Elijah's Automatic Flame Broiled — Restaurant in Toronto

Wyck Recommends: Elijah Automatic Donuts, Fries, No Mayo, No Mercy

Intro Scene

Pulled in with sweet dreams and left with sticker shock and beef fat in my pores. George Michael crooned from the speakers while I weighed whether this donut was worth a minor financial collapse. It was.

What Was Ordered

Cherry donut – Tart, soft, and just nostalgic enough to hurt

Maple donut – The bomb. Sticky, buttery, and legally addictive

Chocolate-covered donut – Glossy and balanced, like it works in PR

(Probably) Milk Bar donut – Can’t confirm, but my taste buds remember joy

Beef fat fries – Salty, thick, golden perfection

Burger – Reliable, well-executed. Still dreaming of Golden State’s, but this held its own

Skipped the fritter this time, but if you’re smart, you won’t

Service Commentary

Owner was on deck, watching silently like a pastry sommelier. No mayo here. Not forgotten—forbidden. Ask and you shall receive a quiet, definitive “no” that somehow feels eternal. Honestly? Kinda iconic.

Vibe Check

Minimalist and moody. Everyone’s there with purpose—no wandering, no lounging. George Michael plays softly over a space that looks like it mourns joy but celebrates dough. Come focused.

The Space Itself

All black everything. Tables are tight, elbows locked, knees bumped—sit-down comfort is not part of the business model. The patio out back is a surprising bonus, especially when weather allows you to escape the sardine can vibe inside.

About the Neighborhood

Tucked beside a Harvey’s, near a Starbucks and a DQ. Costco gas looms behind like a capitalist god. This plaza’s got weird suburban energy but somehow works. Free parking, which feels like a miracle.

Hits & Misses

✓ Maple donut – worth the sugar coma ✓ Beef fat fries – golden, salty, dangerous ✓ George Michael – unexpected, perfect ✗ Prices – donuts with luxury tax energy ✗ Seating – tighter than post-fritter pants ✗ No mayo – a spiritual boundary, but still

Final Verdict

Elijah Automatic delivers high-impact comfort food with moody aesthetics and zero apologies. It’s expensive, cramped, and slightly culty—but damn if it isn’t delicious. Bring someone dressed in black, split the maple donut, and don’t ask for mayo unless you’re ready to be emotionally banished.

Rating: 4.1/5

Perfect For

Spending $20 on vibes and sugar

Fry-fueled post-Costco existential wandering

Now it’s certified Wyck Recommends canon. Ready when you are for Golden State—or the next sugary...

Overhyped. Overpriced. Subpar Food.

I was really looking forward to this experience and did all my homework by reading reviews & checking out pics etc. What an absolute disappointment this turned into.

Inside has this dark, really Gothic vibe which is cool. It's different and unique. Very intimate with limited seating but the music was overbearing as it was far too loud.

It's an adjustment for your eyes because it's so dark. But with everything there are pros and cons:

Pros: Simple menu (ideal because it takes the gues work out & allows for a better flow of traffic.

Service (very friendly, answered all our questions)

Donuts (very good selection if you like donuts).

Cons: Far too expensive (what you pay for what you get makes zero sense).

The burgers 🍔 were average at best taste wise and extremely greasy. My bun at the bottom was practically melted from the grease of the patty.

The patties were unseasoned. *Salt/pepper are provided at the condiment garbage stand.

Cheese fries (barely a handful of fries with a dash of shredded cheese on top, cold and unmelted *$3 extra for that. You're better off buying the regular fries at $4.50 as you would get more.

The place is so dark you are not able to properly see your food but I saw well enough to see that parts of my patty was still pink.

Prices are atounding - $15 dollars for a burger that is no bigger than a McDouble, $4.50 for some fries that were average despite the hype of being fried in beef fat and $2.75 for a can of pop.

That's almost $25 for a meal the size of a kids meal. My teenager was still hungry at the end but at these prices we said no way.

We ended up going to Harvey's next door for something more for him to eat.

My husband loved the Donuts. We got 6 for $25 which is average and they were fresh.

In total we spent $104 minus $25 for the Donuts that's around $75 dollars for 3 burgers, 3 fries, and 3 cans of pop.

Not memorable in anyway. I've had better burgers that cost less. It was great to try something new but would we return? No.

I'll end this review by saying I will pay for good food. If it's really good food I have no worries paying but it has to be stellar. What we got was not worth the hype...

Went for the first time tonight and really enjoyed it! Went for the "Hautomatic" which was two patties, swiss cheese, and this spicy hot pepper spread. I thought the hot pepper spread was excellent - just a really pleasant level of spicy that stayed consistent throughout the burger without ever getting toooo hot. The fries were SO good. So crisp and fresh. The person who took our order was friendly and super accommodating; they explained the menu to us, because I couldn't see a description of the different sandwiches anywhere. I'm someone who likes to see a description before I decide what to order. Two Hautomatics and one order of fries came to $40ish which is like.... I guess pretty average nowadays for a decent burger.

Now... the only thing I don't get is the decor and layout. When we arrived, we were so sure it was closed. The small neon open sign was off and the house looked so dark. There was even a mailbox with uncollected mail on the stoop. You can't see anything through the window because it looks into a totally empty dark room. We had already started walking away when we saw someone leave with food! Inside, there's a large foyer and you have to go through that and around the corner before you see the counter. It feels like there's a ton of floorspace with not a lot of seating. There's a "living room" with a few tables, and then some high top tables with barstools intermittently throughout the space. It's decorated like a gothic living room, with bare black walls, candelabras, and dark furniture. It doesn't really make any sense, aesthetically, alongside the brand of 'Elijah's Automatic'. I can't say I loved dining in, it just felt a bit weird eating an old school flamebroiled burger in a stark, dark, gothic living room while listening to Phil Collins.

That said... I would eat there again, I just might...