Ottawa Foodies

went to hintonburger last night. i did not have a burger, but 2 of my dining companions had the hintonburger with cheese & bacon and loved it.

we also had orders of fried and poutine. the fries we had were not soggy, but were very salty. i love salt on my fries, but these actually needed something to tone down the salt.

we sat inside a the long table in front of the main window, the window was open to the front (no screen) and we had someone come up and try to order from us. it was funny.

we will be back once they have veggie burgers, and this was my "beef" with them. i asked about a veggie burger and was told by 3 staff at the same time, "No we don't have any. Our beef is organic". then they stared at me. then one of them repeated "it's organic beef" 3 times, getting more and more scornful towards me each time. really, i'm the first vegetarian they've come across? i find ottawa a veg friendly city, so why the negative vegetarian attitude?

and ok, i get it. it's organic, but it's beef and i don't want any. it was my first visit, maybe a number of people had asked already that day? i don't care, i just want to be spoken to with a little courtesy.

so, why are there no veggie burgers? there are lots of premade ones that taste great, and homemade ones are so easy and quick to pull together and cook. i just don't understand why it is a thing they are still working on.

anyway, for a fast food meal it was ok. i like the location and the prices are good, but the attitude i can do without.

If you are craving a charbroiled take-out burger and you don't want to do a franchised fast food restaurant, the Hintonburger is for you. It may also help that it is centrally located at 991 Wellington Street West just where Wellington turns into Somerset. It is on the north side of the road.

Yesterday we stopped in to see what the buzz was about.

I had a 4 oz Armstrong ($4.50) and my dinner partners had the 6 oz Hintonburger ($6.50) which comes with bacon and cheese. The usual suspects of toppings - lettuce, tomato, pickle, onions, banana peppers, mustard, relish, ketchup, mayo.

The sides were two small fries at $2.50 each and a small onion ring at $3.00. For sure the amount of fries for $2.50 is a good deal. I don't know much about the onion ring market. But the onion ringer said he really liked them. There was one happy diner when he saw the spray bottle of malt vinegar for the fries!

Two picnic tables outside and some seating inside.

A steady flow of customers at 7:00 pm. Although a new place, people have definitely found them.

My burger was good. Maybe just a tad bit too salty. It was all juicy and messy since I went for all the toppings. I would have given anything to eat the situation with a knife and fork for fear of messing my white top.

Tasted good, seemed reasonably priced, seemed well prepared, liked the use of local ingredients - O'Brien's organic meat, produce from the Parkdale Market. No complaints. It is heart stopping yummy so I will pace my visits but I will be back!

Want to read more? Feel free to drop by my blog for a bit more of a story. ottawafood.blogspot.com

When for lunch, had a hintonburger (6oz) with bacon and St-Albert cheese, fries and a pop, came to 10$+ tip. It was a bit after 1 and the place wasn’t so busy and the entire ordering process was quick. The staff was friendly and efficient.

The patty was delicious, good quality and perfectly cooked. The burger was very nice but it came apart very easier and made for a somewhat sloppy scene. Perhaps if the bun was toasted it would hold up better? It’s not a major draw back I just wouldn’t attempt to eat it standing up or in a car.

I found the fries unimpressive, too soggy for my taste. Next time I will order one of their corndogs instead of fries.

Several people commented on the temperature inside, I opted to eat on the picnic table outside but there was an air conditioner running inside and it was quite comfortable.

Overall I was happy with my lunch; it was quick, good and affordable. Also I noticed their condiment bar had Sriracha, which is neat, now all they need is whole grain Dijon, but that just personal preference.

I had some lunch from here yesterday, and I was pretty happy.

I thought the burger was good, full of flavor. They also seem to give you a lot of toppings to choose from.

I think the only decent hotdog I've managed to have in Ottawa is from Costco. I now know a Lester's dog means nothing to me- it is your typical cheap hotdog in a cheap white bun. There was nothing wrong with this per se, it's just not a Winnipeg Old Country wiener-I'd even settle for a Pillar's european style wiener. I guess it's just what I am used to.

I liked the fries. They were a little soggy, as others put it, but very flavorful. I did note that they have malt vinegar now. I'm not sure how well these fries would work for poutine though. I'm not a huge poutine fan- it's like some gloopy mess.

The staff were super nice and friendly. The place looked a little worse for wear at 2pm, but I'm sure it's due to the lunch rush.

Definately will be back.

Yesterday my best friend and I were craving a burger, so instead of heading to the works - we checked out Hintonburger.

We were very impressed. The burger was juicy and flavourful. Although the fries were a little soggy for my liking, they did have great taste.

Next time I will opt for one of the smaller burgers, because I definitely couldn't make it through "The Hintonburger"

Also, the corn dogs(pogos)were hand breaded right in front of us, and looked delicious. They will be the first thing I have on my next trip there.

