Gangster Burger

I walked in because I was curious about the theme and I think the décor is great, as is the overall conceit. The staff are lovely, too, but the burger left a lot to be desired, especially at the ten-​dollar price point):. I tried the El Chapo, but as freshly made as the meat might’ve been, the salt and banana peppers overpowered the taste, to the point that I had to search for the beef, guacamole, etc. I would probably have been better off if I’d ordered salt-​encrusted hot peppers because then I wouldn’t have been disappointed. If the El Chapo had had even one redeeming quality, I’d give Gangster Burger another chance, but I’m afraid it’s lights out. /​obligatory ganster reference

I was looking for new burger places in downtown Toronto and this place appealed to me because of the personality on their website.
I went in and tried the El Chapo. Their menu consists of burgers named after famous gangsters. Because it is a small joint, you get to see the cook make the burger in front of you. While waiting, I took in the surroundings. The restaurant has very solid décor, further accentuating its strong personality.
The burger itself was fantastic. I was pleasantly surprised by the caramelized jalapeños in my burger and added another level of flavour. The other burgers also some have creative ideas on it so make sure to try it before it gets super popular!

Awesome exposed brick wall, gangster collage wallpaper, banging modern «gangster» music.
The burger was extra fresh, made right in front of us, and they were friendly to offer non-​spicy alternatives for the weaker of us.
A special note on this place is the blue magic sauce.
Tried it with the fries… amazing
They said it was a mix of mayo, parmesan, and a bit of honey… What makes it blue…
Only gripe about this place is the seating.
Two seats at what should be a 4 seat bar
But that’s it!
Better prepare to take out if it’s full!

Best burger place ever. I’ve taken everyone who comes into town to this place and they all loved it hands down! Great quality and amazing flavours for you taste buds… Super yummy! The fries are amazing and my personal favorite is the burger with mac n cheese in it add some bacon and it’s the best thing ever… And I love the glass bottle coke :)

Went in with a friend around 230am, ordered the Capone. The place is small and had around 3 people ahead of us waiting for their food… Key word here is WAITING. I understand that it is late at night but they should be expecting some sort of rush after the bars get out if they are going to be open until 4am. They had 2 people working. One girl taking orders (that was it… At one point she came out front to turn off the «open» sign… It was 3:25am) and one line guy making burgers. We waited approximately 30 minutes to get two burgers. The burgers themselves were good… But not worth the wait. We inquired about the status of our order a couple times and got a fake nice answer and you could tell the girl was annoyed.
If you have a spare 45 minutes for one burger then come here … Other than that steer clear.

Walked into this small hole in the wall restaurant and was immediately greeted by an amazing smell of beef on a flat top and nice ambiance. The burgers have really cool names and the feel permeates through the whole menu. 1920’s gangster through and through. Got a «pretty boy Floyd» with jalapeños and bacon, cause what is life without bacon?
All told for two people it was about 35 $ and well worth it. The music is playing in the background and there are a few seats on the wall. Coke served from glass bottles and fries cooked just right. Get the blue sauce. I have no idea what it’s called but I do know it was tasty and enhanced the flavor.
Chefs and staff are young and friendly and understand the customer experience is very important. This is key because so often people suck (yes world being nice to your customers is important, so pay attention).
Would definitely go back to try more
Oh final note. My burger had Mac and cheese on it… need I say more?

To be honest. I LOVE the idea and the concept. It’s also good to be open after 3am. But when you are not busy, and it takes 30 minutes to make a burger… I think you’re doing it wrong. Not to mention the burger was just ‘meh’. Not very tasty, and the jalapeño were too spicy to even put on a burger… they didn’t even taste like jalapeño…which i normally enjoy. Overall way over priced for the quality, the speed, and taste.

These burgers are the lick! The wife and I shared a pretty boy Floyd and Dillinger with a side of fries and blue ice dipping sauce. Honestly I need to bring a franchise to my neck of the woods cause this puts my local burger joints to shame. Well seasoned burger and fries. A bit greasy but real juicy. This shits da bomb!

