Friday, November 20, 2009

Wayne Gretzky's Restaurant


I work with a very smart, very witty, and entertaining individual who will here be known as The Bacon Baron. He loves creating and consuming fabulous food and has an excellent palate, so when he any his lovely wife traveled to Toronto, Canada to Wayne Gretzky's Restaurant and offered up a burger review I was thrilled to include it as an entry. It is reviewed as follows:

Wayne Gretzky's Restaurant


After a day of touring the Hockey Hall of Fame where else does one eat but at "Wayne Gretzky's Restaurant"? The atmosphere is everything you would expect. One side is flashy sports bar, the other sit-down dining, both adorned with ample memorabilia and hockey decor.

My dish of choice was The "Great One" Burger; the house burger and restaurant favorite as denoted by the "99" next to the menu listing.


The 1/2 pound patty almost filled the onion kaiser rolled on which it was served leaving just enough edge to give you some grip without leaving you wanting for meat. Topped with 2 strips of crispy (I prefer mine chewy, but didn't really mind) bacon and a thick slab of Canadian cheddar cheese, this burger is served with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion on the side as well as an ample heap of thick cut fries.

The bun was fresh and the onion subtle. The burger was cooked to well-done, but remained moist. I was not asked how I wanted it cooked and I wonder if either Canadian law or restaurant policy only allows well-done. The lettuce (green leaf) was serviceable, not the best I've ever seen, but good. The tomato was served in two thin-cut (the way I like it) slices and, like the lettuce, was nothing special, but certainly edible. The pickle was one large crisp slice of pickle that fit surprisingly well on the burger. The onion was two very small rings of raw red onion which I opted to leave off, although I doubt I would have even tasted them they were so scant.

I was offered ketchup, yellow mustard, and relish as condiments. I opted for a small amount of ketchup and yellow mustard.

What does one expect of the food at a theme restaurant? I was ready for disappointment. To my surprise, it was love at first bite. I don't know exactly what it was. The patty was probably a different kind of beef than I am used to, maybe even locally Canadian grown, I'm not sure, and it was definitely seasoned with just a hint of something. It tasted like maybe just a touch of salt and pepper, but could have been whatever was stuck to the griddle for all I know or care. Even the ketchup was different, better. I looked at the label and saw that it was sweetened with white sugar instead of corn syrup, and I could definitely taste the difference. The bottom line was that it was delicious, one of the top 2 or 3 burgers I have ever eaten. Truly this burger has the right to call itself the "Great One".

As a side note, being that this is Wayne Gretzky's restaurant and Wayne is of Polish descent, one of the menu items was "Grandma Gretzky's Pierogies". Being one of my wife's favorite foods, she ordered it without hesitation, a decision that earned the approval of our waitress. Stuffed with potato and cheddar cheese, they were deep fried and served on a bed of sauteed onions and bacon. I want to say that again in case anyone missed it the first time. Stuffed with potato and cheddar cheese, they were deep fried and served on a bed of sauteed onions and bacon. Has ever there been a more delicious string of letters in the English language? My only regret is that I could only eat one of these amazing creations.

I regret to inform you that Wayne Gretzky's is a Pepsi establishment.

99 Blue Jays Way, Toronto, Ontario M5V 9G9
Tel: 416 979-PUCK (7825)