The Works

Pretty awesome food and service ! Always great food and great service :) it’s our go to spot for burgers and milk shakes. A very friendly family type spot and our son loves the atmosphere :)

Great atmosphere and delicious burgers, almost too many to choose from.
Has the nacho libre and it was amazing.
Longhorn Poutine is insane too.

Stopped by hear after my friend had talked up their burgers for the past few days. I had the Bunless Elk burger with Son of a Beech topping. It was oh so delicious! The Elk patty was amazing and so flavorful. The service was fantastic, our hostess was very helpful. I might be a convert! I hope they open a branch in New York! We could really do with some amazing Elk Burgers!

Came here a few nights ago with my man.
Our waitress was great, very outgoing and knowledgeable, very attentive as well.
We started off with the wrecking balls, they are bacon wrapped cheese and potato puffs with a bacon aoli dipping sauce, those were amazing!!!
I had the hipster with fries with regular beef patty and whole grain bun. The

I must admit from what I have heard about The Works its somewhere I’ve never really fancied. But when my boyf and I found ourselves in this area looking to eat, nothing else appealed to us so we figured we’d try it out. It the Saturday before Christmas so it was pretty busy but we got a table within 5 minutes.
Shown to our table and our waitress asked if we had ever been before, to which we answered no so she gave us the lowdown and left us to scan the menus! Wow! I had no idea they had sooo many different burgers! Everything you could possibly want (and stuff I would never want!), with either beef, chicken or veggy patty, choice of buns, topppings, sides. There was no debating the burger part. beef!
I swayed between 2 or 3 of their burgers (ok 5 or 6) and my boyfriend was the same, our server kept coming back but we hadn’t decided which she was super fine with. Eventually decided on the «Getting piggy with it» burger for me and «3 ring binder» for the boy. Looking around us every table that got cleared had finished their meals. Hopefully a sign of that they were awesome and not that they left you still hungry.
Food took a while to arrive but it was 6pm and it was busy and we were happy drinking our beer & Caesar waiting. Boyf. got a beer called 8^th sin which was really nice. Had never seen it anywhere before and came in a super cool glass which I would possibly had «borrowed» had I had a bigger purse with me! I like a good Caesar and nothing disappoints me more than a bar serving a bad Caesar, this one passed the test. I hate BBQ sauce in my Caesar’s but this one had a slightly smoky taste to it which I liked. They have a few different Caesar variations on the menu, I just got the most regular type one (cant remember name)
Burgers arrived and on first bite I was impressed. Tasted fresh, juicy, not dry, fresh bun. I tend to never eat fries because the guilt usually outweighs the pleasure so when I have them I pray that they are good, and these eased the guilt. You could tell they had just been cooked and not sitting out for ages. Boyf got the sweet potato fries and he said they were ok, not amazing. They do charge extra for sweet potato ones (don’t get me started on the topic of restaurants surcharge for sweet potato!) We saw poutiness at other tables and these looked pretty good too.
We both finished our entire meals, even though we shouldn’t have as we were both stuffed! We could have actually split one and got some onion rings we both think. I would definitely get my burger again if I went back as it was delish but I would hope that I would choose something different as there were so many things I wanted.
I’ve read a few reviews to say The Works is overpriced and I don’t think it is THAT bad compared to what you’d pay elsewhere for a restaurant burger. And I didn’t because the service was good — attentive but not bugging the hell out you every two minutes, the food was good and fresh and the place had a nice atmosphere and setting.
I should point out that we make burgers at home from scratch quite a lot and we think they are the best we have had over any shop bought or restaurant.
So would we go back. yes! Would we make sure that we hadn’t eaten lunch and were able to go home to lie down afterwards. yes!
**The only thing was. the washrooms needed some serious attention! Overflowing garbage, water (hopefully water!) on the floor — this was the same for the mens and womens. They had obviously been busy but stuff like that takes two minutes.

Great Onion Rings (Tower of Rings) and Poutine. The sweet potato French Fries are amazing. Great burgers goes without saying here.
It has to be the best burger place in Ottawa.

