m:brgr

[riboflavinjoe]

Anyone been to m:brgr yet? It's in the space formerly occupied by EDEN, the 100% Kosher restaurant that was there before.

Who owns this place, who runs it?

I don't know if it can match La Paryse, especially in terms of prices...

[alexthecook]

Looking a their prices and the fact that every possible condiment or side is charged extra would make me think it's Morentzos..

[riboflavinjoe]

Looking a their prices and the fact that every possible condiment or side is charged extra would make me think it's Morentzos..

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I thought maybe, but it doesn't have a Morentzos feel to the website.

[alexthecook]

A quick corporate search tells me that it's owned at least in part by the Lighter family, which is behind Moishe's... considering m:brgr is offering a lot of Moishe branded sides, I think the mystery is solved...!

[eat2much]

It is indeed part of the Moishe's family. The atmosphere is fun and the food is good. I wish them all the best in the new location.

[fedelst]

Just by the fact that everything added on the burger has a price tag, should have made it clear that this was Moishe's spawn... Like Moishe's, where you order a steak, and if you want even the parsley garnish would have a price on it.

This is the sequel to the Moishe's hot dog that was selling Costco a while back.

I have to check this out. But considering the prices, and the upscale positioning of the product, they clearly are in a different market than La Paryse. La Paryse is the peoples burger. Affordable, consistent quality, and the reference standard for a good burger.

I am guessing that this will land in the range of high end market product, along the lines of Mechant Boeuf.

[alexthecook]

I tried it two nights ago.

An you know what? For all the fancy schmancy food I usually seek, every now and then, only a good burger will do. And this is the place to satisfy that craving.

I ordered a AAA beef burger with smoked gouda and citrus mayo. They screwed up a gave me the truffle mayo (shhh...)... it was unbelievable. The meat was moist, flavorful, perfectly cooked and with the perfect texture. The truffle mayo just made it pop... it was one of the best, if not the best, burger experiences of my life (then again I haven't been to BLT or places like that in NY). Sadly they had run out of sweet potato fries, but the regular fries and fried onions were very good.

I also split a russian iceberg salad. Quite simple (a quartered iceberg with some russian dressing on it, with a few tomatoes), but very refreshing in such a fat ladden meal.

I whole heartedly recommend the place. But remember: it's still a burger.

[rezcook]

An you know what? For all the fancy schmancy food I usually seek, every now and then, only a good burger will do.

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Or maybe a quality steame?

[blondee47]

Anyone been to m:brgr yet?  It's in the space formerly occupied by EDEN, the 100% Kosher restaurant that was there before.

Who owns this place, who runs it? 

I don't know if it can match La Paryse, especially in terms of prices...

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Indeed it is the Moishe's family and other investors...(Sweetspot.ca) and hype is all good...we deserve a 'fine burger' place in Montreal, and word is that it is mighty fine...

[fedelst]

Checked it out for lunch today.... and this place serves a GOOD burger. The AAA comes with Tomato Onion and a pickle slice. i added the grilled onion and the smoked gouda. My lunch partner had it with the house smoked Bacon (apple smoked).

The Burger - Well seasoned meat in a thick patty. Not as big as Mechant Boeuf (too big). The meat was moist, and not greasy, The grill was hot enough to get a good sear / char on the outside, without being burnt, while the interior was cooked through. i normally eat my burgers pink, as cooked through is usually dry, but these were cooked through and i did not miss the pink. Clearly someone studies the right temperature to getthe desired results.

The Bun - Simple corn meal crusted white roll. Worked perfectly.

Garnish - The selections are very varied and creative. Yes the Truffle Mayo is one of the choices, but then again so are fresh sliced Black or white truffles, about 8 cheeses (including torta marscapone), and a myriad of veggies including grilled or caramelized onions etc.

The fries - Sweet potato were cooked crisp, unlike most SP fries, which are limp and greasy. The standard issue fries are very good as well crisp and hot, medium brown on the outside. Worthy of being served with the burger.

After ordering a beer, I noticed the large selection of floats. Damn, I would have ordered a root beer float...

The dessert menu looked interesting with such choices as a chocolate covered Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich, and a Fresh baked chocolate cookie (for $10, go figure).

The basic AAA burger at lunch along with an order of reglar fries and a soft drink will run you just under $13, so the pricing is not so bad. However, each condiment other than the standard issue onion, tomato, and pickle will cost you $1 each and up.

