Bella's Bistro

Jo's review... I REALLY wanted this to be a good review.  Operated by three local chefs, Bella's is located at 4050 Bath Road (the intersection of Collin's Bay and Bath Roads).  They are a casual neighbourhood bistro serving pizza, pasta, panini and more...  I have often heard from friends that Bella's serves great pizza and they are well known in the area for their pastas.  When driving by at any time of day or night there always seems to be lots of customers.

Stephen & I stopped in one Wednesday afternoon and there were many customers -  a good sign in my book.  
From what we've read both on the internet and on the chalk boards, the establishment makes  every attempt to purchase local meat and produce.  I was impressed by the focus on local (Sandbanks and Kingston) breweries and wineries.  The waitress was very knowledgeable about the vision of the restaurant and enthusiastically answered our questions regarding where the meat and produce was sourced.

At this time of day, the menu offered a number of $10 lunches, including the "Classic Burger" and fries.  For an extra $1.50, I ordered Caesar Salad instead of fries.  First the positives... the service was excellent and the waitress was warm, sincere and cheerful.  The salad was delicious (with real bacon).  Unfortunately, the hamburger was very disappointing.  My burger was overcooked and charred on one side, and my bun was stale.  Therefore even with the fresh condiments, my burger was so dry that I could not finish it.  So disappointing!  I also have to mention that Bella's offering was priced the same as Harper's - but Harper's was so much better - in both taste and presentation.

Stephen's review... As Jo noted, we really wanted this to be a huge hit in every way. This because, over the years Bella Bistro and it's predecessors have all served us very well. I have had many a meal here and never a bad experience in any way shape or form. Since the advent of Bella's we had heard many good news stories especially about the menu, local selections and concentrations and as always, the friendly staff.

As Jo said, we finally had the opportunity to hit Bella's for lunch and as you can see from the photo's... the burgers looked fantastic. My first disappointment was the shoe-string style fries. Now the taste was very good but I just am not a big fan of this style of french fry. Inevitably, you are left with a quantity of overcooked, tiny pieces of inedible fries! Again, the taste was excellent but the leftovers... not so appetizing.

Now the burger looked awesome. Great size patty, well seared, nice fresh condiments; lettuce, tomato and pickle on the side, to which I added mustard and ketchup. Now on this occasion I did not order cheese and bacon like I have done in most of my other reviews. Again, the order looked fantastic. However... from almost the first bite, there was something missing. I tried hard to ignore it but if we are going to be honest in this endeavour, I must call it like I taste it. This gorgeous looking burger was dry... very dry. As I have noted before, I do like a well cooked burger, certainly on the medium-well side, but this one was really a little too well done even for me. The bun was a good sized kaiser style and it looked fantastic with a light toasting but again... it came off very dry. I can't easily say that it was stale but it certainly came off very dry. Now this is where I have to say that perhaps had I ordered my burger with bacon and cheese, perhaps that may have aided in adding a little more moisture to the mix. However, as I ordered it, this burger was simply dry. A big disappointment for sure but based on previous experiences, I will commit to a second try at some time in the near future.

Foot Note: Well as mentioned, I was somewhat disappointed with my first burger bite so I went back to Bella's for a second try a few weeks after our first visit. Unfortunately this time, Jo was not with me as I was meeting an old work buddy for lunch. Again, the staff were excellent; very attentive, friendly and another welcoming and positive experience from that perspective. I ordered the burger with fries, same as last time and added the same condiments. I can say that I did feel that this serving was a little bit moister as the patty did not seem to be as well done as before nor did the bun seem as dry. However, despite my best wishes and highest hopes... this one was just another burger; certainly no more and no less. As before, I would give it my recommendation but would not suggest you go out of your way just to try it.

Harper's Burger Bar

Thank you Bettyann for this recommendation.  As promised, our next adventure led us to Harper's Burger Bar at 93 Princess Street.  This is a gourmet burger bar from the owners of "Atomica: gourmet pizza and wine bar" and "le Chien Noir: bistro".  The decor is quite lovely (however I'm a sucker for interior brick, stone and natural wood) and meshes quite well the old world materials with a modern flair.  The menu encourages local meat and produce offerings and there is an emphasis on environmental stewardship.

Jo's Review - I heard a lot about Harper's before going, so my expectations were high.  We went on a Sunday afternoon when it was only moderately busy so we easily found a seat.  Very quickly a lady came over to our table and dropped two menus on the table.  Without even making eye-contact, she abruptly turned and went back to the bar.  I found this so off-putting that I felt insulted.  Also, our table needed to be wiped clean of dried spill marks, but this never happened.  Fortunately, this was the extent of our bad experiences.  Our waitress arrived soon to take our orders and she was very amicable.

