Burger Shack

Reviews

• Guinivere S.

  star star star star star 25 July 2026

  I am going to give this place a 5 star rating because my burger today was just so good!  With all the burger places popping up this brought me back to the simplicity of just a good burger.  It was a busy but they cleared the orders expertly and very quickly.   Everything is dated in the place which made me feel very nostalgic.  I would definitely go back.

• Elliott R.

  star star star star_border star_border 21 July 2026

  I see a lot of very positive reviews and the place is busy day and night so I must be on a different wave length. Retro is one way to describe the interior. I might say that nothing has changed...ever since they opened decades ago. The homeburger with swiss cheese I had last night was OK...but just OK not exceptional. True you can select from numerous different toppings so that could help but the burger itself was not particularly flavorful. So overall the experience was not bad but not more than 3 stars.

• Emma H.

  star star star_border star_border star_border 16 July 2026

  The Burger Shack
  
  Known to be known for the classic burger from the 70s, but if this is what its supposed to taste like, then thank god for me to be born in the 90s.
  
  I was curious from the many good reviews. Today was the day i had my fillings done at the dentist, so i was extra hungry. I ordered the homemade 6oz cheeseburger for $6.20, and upgraded to real cheddar for $1 extra.
  Also got their "thick cut fries" which are apparently a popular sell, they come unseasoned so youll have to do that yourself.
  
  Burger: lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, relish, hot banana peppers, caramelized onions, HP sauce (steak), ketchup, mayo.
  
  The burger was...large and flat. The buns werent toasted, and were very dry. I couldnt taste the "grill on the meat" or any distinct meat flavour from the homemade patty. The only thing that had flavour was the HP steak sauce which i tasted on the second half of the burger. The caramelized onions were very...raw like. I would have preferred them to be cooked down so theyd be flavourful and soft. The ketchup available at the seating booths were watered down! Beware of this.
  
  The fries were crunchy but had a weird pasty aftertaste in my mouth. It felt like i was eating flour dusted fries. Not particularly thick cut...as you can tell from the pictures.
  
  End note:
  Some foods make me go wow and drop my phone, but unfortunately Burger Shack's homemade burger and fries did not. If im eating a good burger, id be all in, both hands, eyes focused, mind focused on the yumminess. Here, I actually held half the burger in one hand and started texting my friend on the other.
  
  Also, if this is what it tastes like to a very very hungry person (i didnt eat for the whole day), then i cannot imagine how it would taste when i am regularly hungry.
  
  The burger was 7.20, and the fries was 3.90. I paid around 12.50$ after tax. Geeee. And this was meant to be a snack before i go to Kushi izakaya for their tapas and 3$ sapporo pints (after 9pm only). Now im regrettably full and wasted 12$.
  
  Should have just gone to A&W one block west. Then id be happy with their 5$ for two burger special.
  
  Need a burger recommendation thats not too greasy? Try Slab Burger at Bay/Charles instead: they are bomb.

• Joshua A.

  star star star star_border star_border 8 July 2026

  Let me start off by saying 3 stars doesn't mean it's a bad place. The spot itself is kinda chilly and outdated but that's sort of the idea with a classic spot like this.
  
  The homemade burger isn't bad but it's nothing special so off that i can imagine the regular burger is not great. For the price, the home burger isn't worth it.
  
  The onion rings on the other hand are pretty good. It's like eating a donut which is not a bad thing at all when you are planning to eat out at a burger spot on your cheat day. The onion rings might be worth it if you are really into that kind of thing but a bit pricey, $4.75.
  
  Overall, if you have the money and want to give it a shot then I wouldn't discourage you from trying it out.
  
  A homemade burger plus onion rings cost $12.09 after tax

• Joseph S.

  star star star star star 2 July 2026

  There's a reason that this place is iconic in Toronto, and that's because for years, they've been making old-school, charbroiled burgers and doing it excellently.
  
  There are no surprises here. No re-invention of the burger or changing what a burger is supposed to be. They keep it simple. Charbroil a patty, top it with your usual accoutrement (tomatoes, pickles, ketchup, mayo, onion), add cheese and bacon of course, and enjoy. This place is on the same level as Johnny's.
  
  While it doesn't pack the same flavourful blast that a griddled crust would provide to a burger, there's a distinctive taste to charbroiled burgers that will always have you thinking back to your childhood, and it still tastes amazing. Top your meal off with a good helping of fries and you'll be set. Long hours mean you won't have to go to McD's when everything else is closed.