I do have to say, that in the case of the M:Bgr, less is better. Don't over do it with the toppings. The burger stands out on its own.

The truffle mayo sounds good though.

I would go back, even though it is minus 12 and 8 blocks from my office. They will do well.

[Lesley C]

The root beer float is delicious, but the chocolate shake is better.

[Latelier]

Went to this "burger bar" for lunch yesterday. I had the Kobe burger with truffle aioli + apple wood smoked bacon and a glass of Shiraz. It was fantastic, the burger was juicy and tender, in another league. This was my first experience with Kobe beef, I need to score some of that stuff to cook at home... I wonder where I can find Wagyu in MTL?

On the negative side, I must say the service was quite goofy and overly attentive, to the point of being annoying (waiter asked me 4 separate times if everything was "to my satisfaction" while my mouth was full, etc.).

That being said, I will go back...

[riboflavinjoe]

Went to this "burger bar" for lunch yesterday. I had the Kobe burger with truffle aioli + apple wood smoked bacon and a glass of Shiraz. It was fantastic, the burger was juicy and tender, in another league. This was my first experience with Kobe beef, I need to score some of that stuff to cook at home... I wonder where I can find Wagyu in MTL?

On the negative side, I must say the service was quite goofy and overly attentive, to the point of being annoying (waiter asked me 4 separate times if everything was "to my satisfaction" while my mouth was full, etc.).

That being said, I will go back...

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I'll second the strange service, I had a waitress who stood right over me taking my order, and was indeed overly attentive, and tried to push every item on the menu on me. I ordered a normal burger, and she said "It only comes with a tomato, a pickle, and some onion, do you want some mayonnaise or anything else with it?" Which is fine, but she said it in such a way as to lead me to believe that a simple burger is NOT GOOD ENOUGH, and I pretty well NEED to order more to make it any good.

The burger was good, and the fries were some of the better ones I have eaten in Montreal, but the 2$ price tag on the 10 grams of Chipotle Mayo was far too steep, and for this price... well... I could eat at La Paryse twice!

Lesley is right, the floats are good.

[Latelier]

I suspect there are two factors at play here:

1. The management was very present that day and employees were visibly on edge.

2. The cumulative experience of the wait staff is probably best measured in hours.

In fact, most of them were so young I wondered how much dining experience (as in eating out without their parents) they may have had, let alone work experience. I think mgmt hired mostly on looks and will put their trust in Darwin to shake it out over time.

Any ideas on where I could score some of that Kobe beef?

[Lesley C]

The biggest strike against La Paryse is not the burger but the wait for a table. I used to not care, but I now have little kids, and waiting for a table in the drafty entranceway with children is a nightmare. I won't go to La Paryse for that reason alone. It's too bloody small!

I also think they smother their burgers with way too many toppings. I far prefer m:brgr's burger and approach to toppings, though that mayo price does seem steep. I actually ate alot of my m:brgr Kobe burger without the bun. Don't know if I'd do that at La Paryse.

As for Kobe beef, try Boucherie AGA on Jarry, but call first just to make sure they have some. They used to.

[riboflavinjoe]

I far prefer m:brgr's burger and approach to toppings, though that mayo price does seem steep. I actually ate alot of my m:brgr Kobe burger without the bun. Don't know if I'd do that at La Paryse.

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No way, I wouldn't do that at La Paryse either. But that`s not the point, is it? I don`t often judge a burger by whether I`d eat it without the bun or not. To me a burger is a self-contained whole, so it seems silly to me to consider eating a burer without the bun.

It seems that the approach to toppings is a personal preference, I guess. If you want to spend an extra 5 dollars to make your burger what you want it to be, go ahead!

I don't go to La Paryse for anything fancy, and I couldn't care less about a burger being Kobe or not. A burger is a burger, and La Paryse makes a very good one with generous toppings (and a slice of orange!). The service is much better, the place has way more character, and it costs a fraction of the robbery that is m:brgr. I find it funny how people are gushing about a kobe burger, and are willing to pay a million bucks for one. It seems to be more an ostentatious display of pseudo-gourmet luxury. Give me a break. But hey, kudos to them for making a buck off it, I guess.

