The Merchant Ale House Burger Review – St. Catharines, ON
The Merchant Ale House Burger Review – St. Catharines, ON
The Merchant Ale House on St. Paul Street in St. Catharines is better known for its beer, but its burger made a strong case for itself on my Gold Medal Burger quest. The Merchant scores an 8.6, good for #19 out of 140 burgers on my rankings.
My order
A hamburger with lettuce, onion and pickle only. The bill came to $16.94, and we were charged for a side even though we didn't take one, something that's happened before on the quest. Inside, I ran into Steve, the son of my friend Mary, a Niagara Falls realtor. Steve works there and warned me ahead of time that I'd probably chirp the pickles.
First look
This one came stacked: a double homemade patty with crisscross grill marks, chopped lettuce, red onion rings and vertically sliced pickles on a toasted bun. There were juices pooling already. At 16 bucks, this bad boy is a beast.
First bite
One bite, everybody knows the rules. Char marks usually mean an overcooked burger, but not this time. The patties were juicy, and the bun caught all the juice like a diaper. Mid-review, I even bumped into an old friend I hadn't seen since first year at Brock, when we lived in the same residence.
What stood out
- Bun: Toasted and soaking up the juice.
- Patty: A grilled double patty with good char and plenty of juice. It reminded me of a steak burger.
- Pickles: Steve was half right. The vertical slice isn't my style, and I don't think they're homemade, but they tasted very good after soaking up some burger juice.
- Ratio: The double patty to bun ratio was on point.
- Value: $16.94, including a side we didn't eat, is not cheap.
My verdict
The Merchant Ale House earns an 8.6 for a great double patty burger that avoids the overcooking trap of most grilled burgers. I'd definitely come back, and next time I want to pair the burger with a flight of beers so I can try them all. On St. Paul Street, that sounds like a good plan.
Find The Merchant Ale House
St. Catharines, ON
