Ottawa Foodies

2

Made it to Vera's Friday night about an hour before they closed--place was very busy but the wait wasn't too bad. Burger was great, fries were fabulous. Had the Vera burger with cheese, sauteed onions and few other items--burger was fresh, bun was good. Fries were crisp and devoured by 3 of us in record time. Wish they were open later than 7pm, but will make the effort to get back again soon.

2

Went for a burger after Mr Pho was full. It was very busy on this Friday lunch hour. While my burger was excellent - very moist, with a nice crunch on the outside, I'm still getting used to the $10 price tag.

There was one thing that floored me as I was waiting was watching them build the burgers. I'm not sure if the girl doing it was new, but she was constantly making mistakes with where each patty/topping was supposed to end up. (the cooker guy brings over the patty to the ready to go buns with condiments). You wouldn't thing this is a big deal, but every time she got it wrong she moved the patty to a bun which would match. This included moving a beef burger from a turkey burger bun, a burger sitting on mayo, to a bun with no mayo etc. If I was worried about cross contamination I would be pretty upset as the turkey person definitely got some beef juices, the no mayo person got mayo left on the bottom of the patty etc. If you care about these things, keep an eye on your burger, especially during the lunch crush.

Best burger I have had in a long time.

Stopped in to Vera's for lunch last week for a burger with cheese, bacon and sauteed onions. Burger was fantastic, cooked just right, very big, juicy and flavourful. The toppings, especially the onions were a hit. The fries were great too - fresh, hot and crispy. Thankfully we shared a large order, which could easily serve 3 people. Wish Vera's had longer hours as I noticed that they do close early.

This place is now my favourite spot for a great burger as The Works IMHO is overrated, don't need 80 topping variations and Hintonburger has gone downhill and the last two visits the burgers were overcooked and charred.
Something is missing about Dick's burger, just can't put my finger on it, but it will do in a pinch.
Five-guys is much better than some of my recent experiences at Hintonburger and Big Rig. Good value for money here and a much better option than the fast food chains, I would say a safe place to eat when travelling.

Hoping to try Baja, Chez Lucien and Art-is-in in the near future.

I guess it's a consistency thing because my first trip here found the burger to be a tad under seasoned as were the grilled onions. For comparison's sake, the burger patty, soft, moist and roughly ground was better than the Works. The bun was too.

1

Not too impressed. No where was it mentioned if you could combo up. I think you should have the option to even if this place is an "Express". It has the fries there.

Although the prices are a little high for my liking, the burgers were a nice serving, nothing spectacular. The hotdog was okay, it came on a nice bun.

The fries on the other hand were not so good. Limp, and even if it's double dipped it shouldn't be so brown. Perhaps changing the oil might help! A good fry is golden crisp on the outside, and fluffy on the inside.

I even found amongst the burnt, lifeless fries an uncooked fry. But that didn't matter, they all tasted uncooked to me.

The Vera's sauce was a nice subtle touch, and that is something to be said as I'm not one for mayo on my hamburger.

It'd be nice to know if the meats were local ...

Still looking for a good burger place at decent prices.

2

Stopped in to Vera's for lunch today for a burger with cheese, bacon and sauteed onions. Burger was fantastic, very juicy and flavourful. The only problem was that the sauteed onions were WAY over salted. After pulling them off, the burger was delicious. I used a 2-for-1 burger coupon that was in the latest valpak that comes in the mail, and shared with a coworker. They had a small hand written sign up today indicating that there were no fries available, which was somewhat disappointing. Nonetheless, an amazing hamburger, I would return for sure.

1

Was out in Bell’s Corners looking for somewhere to eat on Saturday and (luckily) came upon the strip mall that houses The Butchery and, in the front corner of the stone, Vera’s Burger Shack.

As others have professed, this is a GREAT burger. Every bite fantastic. Thick, juicy patty on a simple bun with your choice of regular hamburger toppings (e.g., ketchup, mustard, relish, tomatoes, pickles, etc.). I also chose Vera’s special sauce but actually couldn’t distinguish it.

I thought fries were great too – fresh, hot and crispy. Didn’t realize drinks were bottomless, will take advantage of this next time.

