South Coast Cookhouse Burger Review – Crystal Beach, ON
South Coast Cookhouse Burger Review – Crystal Beach, ON
I've been to South Coast Cookhouse in Crystal Beach a couple of handfuls of times, and every time it was for the wings, which are some of the best around. On a Saturday, rib day no less, I passed on the ribs and ordered the Gold Medal Burger. It scored a 7.2, #80 out of 140 burgers on my rankings.
The place is owned by Phil Smith, a fellow realtor I've done business with many times without ever meeting in person. I joked about whether a bad review would cost me that business, but Phil is a professional.
I used to come here a lot with a good buddy who lived in town before he moved overseas, and this was my first visit since. I've also mentioned the South Coast wings on camera before as some of the best in the area.
My order
Lettuce, onion and pickle only, for $14.69. Not a cheap hamburger, but it's a cookhouse, so the bar was set high. The plastic bag went in my pocket to recycle later. The burger had a homemade looking patty, lettuce, a little red onion and quite a bit of pickle on a slightly toasted bun.
A beach town bite
Crystal Beach set the scene, with cute little places and the beach just down the road. Robyn was already asking why we don't move there. One bite, everybody knows the rules. The pickles were nice, the bun was good and the bun to burger ratio worked. The burger had flavour and good meat quality, clearly homemade and fresh. My one knock: it was cooked a little more than I like. Not dry, just slightly overcooked.
Crystal Beach reminds me a little of Long Beach, and with the sign overhead and the beach just over there, it made for one of the prettier backdrops on the quest.
The breakdown
- Bun: Slightly toasted with a good ratio.
- Patty: Homemade with good meat, a bit overcooked but not dry.
- Toppings: Not a lot of red onion, but plenty of good pickles, maybe even homemade.
- Value: $14.69, on the higher side.
My verdict
This burger would be perfect with a couple of cold ones on the beach. On the quest, a slightly overcooked but very good homemade burger earns a 7.2. And I'll still be back for the wings.
Find South Coast Cookhouse
Crystal Beach, ON
