rabble:
20250326

Ribs, slaw, bun and Great cheese. According to the description there is no cheese on this. Could be that marinated cabbage tasted like cheese. My guess is they have some sort of sharp cheese (parmesan) sliced on here.

Ribs on a bun in a BBQ sauce. Ribs were melted off the bone. No split bones, a “fear” free rib sandwich. Although the crunchy slaw had me on edge. My notes on the bbq sauce was “Sweet BBQ sauce, greasy?”, turns out that "grease" was miso. The burger was served on a toasted sesame seed bun.

Staff is busy. tables are turning and the atmosphere is easy. I lost myself in the photos on the wall on the way in.

Fries are stellar
TLDR: Great rib sandwich. Not a burger. 6.9/10

#lovedowntownstjohns #burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt #rabble_yyt

Yellow belly brewery:
20250325

My notes of this burger are grilled peppers, grilled onion and a brioche bun that is a little bit burnt. Real nice mouth feel, tender meat but the flavour is not here, a flat note.

Fries are great, no complaints.

TLDR: Good burger, not a champion.

Celtic Hearth:

The tater tot garnish is basically the first functional garnish so far.

Service was wonderful as always.

The burger had a fried egg, bologna, cheese and lettuce. Patty itself was great, a little on the large side. No complaints on the bun. Table was super slippery, not greasy but I dropped change and my pen somehow.

House fries to spec.

TLDR: Bologna with burger. 7.4/10
#lovedowntownstjohns #burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt #theceltichearth

Date: 20250322
Time 2044

Central George Street location on a Saturday night. There is 7x12.foot stage by the door that faces the c shaped bar. It has a great view of the street with a deck that should be open soon. Staff was professional and courteous. Cover was waived as soon as I asked if the kitchen was open. There is a George Street Festival countdown clock on the wall with 130 days and 3 hours remaining. A youth at the door just got carded but has “forgotten” his wallet, back onto the street he goes. Bar on this level is at 80% capacity with no free tables.

Oasis -Champagne supernova is being performed on stage.

Got a soda for this one. I was warned the coffee was old. She got my vibe, I did not need a new pot put on and she warned me that the pot had been there for at least a couple of hours. Perfect service.

The burger, it looks like a 6oz patty. Lots of bacon, lettuce and my bun cracked. You can definitely taste the goat cheese. Bun may have been a bit small for all this burger. Batter on cheese adds a nice crunch. When I saw the photo I thought it was a hashbrown.
The bun is house made, it’s dense and kinda loamy. Kinda reminds me of nans bread.

I am having the house made cheesecake for dessert. No idea where it's going (It went in me it was good). No regrets.

TLDR: Cheesy Crunchy Burger with great staff and live music. 7.6/10
Extra points cause I’m nan’s boy.

####ATTENTION STAFF###
Dearest Green Sleeves on the eastern end of the bar farthest away from the stage. Someone installed something and left 3 jagged looking screws hanging out. Might want to pop a couple corks on that or something.

#lovedowntownstjohns #burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt #greensleevespub

Petty Harbour Public House - Burger

Date: 20250321
Time:1815

This burger was nervous at first, its top bun kept trying to slide right off its glistening cheesy top. It would not get away, held firmly in my grasp, it was knowingly consumed. Every bite of this burger screamed. There was no searching and no surprises. The first bite was as good as the last.

This burger was finely stratified with distinct, uniform and deliberate layers. I realised I was about to be taken for a ride the moment I pierced the bun. This man either knew I flipped or just knows how to eat. He fried the bottom of the bun, he fried the fucking bottom. Take a minute and zoom and enhance on the top (bottom bun) of that fucking bun, look at that fucking crust. Has he read Mario Costa (white mana, Jersey City, NJ (1.)? Has he surpassed? He gave me surprise crunch, surprise crunch on the best part of the bun. The bottom.

Pub sauce oozed from the top of this burger. Followed by a medium fine layer of chopped, translucent white onion and a thick pickle layer I wanted more of. Never have I put pickles on a burger by choice. This month's journey has me doubting everything. Pickle it, pickle that and put it inside me. I have seen the light. It was another perfect layer on a perfectly cooked medium rare, fatty beef patty. He delivered thrills and pushed each element to its limit. Where is the bacon, where is the clotted cream, the tomato, where is the pulled pork, or prime rib. Who fucking cares. This burger pushed the line, the burger meter screaming into the red.