Typically, I like to graze - so I just couldn't resist the opportunity to try the triple-slider offering for $11.50.  You can order 3 different mini-burgers (sliders) from the ten different beef burger options.  My 3 options were the #2 EASY (Ontario cheddar; local bacon; soya glazed shrooms; and secret sauce); the #6 UMAMI (brie; balsamic candied onions; soya glazed shrooms; and white truffle aioli); and the #8 DELUXE (monterey jack cheese; avocado spread; local bacon; roasted garlic; and rosemary mayo).  I also ordered caesar salad and a diet coke, bringing my meal to a whopping $17.50 (ouch)!  My favourite slider was the traditional #2 - perfectly cooked and flavoured.  But I have to say that I loved the #8 also - probably because of the refreshing avocado spread and the unique flavours.  The presentation was very nice... with pickles, onions, lettuce and tomato on the side for you to add as desired.  The pickles were kosher/brine style (not my favourite) and I personally prefer the sour dill type but it's understandable that gourmet burgers would feature the kosher style.  I read in other on-line reviews some complaints about the portion sizes being too small.  For us, the portions were the perfect size which I appreciate because I really dislike the waste of food.  Overall, I enjoyed the burgers (especially the different grazing choices).  The caesar salad was okay, lacking in some of the characteristic flavour I prefer.  I do recommend that you experience Harper's yourself and hopefully, with a few reviews brought to the attention of some of the staff, they can learn how important it is to provide attentive service to customers.

Stephen's Review - Of all the places we have tried to date, this one I was looking forward to the most. We had seen pictures of the interior, the decor, the menu and had heard and read a fair bit about what to expect from the food as well so I had some pretty high hopes. On entering, again it was as expected, a pretty good feel. Like Jo, I loved the decor; exposed brick, rough sawn wood (on the ceiling) and oak wood flooring. Very well done. The tables, chairs and booths were dated but the rest of it was pretty cool, especially the pendant lighting. The massive menu board was a tad intimidating at first but once you got into it, was very helpful for first-timers to this restaurant.

Menu Board

And speaking of first timers and first impressions, I was very disappointed initially with the wait staff. Not a hello or welcome to be had and in fact as Jo noted, the first waitress simply walked towards our booth and simply tossed two menu's on the table and returned to the safety of her wait station... no eye contact, no welcome, no greeting of any kind. For me, it set a pretty subdued feeling towards what I had hoped to experience. However, after a brief wait, a different waitress approached and although she was not outgoing in any way (not a bad thing), her smile was genuine and she did look us in the eye with a big broad smile. She asked if we would like a drink and so we ordered a couple of diet cokes.

Jo and I had spent some time thinking of what we were going to try before we got there so we were pretty much prepared to order but while we waited, we had a good read of the menu board and our options. With our drinks delivered, we ordered and I opted for the #1 Classic with fries. I decided to forgo the bacon and cheese this time in an effort to reduce the quantity of fixings in hopes of better tasting and appreciating the burger itself. The Classic comes with lettuce, red onion, tomato and pickle on the side while the bun had a dab of special sauce on top and bottom with a pretty awesome looking char broiled burger looking really, really good inside. I placed all of the fixings onto the bottom bun and added mustard and ketchup to the top bun and piled it all together. Again, as Jo likes to say... it looked like the picture. 

Now before I taste-rate the Classic, let me tell you about the fries I ordered as my side. First disappointment was that they were those little shoe-string cut fries like you get from Mickey Dees... not at all what I was expecting after reading so much hype about fresh-cut, Yukon Gold, crisp-fried, etc... etc... They were served in a relatively small, brushed aluminum, flower-pot-looking container which sat atop a wire-mesh platter/basket/tray with a piece of wax paper on the bottom. (Different for sure... and kind of trendy.) Although most of the fries were cooked well and very tasty, many were stuck together and as I often find with shoe-string cut fries, there were lots of very small, very overcooked pieces that you simply can't eat. I also tasted Jo's Ceasar Salad side and for my taste, it was a little too heavy on the dressing but just the way Jo likes it. The fresh lemon wedge was appreciated by us both.

Now back to the Classic. I was pretty pleased with the first bite or two... better than expected taste, just the right amount of flavours and juice from the condiments and the patty was exceptionally good. Not overcooked, juicy, seared perfectly  and just like a homemade burger straight off the BBQ at the lake. However, I had a few bites where there was a bit of an off taste that had me confused. Was it the secret sauce, perhaps a little grease from the burger or something in the condiments. After discussing with Jo, it turned out to be the pickle. Definitely a brine style pickle and I would probably go-without the next time. After really understanding the full flavours and tastes of the Classic, I really was able to sit back, assume the elbows-up-and-out position and enjoy.

