Ottawa's Best Burgers

Ottawa's Best Burgers Enjoy. .

This page was created for the sole purpose of sharing with other Ottawa burger lovers my experiences in determining as to where the best burgers are to be found in the area, while further showcasing these local businesses.

Waldo’s BurgersOne of Ottawa’s newer purveyors of smashburgers, Waldo's can be found inside Milano Pizzeria located at 3...
09/09/2026

Waldo’s Burgers

One of Ottawa’s newer purveyors of smashburgers, Waldo's can be found inside Milano Pizzeria located at 385 Tompkins Ave in Orleans. Their minimalist burger menu offers only three options; the Classic Waldo, the Spicy Waldo, or the Mushroom Waldo (all halal, and all offered as either single or double) which all include cheese, pickles, onions, and their signature “Waldo Sauce”. I ordered the ‘Classic’ while my son ordered the ‘Spicy’ (which included jalapeños) and I have to say that these burgers did not disappoint. The burger itself had a perfect crust while remaining moist with observable juices/fat throughout without being overly greasy but still delivering that desirable ‘face should resemble a lightly glazed donut’ finish. The burger/bun ration was spot on and the bun was fresh and soft. The cheese was nicely melted while the sauce was tasty and not excessive. In short, an overall excellent burger! We did not order any fries as they were a frozen, commercially available product. Overall rating of burger: 10/10.

Fat Les's Chip Stand & Wham Burger!Fat Les's Chip Stand & Wham Burger! can be found at 3778 Strandherd Dr. (Nepean). Thi...
08/16/2026

Fat Les's Chip Stand & Wham Burger!

Fat Les's Chip Stand & Wham Burger! can be found at 3778 Strandherd Dr. (Nepean). This chip stand advertises award-winning poutines and burgers including their signature ‘Wham Burger’ which they claim are considered by many to be the best burger in Barrhaven.

My son ordered the double Wham Burger which features a Canadian Alberta chuck smashburger with cheese, onion, pickle, lettuce, tomato and Wham sauce on a gourmet butter toasted potato roll. I on the other hand ordered the double Oklahoma Onion Burger wherein the Alberta chuck is smashed with onions and topped with cheese and more grilled onions, then topped with mustard and pickles on a gourmet butter toasted potato roll.
The burgers themselves had crispy exteriors while still maintaining juicy interiors. They were hot, tasty, and were not overshadowed by the buns which stood up well to the included topping as well as additional condiments. The cheese was prominent and melted appropriately. The only critique we had is that we both felt that the potato buns could have benefitted from either a heavier toast (we found the toast to be lacking) or perhaps even a light steam. The thick cut and golden-brown fries were excellent but could have been a little crispier. Overall rating of burger: 9.5/10.

Frys GuysFrys Guys is a chip wagon located at 1696 Montreal Rd that has been proudly serving the Beacon Hill – Cyrville ...
07/23/2026

Frys Guys

Frys Guys is a chip wagon located at 1696 Montreal Rd that has been proudly serving the Beacon Hill – Cyrville and surrounding neighbourhoods for many years. Frys Guys offers all the traditional chip stand fare one would expect and prides itself on serving fresh and affordably priced food.
My son and I ordered the cheeseburger combo which comes dressed to order. The burger patties are hand-made/formed and cooked on a broiler as opposed to a grill/flattop. My son found the patty to be a little dense (likely due to the way the patties are molded), however I felt that the flame-broiling offset the firmer texture of the burger. All in all, a good traditional burger that met expectations and rating criteria (although the sesame bun would have benefitted from a light toast). The fresh cut fries were crispy, golden-brown and delicious. Overall rating of burger: 8/10.

07/21/2026

Update:

With the warmer weather now firmly upon us, it is my intent to once again focus the majority of my reviews on those outdoor chip stands/trucks that we all love. While I will still visit brick and mortar locations, I prefer to enjoy my burger sitting in the sun whilst endeavoring not to ingest any wasps that might be showing overt interest in my lunch.