A burger place that can satisfy pretty much everyone! There are so many options that everyone can find something that they like. Some burger options are for the more adventurous, such as a burger with peanut butter on it, or they have some good old regular beef and cheese burgers!
The food is quite delicious. If you are craving a burger, The Works should definitely be on your list for potential places to eat. The atmosphere of the restaurant is also quite nice. If the place is busy (in my experience it usually is) you will be quite close to those sitting down beside you. The place can also get quite noisy, so if you wanted to have a nice and peaceful dinner, you may want to reconsider coming here.
One of my few complaints about the restaurant is the wait times, and on occasion the staff. Depending on the time that you go, it may take you some time to get a table. Furthermore, it will take you a long time to get your food and drinks. From the moment that I sat down and asked for water, it took about 15 minutes just for the water to come out. The waiter took awhile to make his way around to my table to get our meal order, and to give the bill. Once the bill was given, it still took another 10 minutes or so before he came back for me to pay. If you are a little pressed for time, this is definitely not the place for you.
Overall, the place has delicious food but has slow and sometimes poor service.

The atmosphere was fun and the staff were friendly. Menu was… comprehensive, I had no idea there were so many variations on burgers. The only thing is that the food is really greasy and the napkins are really thin/​small. Tasty, but maybe a little less grease and bigger napkins.

Quirky burger joint with a crazy menu, friendly service and decent food.
The Works menu lists dozens of burgers with unconventional topping combinations and four different meat options. The novelty is charming. And maybe you are curious to try a burger with peanut butter or macaroni on it. If not, the «plain jane» burgers with ordinary toppings are mediocre at best. Over the years the portions have shrunk and you can now expect a small and dry disc of beef not unlike the frozen patty you would get at any varied-​menu chain.
The fries are OK and the onion rings are tasty and nicely presented, but the high price might spoil the enjoyment.
Drinks are served in Pyrex measuring cups and a high point is the milkshakes, which come in several flavours.
The lunch special is a great value although the options are limited and the burgers seem smaller than the dinner portion.
Overall it’s a fun place to enjoy a burger and fries with friends. Just don’t expect the burger to be anything special.

I went here a couple of weeks ago for a team lunch.
This particular visit was ok, but it’s been better on past occasions.
The place was PACKED. The tables and chairs are also very close to each other, so you might get to meet new people easily, whether you want to or not. :)
The list of burgers, as you might expect, is pretty long.
Our server was great, but the overall service was pretty slow. We all waited a long time for our meals to arrive. I have to assume that’s the norm for a weekday lunch.
I ordered the sk8r boy — the one with peanut butter on it. It was ok, but don’t expect it to look anything like the pictures on the web site. The burger patties are not that big, nor are they that juicy looking. At first I couldn’t even find the peanut butter on it. Turns out the little that was put on it was hidden beneath the cheese. On the plus side, it’s made me want to try that combination at home.
They had «Barking Squirrel» beer listed on the menu, but when I ordered it I was told that their delivery hadn’t yet arrived so I ordered a Sam Adams instead.
Because of the long wait, our server didn’t charge anyone for soft drinks, which was nice, but those who didn’t order a soft drink were out of luck.

We haven’t been to the The Works for a while and were actually able to get a table last night — they is usually a line up.
I chose the Down Under to reminisce about my trip to New Zealand years ago. The beef patty is covered with a poached egg, slices of beets, a slice of pineapple, caramelized onions and gouda cheese. It was overall too dry because the beets and the pineapple were grilled and the eggs over cooked. The kiwi burgers I have had in NZ were made with grilled egg with an almost runny egg yolk and slices of beets straight out of the mason jar. The beef party was fine but could have used a bit more seasoning.
My husband had the peppercorn, goat cheese and bacon burger with beef patty and he thought it was juicy and flavourful.
I did enjoy the sweet potato fries which were fresh and in a light coat of batter. My husband had the spicy coleslaw and it was also very fresh and coated in a light dressing. We did not finish either as the burger and milkshake was pretty filling already.
Our daughter had the kids’ cheeseburger and slices of cucumbers.
Overall, a fun Friday after work excursion with the family.

