This week, our adventures took us to The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro. Before I get into the details of the visit, I would like to do a shout out to my friend, Will, who joined me at Grecos this week on another fine evening - and of course, our visit was nothing short of phenomenal. Will has been a consistent reader and supporter of the 40in40 blog - thanks, buddy!
And... on to The Works! I was genuinely concerned that I would pack on the pounds and go broke when I found out that The Works was coming to Kingston. With 7 locations in Ottawa, I have seen my fair share of Works burgers over the years with my sister and brother-in-law who live in our Nation's Capital, and I have loved every bite. While dining at a chain is, again, not our priority for the purposes of the adventure; I couldn't be part of the list-making without making sure that the Works made the cut.
The Works involves a 5-step process:
1. Choose your 100% Canadian patty (beef, chicken, turkey, veggie, mushroom cap or elk).
2. Choose your burger toppings. This is the hard part... why? Because there are over 70 combination choices. Are you vegetarian? No problemmo. A meat-lover? Then have a look at "Carnivore's Corner". Saucy, spicy, wild and worldly... it's all there. Just sit back, relax, and take your time while you read the very extensive menu.
3. Choose your bun. White, whole wheat or gluten free.
4. Choose your side dish. In addition to being able to really personalize your burger in Step 2, you can make your meal as you see fit with your favourite side to compliment your topping combination. Fries, broccoli, celery, "leafing on a jet plane", sweet potato strings, spicy die-cut chips, lumpy mashed potatoes or bold slaw (complete with jalepeno pepper juice and white pepper!)... I don't think I have been anywhere else that has as many options; which, I suppose, could be considered a good thing for some, but may be overwhelming for others.
5. Add-ons. This is yet another area of choice. Upgrade your burger to include more bacon, or perhaps you'd like to add tomato or pickle. Change your side to Kraft Dinner (that's right... the yummy "cheese" pasta we all at at some point in our childhood), poutine or more... The options really do seem endless.
Like in any other dining establishment, beyond these 5 steps, there are also drink options and appetizers to consider. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic options include beer, coolers, wine, shakes, floats, soda, "killer krush" drinks, coffee, tea... And often, servers have suggestions on how to make combinations that make good drinks even better.
Want to know more about the restaurant itself? If I had to rename The Works, the word "quirky" would definitely be involved. Nowhere else have I ever seen light bulb salt and pepper shakers, been served drinks in glass measuring cups, onion rings on a vertical spear in tower formation, and my main course in a metal serving tray that makes me feel like I'm on a construction site. Table tops are "branded" (quite literally) with the restaurant name. Very industrial pendant lights hang from the ceiling and the walls of the restaurant are creative and fun - made of brick and rough mortar with pipes, licence plates, valves, gauges and even old bottles and cookware haphazardly placed throughout. I'm not sure who's imagination brought this restaurant to light, but I think that their brain would be one that I would love to get inside of... but more than likely, I could only handle being there for a few minutes, and I'd have to jump right back out due to the sheer frenetic nature of it all... It is definitely a restaurant I'd love to take credit for... but let's be honest - I won't be taking credit for any restaurants in my lifetime. Eating in restaurants, yes. Creating them... no.
And that, perhaps is a good segue to the details of our dining choices (please note the creative titles)! We were joined yet again by Kendra and Jordan this week, as well as by our good friend, Ellen. Sadly, Samer wasn't able to join us this week, and won't be with us again until the new year as he has joined his family in California. We miss you, Samer - and look forward to seeing you again when you return tanned and rejuvenated! A thank you, at this point, as well, to our server - Jefferson - who kept us well taken care of and entertained all the while.
Starters for the table: The Tower 'O' Rings with Beechhouse and Chipotle Mayo dips on the side (there are a number of delicious dips to choose from) and some Crispy Dills. A warning: both are very hot when they arrive, so don't do as I do and jump in so quickly that you burn your mouth... Both are definitely worth a share at your table for a couple of reasons: first, they are just plain delicious; and second, since burgers are made to order, cooking time is longer than "fast food joints" so a starter is a nice way to get things rolling while your tummy grumbles for its dinner.
