Logan's Lunch

Stephen's review - Jo and I are huge fans of street food and we have often commented on the lack of food trucks in Kingston, especially in the gourmet category... until now! Logan's Lunch - Gourmet2Go... is located just off Centennial Drive in the Princess Auto parking lot directly across from Costco. Logan's Lunch, where everything is fresh and fabulous, is brand new. In fact today was day one! Not the best weather but we brought along a healthy appetite so our attention was clearly on the food and not the weather.

Melanie, who is the owner, operator, front-person and mother of Logan, has started with a limited menu but it is a very encouraging start and offers a good selection of the Logan's Lunch version of some favourites. Gourmet Burger, Mediterranean Chicken Wrap, Pulled Pork, Gourmet Grilled Cheese, etc... along with a daily special and as expected, some absolutely fantastic 'chip-truck' fries that were to die for! Today's selection also included Fresh Baked Banana Bread with organic banana's, dark chocolate chunks and made by Logan herself!

Of course you can't do a burger blog without a burger so for me, it was the Princess Auto Burger. I added the fries and diet coke to make it a full combo. This burger comes with fresh lettuce, caramelized onion, tomato and pickle and as always, I added mustard and ketchup. The bun was a very fresh gourmet sesame bun, kaiser style and the burger was a hand-packed, nicely seasoned, perfectly cooked mountain of burger bliss! Ok... so I loved it!

As you can see by the pic's, this was a meal and then some. On top of the huge burger were those mouth-watering french fries. Hand cut, perfectly cooked and for me seasoned with a little vinegar and salt, and were the perfect combination to this great meal. Simply an awesome burger along with awesome fries!

For me, Logan's Lunch and the Princess Auto Burger scored into the top three of all the burgers we have rated on the Best of Kingston's search for the best home style burger in Kingston! Try it out... you will be very pleasantly surprised.

Jo - Having experienced street food in other parts of the world, we wondered why the idea hadn't come to Kingston yet.  We were pleasantly surprised when we heard about the opening of Logan's Lunch (and to steal a phrase... their offering of "curbside cuisine").  We weren't disappointed when we decided to have lunch there on opening day.

Okay, so I didn't order a burger this time.  That is because I was sooo tempted by the gourmet grilled cheese combo.

This was one serious gourmet grilled cheese.  Maple smoked bacon, carmelized onions, havarti, swiss cheese, and thin slices of crunchy green apple, grilled to perfection on artisan bread (sourdough I think, but I forgot to ask).  What a lovely combination of flavour and textures!  And those fries... as Stephen said, "to die for"... especially if you love those authentic chip wagon fries. The portions were generous and made to order.

I did exchange bites with Stephen and the burger was excellent.  The vegetable ingredients were fresh and the combination was delicious.  Salad greens instead of plain lettuce was a nice touch.  I also like the fact that the drinks were ice cold (and not from a soda fountain).  So Logan's Lunch is highly recommended!  Gourmet food on the run, reasonable prices, fresh, local ingredients and service with a smile.  What more could you ask for?

Sir John's Public House

Last summer we spontaneously went into Sir John's Public House for lunch.  We were sorry that we didn't have our camera with us because our lunch was delightful so we vowed to return.  What better evening than dinner at a Scottish Pub and then off to the K-Rock Centre to watch ladies national curling (the "Scotties") later at the K-Rock Centre?

When we arrived at Sir John's, they were seated at capacity.  The waiter's were very courteous and were so apologetic about the fact that we had to wait for a table.  However we did not have to wait long.

The establishment is very intimate and embellished in the style of an old pub.   We love the ambiance of Kingston history when we go downtown.  It would be nice to see even more establishments exploit the theme of the Historic Limestone City.  If you've ever been to Savannah, Georgia (where the downtown core maintains their architectural heritage) you know what I mean.

Jo-Anne's take - The menu is pub style Scottish fare.  It offers a great special of appetizer plus entree plus dessert, however I was not hungry enough to take advantage of this option.  With its generous portions, this would have been a great deal offered for a flat rate of $20.

I ordered the Angus Burger and Caesar salad for $14.  We did not have to wait long for our orders in spite of a full house.  Before any mention of the burger I have to comment on the Caesar salad.  It was created in the traditional way a Caesar Salad is SUPPOSED to be made.  Fresh romaine in a creamy (not too much) dressing with LOADS of real smokey bacon, delicious croutons and generous shavings of real parmesan cheese...  I was in heaven right then and there. The meal also came with a side of crispy delicious marinated slaw.  It was a classic bacon cheese burger assembled with a hand-packed Angus beef patty, a slice of tomato, lettuce, dill pickles, rings of red onion, mushrooms, strips of smokey bacon and melted cheese.

