Lick’s Homeburgers & Ice Cream

I was taken here by a very good friend for whom this is one of their favorite places. Shhh … don’t tell him I only thought it was ok!
So it’s a place that for fellow Americans I would compare perhaps to Five Guys or maybe Shake Shack, that «fast casual» type of burger joint, although from what I gather, Lick’s has been around before the concept existed.
The burger was alright, but it was kind of on the meatloafy side. It seemed to have too much going on with it, and when you are throwing a lot of things to top a burger, it never feels like a good sign. I like mine pretty simple.
Still, it wasn’t *bad.* I would rate it as being definitely superior to a true fast food chain, but with a lof of newer concepts coming around (see: the neighboring Burger Priest) this place isn’t going to be long for the world.

So so sad. Licks was the best and the food here still tastes relatively good compared to McDonald’s or Bking but the produce does not look fresh and there was only one guy serving everything and doing cash. How the best has fallen, there is a Burger Priest next door which I’m sure is going to put the final sword into this one great Toronto icon. I am weeping into my ‘guk’ sauce :(
The place is now closed.

The other reviews here do not represent my experience at all! Lick’s décor is dated, but there is no better place for burgers and fries. The food was first rate, the restaurant was clean and the washrooms were spotless. I wish all fast food places were half as good.

Terrible quality. Served brown lettuce and when I asked for them to remove it they took it off and tossed it back into the lettuce container even though it was sitting on top of the condiments. Burgers were burned and cold. Cup lids were stained and seats smelled like old rags were used to clean everything.
Never returning here again and would recommend others to avoid it.

I hate to sound cliché, but Lick’s really isn’t what it used to be. In the late 90’s and early 2000’s you didn’t go to lick’s for the food only, it was a whole experience. The places were busy and lively, with attentive staff, who even sang to you. The whole vibe was upbeat and fun, the food was even pretty good too. But lick’s has made a couple mistakes that lead to their current state of affair.
Lick’s (the corporation) decided to, like a call girl, sell itself. Their homeburgers began appearing on store shelves in grocery stores. This was a big slap in the face to any franchisee’s. Now people could have lick’s burgers at home, for cheap, thus eliminating the need to visit any of the storefront locations. But wait… at least they still had the fun environments within the restaurants right? Wrong. This stopped soon afterward as well. Servers now speak normally, as they would anywhere else.
A meal there nowadays isn’t horrible. The burgers okay, the fries are okay. Nothing wonderful, and no excitement whatsoever. Décor sucks, but everyone already knows that. Service is disappointing when compared to the way it used to be.
Stop by if you’re feeling nostalgic (I guess), or if there’s nothing else around and you just want some standard food.

Lick’s used to be great… like, 25 years ago when they still used fresh patties. Outsourced patties are dense and repugnant and taste rather like salty, prefabricated hotdog meat. I’d rather eat at McDonald’s to be honest.

Licks is an OK place to eat. The price is very high and does not match the quality of the food. I do enjoy going every now and again, but for the price it is definitely not very often.

Overall it was OK. The same quality That they’ve always had, but honestly the fun’s been lost.
The woman that took our order said the right words to the cook (you know, the way they always have), but there was absolutely no fun — it came out in a monotone.
Then the cook was on his cell phone while cooking our food. It tasted OK, but something’s been lost along the way…
Then there’s the bad late 70’s & early 80’s music…
It’s really too bad, it used to be great, now it’s just another burger place…

We found this place when we went driving on the Queensway the other day (We had heard there was a Big Yellow Wacky, Waving Arm Inflatable tube man out there, which there was a few blocks from Licks)
I love Licks, The Vegan Burger tastes too much like meat for me!!! But for my husband, I think he LOVED THAT! For me, it was meaty, kind of freaking me out.
my food was decent, as was the price. I wish they offered the garlicy Mayo in a Nayonaise or Veganaise option. The fries were not very warm.
This location does not have any singing, or shoutinng going on. Not when we went there anyway. Andrew, was very polite as was Elora. I miss the singing. I miss the excitement.
Also, the music playing was amazing. I want a copy of whatever they had on. Good music made the not so hot fries warmer!
I would have given a 4 if the fries were piping hot and the voices were vocalizin’
On Monday’s they have a 2 can dine deal for $ 12.99 Super Cheap for a lunch for 2!

We went there last month since we bought a WagJag deal.
When we were trying to order, we were told that they don’t accept the deal for combos. That was not part of their restrictions when we bought the deal!
My husband mentioned this, but they didn’t care.
So we had to order something else.
We ended up getting the Homeburger with cheese and Poutine.
The food was OK. I have had better, I have had worse.
I don’t plan on going back.

I don’t like eating this food (I think the nature burger is over-​rated), but I will never turn down an ice cream cone. I had strawberry — it was very light and fluffy, and made with real strawberries (so the sign says). I wanted to get this dark chocolate ice cream that came with cashews, but it was ‘premium’ and cost $ 1 extra … that sounded a bit ridiculous to me.
FYI They don’t sing out your orders anymore… remember when they used to sing?

Dung on a bun anyone? That’s what the sign should read at Lick’s. Calling what they put on a bun meat is very misleading. I don’t quite know what that brown pattie was but I’m pretty sure it was about 50% nitrites with some sort of filler to hold it together. I’m on about my fifth gallon of water because I feel like I’ve eaten a hunk of Buck crunch and a block of salt lick all at the same time.
I placed my order at the counter and the gal who took my order SCREAMS it out literally at the top of her lungs. Holy mutha of gawd. I am completely deafened because she didn’t even turn to the grill area to call the order, she just looked straight at me and gave ‘er. My ears are still ringing. I looked at her and told her that they needed to change the name of the franchise to Prick’s for being so damn rude and bullhorning people in the face with their big mouths. Is that really necessary? It is not funny and it is not entertaining.
I’m gonna add those ear phones to my xmas list that everyone here has been talking about on that conversation reel.
As for Lick’s, the next time I’m in the mood for some Buck crunch I’ll just go to Bass Pro shops and hang out in the hunting section. Someone pass me a bucket of water please.

Lick’s has probably the best burgers of any chain restaurant in Canada, but this particular location is not up to the same standard i am used to from other Lick’s locations in the GTA. I have been to the Queensway location 3 times and every time something just wasn’t right: the service was slow, orders were mixed up, tables dirty etc … this place needs new management …

Lick’s (at least this one, anyway) has recently replaced its big and colourful hand-​drawn menus with a bank of LCD screens displaying the menu and pictures of the items. It’s a bit weird, since the rest of the décor – twenty-​five-​year-​old newpaper clippings, etc. – is the same as always. The staff seemed a bit more subdued than the last time I was there, too. However, the food is as good and gut-​filling as ever.