3.5÷5
I love the theme of this place, since it’s quite unique. I saw the sign and instantly knew that the gangster that I am must at least try the gangster burger!
I ordered the Capone, and it took about ten minutes for the preparation. Meanwhile sat inside. There’s seating for about 4 – 5 people at the bar-​height wall table.
The burger itself is really filling and has some great toppings on it (I never realized how big a 6 oz. patty really is). Unfortunately the burger patty itself lacked flavour. The toppings were great but couldn’t change the fact that, with every bite, I had a huge chunk of beef burger that tasted like nothing, and that dominates the experience. If they could make the patties tastier, they would really be in competition. Price wise, I paid 12 ish dollars for a burger and water bottle, no sides or anything extra, so I’d say it’s a bit on the expensive side.
They think ahead and keep a napkin holder at arms reach along the table, and man was it handy! The burger was messy, but what other way would anyone have it?!
Staff were friendly, and the place was clean. Some great hip hop music was also spinning, and made me want to dance like a gangster.
Cool experience, cool burger (needs a wee bit of work), nice staff!
Gangster out.

Gangster burger is blessed. The menu is great and so is the food however I hope to see the place expand so people can sit down and enjoy the food instead of sitting on the bench. However it’s very unique. When I took my burger to go I felt like a kid holding my lunch in a paper bag. My friend and I did enjoy the burger at a park nearby.

Very small place with maybe 3 bar stool. Burgers were decent in size and well cooked beef patties. Staff was friendly and explained the burgers. Place is rocking so loud music as well.

Stand up deal. (No seats, just a small bar.)
Some seriously good hip hop being served here!
There are some really interesting pics of people eating their burger out on the street in front of the shop because there isn’t much room inside. They are using their car hoods for a table and the cars are photogenic too — very nice!
When we were discussing what one says when asked, ‘How’s everything?’ by a server, I wrote this:
When I’m having a foodgasm, moaning and nomming to myself, eyes half shut, my mouth full and all I can manage is a half baked smile and a nod. When asked ‘how’s your burger’ at Gangster Burger last weekend, I told the cook what I thought. Smoky BBQ sauce, crunchy big chunks of caramelized onion, nicely salted patty with delicious bacon and cheddar… and much better than my recent burger at 5 guys recently… he gave me an understanding nod in return :)

Awesome burgers that will burn into your memory it would be a crime not to go back.
The Dillinger is a 6 OZ beef burger with dill havarti, caramelized onions, chipotle mayo, spicy ketchup a.k.a «Gangster Goo», bacon, letuce and tomato. It was absolutely DELICIOUS! $ 8 and change may seem a little pricey to some but it was worth every bite.
They’re sauces are very much worth the indulge. Check it out:

Gave them a second chance because of the lively and great customer service, which is still the case and earns them a single star. However, the burgers are the worst I’ve ever eaten. They are very, very dry and most of the flavour comes from some seasoning they put ON the meat and whatever toppings you get. I even mentioned to the employee that last time the burger was dry, he had nothing to say about that. The bun still tasted stale and practically disintegrated as I ate my burger. I forgot the burger even came with guacamole on it.
This time they turned down the music so I could order!
The day after I ordered the el Chapo burger, they captured el Chapo. So with that my duty is done and so are my visits to Gangster Burger.

Got the Capone with bacon. Great burger tons of toppings and cheese. Also loved the sauce. Was a little pricey seeing it wasn’t that filling. I’d recommend getting an extra patty which would come up to around $ 15 for the burger.
Also no seating just a little counter on one side if you want to stay. If you want to try the best burgers in Toronto make sure you try this place.

I don’t know if I’ve ever felt this way about a burger before. Other then the fact there’s no seating (take out only) this is the best burger spot I’ve ever been to. I really enjoy the fact that the toppings aren’t your regular options; the dill havarti cheese and sautéed onions are delicious and the burger that comes with Mac and cheese is to die for. The burgers themselves are freshly made and thick enough to leave you struggling on the first bite. You won’t leave hungry. Best burgers. Even talking about them makes me want one.