I'm embarrassed to say that I'm not usually a fan of burgers that have a huge patty.  That's until I had this burger.  A generous amount of beef with not a lot of filler.  The meat was flavoured with an amazing array of spices (garlic, cracked pepper, rosemary, and oregano to name a few).  It was cooked perfectly with ample juiciness complemented with a fresh bun.  The smokiness of the bacon added flavour "to die for".

This is a pub so be aware that if it's busy you will be seated in close proximity with other tables.  The bar is in the centre of the pub.  We were comfortably seated next to a couple from Syracuse.  As we engaged in conversation we learned that they came to Kingston often and were regular patrons at the Sir John's.

So that's my take on Sir John's... nice ambiance, great, friendly service and it's fairly obvious that I really liked this burger!

Stephen's take - As Jo-Anne mentioned, we had dropped in to Sir John's late last summer and were very impressed with the atmosphere as well as the food. We are both absolute fanatics of the history we have in Kingston and whenever we can frequent any of the downtown establishments who have embraced either their own or the cities heritage, we will happily partake!

Now I probably shouldn't do this but I have to mention that in our first visit to Sir John's, we had both ordered the Aberdeen Angus Burger Plate and there was one element of that early burger that was missing from this current version... home made lime zest mayonnaise! Wow... it was delicious. We loved it so much that it has become a favourite we often make at home. (Jo did mention to the Chef this evening, how much we loved that element of the previous burger and here's wishing, it makes a return.)

Now I ordered my Angus Burger with a side of fries and as you can see from the photo above, it was a plateful! Jo mentioned all of the trimmings piled high on this burger and I also, as I always do, added mustard and ketchup. I also cut my hamburger in half to get a better grip on this monster and was surprised to see just how big this burger was. The all 'Angus' beef patty was cooked perfectly and was at least an inch thick in the centre... yes, an inch thick! Definitely a hand-packed burger, seasoned well,  juicy and very, very flavourful. What an excellent meal, great surroundings, very accommodating staff (including the Chef who Jo spoke with after our meal), and an all around positive review.  Thus we both highly recommend Sir John's.

Now I can't stop without adding a little more of our experience and more to the point... what we will be ordering the next time we visit Sir John's. As Jo mentioned we struck up a conversation with a nice couple from Syracuse NY who are frequent visitors to our city. They both took advantage of the $20 all inclusive meal Jo mentioned earlier. But, I have to add a little more to that fact. For appetizers, he ordered the Scotch Egg plate and she the Deep Fried Haggis Fritters. Both looked fantastic and in our conversations back and forth... our neighbours thoroughly enjoyed every bite. For their main course, he had Balmoral Bangers and Mash while she had the Highland Lamb Shank and again... rave reviews all around. Yes, they both had a dessert course as well but Jo and I had to get going to the K-Rock and missed our new found friends' dessert review. So yes, we will be returning and I can taste that lamb shank already!

The WORKS GOURMET BISTRO BURGER...

298 Princess Street

It's been awhile I know.  Our lives have been a whirlwind - all very good and we'll leave it at that.

From our previous post we were not particularly motivated to go out and search for the ultimate burger joint any more because we had such a great experience in the Brooklyn Bar in Dalian, China.  However when Jo's brother and sister-in-law suggested we meet at "The Works" before enjoying a "Dala" concert, we were excited to sample one of Kingston's newest burger offerings.  "The Works" is a Canadian franchise that began in Ottawa in 2001.  It has developed quite a following and after our experience, I can see why.


Jo-Anne's experience:  When we arrived at the restaurant, it was quite busy - not surprising for a Saturday evening at 6 pm.  We were immediately ushered to a table (for 6) in spite of the line-up.  Our waitress was very professional, friendly and helpful.

The decor was very industrial, polished metals mixed with natural stone and wood, with many neat little trinkets like the 'light bulb' salt and pepper shakers shown here on the right.  It was very clean.  Although the seating was somewhat crowded with numerous tables, it didn't bother us at all.

I have to admit that I found the menu somewhat overwhelming with so many choices.  Thank goodness the menu is well organized and it even leads the patron through various steps to create his/her burger experience.
Step 1 - Choose your patty (beef, chicken, turkey, veggie, portobello mushroom, or elk);
Step 2 - Choose your topping (70 combinations to choose from);
Step 3 - Choose your bun (white, whole wheat, or gluten free);
Step 4 - Choose your side (regular or sweet potato fries, various veggies, mashed potatoes or slaw);
Step 5 - Choose an upgrade (18 possibilities).....  SO MANY CHOICES!

