Ottawa Foodies

2

Delighted to have had the chance to visit this burger shack for lunch on a beautiful August day. I really liked the burger, found it to be non-greasy and extra flavourful. Although the choices of what to put on your burger are nowhere near as extensive as some other places I still really enjoyed my lettuce and tomato as well as the Baja secret sauce (red onion is also available).

A paper bag full of fries topped off the excellent lunch. They have also added fish tacos to the menu – I will have to be back before they close for the season to try those.

No other place around town comes close to the fantastic view!

1

After a day with friends and family, I went to check this place out with my kids Monday evening.

Overall, it's a pretty good tasting burger for the long wait. It's not a good sign when my daughter, she's more patient than me, is asking me why it's taking so long to cook our order.

The patty itself was cooked to perfection, well done but still moist. I do wish I had a tomato slice that was bigger than a slice of cherry tomato, and my red onion topping wasn't so shrivelled up. The bun was nice and soft, however I didn't find it complimented the burger. Perhaps they could switch to a bun that would more suit their hamburger and house sauce.

You get your money's worth for the kid's meal! Fries, well they could of been better. My daughter did comment that there was too much bun for a kid's sized patty.

The service, I'd say, was mediocre. A little more talk with customers and less with each other would probably bring people back.

One note: even if you are not manning the grill or fry station, I think anyone with long hair should still tie their hair back since you are pretty close proximity to the cooking area.

So, would I go there again? Uhmmmm, not sure. I'd have to try Hintonburger again, and try Chez Lucien first.

3

Move over Chez Lucien, The Works, and Hintonburger. I have a new favourite burger! The patty is super moist, flavourful and actually seasoned unlike the formerly mentioned burger joints. The fries were chip-wagon good as well. Mixed with the sun, sand and some fun reggaeton beats, this was hands down one of my most enjoyable burger experiences ever.

1

If you haven't sampled these excellent burgers yet, time is running out for the 2011 season. After Monday, they will not be open weekdays, and then only weekends till the end of september, then closed until 2012. I suspect that a lot of folks are trying to get in a last baja cheeseburger before they close, because when we went today there were 16 people in line ahead of us when they opened at noon.

Excellent baja burger as always, and a generous portion of HOT fries. Sadly the milkshake machine wasn't working today, so settled for a lemon chiller.

3

It had been 30 years since I had been on this beach and a burger brought me here. Outdoor eating does bring out the flies and smokers but this burger is worth it. The Baja cheeseburger combo that comes with a substantial amount of fries and a water for $9 is a good deal for the quality being served and you can't go wrong with Beau's on tap. I did notice the shakes seemed to be a popular item here. The burger is a decent size and comes with Baja sauce lettuce and red onion. Sauce and seasoning makes a unique tasting burger that is very enjoyable. Burger cooked so as to be still juicy. Fries are done crispy and not salted bonus. They do have dogs on the menu as well as other brands of beer. I also noticed red wine available. Unusual place in a good way and the owner very friendly. Put this place on the Ottawa burger trail for places to visit before winter.

I popped in briefly here on my way home to sample their fries. These are very passable chip truck type chips, and you get a generous portion for your $3.

Washed them down with a nice cool Beau's Festivale. Biggest markup ever, but hey it's the beach!

1

adding to a growing chorus of thumb-ups, i'm happy to report Baja also serves a veggie burger that might (i speculate) measure up to its beef brethren. Its a bit messy, a black-bean concoction ala Dick's version - tastier (in my biased view) and more satisfyingly filling than the pricier, franken-soy patties found @ the various chains around town, inc. Works, etc.

i could invent quibbles here - maybe a whole wheat bun would improve the fare? Happily, the Beau's on tap and the site-lines put to rest any of these discontents...

6

1

Tried to try this place last night. Looked over the board at the counter for a few minutes before the imbecile girl behind the counter decided to tell us 'kitchen is closed; we close at 8:30'. We wondered if it even was 8:30. It wasn't (we walk back to the car only to find out it was 8:25).

Les, so good to see you've wowed people again! We need a place like this in Delaware. Wish we actually try it out. On a personal note Les, please call Lee! He has lots to share.

2

After-bite burger cross section. You can see that the patty is already starting to disintegrate. Grab a fork and finish it off! The bun was also very soft (and very fresh). Interesting, but again probably not for everyone.

3

This is Ottawa's moistest burger for sure! It is super juicy and quite well seasoned, almost to the point where the meat is falling apart. The strips of lettuce have a sort of dressing too. All in all, a delicious burger!

There seems to be a lot of stuff mixed in with the ground beef, so burger purists might be offended by it. But if you approach it like a meatloaf sandwich, you will be very pleased.

Thank you Les, for your response. I will drop by again sometime soon and try your burgs & fries again and amend my review accordingly.

8

The buns are toasted the fries are fresh cut daily and sevice times are normally very fast and friendly. I personally invite feline fan back if you were not satisfied and and I pay for your burger and fries. We take extreme pride in our product and service.. but like anything 100% is a goal never a reality. I am sorry you did not have a satisfactory Baja Burger Shack experience. We genuinely try. Hope to see you soon and ask for Les. Cheers

heading there tonight to see if it's better than vera's in bells corners

1

We went to today to see if it lived up to it's hype. Don't go if you are in a hurry - service is very slow. The meat on the burger was good, but if you like your bun toasted, you won't get that here. As a result, hot patty on cold bun = lukewarm burger. The fries were so-so. Our favourite place is still Smokey's Fries on Uplands near Hunt Club. Great fries, and their patties are freshly made from the meat they buy from the butcher store in the plaza. Plus, they have all kinds of condiments. They also toast their buns.

2

The baja burger here won CTV's "Best Burger in Ottawa" popularity contest. It is definitely among the best in Ottawa in my opinion. Freshly made beef patty, cooked perfectly to medium and remained soft and tender in a nice bun with the usual trimmings of lettuce, tomato, red onion and cheese, topped with a creamy baja sauce. This one for me is all about that tender texture; It has a nice juicy mouth feel that is not overpowered by the bun or toppings. Accompanying fries were respectably crisp and tasty. We also enjoyed a peach smoothie.
There are a few different burgers and sandwiches on the menu, along with several tacos and a burrito which will have to wait for the next visit. Great location right on the beach volleyball courts too.

3

Baja Burger Shack: Tender, freshly made beef patty with cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion and creamy/spicy Baja sauce. This is the one that won CTV's best burger in Ottawa contest and it may well deserve it. The meat was very tender and juicy; melts in your mouth. It's the texture that won me over.

1

"time to visit to see if it is true."

To paraphrase a classic movie, 'it's the only way to be sure'.

FF made a great point when I commented about a fry buss in Manotick that won a similar contest for best fries(they were not very good)They are also one of the contestants in best burger but didn't win. This place may have many friends that voted for them skewing the results. That said time to visit to see if it is true.

Seen on tap here! Oh, and they also have Magnum ice cream bars and great music. I'm starting to love this place!