Amazingly, this place has been in Pickering since the mid-1960's, longer than I've been in Pickering, or even alive for that matter! For ages, we passed by Big M, noting its classic retro vibe and steady flow of customers. For years, we brushed off the recommendations of Pickering friends, but now, we have finally decided to stop by for a burger. There is outdoor seating only, so in the winter, Big M is a take-out only restaurant. Nevertheless, it was doing a brisk business at 6:00 on a Saturday. We each ordered Banquet Burgers (cheese and bacon). My husband and daughter ordered fries; I went for onion rings. They also each ordered a milkshake. Our opinion was united in that the burgers, shakes, fries and onion rings were exactly what the traditional, retro décor would lead us to expect. You'll not find surprising toppings or artisanal brioche buns at Big M, nor will you encounter the trending smash-burger. Rather, Big M succeeds because it delivers a fantastic version of the sort of burger that your Dad or Grandpa might have grilled up, or the burgers from that retro diner that you parents may or may not have dropped by on their way to the cottage that your family may or may not have visited or owned. Even if these weren't part of your childhood experiences, Big M serves up great traditional fare. Our burgers were made to order as we watched, and had a pleasantly browned and smoky finish, flame-licked by the grill, fresh, tasty toppings. The burger patty itself was neither thick nor thin, but classic 1/2 inch or so. The toasted Kaiser roll stayed crispy, and survived the trip home without getting soggy. The onion rings were the old fashioned, somewhat ponderous kind, as opposed to a lighter tempura style batter, and I relied on my husband to finish eating them on my behalf. But that substantial batter was exactly the right choice to pair with a traditional burger. The shakes were also traditional milk shakes, as opposed to, simply, "shakes", which may or may not contain actual milk or ice cream. The take-away: Big M is what it appears to be, a classic diner offering simple, diner-style fare. As such, it delivers a satisfying meal that more than meets the expectations: words like retro, traditional and home-style spring to mind. If you are in search of a trending, cheffy and possibly pricy experience (and I do tend to flock to those, when budget permits!), then Big M is probably not for you. However, for well-executed, basic, down to earth cooking, Big M serves up an excellent retro experience at a reasonable price. I'll be back to try the Whistle Dog (cheese and bacon) and the Canadian burger (Cheese and Peameal), plus another order of those indulgent onion rings. read more

The best burger I've had in the GTA!! It was amazing. The bun wasn't soggy, all of the ingredients were high quality and well made. The sides are also really good. I've tried the onion rings, poutine and fries and they're all GREAT. Although make sure you hydrate because I did feel the effects of having a salty lunch afterwards The diner calls themselves a "drive-in" but it's more of an outdoor diner/to-go place. Most of the seating is outdoors and picnic table style. The service was wondering. Everyone is really nice and you feel welcome going here. read more

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You ain't gonna find a better burger, it's just that simple. You may find some that are equal, but different, and that's great, but you'll remember this one for life. read more

Quality burger place with friendly service. The burger was juicy and paired well with a milkshake. Would definitely come back again.

The best burger joint in the GTA. They've Been around forever and dominate any other burger place around and continue to stay on top. With their prices, quality beef and freshness of each burger, this is an OG place The employees can't work any harder, their effort under pressure in a kitchen with no AC is incredible. Full respect to them (you better f'n tip). Busy time are always around dinner 4-close. Expect to wait or order ahead. Outside seating is great in summer. Overall this places is a classic and will continue to stay at the top of my list. Highly highly recommended. read more

Although it's been a while, I've been going to Big M in Pickering for close to thirty years! They've been around since 1965, originally located across the street. They still maintain a retro vibe, like a 60s drive-in. It's retro-cool! I recently went there with a group of friends, all foodies. For some of them, it was their first time going but I'm sure it won't be their last. We ordered a variety of foods that we ended up sharing. Their delicious Homemade Burgers are 7oz of deliciousness, flame-grilled to perfection. Their Steak on a Kaiser is legendary. Other treats are listed below, and more! * Banquet Burger * Big M Burger * Steak on a Kaiser * Peameal Bacon on a Kaiser * Fish on a Bun * Greek Salad with Chicken * Grilled Chicken on a Pita * Greek Fries * Poutine * Sweet Potato Fries * Onion Rings To top off a great meal, we had milkshakes that were so very good - the perfect finish to an excellent meal! In addition to delicious food, The Big M is known for hosting car shows, whether it's Corvettes, Mustangs, Vintage Classics, Hot Rods, and more. Thank you to The Big M for your delicious food and great service. I'll definitely be back! read more