Carrie: "Growler Five-O": field mushrooms, smokey BBQ sauce, cheddar, double smoked bacon. I chose a beef patty, whole wheat bun (the healthy part of my meal), poutine as a side, and added tomato and pickles to my burger.
Tonia: "Malibu Meltdown": double smoked bacon, crunchy o-ring, beechhouse sauce, havarti, gouda and brie cheeses. Beef patty, white bun, side of sweet potato fries.
Todd: "Sexy Burger" (if anyone is going to order something sexy, it's going to be Todd): pineapple, sweet and spicy sauce, cream cheese and hot peppers. Vegetarian patty, white bun and a poutine.
Ellen: "B-O-B": caramelized onions, bold BBQ sauce, crisp bacon and jack cheese. Beef patty, whole wheat bun, Caesar salad.
Kendra: "Oil Thigh": Caramelized onions, chipotle ketchup, havarti cheese, 4 strips of double smoked bacon (we seem to be a bacon crowd!). Beef patty, white bun, side of onion rings.
Jordan: "Down Under": Jordan arrived asking if there was a burger with egg on it, and he found it! Caramelized onions, egg, purple beets, grilled pineapple and gouda cheese ("a kiwi special"). Beef patty, white bun, side of fries.
First opinions of these burgers? They are huge. A direct quote from someone at the table (I wish I could remember who, but I think I was a little stunned with excitement and hunger, so I only heard words, not specific voices) "This looks glorious!"
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| Jordan digs in! |
I definitely recommend requesting a knife when you visit The Works. Cutting the burger in half not only helps manage taking a bite of the gargantuan sandwich, but it also allows you to show off the layers of amazingness if you happen to be writing a blog and including pictures. Taking pictures of your friends who choose not to cut the burger in half is also fun (thanks, Jordan!).
And the final scores:
Carrie: 5 forks. As usual, I was not disappointed with The Works. Big, delicious burgers. Absolutely delicious on all counts - burger, poutine... goodness... I'm very sadly getting hungry writing about it because I am thinking about it again. My only advice: Bring your appetite.
Tonia: 4.5 forks. Tonia reported that her burger was "scrumptious", and that her sweet-potato fries were good, but seemed like mass-produced fries. The beechhouse sauce is amazing, and adding bacon to her burger was definitely a choice she was happy with. While Tonia enjoyed the deep fried pickles a lot, she has had better elsewhere.
Todd: 4.5 forks. Someone asked Todd (voices again...) if his burger truly was sexy. He reported that it was definitely a good mix of flavours, and that he would recommend the veggie burger - it was cooked very well. Like me, Todd is a lover of the poutine, and enjoyed his on this visit.
Ellen: 3.5 forks. Ellen stated that her burger toppings were delicious and that the BBQ sauce and caramelized onions were particularly good. Sadly, the bun was paradoxically toasted but not warm, and the salad wasn't great - "not flavourful, and funky croutons".
Kendra: 4.5 forks. Overall, Kendra really loved the food, and particularly really liked all of the dips. While my ears weren't working well enough to know who was always saying what on this night, I certainly know that it was Kendra who said "When I find a good dip, it brightens my life"... And while I'm sure that Jordan has brightened her life, I'm also sure that he is not the dip she is speaking of.
Jordan: 4 forks. Jordan was very intrigued by the beets, and stated that the burger was well balanced - creamy cheese, sweet pineapple... the whole combo worked very well, and the caramelized onions were really nice. In Jordan's opinion, the fries were chip-truck-esque. Really good!
Overall score: 4.3 forks!
I don't think I would have predicted that a "burger joint" would get such a good score going into this adventure, but The Works certainly isn't your average burger joint. Go with your friends, go with your appetite... Just go.
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| "Wilson" is EVERYWHERE! |
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