DJ's Roadhouse Burger Review – Wainfleet, ON
DJ's Roadhouse Burger Review – Wainfleet, ON
DJ's Roadhouse at 12185 Lakeshore Road, close to Long Beach in Wainfleet, is one of my favourite restaurants in my favourite place in the world. The only problem is the short season. On this visit I tried something I'd never had there before, a burger, and it scores an 8.4, good for #30 out of 140 on my Gold Medal Burger rankings.
A brand new burger
I've had plenty of the seafood at DJ's: fish and chips, fish tacos, coconut shrimp, and Robyn loves the Saturday prime rib. But I'd never had a burger here. Owner Mike had been texting me over the winter while he worked on a Gold Medal Burger, and now it was finally on the menu. That made me nervous. Reviewing friends' places always does.
The place was ram jammed as usual. Sue spotted me walking in and said, really, Joe, today? I gave them no warning.
My order
The usual Gold Medal Burger: lettuce, onion and pickle only. DJ's charged me $10, taking something off because there was no side. It came wrapped in tin foil to keep the heat in, which I liked.
Under the foil: a toasted brioche bun that was buttered for sure, vertically sliced pickles, shredded lettuce, diced red onion and a big patty with a great char on it. My mouth was watering.
First bite
One bite, everybody knows the rules, and my first reaction was relief. The meat was good, the pickle was good and the bun was good. A weight off my shoulders, because I wasn't going to have to give friends a bad review. I've known the Cowells my whole life and used to golf with Mike as a junior member. I'm terrible now.
The patty was thick, well seasoned and not overcooked. This is not a backyard burger or a beach burger. It's a delicious homemade burger, and the pickle ratio was right.
The breakdown
- Bun: Toasted, buttered brioche. The right bun.
- Patty: Thick, charred, seasoned and juicy. No hockey puck here.
- Toppings: Good pickles and shredded lettuce. Sorry Mike, the onion was a little light.
- Value: $10, a good price for a homemade burger.
My verdict
It's definitely not a six, and it's well above the sevens. I can't take it up with oddbird in the nines, but it's firmly in the eights. For a restaurant that, as far as I know, has never had a burger on the menu in all its years, an 8.4 is a great start. If you're at DJ's and not in the mood for seafood, order the burger. Then do what Robyn and I did and head across the street for a round of mini putt.
Find DJ's Roadhouse
12185 Lakeshore Rd, Wainfleet, ON