I also want to return my focus to the good, old-fashioned, traditional cheeseburger. As I continue to seek out potential new locations to try, my research has shown what appears to be an exponential growth of the ‘smashburger’ craze/fad with numerous new establishments recently appearing on the Ottawa area scene (e.g., Heron Smash Burgers, Smash Bros, SmashIt, Smash Burger Factory, etc.). While there is nothing wrong with a good smashburger (and I have reviewed some very good ones on this page), there is just something about the satisfaction that accompanies that first bite of a traditional, thick and juicy cheeseburger that cannot be captured in a smashburger (they have their own unique umami).

In my initial post I also asserted that burgers must be accompanied by french fries and that while I would comment on that accompaniment, I would not score them. However, I have since decided that I will no longer order fries from establishments that do not offer fresh-cut fries. I mean hey, this is Ontario, the french fry capital of Canada and as such, in my humble but admittedly self-righteous opinion, there is no reason under the sun for anyone to spend their hard-earned money of subpar/frozen/commercial fries.

Once again, thanks to all those who have visited and/or are following this page. Feel free to offer recommendations of your favorite locations.

SmashItSmashIt is a small establishment tucked away in Unit 3, 1930 Bank St. with a menu that offers only three options:...
07/21/2026

SmashIt

SmashIt is a small establishment tucked away in Unit 3, 1930 Bank St. with a menu that offers only three options: Traditional Smash Burger, Spicy Smash Burger, and the Oklahoma Smashburger - all of which come with two patties, secret smash sauce, and melted cheese on a toasted bun. The spicy burger is topped with jalapenos while the Oklahoma burger is topped with caramelized onions. French fries are also offered either “signature” or “loaded”. I ordered the “Traditional” which I found to be overcooked/charred and lacking the desirable/visible juicy interior. The burger/bun ration was good and the toasted bun and melted cheese were a nice touch. Personally, I felt that the melted cheese and the secret sauce were the saving graces to the burger’s overall dryness. As the fries were a frozen, commercially available product I did not order any. Overall rating of burger: 5/10.

Shelby BurgerShelby Burger was originally a standalone restaurant located in the Byward Market. They closed approximatel...
06/17/2026

Shelby Burger

Shelby Burger was originally a standalone restaurant located in the Byward Market. They closed approximately four years ago but have recently reopened inside the Datsun Restaurant located at 380 Elgin Street. They now offer strictly takeout/delivery service provided through a walkup window found on the lower level of the street (a little difficult to find as signage is not great). Shelby Burger offers a limited menu consisting of four varieties of smashburgers and one crispy chicken sandwich, along with the usual sides. We ordered the single “Carroll” burger described as shaved onions smashed into local beef, American cheese, pickles, Shelby sauce on Martins’ potato bun. While the burger itself was not dry, it was however devoid of any observable juices/fat. The burger/bun ration was spot on and the bun had a nice toast. The cheese was as one would expect and the sauce was tasty and not excessive. In short, an overall tasty burger. Regrettably, the fries at Shelby Burger were a commercially available frozen variety and as such, I will not comment on them any further. Overall rating of burger: 8/10.

Eva’s Chip WagonWith the return of warmer weather (in theory), I was looking forward to trying this establishment locate...
04/20/2026

Eva’s Chip Wagon

With the return of warmer weather (in theory), I was looking forward to trying this establishment located at 5496 Bank St in Gloucester as I had read several positive reviews. Eva’s offers the traditional chip stand fare as well as other non-traditional items such as pierogis, schnitzel and cabbage rolls. However, as this page is dedicated to cheeseburgers that is what we ordered. Although Eva’s advertises a locally sourced 6 oz burger (dressed according to your preference) we found that the burger/bun ratio leaned more towards more bun than burger. My son and I were greatly disappointed by the overall cook on the burger itself as we found it firm, dry, and devoid of any observable juices/fat. Further, the crust bordered on being burnt while the cheese was crispy, not melty, and its flavour was difficult to discern. While the bun was fresh, it would have benefitted from being warmed up. The fresh cut fries were crispy, golden-brown and delicious.

We realize that anyone can have an off day and our experience was not in keeping with the numerous positive reviews provided by this establishment’s loyal followers. However, it is what it is and whereas I would normally have returned my burger for replacement, unfortunately, time did not allow. Overall rating of burger: 3/10.

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