South St. Burger Co Archives

Romantic fools rejoice: Today is St. Valentine’s Day!

Now although I’m not much of a traditionalist, I do enjoy some good ol’ fashioned attention on V-Day. This can come in the form of cake pops, chocolate covered strawberries, extra long massages or my personal favourite – Ice Wine from Niagara-on-the-Lake. Mmm… romance.

And year after year, companies are getting more creative on Valentine’s Day. I swear I just saw a Future Shop ad for the special day – because obvi, nothing says “I Love You” like games and electronics. (I’m going to assume every man walking into Future Shop on Valentine’s Day is buying a Rom-Com and Adele CD for their significant other. Otherwise, it’s just wrong.)

So, I was particularly interested in South Street Burger’s latest promo:

“Are you willing to go to first base for French fries?

South St. Burger Co. invites you to lay a smokin’ smooch for FREE fries this Valentine’s Day. Come into any South St. Burger Co. restaurant on February 14th, show some P.D.A. when you place your order and receive a free regular order of New York Fries when you purchase a delicious South St. Burger Co. burger. Prepare to pucker up on the 14th and share the love with a co-worker, lunch date or even that cute stranger behind you in line.

(Each South St. Burger Co. burger is made from 1/3 lb of pure, fresh naturally raised beef. And, with over 25 complimentary toppings, a choice of bun, and a selection of 5 real cheeses, everyone can create their own gourmet burger. Serving fresh cut New York Fries French fries, and poutine and their signature red onion rings, you’d better brace yourself to rethink your burger experience.)

This special smooch offer is valid on V-day only so get your Kiss and Fries while it lasts! No coupon required.”

I guess this brings to mind three main points of debate:

1) While I agree South Street Burger is an awesome place to dine – even on Valentine’s Day – I’m not sure I’d have the courage to share the love with “that cute stranger behind me in line”. I’ve had a lot of experience with strangers (you know, living in the city and all) and I’d rather keep them that way. Strangers.

2) However, if visiting the restaurant with my husband, would I be willing to share a smooch for free fries? I know my husband would have no problem with it at all (he regularly attacks me with PDA at the grocery store) but I am much more reserved. Still, a quick peck for free fries? Yeah, I’d probably be willing to pucker up. No tongue.

3) Forget lobster and champagne – how delicious would it be to indulge in a South Street burger, poutine and milkshake on Valentine’s Day? I’m thinking it’s the modern way to show your love. And, you can bring the kids too.

So tell me – would you pucker up for free French fries? Why or why not?

If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know that I’ve had burger cravings this entire pregnancy. Crazy, considering I rarely touch them. But not one to argue with Mother Nature, I’ve been indulging in the weekly cheeseburger, bi-weekly veggie burger, and oh, okay, even the frozen varieties that I order Mike to fry up at 10pm.

So when South St. Burger Co. invited our family to come and discover their goodies for ourselves, I can only describe my reaction as repressed jubilation. With locations in the GTA and Calgary, I’d heard of the company and knew that there was much hype surrounding the burgers, but was hesitant to try them out due to the perception that they were rather expensive. Given the chance to review them, I couldn’t say no.

Who is South St. Burger Co?

Kids and parents alike love a good burger, however it can be difficult to find a burger place that appeals to both generations. South St. Burger Co. sets itself apart from the pack by serving burgers that taste like they are straight off your backyard BBQ and are made with real ingredients that you will feel good about feeding your family. The 100% pure beef burgers (that means no additives, preservatives or filler) are made from fresh, “conscientiously raised” hormone and antibiotic free beef and served on a choice of regular or whole wheat buns. While other burger restaurants often disregard their sides, at South St. Burger Co., a New York Fries company, the sides are respected. Serving fresh cut New York Fries and poutine, as well as fresh cut red onion rings, sides are cooked in Trans fat free sunflower oil. With 25 traditional and exotic toppings including Dijon horseradish, wasabi mayo and guacamole, your burger can be as grown up as you want!

We arrived at the Winston Churchill/Argentia restaurant on a weekday evening at 6:00pm to find it relatively empty; only 2 customers were dining in. The cashier assured me that they’d begin to get busy around 7:00pm, which later proved to be true as the restaurant filled up nicely as we were preparing to leave. I was immediately impressed with the decor of the restaurant – modern fixtures, stylish seating and stainless steel everywhere. Also very apparent was the cleanliness of the place – no teenagers with wash buckets trolling the floors here, just pristine surfaces as far as the eye could see.

As I went to place our family’s order, the frugalista in me couldn’t help notice the prices – with tax, each combo ran about $10 per person. But since the meal was on the house, and I was expecting an experience far superior to the Golden Arches, I gave South St. Burger the benefit of the doubt and let them prove their worth.

I chose the Veggie Burger combo with Red Onion Rings, while Mike grabbed the Hamburger combo with New York Fries. Ryder sampled from both our plates :)

The food is made to order, and hamburgers are cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. My veggie burger was up first, and I have to say, I took more time looking over the condiments than actually consuming the burger. Ketchup, mustard, relish you say? How about a choice of 2 ketchups, 3 mustards or 4 relishes? And then, do I go for the wasabi mayo? Or the chipotle BBQ sauce with Cajun onions? The taste combinations were endless. Lucky for Mike, he prefers his burgers condiment-free (I know, very strange) so he was tapping his foot at the table while I decided on how to perfect my burger. (Click picture to enlarge to view condiments.)

Okay, now to the important stuff. Before I say anything else, I’ll say this – the meal is well worth the price, and more. My veggie burger was juicy and tasty, and packed a “meaty” punch. I couldn’t deny Mike’s hamburger was one of the best I’ve ever tasted – flavourful, with just the right density and smoky aftertaste. It was on par with a burger you’d order from a bar & grill type restaurant (and likely pay $14.95 a plate for, even without the cool choice of toppings).

And the sides! New York Fries, famous in their own right, provided a perfect complement to the burger (and the serving size was just right). The red onion rings nearly made us swoon; super crunchy, incredibly seasoned and not too oily – I would honestly drop by just to grab these as a snack. You simply must try them. Delish!

All in all, leaps and bounds better than your average fast food joint, and no wonder – the care and dedication taken with the ambiance, quality of food and wonderful selection of condiments makes this burger joint the place to be for the discerning palate. Even better – knowing that the meat, sides and even drinks are made with all natural ingredients makes it a wise choice for the entire family. I’d gladly bring my family here when the mood for a delicious, high quality burger strikes. Recommended for casual date nights, family outings or just because! Lena Approved!

Click here to find a South St. Burger Co. location near you.