My only recommendation to Hintonburger: please get more outdoor seating. It was so busy there my friend and I ended up sitting on the sidewalk to eat.

Staff was awesome, BTW. Very friendly and patient.

The menu as of July 5th 2010.

To LWB regarding the St Albert's cheese, St A's produce and sell processed cheese: www.fromage-st-albert.com

Went to Hintonburger for the first time today for lunch. It was brutally hot inside and out, but the staff remained friendly during service. All the orders I saw were cooked to order, so nothing was sitting around on the grill, but there was a bit of a wait.

The place has been pretty much described by others here. The place really is a burger 'shack.'

I asked about the hours and they said they are officially open until 8pm or so, but have been closing around 9pm lately.

My food was great. The prices decent. A great addition to the neighborhood.

D-Lux, that's a fine photo of what I found to be a pretty average burger.

Was it better than MacDonald's? Sure. But, it didn't have anything on many other local fast-food joints or casse-croutes in the region. The meat is sourced from O'Brien's, I think, but it didn't wow me.

My husband and I ordered the Armstrong, the Wellington, both with cheese, a large fry and two drinks. It came to around $17, which is reasonable, but not any huge deal.

I'm a bit confused about the cheese for the burgers. Their menu states that it's St. Albert's, but the stuff we got was clearly processed à la Kraft Singles. It wasn't bad, but not what I had in mind.

I might stop here for some fries once and again, but there are better places for me to get my grease on.

Went to Hintonburger on 6/28/10 for Lunch with some co-workers. I always look forward to a new food option for the area and Hintonburger is a welcome addition.

I had "The Hintonburger", 6oz local beef patty with cheese and a good amount of bacon. When prompted for toppings, I requested the works. It came loaded with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and onions. Overall the burger was good, very fresh tasting, like something you'd have at a family BBQ. My co-workers all agree.

I also got a small fries with my burger. I personally like my fries crispier than what I got, but they were seasoned nicely.

The menu is limited, but you can expect things you'd find at a regular chip wagon, Hot Dogs, Corndogs (hand dipped apparently), Poutine, and Onion Rings. Plus an assortment of extra toppings like hot peppers and sauerkraut on display.

The prices are fair, I paid $9 for my Hintonburger and small fries. If you're feeling cheap they have smaller portions. You can get the "the Armstrong" (4oz patty) and a value fries for $6.25.

The shop is very small but has some seating inside and a picnic table outside.

I am surely going back very soon.

5

Visited for the second time today and, contrary to my first time, had the scorched, overcooked experience that others have mentioned. :-(

This burger was just plain bad. Some parts were so blackened that the bitterness made me wince and make spitting noises. Unbelievable, considering how amazingly good the other one I had there was! It was my wife's first visit and she was not at all impressed. (quote: "A Big Mac is better than this -- at least it's consistent and the flavours are balanced." -- they had also put way more mustard than ketchup in hers.)

Until they figure out their quality control problems I have no reason to return.

This time the salt wasn't in a parmesan shaker, so there's evidence that they do make improvements! :-)

2

Oh My!! I finally tried one of these and I really think it might be the best burger in Ottawa. Loaded with bacon and a nicely seasoned medium-cooked patty, this is a masterpiece.

Lots of toppings to choose from -- including pickled turnips. Major win there! See the pretty pink pickle peeking from my under my patty? As any shawarma aficionado will tell you, pickled turnips go very well with seasoned beef.

I think the best way to describe it is using what I consider to be the second and third best burgers in town right now. It is like a cross between Vera's Burger Shack's backyard style burger with Baja Burger Shack's wonderfully seasoned and tender patty.

Diagram of my burger. The bacon was great. Fresh toppings. It's not a gourmet burger, but simple and tasty.

The "Hintonburger"

'6oz bacon cheeseburger with signature bbq sauce'

I found the patty was greasy, but really good. A nice 'meaty' taste to the patty. Not too thick, not too thin.

A 'value' size of the fresh cut fries. I've sprayed with vinegar (no cider or malt unfortunately) and sprinkled seasoning on them. Ketchup on the side for dippin'.

Slightly soft, slightly crisp. Skins on.

2

Hintonburger's veggie burger is a falafel burger. light on the inside and crunchy on the outside.

Bun leaves something to be desired, but the burger is worth it.

Pretty smoky in there at lunch so I still smell like burgers. Good thing I don't need to sit close to anyone at work :)

I have been to Hintonburger many times (my daughter favorite) she loves the corn dogs and I'd agree with her, they are delish. The burgers not so much. What does set this burger joint apart is the staff, they are incredibly friendly.

4

Went again yesterday and if you are into corndogs, Hintonburger's is the best. Hand dipped and fried to order, so it's a much different experience than a frozen pogo. Did not enjoy my burger as much as usual though, as it was overcooked and on the dry side for my taste, although the flavor was still good. Off day maybe.