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I came here for he first time on a sunday afternoon for a quick lunch. The service was quick and friendly and the food was pretty good. I ordered the Junior Big M and it was the perfect size (4oz) I also decided to make it combo with an upgrade to a poutine. the portion size of the poutine was was so big, I could hardly finish it! read more

Small space with a few bar stools and counter, more of a take out place. They have a good selection, varying from burgers, hotdogs, chicken sandwiches, and fish and chips. Service was fast, friendly, and efficient. We got a cheeseburger and onion rings. Burger had a good size patty (7.5oz), good flavour, but a smidge on the greasy side. The onion rings were super crispy, the crispiest I've ever had, but also quite greasy. read more

I had their burger and poutine not long ago. The poutine gravy was too salty making it not very satisfying unfortunately. The burger seemed like an averagely good burger, no complaints there. The customer service was great and the ambiance was a nice diner vibe. Many people I know like coming here to eat and that's great, maybe my next experience will be better. read more

I love love love spots like this, it's honestly so comforting to see them thrive. It's a classic old school burger joint complete with no chairs/tables, burgers and milkshakes. I ordered the burger and frings combo, frings are a mix of onion rings and fries! The burger is your typical old school classic but it's cheap and nostalgic. Onion rings were a serious hit! I ate my burger before taking a shot (oops) Keep Eating, Angela read more

Big M Burgers - Frings Combo (onion rings and fries) - Hot Dogs Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

Nice lunch meal after a hike. Ordered a Big M burger (poutine combo upgrade) with whistle dog to share. The beef patty was dry but the onion and chipotle sauce addition to the whistle dog made up for it. . The poutine portion was huge and they were very generous with the cheese curds and gravy. COVID process: max 1 guest at a time but to order, you'll have to call in advance and they will let you know when it's ready for pickup. read more

Came here tonight for dinner. There was a line outside, and I can see why. I ordered a Canadian burger combo (peameal bacon and cheese) , with half fries half onion rings and a drink. ~$17. Well worth it, 2 hrs later I'm still so full. Fries are really good here, crisp and tasty. Onion rings the batter is heavy but seasoned well. The burger was delicious. 7 ounces of deliciousness. Great flavour and juicy. Staff here is amazing. You will get great service here. They hussle and make sure you get things quick. Line moves fairly quickly. Don't be fooled by how the outside of this place looks, it is a hidden gem of Pickering. Would definitely come back to try other items on the menu. read more

Big M Burgers - The burgers are huge - Hot Dogs Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

Totally waited waaaaay too long to try this place!!! Came here after reading loads of posts on Fb about this joint so hubby and I ordered lunch from here. Called ahead and ordered a Canadian burger and a cheese burger combo. Soooo glad I decided in the regular (7oz) rather than the junior (only 4oz). This is definitely our go-to for burgers in Pickering now. Can't wait to come back to try the other items on their menu. read more

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My boyfriend was born and raised in Pickering and has been raving about Big M Burgers being integral in his life growing up in Pickering. After 3 years I decided to give in and try it out last summer. Big M is a quaint burger spot near the Frenchman's bay waterfront with picnic tables outside near the parking lot. Mainly a take out spot. There's a menu outside and the summer, we decided to order and sit out on the picnic benches. Inside the workers were very busy scrambling to fill lots of call in pick up orders. After ordering our food promptly came. We split the cheese burger and a poutine between the two of us. Portions were good. The food was not bad. It tasted like what I expected with the charm of a small town local burger shop. But was it the best burger & poutine I've ever had? No. My boyfriend says it reminded him of the memories growing up in Pickering and how his mom used to buy it for them as a treat after soccer. I can appreciate an establishment like Big M Burgers for what it is. So if you're looking for a decent burger with friendly service and a nice vibe near the waterfront, then this is the place. read more

Good food, decent prices! My burger critic kid, gave the Junior burger 2 thumbs up! Also ordered the chicken fingers and fries, also a hit. We shared the Greek salad with grilled chicken, plenty of food for both of us, and very tasty. Th only slight disappointment was the onion rings, huge portion, but a little too much batter and a bit oily for our taste. But overall the food was amazing! We will definitely be back! read more

