Picks is the latest restaurant to jump on the bandwagon of burgers-turned-trendy with fresh, and homemade "fast-food." Located right around the corner from the Buns on St Catherine, Picks is a more, shall we say diverse? burger shop.

With M:BRGR, Buns Hamburger House, and now Picks it would be easy for a restaurant of the sort to blend in and become just another burger place, but in my opinion, Picks sits right in the middle between the upscale M:BRGR and the casual Buns. Picks boasts the classic burger, but with three varieties, as well as a few sandwiches, poutine, their own homemade version of a Pogo, called a Kogo (otherwise known as Corndog) and toppings to almost rival the extravagant list at M:BRGR. These things combined are quickly raising the bar of the burger world in Montreal.

Picks eye-catching bright neon storefront is ideal for the less-than-stellar location on St. Marc. However, there are only three chairs in the tiny restaurant so take out is almost always a must.

To order at Picks I quickly discovered I needed to fill out an order form to highlight my "Picks", toppings, and any sides. While the Picks flipper could have made this step clearer, the sheets are an ingenious way to prevent any topping or other mistakes during busy times.

Picks' menu includes main choices with options of burgers, double burgers, steak burgers, poutine, hotdogs, something unexplained called the Pickspocket, and homemade Kogos. Toppings and sides are also on the list. There are four categories of toppings; free toppings that include lettuce, tomato etc., cheese including a variety of cheeses from classic Cheddar to smoked Gouda, other priced toppings such as caramelized onions or bacon, and finally the sauces with anything from a spicy ketchup to wasabi mayo.

We "picked" a regular burger with sautéed mushrooms, sun dried tomato basil aioli, and cheddar cheese, french fries, and of course we had to try one of those Kogos. We also ordered two dipping sauces; spicy ketchup and honey mustard.

In less than seven minutes our bun had been toasted, our burger had been flipped and topped, and our fries and Kogo were freshly cooked and ready to go. The Kogo had to be one of the most unique looking things I have ever eaten. Despite looking exactly like a regular Pogo, Picks had studded their version of the corn dog with pieces of potatoes that looked like fries. This not only added to the heart attack by consumption, but also increased the crunch. Hey if you are going to eat something fried you might as well go for the Full Monty right? The hotdog inside the Kogo was standard for Pogos, however not as dry as the usual frozen version.


The burger was cooked to a perfect medium, with freshly cut cheddar cheese and warm sautéed mushrooms. The sun-dried tomato aioli also provided a great undertone to what could potentially be a standard burger. The burger itself seemed to have a less smoky taste than Buns; perhaps it has to do with the grill techniques that differ from place to place. The bun was a soft fresh bun that could have been a little smaller, but did the trick.

The french fries were fresh but standard, and the honey mustard was as bright yellow as anything can get and slightly too watery for my liking. However, the spicy ketchup offered just enough kick to the sweet ketchup flavor we are all used to. In fact, I found myself wanting to take the leftovers home and save it for later. Picks spicy ketchup overshadows M:BRGR's ten times over.

The service at Picks was standard, and I think that the order form process could have been explained from the start. I ordered two sauces not realizing that sauce was included with the Kogo.

Picks' prices could not get any better, with our entire meal coming to $10.00 total. Burgers range from $3.50 without any toppings, to $5.50 for a double burger, which is also the most expensive thing on the menu. Kogo's run at $2.50, and fries at $2.00.

While with every new restaurant there are always a few kinks to work out, Picks has challenged the hamburger restaurants popping up everywhere. If you like a simple burger head to Buns, if you are looking for a hot dog or a burger with some more pizzazz, round the corner and give Picks a shot.

Picks is located at
1407 Rue St. Marc above St. Catherine.