At the end of this ride my plate was covered in juice and sauce . My notebook had taken so many hits it had a fucking face drawn on it. This unit dripped hard enough to put a smile on my fucking notebook. It will never be the same again. Consentual fuck parade, it’s world is shaken.

I was lost in this burger. I took no notes. I savored and got lost. With a smile on my face, adrift on the burger river. It was a perfect end to a long burger work week. Fuck cojones. Fuck that burger, this is the new bar.

DO BETTER OR GO HOME.

P.S.

I would go back just for the fries. I offered them to everyone at the table. They reminded me of a time when I knew where the good fries came from. When I cared. I know again.

1. Mike Diago. "The Legend Behind One of the Oldest Burger Restaurants in America," last modified Mar 18, 2025, https://ny.eater.com/2025/3/18/24388539/white-mana-jersey-city-mario-costa-oldest-burger-restaurant-in-america.

#lovedowntownstjohns #burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt #pettyharbourpublichouse

Cojones Tacos & Tequila – El Diablo
20250321
1325

This burger did not initially make my list but enough people were talking about it that I decided to make a stop. The burger looked great, photo perfect, but got 2 tough overcooked patties. I was mad about this. I should have stopped after the first bite. I gave this burger a good search.

The brioche bun cracked almost immediately. I spied onions, jalapenos and cheese.

There was some heat but It did not burn my mouth I did feel it in my body later that day. I was still having a hard time getting past the patties. There is a plan in the works to possibly retry this one at a later date. Going to stop here and call this one a misfire.

The fries are seasoned but basic and chewy.

TLDR: This burger was a misfire. Hope to have the time to retry.

#lovedowntownstjohns #burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt #cojonestacos
Petty Harbour Public House - Burger

Gian’s Kitchen – GK’s Ultimate Shawarma Burger
20250321
Time: ~1320

Served by friendly staff, there was a bar and the view is good
This burger had sliced cucumber, cheese, tomato and red onion. This burger gushed on the first bite and left the plate drenched by the end. Patty was well done seasoned like a kebab seasoned. Served on a dense buttered bun. Basically a kebab on a bun.

Fries were seasoned with chopped parsley and salt. Served in a fry basket with slaw and ketchup.

TLDR - Filling kebab on a bun. 5.9/10
#lovedowntownstjohns #burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt #gianskitchenrestaurant

Sheraton Bivver - The Gouda Mattata
Date: 20250319
Time: 1800

The restaurant was at ~20% capacity. Service was great. The restaurant itself has a modern design. There were a lot of “giant silver candles” adorning the walls currently. I love the bar in this restaurant, it feels like you are walking up to a modern day drinking island fortress hidden at the back of a cave. I believe the layout of the restaurant has been freshened up since I was here last.

The bun is a mess. Split in the middle on the first bite. Topping distribution is a bit all over the place. Got one or two bites with everything.

Great bacon.

I hit some lemony notes about halfway through this burge. I thought something went wrong in the sauce mix and I hit a lemony part. No big deal. I then found out the lemony notes were chunks of a spicy pepper (Peperoncino is not a cheese or pepperoni). I either had no peppers until the last few bites or I was able to eat them without noticing until now. I have come to expect a protective crunchy ring or a fierce acidic brine to alert me to there presence. When I finally got a hold of one, there was some solid heat.

The bun choice really has me put off. It keeps crumbling as I am eating it. It has no competency. Melt in your mouth and on your burger.

Burger is on point with mushroom, onion rings and a white cheese(The website indicates this cheese was gouda). Cheese was mostly for the mouth feel. The “Demi glace BBQ SAUCE” elevated this burger, no notes. The burger patties were cooked to perfection. With a good fat content. Melt in your mouth. On a good bun this could have been a 7.4 but with this bun 6.7.

The photo of the wedges had my mouth watering. On there own I would consider them on par with Sobeys but the queso dipping sauce really picked them up. I foolishly forgot to ask them to dump the sauce in my take out box. They hooked me up anyways!

I had a house made white chocolate mousse for dessert. What a scandal. I think it may be meant as a shared item. I “suffered” through it. A must do if you like vanilla. I might come in just to eat this dessert.

