Restaurants
Harry's Drive-In
Harry's Drive-In is a Scarborough staple that's been in business since 1954. Located at the northwest corner of Kennedy and Lawrence, the burger and souvlaki shack is a small retro looking diner that ironically doesn't feature a drive-in. It is, however, a drive-up, situated in a can't miss location with parking spaces all around it.
The four-person crew greets us warmly when we enter at 6:30pm on a weekday night. We place our order and wait at the stools by the front window. Most customers opt for take-out or sit at one of the four tables outside. In five minutes, our food is ready and we're ready to eat.
The homemade burger ($4.10) is perfectly cooked but the bun-to-meat ratio is a little off with a bit too much bun. Maybe it's personal preference, but I also feel it would taste much better toasted.
The fries, poutine, and onion rings are made-to-order and are hot and crispy. The use of cheddar cheese on the poutine ($4.25) is intriguing (and non-traditional) but it results in overpowering the high-school cafeteria quality gravy making the dish more miss than hit.
As far as sides go, the definite thing to order here are the homemade onion rings ($2.95). Served hot with crunchy batter these are the onion rings dreams are made of, albeit a very greasy dream.
For drinks, Harry's whips up traditional vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry milkshakes ($3.40). The strawberry milkshake pairs well with the greasy food even if it's a bit on the watery side. On the upside, the viscosity of the milkshake doesn't compromise the taste.
Harry's Drive-In is exactly what it looks like - a neighbourhood joint that offers locals authentic fast food at a reasonable price.
Writing by John Wang. Photos by Janet Kwan.
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I suggest the Gyro Dinner with rice, potatoes and Greek salad.
No mention about the strict ordering protocol though:
- the server must not make eye contact with the customer
- the customer must only name the foods; no ‘and’s, or ‘please’s or ‘thank you’s. Like so: "Cheeseburger, fries, chocolate shake." Then the Harry's man makes the food and gives it to you, you pay and that's it
- if you absolutely must speak during a transaction, everyone must be referred to as ‘Boss’
It's an old favourite. Good, cheap, family owned joint.
Keep supporting your local family owned businesses!
~Aansy Stone