We're back with another review of some east end grub! This time, I checked out a somewhat new addition to the Queen East stretch here in the Beaches... Friends Burgers.
Friends has taken over the spot where the old Beachside Grill once was, a place I never reviewed or even tried for various reasons (multiple people told me how bad it was, and their 2.6/5 average Google score seems to reflect that perception).
The Beaches is a neighbourhood that does lack a quantity of particular foods (non-chain pizza places for one) but burger joints are not one of them. Friends joins GG's as another new burger option just opening up this year, while Beaches N' Cream (blech) still operates down by the boardwalk. Meanwhile No Bull Burgers and Fearless Meat also continue in business for those willing to climb the cliff up to Kingston Road, or Bulging Burger if you're closer to the streetcar loop... and there's an A&W opening up soon across from Kew Park? Yeah, no shortage of burger options around here.
So how does Friends measure up within this abundant market? Lets start with the poutine. The gravy is nice and rich, not overly peppery and also thankfully not oppressively thick (I find gravy gets congealed and grossly sticky among cheaper poutines). The curds, while not abundant, provide that buttery taste you want from a good cheese curd, plus they melted quite nicely here.
Indeed, the weak link are the fries. They're actually perfectly fine, skins on (which I always like) and lacking that stinging kind of frozen flavour... aside from that though they're fairly unremarkable. Food truck fries would be a good description, with that thick flaky potato taste... perhaps I just prefer a thinner or crispier fry.
How about the cheeseburger? As I usually go, my toppings were simple (just mayo, mustard, lettuce and pickle). The burger patty itself, while plenty moist, was a bit on the tougher side with that type of chewiness you get from a medium-well to well done steak. Not my preferred colour/texture for steak or burgers, but at least you could still taste the beef quite noticeably. You get a bit of that greasy grill taste also, just enough to be enjoyable without spilling into being gross.
The bun though... truly excellent. Soft, firm on the outside, somewhat sweet... everything you'd want from a potato bun. As for the other supporting elements, the American cheese covers the beef like a melted blanket... the pickles are considerable slices and don't taste drenched in jar brine... meanwhile the size of the burger itself is that precise size between meal and snack. If not for the poutine I'd probably still be hungry afterwards, but I am also larger than the av-a-erage bear (don't leave your pic-a-nic baskets unattended around me).
Final verdict! A solid addition to the Beaches burger scene. I like No Bull and GG's quite a bit better, but I'd pick Friends over Bulging Burger (both have that "homemade in a kitchen" taste, which has an appeal) and it's definitely light years better than Beaches N'Cream, which I have to reiterate once again was truly one of the most dreadful hamburgers ever to attack my mouth. Friends, while not amazing, does a few things quite well and I'm sure I'll eventually go for a second visit.
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