7 Quintessentially Canadian Takeout Burger Chains
Few dishes capture the image of a quintessential North American dish quite like the Hamburger. Its roots date all the way back to the 1800s when ground beef first came to America from Germany in the form of “Hamburg-style” chopped steak.
Over the years, the invention of the meat grinder and the transition from plate to bun gave us the classic sandwich we’re accustomed to seeing today at every backyard BBQ, tailgate, roadside diner, and fast-food restaurant.
This August 27th marks National Burger Day, and this year, we want to celebrate by highlighting our top picks for Canadian burger chains.
Harvey’s
Since 1959, Harvey’s has been proudly serving 100% Canadian beef burgers, charbroiled over an open flame with your own custom blend of fresh toppings.
At first conception, the name Humphrey’s was in consideration until Harvey’s founder, Richard Mauran, found a classified ad for a car dealership called John Harvey Motors (Harvey’s). They were closing down, and the sign was up for grabs. Now, over 60 years and 250 locations later, Harvey’s is without a doubt a quintessentially Canadian burger institution.
Big Smoke
Founded in 2007 with its first restaurant — a 16 seater on King St in Toronto — Big Smoke now serves up gourmet burgers, made fresh daily using only 100% Canadian AAA beef, at 10 locations across the country.
Big Smoke is known for their creative takes on the classic burger, as you can see in some of their signature menu items like the Blazing Pineapple with banana peppers or the Blue served with avocado and goronzola.
Triple O’s
Triple O’s originated on the west coast of Canada and now has over 70 locations across Canada and Asia. A spin-off of their full-service cousin, White Spot, Triple O’s specializes in quick service burgers, milkshakes, and thick cut fries — along with their own secret Triple “O” sauce.
Make sure to stop by on a Tuesday for Triple “O” Tuesdays, and get their Original Burger for only $5.99.
Locations | @tripleosrestaurant
The Works
The Works first opened in Ottawa in 2001 and gained somewhat of a cult following for their menu of quirky flavours and toppings.
While perusing the menu, you’ll come across a plethora of Canadian cultural nods, like the Tragically Maple burger or the Crappy Tire burger, along with some interesting flavour combos like the Sk8r Boy burger with peanut butter, monterey jack, and bacon or the Gotta Be KD Burger topped with Kraft Dinner.
Hero Burgers
Hero Certified Burgers first opened in Toronto in 2003 and was one of the first fast casual dining restaurants in Canada to offer fully-traceable Canadian Angus Beef burgers. Their commitment to serving sustainable high quality burgers has never wavered.
Now, Hero has over 50 locations serving dine-in or takeout and offers a line of DIY meal kits called Hero@Home.
A&W Canada
Ok, so they didn’t originate in Canada — but A&W was the first quick service hamburger restaurant in Canada. They began their Canadian operations in Winnipeg with the first drive-in restaurant in 1956.
Today, A&W serves up their delicious family of burgers and signature root beer floats at over 1000 locations from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland.
Smoke’s Poutinerie
For an extra Canadian twist, why not celebrate this National Burger Day with a bacon cheeseburger in poutine form from Smoke’s Poutinerie.
Smoke’s Poutinerie is the world’s largest & original poutinerie, with over 30 iterations of Canada’s iconic dish on the menu. They have been rapidly expanding since their launch in 2013 and are on a mission to bring squeaky Quebec cheese curds and farm fresh PEI potatoes to the people of Canada and soon the rest of the World.
Locations | @smokes_poutinerie