Just a few left.....

We were warned to expect a 20 minute wait because our meal was to be made to order.  This was not bothersome as we planned to engage in social chatter. Besides, that gave us an excuse to order the Tower O Rings - an onion ring appetizer.

I selected the "Firestation #6", a ground beef burger topped with avocado, salsa, sour cream and jalapeno peppers with sweet potato strings.  This burger was $12.98 (fries or side included).  I know many will balk at this price, however I challenge you to find a meal in a restaurant at this price.  Remember, this is not a fast food burger joint... this is a full meal entre.  By the standards of an evening meal "out",  the bill was quite reasonable.


The 20 minutes went by quickly and oh my, the onion rings were flavourful and beautifully crisp.  The industrial theme was evident in the plating of our orders.  Very large portions were presented in large rectangular metal baking pans.  I liked the presentation and I liked my burger even more!  It was a juicy flavourful combination on a very fresh bun.  Yes, it was messy to eat and the baking pan captured any drippings but it was heaven.

Stephen's Review: Wow! Talk about choice... as Jo detailed, the amazing number of selections were almost overwhelming except for the organization of the menu. In fact, it was a topic for conversation as the six of us discovered some of the unique combinations and shared them around the table. This really got the juices flowing as several times I changed my mind about which one to order.

The "Dead Ringer"

My final decision was the "Dead Ringer". Like Jo, it was a ground beef burger patty, on a white bun and it was dressed with BBQ smoked brisket, smokey BBQ sauce, jack cheese and an onion ring, with a side of fresh cut french fries and the cost was $12.91. Now my trepidation was that what I might have just ordered would turn out to be an American style, overstuffed burger that relied on quantity rather than quality. You know, one of those massively wasteful and ugly monstrosities you sometimes see on Triple D!  Well, let me tell you that any trepidation was completely and utterly gone with my first view and that first bite. I went directly to burger heaven!

Now this was a big burger, in fact, the biggest burger we have seen in most of our many reviews but thankfully, it was not that ugly overstuffed monstrosity I feared. This was utterly delicious! The flavours were fantastic and the juicy, perfectly cooked, melt in your mouth brisket completely complimented the perfectly cooked beef patty. The BBQ sauce for the brisket along with the jack cheese and other toppings were very well matched and for me, simply the perfect combination.

I know many will scoff at the price but this is not your average burger-joint. This is a destination for a meal with great food that is very well prepared and served by very knowledgable staff who guide you to a great burger experience! For Jo and I, our time in China and that heavenly taste of home at the Brookyln Bar in Dalian will always be a treasure but, if I am being honest, my experience at the Works has jumped to the top of my list!

In summary - highly recommended by BOTH Jo & Stephen.

More yummy offerings...

The Brooklyn Bar - Dalian, China

A lovely establishment.

Well, as you probably know, we temporarily suspended our posts to “The Best of… Kingston” because we have been in China for the past few months.  The food here; that is the authentic and 'real' Chinese cuisine is a far cry from what we are used to back in North America, however we discovered a restaurant in Dalian that specializes in Western food.  It is called “The Brooklyn Bar” and we couldn’t resist trying their hamburger.

The Brooklyn Bar is owned by Wayne Hou, who was born in Chicago, U.S.A.  After graduating university with a major in Finance, Wayne decided to venture to China to open up this establishment.  He has worked very hard to lead his staff in providing excellent service and excellent food.

Perfectly cooked burger.

Jo - Although we heard that pizza was the specialty, we were eager to try “The Brooklyn Burger”.  I ordered it with cheese and you had the choice of cheddar, American or mozzarella.  I ordered Canadian cheddar of course.  The burgers were made to order so we settled in with a beer and took in the scenery – lovely brick walls and delightful ambiance. The burgers arrived with home cut fries.  I took my first bite and let me tell you, it was one of the best burgers I have ever eaten.    The burgers were hand-made, nicely spiced and grilled to perfection.  The patty rested on a fresh brioche bun – unbelievable… topped with crisp fresh lettuce, tomato and onion.  All I can say is that I loved this burger.  So much that we went back a week later and enjoyed them a second time.  Good job Wayne!  

Stephen - Yes, it is true... we went all the way to North-East China... 6,648 miles to be exact... to find what I can only describe as a perfect burger! This was heaven! OK, so it is true that we are far away from home, have been surrounded with 'unusual food choices' here in China and perhaps, just perhaps, a little wanting of some good old western comfort food... but the fact remains... this was a great burger! As Jo so aptly described, everything was perfect, bun, patty, condiments, atmosphere and of course for me... an ice cold Corona! I simply can't describe this experience any better than to say it was awesome. I will add that as Jo noted, we did return for a second helping and we met one of Jo's co-workers there; an American who describes himself as a true-blue burger boy and to reinforce our positive reviews... Mike ordered the burger as well! I rest my case.