#lovedowntownstjohns #burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt #bivver_stjohns

“The Vu” - The Halloumi Heaven - The Ultimate Indulgence

Date: 20250318
Time: 1824

The diner started with an unexpected walk down a hallway and up a flight of stairs. The main dining area featured fantastic raised booths with large mirrors and front row seats to the narrows. They really steal the show. Service was great.

I ate both burgers at this sitting. AFAIK the burgers were topped the same.
The Meat version featured less halloumi and a beef patty. The burgers were served on an “artisinal bun” that was sweet, thin and soft. Toppings included smoked cheddar, “melty cheddar”, halloumi crispy onions, iceberg lettuce and what I thought was arugula. The meat version was a fine burger.

The halloumi should not be allowed. It is wrong. This is too much cheese but that chewy jerk sucks you in. It works and makes a mockery of what you think a burger should be in the process.

TLDR: The Ultimate Indulgence 6.7/10 The Halloumi Heaven 7.3/10. A cheeseburger always wins. I am not a fan of the carrot cake parfait. Also where is our side of sweet-hot chili sauce

NOTE: I had originally disqualified “The Vu” for having 2 entries. My arm was twisted to head in. I will not entertain this again. So much alt text.

Liv is also on notice for 3 heat levels.
#lovedowntownstjohns #burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt #vustjohns

The Gypsy Tea Room – Bánh Mì Burger
Crunchy

Date: 20250318
Time: Ordered by phone at 1321

I called my order in 10 minutes in advance so I could make it back to work on time. Food arrived a few minutes after I arrived. Service was flawless.

Sweet and crunchy. The patty is roughly 1cm and it had a crust. This patty was cooked to perfection. Topped with sweet pickled cucumber and shredded carrot. There was a thin layer of tender chicken floss topping this burger that added a savory lemon flavor and texture to this burger.

Although not noted in my notes this burger also featured Vietnamese egg mayo and scallion oil.

Served on a soft bun with a little bit of sweetness that was griddle toasted.

Fries were great. The burger sauce they were served with was perfect.

TLDR: Solid 8.2/10. You will not be upset with this burger.

#lovedowntownstjohns #burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt #thegypsytearoomnl

Piatto Pizzeria + Enoteca – The Italian Stallion
Date: 20250317
Time: 1810

Piatto is Piatto. Wood fired pizza oven, Vespa in the windows, walls filled with wine, espresso machine and a Bianchi hanging from the ceiling. I called my order in advance. Table was waiting for me when I arrived and food came out less than 5 minutes later. Perfect.

This burger is so good, loaded with parm, pepperoni, Mozzarella and pesto. I did not take any notes on the red sauce used in this burger, it’s there, it does not distract, it add flavor and it does not make a mess that I could notice. I was lost in this burger. Hitting on generations of hits.

Served on a house made wood fired bun with the signature burn bubbles. I feel like they may be cheating or reading my notes because I am a huge fan of pepperoni on burgers. A salty heat monster that brings the “good grease”. Serious contender.

I did not think this burger needed to be a double patty. That is my only critique, and it’s nitpicking.

I had a long day going into this meal, flat tire, hospital and an early morning. What a start to my evening. Here's hoping your day is going as well.

Way to hit it out of the park. Going to have to hit Anderson's again to really compare.

TLDR: EAT THIS BURGER. Beyond pizza burger. New class, lives up to the name. 8+/10
#lovedowntownstjohns #burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt #piattopizzeria

Saltwater - Chevap Burger.

Date: 20250316
Time: 2053
Restaurant was close to empty 5-10% when I arrived. Checked with the kitchen to make sure the burger was available before sitting down. Open warm restaurant set for semi formal dining. Lots of wood. Central gas fireplace which is currently not lit. The restaurant has been its current location on water St. since 2020. Existed before on Duckworth.

Got seated and served a coffee almost immediately. Then was served a toasted hamburger bun as an appetizer with EVOO, balsamic and what I assume was cheese and a few olives.

This burger had acid, savory heat(Ajvar tartinade), and crunch. There was some sort of oily dressing on the red onion that had depth and deliciousness. It turns out the official name for this ingredient is “red onion slaw”. I am a fan of red onion slaw.

There was what appeared to be a second slaw on this burger I described as tough slaw. I was not a fan of the “tough slaw”.

