Woody's Burgers Bar and Grill - Hardwood Grilled Burgers Among Toronto's Best

When many roundups of Toronto's best burgers are done one of the city's finest burger grills is often forgotten perhaps because its first location for several years lay out at the very edge of the metropolis on the border of Mississauga in historic Long Branch.

But Woody's Burgers Bar and Grill, which now also serves up their fare at 383 Jane St., truly belongs on any such list. What makes Woody's stand out is how they grill their burgers on a hardwood burning grill and this gives a flavour that is well worth a special trip to enjoy.

Hardwood aside though, the burgers are moist and delicious and offered  in a variety of combinations that deserve multiple visits to cycle through. They are made fresh to order and are not fast food, usually taking 10-15 minutes to be ready (you can, of course, call ahead for take-out).

While it seems obligatory for burger menus to have a fried egg topped option (in Woody's case aptly named the "Coronary" and served  with a stuffed cheeseburger and smoked bacon for $10.05) my favourites are the "Bistro" (brie cheese, sauteed mushrooms, onion and Dijon mustard, $8.45), "Tokyo" (pickled ginger, wasabi mayo and sauteed onions, $7.35) and the "Greek" (feta cheese, red pepper, cucumber, tomato and tzatziki, $8.45).

The Bistro Burger $8.45

On offer as well are two turkey burgers of which the "Special Tandoori" with roasted red pepper, sauteed onion, cucumber, curry mayo and garlic yogurt sauce ($7.65) is sure to please. Woody's also has a very good "Veggie" burger option ($7.75) which you can top with whatever you fancy.

The Veggie Burger $7.75

Fries are important at a burger joint and both the sweet potato and regular options here satisfy that side hankering. The "Pulled Pork Poutine" with pulled pork (of course), fried onion, grilled jalapeno, cheddar cheese curds and gravy is a meal unto itself ($9.35).

In fact, Woody's has an entire pulled pork sandwich menu if you want a burger alternative.

Fans of craft breweries will love the on tap beer selection that eschews the big names for Ontario alternatives like Henderson's Best or Amsterdam Blonde.


Service is at the counter and is friendly and helpful. When your burger is ready, if you are at their Long Branch location you can take it out to their relatively large patio and enjoy it with your cold beer -- a near perfect afternoon or evening treat.

Watching the streetcars stream by from the patio

Burgers, fries, beer and a patio! What is not to like?

Woody's Burgers has two locations: 3795 Lake Shore Blvd W. (at the foot of Brown's Line and on the 501 streetcar line) 416-546-2093 and 383 Jane St., 416-761-9900. You can visit their website at woodysburgers.ca 

If going to the Long Branch location be sure to fit in a trip to the nearby Marie Curtis Park, one of Toronto's lesser-known waterfront gems.

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