After years of hearing everyone rave about this place, I finally tried it! It was a Saturday night and my husband and I were just taking a walk on Richmond when we felt hungry and happened to be right across the street. We walked in, were greated and seated promptly. We were handed quite large menus by a reasonably good looking server who also explained how the place worked since it was our first time. After many minutes of debate, we decided we would limit ourselve to sodas and a burger with a side; we weren’t planning on having a heart attack just yet. I ordered the «three rings burger» (gouda cheese, mushrooms, smokey hot mayo and 3 onion rings) with a regular beef patty, on a white bun, with a side of «crispy dills» (deep fried dill pickle wedges). Very tasty, but very greasy. The beef was perfect with a very nice crispy crust around but still moist and juicy inside. The bun was also quite soft and chewy. The crispy dills however were overwhelming I don’t think I’ll order them again. I wish I had ordered fries instead. My husband had the «sexy burger» (pineapple, sweet and spicy sauce and banana peppers) with a regular beef patty and white bun as well and a side of onion rings. His burger, I found, was a lot better than mine. It was just less greasy, and ‘fresher’ tasting because of all the sweetness and acidity. The onion rings were quite good and crispy. I usually prefer them battered but the breading on theirs is so perfectly done and crispy that it was almost better than a batter. All in all it was a good experience and The Works definitely is worth visiting again, given it’s the only place of its kind in the NCR.
Is it, however, the best ‘new wave’ burger place I’ve been to? Definitely not. It’s the complete absence of competition that makes this place good. It would not stand a chance against Québec city’s Chic Shack for instance. Here are other overal impressions that will explain my 3-​star rating:
1. The menu is large, yes, but it’s a lot of the same and lacks real creativity (does it really need more than 1 burger with pineapple?).
2. While very cool, the presentation of the food gets tired after a while, after you realize they didn’t invent anything (metal trays and measuring cups are rare in Canada, but extremely common in the US).
3. This place targets mainly university students and teenagers as well as less well traveled people that have not tried other, better, «new wave» burger joints.

I totally drank close to a quart of Coca-​Cola here, but it wasn’t my fault! You see, they serve their drinks in measuring cups. On the one hand it was good because I knew how much soda I was drinking. On the other hand it was bad because I knew how much soda I was drinking…
And it’s not like I needed that many calories because I got a serious selection of food, too. From a burger that was seasoned in peppercorns and topped with goat cheese and bacon to poutine and fried pickles I’m pretty sure I had my caloric intake for the week covered in just one meal here. But, guess what? I’d do it again in a heartbeat. And that’s no joke.
If you are interested in interesting burger selections then you should definitely try out The Works. They have so many options you are bound to find a few that tickle your fancy.

So, I save the handful of times I eat meat to my travels, and one of them in 2013 happened to be at the Works. and man, if I lived here, I might have to eat meat more often. My burger was just DELISHHH!!!
Would absolutely be back!

This is my gf’s favorite burger joint in Ottawa, and man she’s right. Their burgers are BANGIN!
i live in Los Angeles, the Burger Capitol of the World, so I know a good burger when i have one.
I ordered the San Francisco Burger, which included a Canadian Angus patty, topped with cheddar cheese, and topped with Kraft MacNCheese. Holy sh*t that burger did me right!
Wifey had the Pesto Burger (pesto sauce, swiss, and mushrooms), and her friends the Gouda Burger, and the sexy burger.
We had fries, sweet potato fries, mashed potatoes for sides. Milkshakes and a coke all served in 30oz measuring cups.
all in all, we left full… meaty… cheesy… goodness

ZOMG. The biggest, baddest menu of burgers I have ever laid eyes on. When you’re seated among the smörgåsbord of industrial (but friendly) décor you will have a serious decision to make with The Works’ menu. And while the burgers are all organized by some sort of type, expect to read for a few minutes to take it all in.
Once my eyes focused I went with The Sweet Ride — caramelized onions, half a ripe pear & brie cheese. Frankly, brie cheese seems to make anything better, so I knew I was in for a treat. The burger was indeed a sweet ride — flavorful and tasty. My only wish was that the burger wasn’t so well done. Regardless, I did my best to make it through the burger and snacked on a bit of Andrea B’s dish of poutine (my first experience with poutine).
Oh — and you can get an elk burger. Odd — maybe. Or perhaps it’s a Ottawa delicacy?