Not saying that Kobe ain`t good, I remember I made some for a staff meal once with left over trimmings, and it was really good stuff, and I agree that you don`t need a bun with it, but I`m not going to pay 20 bucks for a hamburger when I can get a very good one for a fraction of the price elsewhere.

You can go on about how they are donating a %age to charity, but if La Paryse were to add on a surcharge of 5% or even 5$ for every bill I would go out of my way to make it to La Paryse even if I was standing on the corner of Maisonneuve and Drummond.

Sorry you can`t get in with your kids, but if you go at odd hours, it`s usually not hard to have some space...

Wow, it`ll be fun to read the replies to this one.

[Lesley C]

OK, well, whatever.

To each his own I guess.

(sorry to disappoint you with that non-confrontational reply, but I'm tired today...)

[Latelier]

Joe,

I sincerely enjoyed the kobe beef burger, and I can afford a 19.99 main course, big deal. I must be a millionnaire! I dont think I was "gushing" or exhibiting an "ostentatious display of pseudo-gourmet luxury"... gimme a break.

I actually respect LC for eating part of her burger without the bun to better isolate the taste of the beef. Smart, that was. I also applaud m:brger for doing something fun (even if not everyone is cool with spending 20 bucks on a burger, fine).

That being said, it's just a friggin restaurant... save your condescension and self-importance for someone else.

[Lesley C]

You can go on about how they are donating a %age to charity, but if La Paryse were to add on a surcharge of 5% or even 5$ for every bill I would go out of my way to make it to La Paryse even if I was standing on the corner of Maisonneuve and Drummond.

(OK, I'm on my second wind so here goes...)

Look, say what you want about the burgers BUT don't make like the charity aspect of this business is no big deal. It is a big deal. And if you do the math, you'll see that 5% of their sales (not profits, SALES) adds up to a heck of a lot of money that will go towards the Children's Hospital Foundation.

And I'm with Latelier on this one. Easy on the angst. We're talking about a burger bar here not the Bouchard-Taylor Commission.

Sheesh...

[riboflavinjoe]

(OK, I'm on my second wind so here goes...)

Look, say what you want about the burgers BUT don't make like the charity aspect of this business is no big deal. It is a big deal. And if you do the math, you'll see that 5% of their sales (not profits, SALES) adds up to a heck of a lot of money that will go towards the Children's Hospital Foundation.

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I never called it no big deal. There is nothing anyone can say bad about them for their contributions to charity. I'm not arguing with you there. Point is, I'd rather not eat the burger, that's all.

And I'm with Latelier on this one. Easy on the angst. We're talking about a burger bar here not the Bouchard-Taylor Commission.

Sheesh...

Well, I was just talking with a friend about this yesterday, and our conversation really heated up, it was a fun conversation. So I get worked up about food, probably no different than the rest of you on this board. Every now and again I say what's on my mind, I don't see what the problem is with that.

Now if you'll excuse me, my evening reading is The Way of the Peaceful Warrior. Goodnight!

Edited February 5, 2008 by riboflavinjoe (log)

[fedelst]

Let's clarify the difference between M:bgr and La Paryse. These are clearly 2 distinctly different products here, yet, both are called Hamburgers, and like Tourtiere in our fair province, there are extreme variations, all of which can be legitimately called hamburgers.

We all agree, that the burgers at La Paryse are very very good. Although they are a very different burger from most others. Served on a Kaiser roll, the burger is griddle cooked. So, this is not the same type of grilled burger we get at Mister Steer, the Queue or at m:bgr… La Paryse’s strength is in their accompaniments, whereas, the M:Bgr burger can be served with little more than the slice of tomato, and the onions and be really really good. Considering my favorite, 'the Special' which comes with Mushrooms, cream cheese, pickle Tomato onion and bacon. You could almost pull the meat out and not miss it.

A La Paryse burger without toppings is …..well… a bit plat.

Likewise La Paryse's Fries are textbook perfect, and their cakes are excellent, if you have room. I do find the La Paryse drink prices a bit high.

[cook-em-all]

The private import wine at la paryse is a steal.

Burgers are subjective. It's like pizza.

5 % of sales go to charity- interesting.

[Lesley C]

5 % of sales go to charity- interesting.

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OK, I'll bite. What are you implying?

[maxanon]

Personally, it helps me justify spending that much on a burger meal.

[Culatello]

Been there today & ?????????????????????????????

Edited February 6, 2008 by Culatello (log)