Overall, I was pleased with the burger and some of the fries and found the quantity perfect for me. Don't plan on sharing your fries because even though I thought it a perfect amount for one (like Jo... I hate food waste as well) they really won't go far enough for two. Right Jo? I was pleased that although I ordered the drink, burger and fries separately, our waitress priced my order as what I believe is the only combo on the menu... the "Lunch Box" which came in at an even $10. I was pretty pleased with that, especially when you compare Jo's slider's, salad and drink at a whopping $17.50! (Not a chance for that combo again!) Our total came in at $31.08 and although the food was very solid and pretty good overall, we could not get past this sense that no one really cared that we were there as customers and for that price... I can be ignored somewhere else.

Rose and Crown

Sean, (youngest son) recommended that we try the Rose and Crown, one of his favourite hamburger options.  This restaurant is renowned for their excellent English style fish and chips so we were surprised at the recommendation.


Jo - Well Sean, I'll get to the point early - good choice!  I ordered the 6 oz "bacon cheese burger with chips", except I substituted caesar salad for the chips (knowing I was going to share Stephen's fries :-).  The regular burger & chips is $8.45, but with the additional $1 for each addition of cheese & bacon, the platter was $10.45.
The patty was obviously hand packed and at 6 oz, quite substantial.  The condiments were fresh and the kaiser-style bun was perfect in size and texture.  The flame broiled taste really sparked my memories, reminding me of a true diner burger from the late 60's.  The atmosphere is designed in "pub style" with the dark woods and the large wooden bar - the waitress was very friendly and attentive (with out being overly attentive) and we will definitely be repeat customers.

Stephen - Well this recommendation from Sean certainly did catch us by surprise. I think everyone in the west end of Kingston knows the Rose and Crown for their absolutely fantastic Fish & Chips... not to mention a huge selection of English staples and sweet treats, both on the menu as well as in their Take-Out area that almost doubles as a mini-mart for most things British! (A great spot to browse while waiting for your pick-up.) So we were a little surprised to hear that R&C not only served a burger, which should not surprise us but that it came so highly recommended by the younger crowd.

The R&C has a really vintage feel to it and I can only imagine (having not experienced a typical English Pub in Britain...) that it emulates the real thing across the pond. Certainly my greatest comment will go to the wait staff who every single time I have had the pleasure to enter the establishment, have been nothing short of excellent. Big smiles, happy conversation, very attentive and helpful at every stage of our visit. In fact on this visit, we were obviously spanning two shifts and our original waitress went out of her way to explain she would be leaving us in another waitress' hands and even that waitress came over and introduced herself even though we were almost finished our meal. You simply can't feel more wanted than that!

I ordered the 6oz Cheese Burger with chips, Jo ordered with salad and as always, we shared the sides. As our waitress said, this is a fresh hand made patty, seasoned and cooked to order. I had lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and added mustard and ketchup at the table. The bun was a good size, kaiser style and the whole burger was again... just like a picture. The flavour was excellent and although the patty was a little on the  well done side (which I love), the flame broiled patty had that great seared edge on it that gave it a semi-steak-like taste. Flavourful, tasty and lots to satisfy, I can tell you from my perspective... it was great! Adding to the burger were the always superb fries. I think that everyone who is a french-fry lover and has experienced them from R&C, would agree that they are among the best!



Overall; simply a great experience. We both ordered the bacon, cheese burger; one with caesar salad and one with fries and we both had a diet-coke for a total of $28.60. A solid meal, a really good burger, excellent fries and a very pleasant surprise.

Five Guys

When we were at Boston Pizza - we asked the waitress where she would get a great burger (besides BP of course) and she told us of a recent franchise in Kingston called Five Guys.


So on our next outing, we "shot the drag" as we used to call it and ended up at 185 Princess Street.  It's not a secret but the concept is simple.... burgers, fries and sandwiches (grilled cheese or veggie).  The restaurant was very clean and the employees were VERY amicable.  The red/white checkerboard, peanuts and bag of potatoes decor was fun.  The hamburgers are hand made, the beef is fresh (not frozen) and every hamburger is made to order therefore customers take a number and are called when their order is ready.



Jo - I ordered the single bacon cheeseburger.  We were warned about the abundance of fries so we split a small order between us (thank goodness!).  All toppings are free and I ordered "all the way" (mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, ketchup and mustard).  Other toppings available are relish, onions, jalapeno peppers, green peppers, A-1 sauce, BBQ sauce and/or hot sauce.  In my opinion, this is a hamburger for the purist.  The burger actually looked like the pictures and even though I had the "little" hamburger, it was huge and great for the price of $5.29 and $3.19 for fries.  However because I ordered the works, after I was half-way through the burger, it got really soggy and very messy to eat.  This did not affect the taste.  However the next time I would order fewer toppings (probably pass on the grilled onions & grilled mushrooms).  I have to add that even though Stephen and I split the fries, we couldn't eat them all even though they were awesome!