So I used this year’s burger week as an excuse to finally try this place and I’m really glad I did!
The «KBH» is a real spicey treat and was obviously well made, if only because at no point did the burger threaten to come apart (despite being pleasantly greasy with many ingredients) and the egg didn’t leak at all, a rarity.
The fries are very nicely spiced, outdone only by the duck fat fries at WVRST imho.
Unfortunately there is no seating and, aside from the park behind the library at Dundas & Bathurst, there’s not much in the way of public seating nearby. As there was a rainstorm at the time my pals and I took up the very tiny bit of counter eating space they have, but felt like a bunch of dicks since that space was clearly needed for people still waiting to be served.
Overall, I think it’s an okay place with great food for prices that are also great — considering what you’re getting. Outside of burger week you’d be looking at about $ 20 for a burger, fries and drink. Not a budget joint but, like BQM, totally worth splurging on if you have a little extra cash to throw around.
I’ll definitely be back to try one of their regular menu items and apparently they announce secret menu items on their Twitter account? Interesting…

I ordered the Dillinger with a side of fries and grabbed a Diet Coke.
I’m not fond of thyme — reminds me of hospital meatloaf. That is not Ganger’s fault, of course. But I think the fries should be less spiced as it competes with the hamburger, and when there’s too rich a flavour, you can’t finish them. I DID NOT FINISH THE FRIES. This never happens.
Also, the fries were slightly mealy. I don’t mind less crispy fries (as mentioned by other reviewers) but they better be good, and I should at least WANT to finish ‘em!
The hamburger was okay. Honestly, I prefer Hero Burgers.
I like the atmosphere, the friendly staff, and the gangster trivia running on the screen above the counter (how $ 2400 was spent by some ganster on just the rubber bands to keep blocks of cash together).
But the food just wasn’t enough to bring me back.
I eagerly await the opening of Burger Priest a block east.

As I am currently a self-​proclaimed «Gourmet Burger Snob», I was ordered by a friend of a friend to try Gangster Burger. I am both happy that I did and proud to mention that because of this spot, my expectations (and nose) is slightly higher.
A burger is only as good as the meat/​patty it’s cooked with. Gangster Burger uses fresh ground beef mad into patties, not a patty that was mechanically made and shipped that way. And it’s seasoned — real good.
What makes a gourmet burger? Gourmet ingredients. The bun is shipped every morning from a bakery and the menu boasts items such as: smoked provolone, roasted red peppers in a marinara sauce, dill havarti, caramelized onions, portabello mushroom cap stuffed with marinara and basil pesto sauce, to name a few.
To top it off, Gangster Burger even sells Mexican Coke, which is made from real cane sugar and not fructose.
Do yourself a favor, get the Dillinger with guacamole (it’s the Californian in me) and a bottled Coke at the best Gourmet Burger joint this snob has tried in Toronto.

Walking by, the smell of beefy meat is quite enticing. Looking in, the shop is a long & narrow take-​out only space, with a tiny ledge on the side you could theoretically eat on. It’s a short menu and usually I’d get the most basic burger available, but hey, what’s this special blue sauce (Lucas burger) about? Well, in for a penny, as they say.
In the back, they have a flat-​top and they seem to be making smash-​style burgers… but Priest’s this is not. The patty is packed solid/​thick (which I prefer), but beef-​taste isn’t strong enough for me — and I get an almost sweet taste from it. I would also like a slightly higher fat ratio in the mix — it just needed the kick of fat and some more salt to bring the flavours out. It did have a nice crust on it, which I appreciated.
Thankfully, the blue sauce isn’t as blue as their promo photo. When I asked what was in it, I was told only that it’s a «cheese sauce» (the rest is secret), but there’s a blue (?) cheese (crumbly texture of parm) taste to it. With garlic. Blue cheese aioli or something? Total guess here. Not bad.
But the giant and slightly dry/​stale bread totally detracts from the burger. I ditched the buns at the half-​way mark.
The fries sounded great, but I found that there was too much garlic salt or something to that effect and no thyme. I really wanted to enjoy these, but I did not.
Overall, the taste is okay and I think they could improve. But these guys aren’t operating at the gourmet burger level and I think if they set expectations at a more moderate level, they’d see less vitriol from the masses.