Billy K's, Cornwall On

Every town needs a good burger joint. Some place that brings you back to a simpler time, even if you weren't alive in that societal conjured memory. My home town has a place called "Bon Appet", like Bon Appetits, but not. Its a strange little place that hasn't changed since like the 70's, is open at odd hours, mostly for the small town bar crowd and they have great charbroiled burgers.

Cornwall too has its own burger joint.





Billy K's. The locals posted on the interweb that this was the place to go. It didn't look like much from the outside. In fact, it looked more like some patio store or paint shop - look at the sign at the front, it's tiny. You can barely read it. It just didn't look like a restaurant.

Inside, the place is a throwback to when independent burger joints were not on the endangered list due to saturation of McD's, BK, and others. The back lit signs with prices that don't seem to have changed for a long time. The place is relatively clean and plain in a modern kind of look, but the staff all wear uniforms, caps, and direct orders through a scratchy microphone system like the old days. Its retro fun in a contemporary atmosphere!!!

There's lots on the menu aside from burgers: gyros, salads, poutine, 'steamies' (that's a Montreal style steamed hot dog), even a Michigan dog (hot dog with meat sauce). But of course, burgers are king here. And they are pretty cheap - you can get a burger for $1.39 and a cheese burger for $1.69. OR buy a Pepsi & fries and get a burger for $0.59!

I scanned the menu, and went for the bargain Double Burger combo. That's a two-patty cheeseburger, with fries and a Pepsi for $5.99. I was asked if I wanted it 'all-dressed' and I thought, lets get it all, let's do it. I didn't wait long, and my combo on a tray was ready for scarfing.

Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun. No wait, that's the clown burger. Well this one was two patties, thinly shredded lettuce, cheese, and maybe onion and/or relish, and tomato. On a sesame bun. Oh, and special sauce.

The top of the burger has their 'special sauce' slathered on the top. I don't know what it was exactly, maybe fry sauce, maybe thousand island dressing, but ultimately it wasn't very flavourful. It wasn't bad, don't get me wrong, but just tasting it on its own, I didn't taste anything at all.

I think there was a bit of mayo in there too. But no ketchup or mustard, and that was ok. I love thick burgers, I love thin burgers. These were some tasty thin burgers. There was nothing bold about the flavours of the burger, but it was just well made and gave me a warm feeling of comfort on this cold February day.

My combo also came with fries. I was really excited because I could see skin, which meant fresh cut fries. Chip wagon style. They looked really good, but I tried them. Plain. Nothing. No seasoning, no real taste.

I went and got some salt packets and every table has ketchup and vinegar bottles on the table and I seasoned and sauced them up. There we go, that's all we needed. Maybe they don't season them so that ever person can condimentize them themselves. Whatever the reason, once I had some salty, vinegary, ketchupy fries I was happy.

My only disappointment was the size of my Pepsi. I've been spoiled by the chains. This was a small at most places, and I'm a gulper, so I had to ration my drink. But I'm quirky and cheap like that.

Overall, Billy K's was a great burger place. Cheap, tasty food. Nice.

Billy K's
1131 Brookdale Avenue, Cornwall