CLASSY BURGERS
It was a rainy day last week when my partner and I headed out to the Stoney Creek Mountain to check out Patties Burger Bar.
The restaurant sits, its exterior understated, at the end of a small, newish plaza at the corner of Fletcher and Rymal. “Patties” is announced in bright yellow on dark grey walls above the entrance’s black cloth awning.
A small sign in the window welcomed us in: “Cold beer served here.” So in we went. In fact, it was just noon, so we had a look at the drinks refrigerator behind the counter as a woman at the register greeted us and waited patiently as we made our decisions. She happened to be Jennifer Truax, who owns the restaurant with her husband Patrick Truax.
The cooler not only had Molson, Coors, Nickel Brook’s Naughty Neighbour (and Sommersby for the cider crowd), but also the standard pop choices and something called Bubly, which my companion could not resist. It was like lime-flavoured Perrier and when I looked it up later, I discovered that it’s Pepsi’s new line of sparkling water.
There were a couple of designer chalkboards to check out: one with the regular menu (a variety of burgers and fries), the other with new menu items (“Features that became Favourites” — wings, onion rings and two more burgers: the “Ohana,” and the “You’re my boy, blue!”). Toppings were listed on a board by the register.
We put in our order, got our bubbly bevies and sat at a table facing the TV, which was playing a World Cup match between Japan and Senegal. A mother and son sat behind us watching the game as well, and a couple more customers drifted in later on. The sound on the TV was turned off, though, and pop/rock tunes were playing loud enough to be audible but not intrusive. A fun and friendly vibe.
As I looked around, I found it easy to take pictures on the sly because of a high, gleaming white counter running the length of the restaurant which kept all of the cooking operations neatly out of sight. The tables were also white, offset by grey walls and a black ceiling. At the rear, an image of a burger breaking through the wall stood out, with “Patties” written above, graffiti style.
We watched Senegal score their second goal on Japan as our food was served on individual sized wooden trays lined with butcher paper. I got the Uncle Sassy, featuring a sublime combination of toppings: bacon, banana peppers, cheddar, fried onions and Cajun aioli. I thought the aioli needed a little more Cajun bite but it did add a touch of richness to every bite as the bacon melded with the cheddar.
The burger itself was fresh tasting, which was no surprise since they advertise on their website that the patties are AAAA Prime Rib from grass fed cows (specials of the day are also listed on the website). The best part for me was the bun-to-burger ratio, which I feel should be a no-brainer but, generally, restaurants get it right less often than one would expect. Patties also gets beautiful brioche buns from Ace bakery and they fit the burger and toppings to a T. Altogether, delicious.
No salads on the menu but I asked for tomato and lettuce on my burger. As did my companion, who opted for the “Miss Ellen” vegan burger. It was a nice mix, with visible grains and corn kernels — but nut free. Crisp on the outside and pleasantly soft on the inside without being mushy.
Japan tied up the game as we dove into the brisket poutine. I savoured the aroma of the smoky brisket as it was placed before us, in a take-away box. The fries were swimming in a gravy that could have used more character but the gooey cheese and that fantastic brisket carried the dish.
There was one dessert on the menu: “Pattie Cakes,” which turned out to be fried cake balls that were like cakey churros, coated with cinnamon and sugar. After a burger and poutine, they felt a bit heavy but were tasty nonetheless.
Patties has definitely upped the game for burgers in Stoney Creek and now that beers are offered, I’m sure those seats will fill up fast.
Alana Hudson has cooked at Le Bernardin, Vong, and Avalon.