The heat on this burger is contagious my notes read “the heat may be making its way to my eyes”.

No notes on the cheese, it may have been lost in the bun. A soft dense milky bun with a tender crust.

Patty itself on the smaller side. A delicate burger with a possible rough edge being the bun. I may be going bun crazy at this point. Nice mouth feel and I do enjoy a bit of heat. Good burger even though it is not at the head of the pack.

Served with finger potatoes, a beautiful cover of hotel california and "Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - Night Moves".

TLDR 6.9/10
#lovedowntownstjohns #burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt #saltwaternfld

Bernard Stanley's - The Dr Pepper Burgers@

Served with a side of “spicy mayo” which was fire. Fries are delicious. Well cooked, hot salty shoe strings.

I think the blackened Jalapenos were a misfire. I thought they were burnt and it greatly reduced any heat they may have had. I asked the waitress about them, hoping they were burnt so I could try this burger again. They were burnt but that is intentional. I would have liked a thicker layer of heat here. I think it would have really helped these flavours pop.

Sauce choices were delicious. Burger was well cooked and the brie cheese was a nice choice. I think I am only getting heat from the ketchup on the side. Juicy bacon. Nice fat choice on the ground. Well cooked patty. Sweet and savoury.

TLDR - A great burger that was missing the heat. 6.9/10

#lovedowntownstjohns #burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt #bernardstanleygastropub

LIV – Nashville Hot Donut Burger:

Loud, busy atmosphere. I was seated within 2 minutes of arrival. Restaurant was at ~95% capacity with only 2 bar seats remaining. I was seated at 2020 and my order was in by 2030. Cutlery provided within 2 minutes of ordering. Polite prompt service from very busy staff.

There was some well composed serious heat on this burger. Whether it's the chicken burger to beat will be a preference of choice. This sandwich was loud.

Hot irregular shaped crispy, sauced chicken cutlet required some work to get down cleanly. Your hands are getting messy and sticky on this one folks. This burger does come with 3 heat options. Medium being the official competition heat according to the host. I found the medium heat perfectly manageable. If I had my time back I probably would have tried the hot just to experience the heat. Great flavor.

There was plenty of crunch on this burger and I enjoyed the pickled red cabbage, I thought it was pickled beet. Turns out it was the pickled cabbage and scallion playing tricks on me. I was wondering how it was so crispy.

I thought there was some kind of meat on the burger, pulled pork or something, I kept getting chunks of it. Turns out it was bacon jam. There were pickles and Japanese mayo on this burger as well apparently. They did not make it into my notes.

The bun is a doughnut but it has been tweaked to make it more competent. It easily handles a burger. The face of the doughnut bun is seared on with “scalion butter” to add to the great tasting crunch. The crust of the bun is also crunchy and not sticky at all. All the stick is from the sauce. Much easier to eat a burger on this than a bagel.

The fries were one big blob. No real flavor and cold. Not a must see.

Luscious napkins.

A great burger. “Highly Recommended”.

TLDR: Spicy Chicken burger on a doughnut bun. 7.5/10
#lovedowntownstjohns #burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt #livrestaurantnl

Photo/The Sprout - the plant brgr

Place was a bit cold. What a good burger. I would recommend getting 2 or adding fries.
vegan mayo, pickled red onion, lettuce, tomato, BBQ oyster sauce and Herbed aioli. Served on a warm, crunchy, freshly made and tender everything bagel seasoned in house bun.

The burger patty itself was a ghost. It was there I know it was there but It wasn't. This burger felt like a snack but wasn't. This is the only reason this burger is not an 8.

TLDR: Eat this burger. I believe in ghosts. 7.9/10

#lovedowntownstjohns #burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt #poyo.sprout

adelaide - The Pig Lebowski
Date: 20250310
Time: 0728

This was a take out order.

Do you like fat? This burger may be for you.
This was a double smash burger, In my opinion the burgers were overdone. Topped with fried mushrooms, cucumber(gochujang quick-pickles) and Japanese mac sauce. The flavor got lost in the fat.

The best bite of this burger was the last with the quick-pickles and mac sauce getting a chance to ring out.

