Starting today on September 1 and continuing until September 7, the annual cross-country burger festival Le Burger Week is returning to Montreal with an all-new cheesy edition: Who—among the event's 33 participating restaurants—is making the best cheeseburger in the city?
This year marks the ninth Burger Week in the country, and while the circumstances around dining out have severely changed, the essence of the event will stay the same: Restaurants have one rule—to use cheese or “fauxmage” (vegan cheese) into their burger—while a judging panel from the organizing body plus its sponsors will decide who's making the best.
As with past years, a proceed of select burgers—which ones are uncertain, as it's not outwardly mentioned in Le Burger Week's press release—sold in Canada will be going to Centraide and United Way.
While Montrealers can take a look at all 33 burgers for themselves here, we've taken the liberty of putting our money on who we think are the major contenders for this year's competition.
Chez Tousignant: The "Chalet "
A double cheeseburger with Valmartin de France emmental cheese, a mushroom ragout and a secret sauce with a mayo base.
Le Bird Bar: "Le Cheesy Melt Down"
It's a AAA beef burger with fried cheese curds with crushed nacho crust, a spicy carrot salad, lettuce, bacon , arugula and a secret sauce.
Le Gras Dur: "The Pit Master"
A AAA Angus Beef patty topped with pieces of smoked AAA Angus beef brisket, the restaurant's signature pulled pork, a fried mac 'n' cheese croquette, onion chips and sweet BBQ sauce, all served on a brioche bun.
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Ping Pong Club: "Smash Cheeseburger"
What's better than a classic smash cheeseburger with some secret sauce?
Pub McCarold: "The Hunter Gatherer"
Highlighting wild Quebec terroir by combining products based on the boreal forest, this burger comes with a duck dumpling and chanterelle mushrooms with aged Cheddar, all garnished with caramelized onions, mayonnaise with haskap berries and balsam fir sprouts, and peppers on a brioche bun.
Maggie Oakes: "Supreme Wagyu Burger"
A wagyu meatball topped with pan-fried foie gras, wild mushrooms from Quebec, aged Cheddar, truffle mayonnaise and fried julienned apple.
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Le Virunga: "Kariba"
Mini goat hamburger from St-Sylvestre (Québec), pili-pili mayonnaise, smoked caciocavallo cheese and mofo sakay (a spicy bread from Madagascar) waffle.
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Paulo et Suzanne: "The Orgasm"
Made from Angus beef, it's topped with fried macaroni & cheese, a fried egg, three cheeses, smoked bacon, crispy onions, spicy banana peppers, pickles, lettuce, tomato, mustard and the restaurant's spicy Southwest sauce.
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