It’s a busy place - lots of people streaming in with smiles on their faces, leaving with even bigger smiles!

I don't get out to Bells Corners much (The wait at the border is a pain and i find the time difference disorienting :) ). So when a convenient opportunity presented itself i was thrilled to be able to get to Vera's to try the burgers raved about elsewhere.

And y'know what... they totally lived up to the hype.

BIG meaty flame grilled burger, done perfectly, a little char, juicy on the inside, tasty meat.

Fresh toppings, nothing tasted wilted and the Verasauce (garlic mayo more or less) was right on as a condiment.

Solid bun-delivery-system, no complaints.

AWESOME double-sizzled fries. One large is ample for 2 ppl.

And i appreciate the bottomless soft drinks, because you can never have enough liquid sugar beverage with a burger/fries meal. :)

Seriously, and i don't say this lightly, they gave Hintoburger a run for my dollars. If geography didn't work against Vera i would be there far far more often.

2 single burgers, 1 large fries, 2 drinks, $25. totally worth it. Will be back, will send others.

4

Went to Vera's this evening for the first time and it surely won't be our last. Double burger with bacon and cheese was delicious. It's now among my top two favorite burgers in Ottawa. The ordering system is a little different filling out a small form which resulted in a few questions but was quickly cleared up. The fries were super crispy must be that double fry method. Definitely something that all fries should experience. My wife had a hot dog with cheese and bacon and enjoyed it enough to comment on when our next visit was going to be. Glad they have the option of stuffing yourself if need be with the double burger. Next visit will be the single I think.

1

This place definitely gets my vote for best “non-gourmet, fast food-ish” burger (although I am waiting for Baja Burger Shack to re-open for the season so I can try that).

In comparison to other places around town, the burger does not fall apart like the one at Five Guys and is more flavourful than anything available at The Works or Hintonburger. The basket of fries is enormous (more than enough for 2 people) and are not as salty as Five Guys. I wish they would open another location closer to the centre of the city (on second thought maybe that’s not a good idea!)

2

Our Saturday lunch was great today. Had a Vera burger with cheese and bacon,sauteed onions,tomato,hot peppers,pickels,mustard,ketsup and mayo. Have to say in the top three Ottawa burgers. Would have to side by side Baja and Quinn's to make the decision. Definatly not for the megar appetite. Do not know what I was thinking last visit ordering a double but at least it is offered. Juicy burger today grilled just seconds past medium with a a ever so slight pink inside. Not overly seasoned and most of the toppings came through perfectly especially the pickels. One gripe was the bacon could have been a bit more predominant. Seating was a premium today full up by noon.

just love the taste and texture of these burgers...just don't order a large fry - you'll need a family of 4 to finish them off.

monty nailed it with "it's just a simple, honest burger that's done right."

Our patties were very lightly seasoned so there wasn't much flavour other than the ground beef. This is a burger for true backyard burger lovers (which I admit I am not). They are flame-grilled, which makes for a somewhat burnt gas-BBQ kind of flavour. (I got a crunchy piece of carcinogenic grit in one bite.) The toppings are good, and it's nice to be able to choose them by ticking off boxes on a checklist! The pickle is kosher-style brined, which may be unexpected. I'll skip it next time.

However, the patties are wonderfully moist inside. The Works could learn a thing or two from Vera's Burger Shack!

agreed this is easily one of the best burgers in the city. the bun and toppings are simple, nothing fancy. it's the PATTY that really stands out here. they're grilled to order and incredibly flavourful and juicy.

really it's just a simple, honest, burger that's done right.

recommended!

1

Basket of fries. As FF says thin cut but not overly salty or greasy today. Sure were crispy. Usually I like them a bit thicker but they sure did hit the spot!

The fries are good if you like them thin-cut, brown, crispy, salty, and greasy! Great with ketchup.

2

The little lady sure likes her hot dogs. Actually this is the reason we ventured out to Vera's today. Hard to find a good dog in Ottawa but the quarter pound all beef Vera dog I'm told is at the top of the list. Great texture with a smokey flavor from the grill. This is the place for the big dawgs!