TLDR: 6/10
#theadelaideoysterhouse #lovedowntownstjohns #burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt

Blue on water - Burger Au Poivre

Date: 20250313
Time: 1326

Warm atmosphere. The venue features stone walls, a nice bar, lots of mirrors, wine room and large strong features. The restaurant was at 80% plus capacity when I was seated. The ealskin bar stools were so comfortable.

I called my order in 10 minutes in advance. My request was easily accommodated. I was even able to get my preferred seat (farthest away from the door) when I arrived. Within 5-10 minutes of arrival I was seated and eating. I looked for nothing.

Wow what a burger. This burger bordered on the edge of gonzo but every bite sang so I'll let it pass.

You are assaulted with pepper, mushrooms and savory meat (BEEF Infused PORK belly). Arugula topped this burger and it's strong flavor was balanced, in the flavor of this burger. All the pieces hit and it was well composed. I was dipping this burger in the runoff refusing to waste a drop of flavor.

The description from the competitions website (https://downtownstjohns.com/the-merchant-tavern-beef-dip-burger/) is as follows:
“
This French classic inspired burger starts with 100% PEI Beef Chuck marinated in a red wine reduction with thyme, rosemary and garlic. It’s then ground, seasoned, flame grilled and finished in duck fat. On a Manna Bakery pretzel bun seared in beef tallow, the patty is covered with a smoked parmesan peppercorn sauce, topped with beef jus infused pork belly, caramelized shallots & mushrooms, crispy bread & butter pickles, arugula and truffled brown butter aioli. “

The burger held together until the end although it was a wild ride. Your fingers will probably end up getting dirty. Good thing it's finger licking good.

TLDR: Eat this burger. A thick flavor monster.

#lovedowntownstjohns #burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt #blueonwater

Merchant Tavern - Beef Dip Burger

Date: 20250312
Time: 1848

Atmosphere is high energy currently at ~76% capacity. Spacious venue with horseshoe bar at its center and an open kitchen. I was seated and table touched twice by bar staff in the first 5 minutes. I already have my coffee. I am enjoying the service.

Crispy shoe string fries. Not overcooked.
The firm bun seems like an odd choice. On its own it's a flavor stealer. Forcing your only chance at flavor to the edge of the burger
. On the dip it appeared to make more functional sense. It did hold together after being soaked, but I could not find the sweet spot to make this burger sing.

I feel the burger itself approached gonzo proportions. Cooked medium well, approx 2 cm thick, delicious and tender. A perfect meal size, but the balance was not in its favor. This burger held together but it was a wild ride. Only for serious connoisseurs.

Gruyere, was unnoticed, red wine braised short rib added some savory texture to the burger. The ravigote where it was found and not absorbed into the bun was a rich treat.

TlDR: Steak on a bun. Burger suffered from inappropriate bun choice. I feel this burger would have a higher score with no bun. Possibly a pre-oiled bun or something would have kept the flavor from being hijacked.

#lovedowntownstjohns #burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt #themerchanttavernnl

Bagel Cafe – Bagel Bacon Bruschetta Burger

Service was great as always.

This is a burger on a bagel with lots of bacon. Great everyday burger but missed the mark for the burger battle In my opinion.

#thebagelcafe #lovedowntownstjohns
#burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt

The ship:
Creole Mother clicker

For ambiance it’s “the ship”. If you need further description go there.

This is my third choice of the day. Other venues had incorrect hours on Google or were under renovations. Mentioning this incase it has made me grumpy. I also am not taking pain medication to be able to drink at my friend's birthday later today.

Fries are “ziggy peelgoods”, thicker than I remembered. Good traditional fries.

Crispy lettuce, buttery pickles, well portioned and cooked chicken.

Chicken:
Pepper, heat. Bacon is present which is hard for a sandwich with so many notes and the added honey really helps it resonates but not steal the show. Mechanically competent and well composed. Shredduce is a nice distinct touch, I would call it cubed. The bun was denser than expected.

If I had my time back I would have asked for a side of the blackened ranch. It's amazing and would put these fries on a different level. You could even ask for a drizzle on top.

Heat is in the back of the throat so watch out. I am sweating. If you get the chance this burger is a well thought out burger battle entry.

TLDR:
This burger is a great entry. Go eat this burger. Go eat this burger now.

#lovedowntownstjohns #burgerbattle2025 #burgebattleyyt #theshippub
nj