Committed to Fresh and Local
Story and Photos by Amy Jones
The first thing I notice when walking into Off the Charts Burgers is that it is packed with people—pretty impressive for a place that’s only been open for two days. Like most new restaurants opening in the Thunder Bay area, preliminary advertising has been through word of mouth, and the word here is, apparently, very good.
The second thing I notice is the bags of B&B Farms potatoes stacked against the walls of the small restaurant. On a chalkboard behind the counter, Off The Charts proudly displays the names of their local food suppliers—DeBruin’s Greenhouses, B&B Farms, Pear Tree Bakery, Thunder Oak Cheese Farm, and Vanderwees—along with a detailed description of that day’s local beef supplier, including the name of the farmer, the breed of cow, and where it was graded. This is clearly a restaurant committed to providing all things fresh and local.
That commitment pays off in the burgers, which are juicy, flavourful, and come with a variety of interesting toppings. We opt for the OTC burger, featuring smoked gouda, bacon, tomato, romaine, housemade Thousand Island dressing, and pickles, and the BBQ burger—a charbroiled patty topped with barbecue sauce, slaw, and crispy fried onions. They are both so good that neither of us can decide on a favourite. Our only disappointment is that they have run out of their homemade onion rings, although this just gives us a reason to eat there again—something I have a feeling we will be doing often.
Of The Charts Burgers is located at 1725 Highway 61 (at Riverdale Rd). Find them on Facebook or call 286-BURG.
