. It is almost like a retro Harvey's where they announce your order into the mic even though they are like five feet away from the grill and you get to dress your burger from the large bowls of items from behind the glass counter.
The burgers (if I recall correctly) come in different sizes and for a little bit extra you can have their special homemade burger. I defiantly recommend spending the little bit extra.
The onion rings! Oh the onion rings! If you like golden, deep fried, greasy and delicious onion rings this is the place to come. The only place I've seen them almost as good would be Apache burger but in my opinion the burgers here are meatier and taste better. Their fries are pretty decent aswell.
I also enjoyed the fact that cooked onions were another option of their condiments.
They have a milk shake machine but the last time I had a shake here it was a bit grainy and not true to a good milk shakes creamy consistency or taste.
This place certainly has a reputation uptown as being one of the best late night joints to hit up or just for a deliciously greasy meal. -
Review from Erin H.
Toronto, ON
9/17/2008
Let me preface this review by saying I'm not a burger gal and let me amend this preface by saying when I do eat burgers, I like them fried ala Mcdonald's so that they cease being burgers and transform into crispy foreign matter. That said, the Burger shack is a real burger place for a real burger kind of person. It is a classic, takeout spot on Eglinton offering delicious, large, grilled burgers.
For those of us who prefer the kingdom Vegetalia to the kingdom Animalia, they also have a great Greek Salad and their French Fries are worth every clogged pore they may be causing in your bloated body. -
Review from Daniel B.
Toronto, ON
11/9/2011
Will give this a rating of one of the top burgers in the city!
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Review from Mumuuu S.
Toronto, ON
12/6/2010
This review must go higher!
In truth: there is no knowing whene the precise source of my joy in du shack stems. I grew up in the vicinity and it is conceivable that many many late night shack attacks have coloured my memory in such a way to make the shack insunderably linked with the happy joys of youth.
As evidence against this I will mention that I recently brought three friends along to sample the shack--none of whom had ever visited previously--and all of whom were delighted by homeburger, fries, rings.
In fact, I give support to nothing beyond those items---my little brother loves the bacon grilled cheese---but whatever.
Note that the other reviews are from people who thought it was unclean: it ain't unclean...it's just not the latest iteration of Burger and Company Gourmet Burger Co.
You can wait in line at BCGBC. I'll be at this shack. -
Review from David M.
Toronto, ON
11/7/2010
Met two friends here for breakfast, probably not Burger Shack's best meal of the day. T went for the standard two eggs over easy, bacon, home fries and toast. It passed muster. D had the banquetburger, fries and a root beer. What else would he have at a burger joint at 9:30 in the a.m.? He loved it. I opted for the grilled cheese (probably the weakest choice) and fries. Oh, those fries. They made the visit worthwhile.
Listed in: Breakfast places, Diners, Greasy Spoons and…
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Review from Nick P.
Toronto, ON
2/22/2012
A general rule of thumb when you go to these burger diners, always ask for the homemade burgers. The regular burgers are frozen patties and basically the same regular burger you would get at Harvey's. I used to go to Burger Shack every saturday when I lived in the area about 18 years ago. All burgers were homemade back then, tasted great. The souvlaki was full of greek herbs/spices and the homemade garlic sauce was amazing. Over the years they've changed the recipes in order to appease the mostly Canadianized area. I remember one guy actually got offended that his souvlaki had garlic and oregano on it. Made a big stink about it not being more Westernized. Idiot. Like most places it's not as great as it used to be. They still have great homemade burgers, fries are good. The souvlaki is a pale shadow of what it used to be but to most Canadians it should be fine. Cheaper than a Mcdonalds premium burger combo, more food and tastier in my opinion. Small place, small washroom, small seats. Very clean place though. A solid 3 stars.
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Review from bold c.
Toronto, ON
Empty burger greasy spoon. Then Packed. Wow!
30 Sec Summary
------------------------
1. Arrived and the help wanted sign on the front stumped me. Lone attendant was stocking fridge. There was 5-10 burgers cooking and two chicken slovaki. I thought this was strange. No customers and they are cooking up a storm.
2. One minute later the restaurant was packed. It was insane. I forgot to ask if they take phone orders.
3. Ordered a banquette burger. Attendant responded home made or frozen despite there being only one burger (of the choice) on the menu. 2 minutes later the place was packed. Surreal. Wanted to order a chocolate shake but the attendant switched to ordering for another client. three (3) minutes later the rest of the staff showed up.
4. Wow. This burger rocked. The cheese and bacon was on the underside. Smart. It melted in nicely. No mess. The topping were crisp on top. Burger was char-broiled (little burnt) but fresh and tasty. Not greasy. The lettuce (romaine) was fresh and tomatoes juicy. Onions and catchup/mustard with pickles. AWESOME TASTE.
5. Took a bit longer than I was expecting and the ambiance was definitely greasy spoon. Hence the 3 stars. Service was Meh...but the food is a winner.
Recommendation: BUY -
Review from Shaz S.
Toronto, ON
10/20/2010 1 Check-in Here
ugh...this burger joint came with high recommendations from a few, but honestly, i was not impressed. it's a small dive, that doesn't look very clean, and the staff behind the counter making your burgers don't either, plus they're not the nicest. the only plus this place has is that its open insanely late, so makes for a good pit stop after a late night out. but if ur in that area around a decent time then i'd recommend heading a few blocks east to yonge/eg and eating there!
this is not worth it! its around 7 bucks for a burger, no thanks its not gourmet, why would i pay that much?
must try: obviously their fresh patties as opposed to their frozen ones (why even have frozen option?) but of course fresh costs more, and still not worth it.Listed in: ...a few good places to get…
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Review from Susie M.
Toronto, ON
10/24/2010
I first have to apologize to my fellow yelpers who had fairly warned me this place wasn't all that great. But I thought 'the place has been there around 30 years, it has to be good' and I held onto the glimmer of hope left by the good reviews. But I have to say I was left very disappointed with Burger Shack, and its thin unflavorful burger. I wasn't overly impressed with the french fries either, which had an odd taste to them, and the milkshake was a huge let down.
I think I might have been somewhat ok with my burger had it not been just under $12 for my burger, fries and shake.
I came home wishing I had gone to Craft Burger instead.
And like other reviewers, I'm also left feeling confused at the two burger options....fresh or frozen.