i must confess that i was never a huge fan of the Works… i am a butchery burger fan. However i was at Tops Car Wash the other day (check out my review) and met my gf in westboro to give the works another test drive.
the décor is pretty cool, they have so many selections it’s tough to pick — they brought a lunch menu we included a 4oz burger with fries and a drink for under $ 10…i wasn’t starving so i went for it… and it was a perfect size.
mine came with mushrooms, bacon, and cheese… nice bun, juicy burger — very tasty. The fries were very tasty as well, hand cut (I asked), my gf got the sweet potato’s, which were very crispy… very hard to do… i’ve tried time, and time again… there’s are frozen (i asked)…i haven’t found a restaurant that makes hand cut sweet potato fries… there must be a thinig about that.
anyhow, good job to the staff at the Works

Highlights:
The menu is long and can be overwhelming at a glance, but it is comical with some cute, subtle jokes. For example the «Crappy Tire» burger says that they will accept Canadian Tire money. And if your date orders a boring cheese burger, they recommend that you run!
Had Fire Station #6, which was good and hot (like spicy hot!)
The crispy dills were out of this world delicious! I upgraded my side dish to the crispy dills, and they were worth every single penny! (All 356 of them!)
Opportunity for improvement:
Coffee was not good, which is funny, because when it appeared on my bill, it was called «great coffee». Also, it’s served out of a measuring cup, which is neat for things that you drink with a straw, but awkward and uncomfortable with coffee. The nice thing was that the waitress did take it off of my bill when I mentioned that it wasn’t my favourite.
The brownie was so, so, but had way too much ice cream and whipped cream to really be able to enjoy it.
Overall, this was a good visit, the waitress was wonderful and the food was delish!

Hunka hunk burning love.
Four words that changed my life. Peanut butter + banana + burger.
That is all you need my friends.
And that is all I can say. I’m too stuffed to write more!

Love this place! It’s a bit of a standard go-​to for me when I’m bringing out a big group, because let’s be honest — the menu is HUGE! My poor friend that was visiting from Vancouver needed awhile to get over the vast amount of options available.
The décor at all the Works locations is kind of industrial-​kitchy fun. They serve meals in metal trays, drinks (including their delicious milkshakes!) in measuring cups, and the salt and pepper shakers are lightbulbs. How cute is that?
Another reason to dig The Works? They love their communities. This location always paints their storefront pink for Breast Cancer month and has worked with local charities, often by donating some sort of coupon or deal.
Food wise? As mentioned the menu is intense. You choose your meat (including elk, beef, chicken or mushroom cap), bun (white, whole wheat or gluten-​free) and toppings (don’t even get me started — this ranges from peanut butter and bacon to avaocado, Kraft dinner and Gouda cheese).
My Vancouverite friend ended up ordering the «Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Love» (bananas and peanut butter included!) with the original beef patty and I ordered the «Not Yo Burger» with a grilled chicken breast. She seemed to enjoy her burger and I loved mine! We both ordered sweet potato strings as our side option (even though we wanted deep fried pickles! Alas, not an option). A zesty cheese dressing, tomato, lettuce and nachos made my burger a whole lotta’ awesome. Other favourites of mine include the the «Greek Goddess» and the bf loves the «Sk8er Boy».
As most people have mentioned, you’ve gotta get the tower o’ rings if you can handle it (be sure to share!). The chocolate banana milkshakes is divine as well.
If you’re more than two people I absolutely suggest making a reservation if you don’t want to wait — it can get pretty busy! Also, they do offer free wifi, but don’t take a Skype meeting here — it’s super noisy. Our server was kind (even though we had to send him away three times due to our lack of decision-​making skills!) and our bill came the minute we asked for it.
Love ths location and I’m super excited The Works has been branching out to the GTA. First Toronto and then the world!