Brooklyn Bar - Dalian, China

A little time away...

Hey folks,

Just wanted to let everyone know that Jo is off to China for a few months and I will be joining her for at least a month so we will be taking a brief break in our search for The Best "Hamburger" in Kingston. Hope to resume the search in July and will pass on our thoughts to this blog at that time.

Enjoy... Stephen

Urban Spoon Rocks...

Vinny's burgers & fries

During one of our burger quests we saw Vinny's while driving down Princess Street.  Of course, if you're trying to taste test burgers in Kingston, it made sense to try an establishment that calls itself, "Vinny's Burgers & Fries".  Located at 292 Princess, we heard that originally they opened as "Vinny's Fine Italian Sandwiches", however reopened several months ago with a focus on take-out burgers and fries.  Boasting a $2 burger, we just had to try it.

Now it's unfair to assume that all of the establishments we review are compared on a level playing field.  Different restaurants tend to choose their own particular niche market or target clientele.  In some cases, high end gourmet offerings at one end of the spectrum, and at the other end of the spectrum, low cost fast food.  In our opinion, Vinny's is going after the low cost fast food audience - one step up from the chains.  Head on so to speak as "McDonalds" is right across the street and can be seen looking straight out of Vinny's front window.

Vinny's in our opinion is not a restaurant - but rather is set up as a take out (although there are stools against a counter so that you can choose to eat in if you so desire).  The decor is red, white and black and on the wall there are a couple of nice "Godfather" movie posters-on-board.
I like the posters but I didn't really see the connection with the theme of the restaurant.  The menu was very straight forward and visible on the walls.  No nonsense offerings at VERY reasonable prices.  The burgers are flame broiled and all food is made to order (meaning it's not cooked until you order).  The server then adds the toppings chosen by you (somewhat like Harvey's).

Jo's Review - I ordered the single banquet burger #3.  A banquet burger is cheese & bacon and in my case, on a single burger with fries and a drink.  We were the only people ordering so I have to say that the service and attention was excellent.  We received our orders quite quickly.  For my review, I'll start with the positive....  everything was fresh, including the bun, the lettuce and tomato.  The fries were cooked to a nice crisp and were golden brown.  The drink was a can of pop rather than soda fountain pop and the bacon was plentiful and cooked to perfection.  The portion sizes were quite generous and you won't go away hungry.  On the "not so positive....." the fries were frozen fries with very little taste, the hamburger patty was a frozen patty (& it didn't taste like a high end frozen patty) and although fresh, the bun was like a supermarket bun - not much flavour.  Having said that, for a complete meal @ roughly $5.25, it was a deal and one could get the #3 for less than $5!  In my opinion, if Vinny's is targeting a young, less discriminating customer who want a fast burger for a low price, then Vinny's has hit the mark.  My suggestion for improvement though is to explore suppliers who could offer better tasting fries and patties within the same price point.

Stephen's Review - As Jo noted, we saw the sign for Vinny's on a trip down Princess Street one day. After asking around, we had understood this spot to be exactly what Jo said; a quick take-out burger joint for a really good price. It certainly was that!
First, I must offer an apology for the pic's... we were so hungry when we dropped in for lunch, we just forgot to snap the photo's before we had chowed down on almost half of our burgers! Oops...

Again, as Jo noted, this basic burger and fries are just that... basic. The offerings are fresh from the perspective of being prepared once you place your order but they are a basic frozen product (both the burger patty and the fries). I would agree that the patty is certainly no high-end frozen patty but just your everyday frozen product found in any frozen food section of your local grocery store. I suggest the same applies for the fries.

I ordered the Cheese Burger at $3.25 and added fries and a diet Coke. What brings this fair a cut-above your average burger chain is that the condiments; lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, etc... are fresh cut.  I found the bun although basic, again was very fresh.  The cheese was a decent quality and the nicest surprise for the bacon and cheese burger was that the bacon was prepared fresh when ordered! Another big positive for us was that the diet Coke was a can of diet Coke! Kudo's for all of this.

Now when you consider that the total price for both orders, that's the two burgers, two fries and two diet Coke's was only $10.51 total... wow!  Thats right... just over $10 bucks for all of it!  Double Kudo's for the price! Overall, it's a very basic burger and fries... just as the sign says and for the money... a pretty good value if you're in a hurry and you're hungry.