Big Jack’s Burger Shop

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Acme, Acme Burger Company, Apache, Apache Burger, best burger, Big Jack's, Big Smoke, Big Smoke Burger, Burger, Burger Reviews, Burger Stomper, Burger's Priest, Burgernator, Burgy's, Etobicoke, FatBurger, Five Guys, Five Guys Burger and Fries, French Fries, Fresh Burger, Fries, Golden Star, Golden Star Burger, Greater Toronto Area, GTA, Hamburger, Hero Burger, Hero Certified Burgers, holy, holy chuck, Johnny Rocket's, Johnny Rocket's Burgers, Markham, Mississauga, Priest, Richmond Hill, South St., South St. Burger, South Street, South Street Burger, Stomper, Thornhill, Toronto, vaughan, W Burger, W Burger Bar, wahlburger, wahlburgers, woodbridge, Yellow Griffin, Yellow Griffin Pub, York Region

GTA Location:

8384 Woodbine Avenue, Marham, L3R 2N8

Website:

www.bigjacks.ca

Well, another week or so, another burger place to review. This time out I travelled the very short distance of about 10 kilometres to get to Big Jack’s Burger Shop. Located in Markham, in a stand alone building that used to be a place called Prime Burger, I decided to try this burger for what would be my first time.

Now this place is pretty new (no older than a year or just over) and it’s simply designed with simple signage outside and simple decor inside. It’s got steak sandwiches, shakes, poutines, salads, pulled pork and burgers. Like all modern places it’s got a few specialties burgers and plain burgers and build your own burgers. There was one other couple in there when I walked in.

So I perused the menu and then placed my order. I ordered a burger with the usual toppings but did not go for the double (I know, I know, I usually do) with fries and a coke. The burger is a fresh made patty and it is ground in house; the fries are homemade; the coke comes in a glass bottle which is also known as the greatest coke ever!!

As the cook grilled my burger (not smashed, not griddled) I sat and looked over the menu. Two more couples came in and ordered. Just as my food was ready, which was no more than 7 minutes, another single fella came in. Not a bad crowd for a Saturday at three o’clock-ish; maybe this place was really good?

So I get my food and I taste the fries. Really good they were. Really really good. So I continued to eat them up as I examined my burger. Lots of shredded lettuce, not as much onion, thickly sliced deli pickles, tomato slices that were cut to just the right size. The bun was a Dempster’s bun that you can buy at any grocer’s. It’s not a bad bun but it doesn’t strike me as quality for a burger joint. The 6 oz patty looked tasty though and I was ready to munch away at it.

With the first bite I tasted something familiar. I couldn’t quite place it so I took another bite. Still no. A third bite and I had it. It tasted like Golden Star’s burger. Very similar but not anywhere near as good. It was juicy but not as juicy. It was a little tougher (but only tough compared to Golden Star). It didn’t seem as big and the beedf didn’t seem as good a quality. I’m sure it was really the same size as Golden Star’s patty but it just looked/felt smaller.

Then there were the toppings. Everything was good except the lettuce. Now you are probably wondering ‘How can you go wrong with lettuce?’. Well let me tell you how. You use lettuce that kind of tastes like cabbage. I don’t know why this lettuce tasted like that but it did and it didn’t work for the burger. And as I said earier there was a ton of it on there. It almost ruined this burger, almost.

I’m just gonna throw out there real quick how lovely it was washing this all down with an ice cold bottle of Coke. There really is nothing else quite like it.

Now back to the burger. When I was done what did I think? How did it rate? Well… I can say that it is not a bad burger, nor is it a great one. It’s a typical middle of the road ‘gourmet burger’ that’s not really so ‘gourmet’ although the pulled pork on the burger and the lamb burger and such are more in line with a gourmet style. But a Dempster’s bun is used for all. It also wasn’t that expensive (although a nearly four dollar surcharge for another beef patty is a bit absurd).

I enjoyed the burger, although it wasn’t the best. I enjoyed it but was reminded of Golden Star with every bite and would much rather eat that one. I enjoyed the burger but the lettuce was crap. I enjoyed the burger but it was nothing special. I enjoyed the burger and I might eat it again sometime if I was in the area. I enjoyed the burger but it was just to run of the mill. I enjoyed the burger but how hard is it to make one I wouldn’t enjoy? Not very I would say.

It’s a shame as this place has plenty potential. Glass bottle cokes and fantastic fries. Get a better bun, maybe use a bit more tender beef, change that lettuce, make it more unique and you’d have a real winner on your hands. As it is, it gets a pass but it sure didn’t make the cut.

Out of 7 Big Jack’s Burger Shop scores 4