A Burger a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

You can find a burger joint in every nook and cranny of Toronto these days. A self-proclaimed mega-foodie, I'm on a never-ending quest to find spots that serve up the best patties in town.

Of course, when setting out with such a hefty task, one must establish certain criteria. For my purposes, I've decided to check out places that are serving up fresh, high quality ingredients (that leaves you out, McDonald's!), using locally-sourced, hormone-free beef.

My Four Faves So Far:

1) Holy Chuck Burgers

The Big Chuck
Holy Chuck Burgers - Toronto

Holy Chuck is grilling up, what I believe to be, the best burgers in Toronto, served with a smile, which are usually hard to come by. The meat is so tender and juicy, and provides the all-important melt-in-your-mouth sensation. My favourite menu item is 'The Big Chuck.' It has two delectable beef patties, lettuce, cheese, and their "special sauce" - aka their answer to the Big Mac, except way better.

2) The Burger's Priest

Bacon Cheeseburger
The Burger's Priest - Toronto

Definitely one of the more widely known and most talked about burger joints in the city, Burger's Priest is flipping some incredibly scrumptious, fresh burgers that keep the customers lining up down the block. The pillowy soft Wonder Bread bun and delightfully simple toppings are a great touch, though I'd pass on their limp, soggy fries next time.

3) The Stockyards Smokehouse & Larder

The Green Chili Pimento Cheese Burger
The Stockyards - Toronto

Just thinking about The Stockyard's burger makes my mouth water. This griddle-smashed burger, topped with smoked jalapeno, cheddar, mayo and butter lettuce, will send your taste buds into ecstasy. It's fiery, cheesy, and leaves you wanting more. The fries are sinfully delicious as well.

4) Burger Shoppe/BQM

Riverside Burger
BQM - Toronto

BQM offers the hungry patron heavenly, huge, beefy burgers, served with any combination of toppings you could imagine. I tried the Riverside, with bacon, lettuce, tomato, mozzarella, garlic aioli, BQM bbq sauce, and to top it all off, an onion ring! This was a seriously amazing burger that tantalized my senses and filled me to the brim. I also ordered their tasty sweet potato fries, which were totally unnecessary, as I almost had to undo a button.... Okay, and my zipper.

Restaurant critic in disguise...

In my search for the perfect burger, I've likely gained a pant size (or seven), but there are so many patties I've yet to try! Any suggestions?

Where do you go for your burger fix in Toronto? Please share!