Allen's restaurant and pub on the Danforth has won over fans for years for it's juicy burgers. But the menu goes beyond the traditional pub fare and features options like crab cakes, capon wings and corn-meal crusted pizza.
Allen's restaurant and pub on the Danforth has won over fans for years for it's juicy burgers. But the menu goes beyond the traditional pub fare and features options like crab cakes, capon wings and corn-meal crusted pizza.
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OMG, the chicken wings are amazing. I did a review a while ago: http://www.nakedknitgirl.ca/?p=1898
Absolutely the best hamburger I've ever had. I ordered rare with blue cheese, spare the lettuce and tomato. The beef was excellent (organic) from one of their local Ontario farmers who supply them. I've never had any like it before.
I am fortunate to live near Allen's, but I am always on search for the best burger in Toronto. Riverdale has some competition: Dangerous Dan's, Burger Shoppe, and no doubt other establishments who from time to time put out a very good hamburger. Allen's hamburger is advertised according to an unsourced quotation that it is "reputed" to be one of Toronto's finest hamburgers, and it is technically "off-menu", since it is only referred to on the menue as available. Indeed it is one of the best burgers I have eaten. I will continue to expand my horizons in search of better, but it is always good to know that right around the corner is as damn near perfection as I may ever find.
I went to Allens last week after seeing it on here so my son and I went down to try the cheese burger out and when I seen the bill over $10 for 1 burger is NUTS and it didnt even come with fries WTF the burger was ok but not for $10 this place is a RIPOFF and I will NEVER BE BACK (the price for the burger is not on the menu)you should really take this place off the list
chris, youre a huge idiot.
this isnt mcdonalds. all good burgers come with a price. Allens has the best burger ive ever had and is always cooked exactly how you ask for it. everything is always fresh and if you do want fries they also have amazing yukon gold chunky fries. allens does not deserve to be taken off the list what so ever, i think it deserves to be higher up.
Clearly Chris is an idiot..."when I seen the bill" ... lol, wtf man, are you some kind of country bumpkin? I can only think of 3 burgers less than $10 in this city that are worth eating and they sure as bleep aren't at places with a scotch list or menu of the caliber of Allen's.
On the plus side, he won't be back so we won't have to read anymore of his foolhardy claptrap.
Nobody has ever tried turtle jacks? they are located in Mississauga, Brampton and Woodbridge. They have many flavours and many other ways to cook your wings, baked fried, etc... Beats St. luis hands down. I take the drive to eat those wings... best in GTA
William, do you work for turtle jack's? There is one near my parent's place in mississauga... awful service, bad food, bland strip-mall location, the list goes on. Nobody should go.
LOL @William re. TurtleJacks.
Terrible.
I really want to try this place though!
The so-called best burger in Toronto was a huge letdown.
1. If you are going to ask customers how they want their burger cooked, you better cook it right. Mine was not even close.
2. Dijon mustard on a hamburger? Offensive.
3. Tomatoes with a nasty green core in the middle are not good.
4. The onion that came with my burger was just a regular yellow onion and it was easily an inch thick. Gross.
5. A wilted piece of romaine lettuce with a huge spine is not what anyone wants on their burger. Not even a rabbit.
6. I ordered cheddar, they did not tell me it was white.
This place is typical of Canadian restaurants who claim to have a good burger, they just try too hard to be fancy and end up with a pile of puke.
the guy who complained about the $10 organic cheeseburger at allens is an ass... you really should take your kid to b.k....we don't want you at allen's anyway...
I used to be a fan of Allens, however after the treatment I received this weekend, they will no long have my business, nor 30 of my friends, whom all frequent there often. Basically, We show up shortly after 8pm for dinner for a friends birthday with our 6 week old. We were promptly asked to leave upon arrival because the "owner doesn't allow kids after 8". I can understand a bar not allowing childen in after a certain hour, if its a bar. Allen's tries to pride its self on its food, and to reject us due to our 6 week old, is completely ludicrous. If it wants to be a gastro-pub, be prepred for parents with new borns who are in thier last vestiges of a social life to freqent it. Or give up trying to be a bar and restraunt. Good by Allens, you will not see me there again.
IL: This rule is perfectly reasonable. A 6 week old has no business being in a restaurant like Allen's after 8pm. Hire a baby sitter and leave your infant at home. Other patrons would prefer to not have their dinner interrupted by the sound of your bawling baby.
Went there last night...patio is great and the food fantastic!
Yeah, a wee bit pricey for pub menu, but when you see/taste the food you'll have no complaints. My only gripe was the service...slow, less than friendly - she must have been having a bad day.
Allens has truly a terrific burger, if you like it done to order. The fries are the best I've had in Toronto...but keep in mind my wife disagrees, as she prefers a "shoestring-type" fry to a chunky one. Allens is VERY busy most nights, and weekends (especially in winter) it's tough to find a seat. And prices ARE high for a pub...but the food is a cut above most pubs. The fish & chips are wonderful too.
Jeff - Send it back if you don't like it - don't complain about an experience if you had the opportunity to change it
I went to Allen's about a year ago. I ordered a burger with blue cheese on it and - if I recall properly - mushrooms. It was a very good burger. I will say that the blue cheese was over powering and I was unable to taste much else.
It depends on what your criteria is in choosing a burger. I like a flavorful patty that is, above all, juicy. Also, the bread to meat ratio has to be right.
I have had Lick's and found them to be a little too dry. Nothing that special. This evening I had Craft Burger and found it to be nothing that special either.
At this point, I like Apache the best. I find it to be flavorful and very juicy. I don't care if the patty is frozen because the final product is good.
I'm looking forward to trying Johnny Burger because I have read it to be the best on several web sites. We'll see.
I think the "best burger" is something we can only determine for ourselves by our own standards.
next time check out the price first!
is that 10.00 before tax or after.
I sell bacon burgers that include fries and
a drink for 9.50 + tx. and i get some complaints
guess it depends on how popular your establishment is
and who your guests are.
Why are you bringing you 6 month old to a bar at 8PM. Get a babysitter to take care of the kid. People don't want a 6 month old around at a bar. You decided to have kids so stay home and take care of them.
best burger HANDS DOWN WINNER !! if you haven't tryed it yet. RUN ! don't walk. everyone that I've brought there so far agrees. ENJOY !
HA ! HA ! I forgot to mention the name of the place. Funny! It's called CRAFT BURGER
I always have a nice time out at Allens. The food is good and I love their extensive beer list. The chicken wings are unassuming but delicious.
I went to Allen's a month ago and the service was horrible. It took so long for my burger to arrive and the waiters are a bunch of assholes and racist because I guess I was the minority there. Also that the place wasn't even full!! Seriously, try some other place instead because the service was terrible and the burger wasn't that special.
I used to enjoy the food at Allen's, but in the past year or so it seems like the quality has gone downhill. The beer-battered fish & chips I had last time was hard and overdone, and my friend didn't enjoy her meal either. Another visit proved disappointing as well. Too bad. Good bar, though.
I agree with some other comments on here about the poor service at Allens. My friend and I went there on a weeknight around 8pm for a few drinks and even after making suere with the wait staff they were ok with us not eating they were very rude.
The worst part is that both my friend and I wrote the owner/manager of the restaurant (e-mail on their website) and never heard back.
That experience has put me off going back to try the food which I have heard is very good.
Great burger but everything else about this place is kind of lacking. Good enough for a "What A Treat" rating on my burger blog. http://wheresthebeefto.blogspot.com/search/label/Allen%27s