Ah yes, La-bourger Day, when all Canadians get a day off to eat burgers. Burgermeister and I found ourselves in Bancroft for the long weekend and just had to take advantage of a mini-tour. With the demise of Kirby Burger, Ace Submarine and some negative experiences at other stops, we were excited to see a classic purveyor of beef on our trip north. So while Hamburglar and Small Fry were sunning themselves on Toronto Island's nudie beach, we were doing our beef-eating duty for the good of humanity.
Goddard's Flippin' Burgers used to be a small roadside stand with take-out only. They now have a new Dine-in section with plenty of parking. Conveniently located on the main strip at 181 Hastings St. North, we were lured in by the aroma of flame grilled beef. I have to say, for a small place, the burger selection was plentiful. Besides the basic 100% beef burgers, with cheese, classic 'banquet' style, and other favourites (hot dogs, sausages, bacon cheese dog, peameal on a bun), the menu features 7 oz International Burgers for $7.99 each. For $11.99 you can make it a FLIPPIN' FEAST with a small order of fries and a canned pop. See the menu pic for options!
Burgermeister had the Mexican burger, in Extra Hot! style. Definitely delicious, and with a real bite, he noted that the heat was not evenly distributed. There were pockets of 'extreme' but by the end of the burger, it was all a spicy mouth-watering fiesta. As usual, the Meister had his 'bun issues'; not hot enough, no options. However, the buns were fresh and soft, and sunk into the burger nicely. BM gave his burger a solid 8. As noted, when you start with good quality, fresh ingredients, and cook them on a flamin' hot grill, you can't go wrong. All the truffles and fois gras in the world can't help you if you don't start with good beef.
I went for the American Burger...the Yankee Doodle Dandy! I also rated my burger an 8 because I thoroughly enjoyed the taste of the beef. Nicely seasoned, done to perfection, juicy goodness. My one issue was the sauteed onions. They needed to be cooked longer; sauteed they were not. Keep them brewing. The blue cheese was lovely (though I'd like a bit more next time).
We shared a side of poutine and rated it a 7. The fries were very good but the cheese and gravy were average. The gravy was just your basic canned or bottled, and it was satisfactory but nothing special. The fries were fresh and delicious and next time I'd get them straight up.
We met Nadia the owner (pictured). She was lovely and pleasant, and just as happy as she looks in her photo. She told us all about the place, and her connection to the area. She knew the customers and was sure to introduce the other servers to the diners. Goddard's is normally closed on Mondays but stays open for the long weekends. Regulars should be aware that they close down for January, so get your fix in before then!
Apparently they have funnel cakes and we saw some beautiful cupcakes in the case. I wish I'd gone for that too.
I am dying to go back to try the West Indian Burger or the Jamaican. I wish Bancroft were a lot closer.
For a road burger, this place is an 8. Excellent quality, juicy and satisfying, with that small town hospitality that you always hear about, this place is a jewel in the mineral capital of Canada.
No website available but be sure to 'like' them on Facebook!
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