I was invited to The The WORKS'
(Twitter: @WORKSBURGER, Facebook: The WORKS Gourmet Burger Bistro) for lunch last week for a sneak preview of their "Cooking with Beer" burgers. The WORKS opened its first restaurant in 2001 in Ottawa and has now expanded across Ontario and Newfoundland. It has won numerous awards including Ottawa's best Burger for the past 13 years in a row, Kingston's / London's / Milton's Best Burger, and MacLean's Best Small & Medium Employers in Canada. The WORKS now has 25 locations across Ontario.
The WORKS is a full-service gourmet burger restaurant offering over 50 hand-prepared gourmet burgers, hand-cut fries, milkshakes and beer, which are all 100 per cent Canadian. Guests can choose from seven different patty options (beef, elk, chicken, turkey, veggie, cheese stuffed beef and mushroom cap) as well as gluten-free and vegetarian combinations.
It was an ideal day for the rooftop patio. We didn't even need to turn on the heat lamps.
I'm not one to take photos of pop but hey, can you blame me?
Same goes for these salt and pepper shakers. So cute.
A couple of starters before the beer burgers:
TOWER O-RINGS ($9.98)
Comes with 2 dipsticks
Sweet and crispy coated onion rings...yep I would definitely order these again. I forgot what the dipping sauces were but they were just average - I much prefer the Moosehead beer cheddar dip (see below).
KNOTTY PRETZEL ($9.91)
Three hot baked pretzels topped with sea salt and served with a Moosehead beer cheddar dip
These pretzels were soft and chewy, an ultimate comfort food / starter. The kickin' beer dip was fantastic because you can actually taste the beer! This appetizer is a limited time offer.
"Only at The WORKS can guests now have a beer, and eat it too," said Bruce Miller, chief marketing & development officer and co-owner at The WORKS. "It's a fun promotion that feaetures all of the ingredients that Canadians love best, in combinations that will never be found anywhere but The WORKS, but only for a limited time. Cheers!"
It's now time for burgers. With any "Cooking With Beer" burger, guests may order a 20oz pint for only $4.98. What a steal! Remember, all the burgers at The WORKS comes with your choice of patty, bun and side.
ROOT FOR MAH PIGGY ($15.31)
Jones root beer BBQ-glazed pulled pork, onion strings, house-made root beer BBQ sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, toasted pretzel twist.
I enjoyed the soft pulled pork, the crunchiness from the onion strings and the playful pretzel twist on this burger. I prefer a smokier BBQ sauce instead of the one here which was on the sweet side.
BARKING AT MY COW ($15.31)
Smoked brisket, Barking Squirrel beer-braised onions, Jack cheese, bacon, Barking Squirrel beer BBQ sauce
This was my favourite burger out of the three beer burgers. I naturally gravitates toward food with caramelized onions and braised onions...mainly because it makes everything so moist and juicy. Along with the tender smoked brisket, Jack cheese and crispy bacon, this burger rocks.
BEER GOGGLES BURG ($15.31)
Beer battered beef patty, Moosehead beer cheddar sauce, bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onions, pickles
This burger is no doubt very innovative, unique and out-of-the-box. My friend really enjoyed it whereas I thought it was good but not great. To be fair, I also had two burgers before this so as you can imagine, biting into a deep fried beef patty might not be the best idea. I do applaud the beer batter here though as it wasn't thick nor oily.
SWEET POTATO FRIES
I'm really diggin' the sides at The WORKS. I couldn't stop eating these.
I'm really diggin' the sides at The WORKS. I couldn't stop eating these.
SPICY DIE-CUT CHIPS
Nor could I stop eating these. I've never had anything like these chips. Super thin slices of potato with crispy edges and a soft centre...it's like a flat version of a perfect fry.
After the three feature beer burgers, I wanted to try a couple of burgers from The WORKS' regular menu:
GETTIN' PIGGY WITH IT ($14.99)
Canadian back bacon, cheddar, smoked bacon, bacon ketchup, crunchy onion strings
Bring on the bacon, baby. And the peameal bacon? Very Canadiana, indeed.
JUICY LUCY ($13.92)
Cheese stuffed 8oz beef burger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, red onions, mayo
If you're not one for extravagant burgers, I suggest you order the Juicy Lucy. It's a great basic burger done perfectly. The cheese stuffed patty was excellent.
THE NUTTY SHAKER ($5.21)
Butter-toasted beer nuts and salted caramel blended with real ice cream
Add 1 oz of rum or vodka to any shake for $2.41
Also at The WORKS for a limited time only is this sweet and savoury milkshake. If you can spare any room after your burger I highly recommend you get this. A heads up: you need a spoon to drink eat this because it's that thick. Trust me.
*This meal was complimentary. The opinions and views expressed on this post are my own*
