I was promised the “best burgers in town” when I was taken on my first trip to La Paryse, a cozy (a.k.a. tiny) diner-style restaurant in the Plateau. Such a grandiose claim! And never has there been a truer one.

My first time there, we got our burgers to go, since there was such a long line to wait in if we wished to be seated. Ten minutes later and burgers in hand, we ate in a nearby park. The only thing missing was about four hundred extra napkins, because these burgers are the perhaps the messiest “finger food” possible. A thick slathering of mayonnaise lubes up these burgers so the bun slips and slides all over the place and everything drips out. But don’t let that dissuade you! They are as delicious as they are messy.

I had gotten the regular burger, which is a meat patty covered with mayo, pickles, mushrooms, grilled onions, lettuce and tomato. No ketchup though, which yes, would’ve made it messier, but tastier at the same time. The poppy seed bun was fresh, and the meat was wonderfully satisfying. This isn’t some pre-fab patty, frozen then tossed on a grill. These are awkward patties, like they’ve been formed by hand, made with what you can taste is 100% beef. Apart from the one or two stupendous burgers I’ve had at home BBQs, this was the best hamburger to date.
I had to return. This time, we ate inside, since there was no line to wait in on a Saturday afternoon. Seats and tables close to each other with bright sunlight pouring through the windows and a little cup of crayons on each table make for a creative and fun dining experience. Upping the ante a little bit, we tried some more extravagant burgers, going for the double burger and one of the veggie options, the nut burger (but could have also chosen a tofu one, for all those vegs out there).
The nut burger certainly looked like meat, but one bite in and you know you’re not eating meat. It’s definitely got a nutty, earthy taste, but one that balances out perfectly with the other toppings: cream cheese, blue cheese, apple slices, lettuce and mushrooms.
The double burger was even messier and tastier than its little brother: two meat patties covered with melted mozzarella and, yes, mayo, topped with all the usual with some bacon thrown on for good measure. Ketchup’s at the table, so that added some extra body to the meal this time. This thing was like heaven on a bun.
The meal ended with a chocolate milkshake, which isn’t so thick that you break blood vessels sucking it up. It’s not rich chocolate, but rather light and just barely frothy, a nice break from all that heavy and heavenly meat. This meal, which fed two (but without fries - anyone have any idea on how those are?) cost under $20 and filled me up with tasty hamburger-burps for the whole afternoon.

La Paryse
302, Ontario Est
514-842-2040

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