Stephen - I was not sure what to expect upon entering but I was pleasantly surprised. I liked the retro red tile checkerboard design, the decor of 50lb bags of potatoes, huge cans of peanut oil and the strategically placed help-yourself salted peanuts for the taking. The entry leads you easily up to the ordering counter, menu boards and easy to read (and understand) options. I really liked the friendly greeting complete with big broad smile, eye contact and key question... "is this your first visit?"
Like Jo, I too ordered the "Little Bacon Cheeseburger" and had it "all the way". This single patty burger might sound like a small... but when you dress it up the way we ordered it, this was definitely a meal! It was huge! On a subsequent visit, a good buddy of ours came with us and he had the regular Cheeseburger which comes with two patties and like us had it dressed "all the way" and he could not finish it. Trust me, it was not for any other reason but the quantity!  Really huge. Like Jo says, this is for the purist. Hand made, fresh, all beef patty, seasoned as it is cooked to order along with a lightly toasted bun. The bun was simple and almost tasted like an egg-bread... very good and not over powering the whole experience. My only criticism would be that when the burger is prepared and packaged for you (every order is wrapped and placed in a bag to be presented to you when your order is called) the burger is wrapped fairly tightly and this caused the bun to be somewhat squashed-together. However, after the first bite, all was forgiven!
The condiments were excellent; fresh, flavourful as well as plentiful. I agree with Jo in that towards the end of the burger, it became messy... gloriously messy! So I too will probably drop a few of the condiments in order to better appreciate and taste the star attraction... the beef patty. I may even shoot for the double! As Jo mentioned, we split a small fries and again they were excellent... some of the best we have ever had... and there was more than enough for the two of us. Of course, the salted peanuts we chomped on while we waited for our order probably didn't help in our ability to eat all of what we ordered... but they were addictive and somehow greatly aided in both the conversation and the atmosphere. We both had a diet-coke with our meal, a bottomless cup for the one price and our total cost, including tax was $20.06. Awesome experience all around and as Jo noted, the staff were excellent!

Boston Pizza (Gardner's)

Inspired by the Food Networks show; Triple D (Diners, Drive-ins & Dives), we thought we'd like to embark on a quest to discover Kingston's Best Hamburger.  With no real plan in place, we went to the Boston Pizza on Gardner's Road.

Boston Pizza only has one burger on their menu and they boast a 1/2 pound prime rib patty.  We ordered one with french fries and one with caesar salad and we each had an alcoholic beverage.  At $9.95 each for the burgers, our total bill was just over $30.00 (for the two of us) with beverages & taxes.

Jo - I loved this burger - particularly the flavour of the beef patty.  The portion was huge, the condiments were fresh and the burger was delicious and juicy.  I'll let Stephen give you more details...

Stephen - We'll if you have never been to Boston Pizza, I would highly recommend it. It has a very clean, friendly and inviting atmosphere and the wait staff we've encountered so far have all been full of smiles.  Jo and I had the chance to visit a BP down east in New Brunswick and we were again impressed... great people, nice atmosphere and great food. I gotta admit though... on this visit to the Gardiners Road BP, I was expecting a run-of-the-mill "production" burger but, this was not the case at all; this burger was pretty good!
The flavour was a nice surprise for me, very juicy and well seasoned. As Jo noted in the comments section, this patty is not made fresh on site but you would never know it from the taste. We still have not put our finger on the 'secret' ingredient but can tell you that the taste was good. We think that with another visit and another taste we might be able to narrow it down. We had the burger fully dressed and I added both ketchup and mustard and the condiments were very fresh. I too found the portion was big and we shared the salad and fries. The price was pretty good when you factor in the drinks; Jo had a virgin Ceasar and I had a Corona. The atmosphere was nice and our wait staff was very friendly... in fact she gave us a lead to our next stop in our quest! Overall a very good experience, good flavours, lots of food and a great meal.

OK... yes we are Dragon's Den fans and Jim is one of our favourites, but we did not let that influence our review. Honest... we didn't!

BP Burger 

Served with your choice of fries, Caesar salad or garden greens with our signature sun-dried tomato balsamic vinaigrette.

Product:	BP's Prime Rib Burger
Description:	When you have one burger on the menu, you do it right. Consider this: 100% Canadian (just like us) half-pound prime rib beef patty, fresh lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickles. Plus, our secret ingredient - a zesty sauce that simply defies description. Recommended for burger connoisseurs.