This is my new favourite burger in Ottawa. I say in Ottawa, because my favourite burger of all time remains a White Spot burger with mushrooms. That just isn't going to change. But, as the closest White Spot to me is a 3,329-kilometre drive away in Calgary, it is just a little too far. So Hintonburger it is. What makes this a great burger is a couple of things. The ground beef is fresh not frozen. The patty is hand made from local beef. The toppings are fresh. The lettuce is crisp and as it is still summer, the tomato is also pretty good. The bun could be improved upon, but I'm not going to hold that against it. It doesn't fall apart while the burger is being eaten, so I'll give it a pass. It is also reasonably priced. I'm not one for burgers made from Kobe beef with truffles and foie gras. Burgers don't need to be complicated things, but each individual component needs to solid otherwise it just falls apart.
Putting Hintonburger over the top for me though are the fries. They are terrific. Hand cut, Canadian potatoes. Also not frozen. They are fantastic poutine fries and if you're feeling up to it, I'd highly recommend you go all the way with the cheese curds and gravy. It is as good as any poutine I've had from a truck. It is a good thing I didn't end up buying a house in Hintonburg as having this just a short walk away would have been dangerous to my cholestrol. I should note though that while the french fries were brilliant, the onion rings were simply meh. No better, no worse than anywhere else. I'd also love to see them expand their drink offerings beyond soda. A beer would be my first choice, but getting a license for their location is probably not possible. It is tiny and you'd want to take it out to the tables outside and that wouldn't be possible. But, I would settle for a great milkshake.
If you haven't been to Hintonburger, it is definitely worth a try. A tip, if you go on the weekend you can park in the lot in front, but it is a no go during the week during the work day. Street parking isn't bad, but pulling right up in the lot makes it so much easier.
Hintonburger. 991 Wellington St. Ottawa.
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