Friday Burger Company isn’t named to indicate your Friday cheat meal should be a meaty handheld creation, rather is christened after Chef Joe Friday, the owner of the restaurant. Dedicated to one of his favourite meals, he ate a lot of burgers before developing his namesake recipe.

I like the thickness of the Friday Burger ($14) patty: it’s not overly thin for a smashed burger so there’s still a meaty feel. It just needs to be pressed more evenly as the thin outer ring became awfully crunchy… to the point I was afraid I’d chip a tooth on some bits.

The rich but not overly greasy patty started the burger in the right direction but could use more flavour. Mine didn’t have much sauce and the dusting of signature spices wasn’t prominent either. And while I enjoyed the traditional lettuce and tomato combination, the burger would benefit from more pickles (there was maybe one that became lost in the sandwich) and adding onions to give it some crunch and freshness.

I read that what makes Friday's vegetarian burger unique is it's made from mushrooms that's dried and then rehydrated for a meatier chewier texture. Expecting it to be in a patty form, it was a bit surprising when the mushroom burger ($15) ended up being strips of portobello stuffed into the same bun, lettuce, and tomato combo. It's simple and works, but the texture no different from a grilled portobello mushroom cap. 

Share the fries ($4.50) as the portion is huge. Being a crinkle cut, the spud incorporated a lot of crispy crust. Sprinkled with a bit of the Sunday seasoning, it gave the fries enough flavour without becoming too salty. If you’re feeling very indulgent, amp up the fries for an extra $1 to become “Friday” fries where it’ll be topped with the mayo-based burger sauce and green onions.

All in all, Fridays served a respectable burger and fries… although not tasty enough to warrant waiting for in a line-up. Located at the Table Fare and Social in CIBC Square, I was luckily there for an early lunch as by 11:45 a queue started forming. Even though it wasn’t a Friday, people were certainly coming in droves for a cheat meal.