Torontonians will line up in the rain for certain things; new clubs, great brunch and a free burger. In a PR move only slightly damped by the rain the good folks at Hero Burgers spent the afternoon at Yonge and Dundas Square feeding the urban masses which eagerly and orderly waited in a creeping line in the spitting rain line for their piece of meat. Hey who doesn’t like a free lunch?
The Burger itself respectable with none of the over processed, mushy feel one finds at the typical chains. Its patties are made from 100% Agnes beef and retain a very satisfying meaty quality with a good char. It’s not the best burger you can find but it is reliably very good. Where the chain shines is in the topping selection with condiments, ranging from brie to Canadian peameal bacon and maple chipotle BBQ sauce. Fancy and pretensious for a burger chain? Maybe. Tasty? For sure. Unfortunately the fries are lackluster with little to recommend, a huge black mark against a burger joint. Whatever oil they use, and as transfat free as it may be, Hero fries lack flavor, colour and generally a reason for living. Very sad because I really, really like fries.
Hero is a relatively new Ontario wide food franchise started by the same people as the coffee chain Lettieri offering high end hamburgers and accruement. Full disclosure – The Banker was once in talks the buy the rights for Calgary before realizing that to do so would require moving to Calgary. Which is very nice for some people and I hear that the west has some fantastic food but neither one of us can wear cowboy hats convincingly and both of us like pedicures (not to mention the westerners might be a little tetchy about a couple of Toronto kids 
showing up and telling them how to grill meat). Better to stay where we are. Anyhow the chain seems to do best when in the roaming territory of the moneyed elite, beginning in the tonied Hazelton Lanes shopping complex in Yorkville and thriving in the TD food court where the suites line up ten deep to get a piece of 100% Agnes grilled meat. It’s been less successful in more modest circumstances notably the location on Queen West which has been limping along since it's creation. You never know though, Toronto has seen a boom of the gourmet burger establishments with successes, such as the impressive Craft Burger, and failures such at the departed Hal’s. We are a meat loving people and burgers are the kind of comfort food one clings to when the world gets scary. With enough exposure and a decent product Hero may still have its day.
showing up and telling them how to grill meat). Better to stay where we are. Anyhow the chain seems to do best when in the roaming territory of the moneyed elite, beginning in the tonied Hazelton Lanes shopping complex in Yorkville and thriving in the TD food court where the suites line up ten deep to get a piece of 100% Agnes grilled meat. It’s been less successful in more modest circumstances notably the location on Queen West which has been limping along since it's creation. You never know though, Toronto has seen a boom of the gourmet burger establishments with successes, such as the impressive Craft Burger, and failures such at the departed Hal’s. We are a meat loving people and burgers are the kind of comfort food one clings to when the world gets scary. With enough exposure and a decent product Hero may still have its day. 
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