The WORKS Craft Burgers & Beer — Restaurant in Pickering

The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro is just that. What an incredibly creative burger menu! They offer appetizers, salads, poutine and a few sandwiches, but burgers are the star here.

We came with friends who'd seen a write-up in the News Advertiser. None of us had been. The decor is construction-themed and is divided into smaller groups of tables so it's not one big room. They're prepared for patio season with 2 large glass garage door style walls which will open to the outside (in cooler weather, the glass can be cold to sit next to as we experienced last night). It was a packed Saturday night. Service was friendly. It did take awhile for our food to arrive.

A couple of us tried the shakes, served in Anchor glass measuring cups, almost too thick to drink through the straws. His was chocolate and he thought it was OK. Mine was chocolate banana (minus the banana syrup as I don't like artificial banana), with real banana. It was great! Very filling, though

We saw a tower of onion rings with dipping sauces that looked great. Two of us opted for the side dish upgrade to onion rings (+$3.56), one got fries and the other the spicy chips, made fresh. The chips aren't too spicy. You get a bit of a kick at the end. The kid chose a traditional poutine and finished every bite.

The burgers with sides range from $10.98 to $13.96. They include everything from the usual toppings (on a Plain Jane) to pear, peanut butter, Brie, tiger shrimp, Montreal smoked meat, and so on.

They had a turkey dinner burger on special which featured stuffing and gravy and cranberry sauce.

I had the Porkgasm which had field mushrooms, smokey BBQ, cheddar and double-smoked bacon. The burger was well-done, but with the juice from the mushrooms and BBQ sauce, it exploded juice out the sides and up my arm to my elbow at first bite! Expecting it was over, I tried again. My next bite sent juice onto my other arm and onto my table-mate. After a number of apologies and some extra napkins (and a warning to 'bite carefully' from the kid at the table), I nibbled the edges and had no more accidents but remained the subject of teasing sexy jokes throughout the evening.

Hubby had the Dead Ringer, loaded with beef brisket, BBQ sauce, jack cheese and an onion ring. He loved it, but the stacked meat on meat was too much for me.

Heads up: the burgers are huge. I could barely finish mine and probably shouldn't have. Think I'll split one with hubby next time or skip the shake.

Here's how the menu works:

Step One, pick your patty: beef, turkey, veggie, Portobello mushroom or chicken breast. Elk is +$3.39.

Step Two, topping combo: 60 choices! Sections include Faves, Born to be Wild, Gettin Saucy, Cuz we Like it Hot, Carnivore's Corner, Veg Out, World Tour.

Step Three, choose a side: fries, broccoli, celery, cucumbers, weeds, sweet potato fries, spicy chips, mashed, slaw.

Step Four, bun: white, wheat, gluten-free.

Step Five, add-ons (crispy dills, Kraft Dinner, etc.).

Location note: At night, the location in Pickering across from the mall (next to Loblaw's) is a bit hard to see as they're not listed on the sign tower. It's a separate building in the middle of the parking lot and while there are signs, they're...

Absolutely ridiculous.

We went here for dinner on Friday evening around 7:30pm. They said where would you like to sit. We chose a spot a bit away from the group. She then refused to sit us there as they were "understaffed."

We complied and crammed in along side the others dining here.

Service, well it was terrible. The manager took our order asked if we wanted our drink in a tall glass which we agreed to. The waitress a different girl showed up with a short glass. We addressed it and she said "Sorry the manager just gave me the order I dont know whats going on." As if reading the order was too difficult.

We waited forever for our food. The burgers are decent we upgraded to the Kobe Beef. It was good. Bun was a bit burnt but no big deal. We ate as we watched the same "manager" seat people in the seat we had requested. Despite the fact the side they forced us into was now half empty. Perhaps it wasn't prejudicial but it sure felt discouraging. We then requested our bill at the end.

Here's where it got exciting. We waited for ten minutes no bill we can see the server and manager debating. I told my friend to go use the washroom as we would be a while. another 5 minutes went by. The waitress came over and said "I'm very sorry but my manager did something to the computer and now its slow. So we cannot print your bill and therefore cant cash you out. I'm going to go fix it for you to make it faster." I chuckled at the immaturity of these employees. Where was the leader.

When my partner returned we went to approach the cash area. We could see the manger leaning over a piece of paper. It was clear the computer was down. She noticed us behind her and asked the waitress, "what did they order again." The waitress listed off everything from the app to the two drinks to the upgraded beef. She remembered it.

To me, its an easy fix. Total up the menu priced items multiply by 1.13 for tax. And voila.

Thats not what happened. The manager was fooling with her pencil and calculator and then says to the waitress. Just tell them to leave she then crumples up the paper and bolts right into the back of the kitchen with no words to us at all.

The waitress then looks at us and says, "Just go. Just go."

We said, "Sorry we havent paid."

She says, "Just get out of here," and bolts aswell.

We stood there looking around as the other patrons stared on. We were lost. At the very least they could have compromised and guessed a random number and reduced it slightly and then punched it into the debit machine. But unfortunately they were both under trained or under qualified for this work and therefore we walked out with 80$ worth of your food and drinks.

To some this is a win. To us we still left unsatisfied and felt morally wrong.

A PROTIP- Spend some money to hire and train properly. Or perhaps I will buy your franchise location, should you need out. Feel free...

I am sadly disappointed to be writing this. This restaurant has been a go to ever since being diagnosed with celiac. Dedicated fryer best gluten free bun and on Friday this restaurant is dead to me. To start I arrived here a month ago to find out a new owner had taken over and that the fryer was not dedicated anymore due to training mistakes. Ok that can happen we left after that. This past Friday we decided to pop in and see if it had been fixed. To our delight the lovely waitress at the front guaranteed me that it was in fact dedicated only that she was out of gf buns disappointed but totally ok to eat a burger without a bun we sat down. Second disappointment the works has cut half their burger menu and added all kind of food that people don’t need( we come for the burgers and fries not the salad)

Second disappointment both my “sexy burger and my husbands “love goat” had Been removed from the menu. Along with the ingredients from the store.

Ok adjust number two. We both order a drink oh wait no just he did. The restaurant doesn’t keep up with supplies so they had no drinks to offer me ( they always have) so water it is.

Now I always order a burger well done well my burger came sitting on a piece of lettuce swimming on grease like no body has ever seen. The gravy on my poutine was chunky and thick and I couldn’t get the salt out of my mouth. That all being said after having two bites I can guarantee 100 percent that I was not eating a works burger patty that thing tasted like a frozen patty from the grocery store ( keep in mind I come twice a month to this place) I know my patties. And it was also “pink” not well done I did not finish another bite

Over to my husbands burger now also supposed to be well done this burger was leaking grease out of every side and when he took a bite it was covered in an excess of hot peppers. The meat looked like ground up dog food and he was supposed to to have the “waygu” after trying a bite without the hot pepper he was so turned off it was bad meat. I wish I had gotten a pic of the inside of his burger but I was so disappointed I was already checked out. He did not take another bite after that. I can tell u that night around 3am he was hugging the toilet bowl and I am not surprised. something is going on there food is not being handled properly or has been changed from the franchise standards. I hope that no one else has to experience this. I have never left a bite on my plate and this is how I left...