Lick’s Homeburgers & Ice Cream

So I’m going to give a review here for what Lick’s WAS and not what it became.
As a kid… like many others… when I visited Toronto, I was told that I had to try this place. My Mom took me in the first time and my experience was surreal and incredible.
All the staples of a 1950’s imaginary Burger/​Shake spot existed here — with amazingly friendly staff, great food choices but truly — the best Burgers (beef and chicken) that I have ever had. Ingredients were also hyper fresh and delicious.
Then one day… Lick’s started to open up all over the place… franchising…and I think around that growth point — they started to… um…PASTEURIZE their meat — which completely changed the flavor.
Plus I could not longer get my burger medium rare. It didn’t even taste like Burger anymore. More like filler.
They tried to change with the times as I hear… but whoever the CEO was didn’t get what made Lick’s great — a delicious burger made of REAL meat, cooked perfectly by a bunch of nutty singing kids with great energy — and incredible bun/​toppings/​sodas/​floats in a visually appealing pop-50’s environment.
I want to thank whoever the original owner was for those years of amazing food and great experiences with friends and family.
And sorry that they forgot what they were doing sometime down the road.
If I was an investor, I would open up a new one and call it ORIGINAL LICKS — and go right back to the very first business model. Change nothing. And have success once more.

The nature burgers are vegan surprisingly. The gravy isn’t meat based so it’s safe for vegans/​vegetarians especially if you’re looking for a place to hang out with non veg friends.

No singing last time I was there. I love Licks’ burger!

Given the gourmet burger trend around town ala burger priest. I still think licks in the beach is pretty good. Natureburger still unsurpassed anywhere for the «vegetanarians»…(I love’em)

Everyone likes Licks, and honestly I have no reason why. I should say that normally i would give at least two stars for this place, but the service was so horrible when I was there that I really can’t.
The Food;
Greasy, tasteless. I really dont know what is so delicious about these burgers. The texture is weird, the taste just isn’t there.
The Service:
Horrible. When I was there, their debit machine was down, but they made no mention of this to anyone in line. And everyone who wanted to try their debit card did… even though the machine was obviously down. This resulted in a ridiculously long line. If your debit machine is down, just say so, announce it, post it. Dont just keep trying it over and over again!
Price:
Overpriced. You can get better, cheaper food at other generic burger joints around Toronto.

Licks is the restaurant of my youth. Homeburger combos with extra Guk (the garlicky mayo) that Licks has made famous are firmly entrenched in my earliest moments of consciousness, and it pains me to the core to give it two stars. This rating is not reflective of the Licks of yesteryear, it is however indicative of what it has become.
With Hero Burger and South St. Burger Co. vying to take respective bites out of Toronto’s upscale burger market Licks cannot rest on it’s laurels, however strong they may be. Founder Denise Meehan describes Licks as having a «A nice gay uplifted atmosphere,» and attributes this as setting it apart from competitors I’m not even joking.
I think that Ms. Meehan and Co. should focus less on atmosphere and more on what brought people through the doors in the first place, their burgers. It is safe to say that Licks jumped the proverbial shark when they registered the Homeburger and inked a deal to sell a slew of Licks products to A&P, Dominion, Food Basics, Ultramart, The Barn Markets and Loeb stores. I get they wanted to strengthen their retail niche, but they have undeniably done so by focusing less on their product at the store level.
I find Licks to be a truly mediocre experience at best. Gone are the days when the «coolest» guys in school manned the grill organically belting out tunes while slinging high quality Homeburgers with reckless abandon. These days of yore have been replaced by gimmicky contrived performances and a sub par product that simply tries to pawn itself off as the original Homeburger. Licks has been a victim of it’s own inherent success and for this I am truly sorry.

probably the most overrated burger place in Toronto.
The burgers are good sure, but they are exactly the same in terms of quality as any other fast food/​diner burger.
Not to mention this place is slightly more expensive than those generic burger joints.
There’s nothing special about this place, don’t believe any of the hype.

A Lick’s is a Lick’s is a Lick’s. Or is it? I’ve only ever been to Express locations and as far as I know this is the only full service location in Toronto. A quick jaunt from Ashbridges Bay, this Lick’s location has all the fixin’s…the wild and zany décor, the singing staff, the sticky tables.
I made the near fatal mistake of ordering a Weightless Platter. Friends, don’t order the Weightless Platter.
You may be tempted by the lure of cottage cheese, fruit and green salad but let me break it down for you:
* the cottage cheese portion is about the size of a plum sauce container when you order chicken fingers, and the curds are woefully wimpy
* the salad is really just five wilted lettuce leaves, one green pepper spear and a cherry tomato
* you don’t get to choose what you want on your burger patty (no bun). It just comes plain. Apparently «weightless» = «condimentless» too.
Apparently I’m on the Atkins diet?

When I first moved to Toronto, I was told that you have, HAVE, to go to a Lick’s burger. I had kept this in the back of my mind and when I found myself in the Beaches area of Toronto, I happened across the Licks location there. Time for lunch.
The bright open area for dining consists of a collection of tables surrounded by murals of ice cream, burgers, all vividly painted like a newborn’s bedroom wall. It’s definitely a fun place and it’s aimed at kids. From the ice cream bar to the fact that the servers sing your orders to the cooks, it’s a place that’s alive with electrical fun.
Don’t let the interior fool you. Yes, there is a childlike element to it, but the burgers are the thing. Large, fresh, and tasty, once you select your condiments, you can find a seat, unwrap your meal, and enjoy a tasty burger to the tune of people behind the counter singing about cheeseburgers.

This is the best in the city!
When I was a kid, I loved in the Beaches and Lick’s was the place that everyone went to on the weekends. It is so lively. They sing every order and all the cool teenagers worked there.
Now, it seems a bit dated, but their Nature Burger still beats every other tofu burger on the market.
There are a few locations, but the Beaches is by far the best one.

I heart Licks. It’s quality goodness, and you can’t beat the nature burger. At this location they even sing without being asked (poor bastards).
It’s by far the best fast food burgers that I’ve had — and they have good ice cream too. Speaking of which, if you decide to have a kids meal it includes a free cone too!