The Garrison House Burger Review – Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
The Garrison House Burger Review – Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
After what felt like a two-hour drive, Robyn and I landed in Niagara-on-the-Lake at The Garrison House, a spot plenty of you had been recommending. The patio was bumping, the music was good and it was a beautiful day. The burger scores a 7.1, good for #88 out of 140 on my Gold Medal Burger rankings, and the price had a lot to do with it.
My order
I got my usual hamburger with lettuce, onion and pickle only, and Robyn added a carrot soup to go. The burger alone came to $21.48. When Robyn ordered, the kitchen wasn't sure they had pickles, so my first job was checking whether they found some. They did.
The burger showed up in a huge paper bag, tucked inside a foil pouch that kept it warm.
First look
Things looked promising. A brioche bun, a patty literally falling apart, horizontally sliced pickles, lettuce, and onions I couldn't quite place. They looked almost caramelized, maybe even done with red wine. My mouth was watering. oddbird, my top-ranked burger, should be nervous.
One bite, everybody knows the rules
It was good. The bun was good and the meat was good. But it wasn't the kind of burger with juice rolling everywhere. It was slightly overcooked, closer to the way my brother likes his burgers than the way I do. My brother would love this burger. There were three pickles, the onions were interesting, and all the right things were on there.
The price problem
I kept coming back to the bill. If you charge $21 for a hamburger, it better blow oddbird out of the water, and I could almost buy two burgers at oddbird for the same money. I get that everything costs more in Niagara-on-the-Lake and the rent is probably steep, but I took points off for it. Charge me less for this burger and I'd like it more.
The breakdown
- Bun: Brioche, and good.
- Patty: Good meat, falling apart, but slightly overcooked and not juicy.
- Toppings: Three pickles, lettuce and fancy, almost caramelized onions.
- Value: $21.48, which I found very hard to accept.
Bonus: my first ever soup review
Since Robyn ordered soup instead of fries, the quest got its first ever bonus review. The carrot soup was thick and blended smooth. I tried it with no spoon (one sip, everybody knows the rules), and the second sip was better than the first. I scored it a 7.6, higher than the burger, and I'd have three bowls of it before I pay for another $21 hamburger.
My verdict
The Garrison House makes a good burger. The ingredients are right and the setting is lovely. But at $21.48 with a patty cooked past juicy, I score it a 7.1, and I won't be rushing back to pay that price again.
Find The Garrison House
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
