All Out Burger

Address: 2560 Bank St (food truck); brick and mortars: 714 Gladstone Ave and 585 Montreal Road
Hours: varies between locations
Website: https://alloutburger.com/
Green factor (food truck): garbage can on site, no recycling; paper and foil wrapper for burgers

Back in 2021, All Out Burger took over the food trailer that had been successfully run by No Forks Given. They seemed to be going for a similar formula of gourmet burgers that are a little over-the-top or perhaps I should say, all out.

When I first came by for an early lunch, I needed a quick meal before my wine bottling appointment at the nearby Wine Station. While I should have stuck with a basic cheeseburger to gauge their kitchen, I was lured in by the caloric wonders of the Fried Mozzarella Burger ($12.95, a la carte). If you can turn down a burger topped with a breaded and deep-fried hunk of cheese, you’re a stronger person than me.

There were a handful of people around just before noon, and the crowd steadily grew as the lunch rush built up.

I had my piping hot burger in the car since all their picnic tables were occupied and this was at a time in the pandemic when saddling up to strangers seemed unnecessary.

Even with it being a bit fancied up, the burger’s strong fundamentals were able to shine. Despite a thick, 6oz patty, the meat had a great sear, and the beef flavour really came through. The meat-bun ratio was spot on, and the bun itself held up well, even if it didn’t stand out on its own.

The hunk of fried cheese added the textures of both its crispy coating and the stretchy, lightly salty cheese.

I was also a big fan of the sweet and savoury caramelized onions, although I would have swapped the default ketchup for mustard if I had been paying closer attention to the list of toppings. The lettuce went limp quickly, and I’d suggest it get the axe completely since it’s not contributing anything texture-wise (quite the opposite, if you’ve ever had soggy lettuce) and one tiny bit of vegetables isn’t tricking anyone into thinking this is anything but a gluttonous ticket straight to the third circle of hell.

My second visit to All Out Burger was at their second location, a brick and mortar that they opened on Gladstone and Bronson last fall. There’s barely any seating there, so you’re going to want to plan for takeout.

I placed my order on their website, which uses the local Menu.ca platform, which is much friendlier to restaurants’ pockets than Uber or Skip.

Having previously tried their burger solo, I went for their crispy chicken sandwich combo ($15.25).

Their new location is dangerously close to my former apartment, and my order was ready when I arrived after a short walk. With the midday sun steadily warming up, I moseyed over to McNabb Park to eat al fresco.

“Burger” may be in their name, but they’re also making a very good chicken sandwich! All Out makes it in-house, and it really shows from the crispness and quality of the chicken breast.

Classic toppings of a creamy coleslaw and some pickles rounded out the sandwich nicely, but the chicken was definitely the focus here. It’s not at the level of what you’ll get at the city’s best up-casual restaurants, but it’s also cheaper and provides really good quality for value in my opinion!

Despite both their thickness and having been in a takeout container for several minutes before I began gorging, the fries maintained were good and crisp. I’m looking forward to seeing what one of their poutines is like!

All Out Burger certainly isn’t a place your doctor would recommend daily visits to, but any of their locations is a great alternative to any fast-food chains, with quality that’s affordable.