Big M is a Pickering landmark. In a time when we are increasingly losing places like this (Real Mccoy, Shamrock Burger etc) this is one of the classic burger holdouts. They don't make bougie burgers with truffles and a fried egg on top. They make good, solid burgers which are unpretentious. The location as picnic tables on the outside, the fries are the big type that tell you they are actually made out of potatoes. Definitely going back here. read more

I biked here yesterday from downtown Toronto with my boyfriend and we were absolutely famished and ready to eat. First thing I noticed was "wow, it's busy. It must be good". And it was indeed. I ordered the junior M banquet burger combo with onion rings and my boyfriend got the cheese burger combo with french fries. Half of the onion rings were overcooked. Definitely not the best onion rings. I liked that the french fries were very fresh and you could tell they were hand-cut. The fries also were not seasoned which I really liked since I dislike over-seasoned fries. Simplicity is key. My 4oz junior burger was delicious. The burger was simple and cooked perfectly. The amount of crispy bacon they put in there was very generous too. It was a good size for me and I found myself very full and satisfied. Major kudos to the staff, the service was excellent and the employees were super friendly :) read more

Big M Burgers - Bottom is the junior banquet burger with onion rings, top is the cheeseburger with French fries. - Hot Dogs Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

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Their poutine looks awful and tastes like leftover. I have never had fries that is so hard and dry. read more

Big M Burgers - Regular poutine - Hot Dogs Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

Always great food and service!! I'm not a fan of the fries but that's ok because everyone else is. I always get the grilled chicken on a Kaiser. Never been disappointed. read more

Great potions/food! I always get a hamburger and fries. Hamburgers remind you of the old style / Apache burger. Support local regardless of the news!!! There are good people working!!!! read more

Tony and his staff go the extra mile to make dining here an exceptional time. Food is fantastic be it a Big M Burger, steak on a Kaiser, onion rings , milkshake etc. I make this a weekly destination year round. Keep up the great work Big M ! read more

Real burgers great fries, amazing onion rings, fast, friendly service and we all need to help local businesses.

Big M is a Pickering institution, or so I hear. It's a retro kinda burger/shakes/fries place, not unlike Toronto joints like dairy freeze, square boy, golden star etc. I ordered a Big M combo with fries, and my partner got a cheeseburger combo with onion rings. The burgers themselves are pretty big and not that bad, but not mind blowing. Fries were great, onion rings were a bit too over battered for me. Overall not bad, nor great, but if you're craving a local burger that's not from a chain - Big M is a decent choice. read more

Nice place good chair nice tv nice people here at home and we have to go to get them for lunch we can pick up lunch at lunch and we will meet up at the office for dinner and we will try it later we will have dinner at around lunch thanks again and see if we have lunch or lunch dinner at around lunch dinner William was a great night to see if we we got read more

Had lunch here and ordered: Big M burger combo Half-fries, half-onion rings, $13.49 $2 extra for (1/2 option) Plus pop. Burger was 7 oz. Had a sour taste, did not have a charcoal taste; fresh patty. Fries were shitty so were the onion rings! Hyped-up to the core. People are just lured here by nostalgia. Toppings were similar to Harvey's. Customer service was ok. Prices for combo not worth it; $6 extra for fries/pop. $2 extra if you opt for half- onion ring/fries. Had only 6 onions rings and the rest were fries. Onion rings did not have onions just batter! Not worth the fries nor the onion rings! Burger was so-so at $7.49 on its own. read more

Service (one lady in particular) was repeatedly rude to multiple customers. Burger was dry and overdone. Fries were excellent. I was hoping for something like Burger Shack - rough around the edges but great burger. Sadly, this missed the mark. read more

I definitely like this place First it has the 50's style diner which is definitely nostalgic The burgers definitely hit the spot My fav is the Big M burger but I don't mind the banquet burger as well Combo is always the way go Milkshakea are super yummy Thick as well too Staff are super friendly and make you feel at home Has been a staple in the Pickering community Keep up the great work read more

Can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Great food, great service, great value. Would highly recommend this place.

Seating is limited to a few bar stools. More of a take-out place. The service is super friendly and has the feeling of going to a a buddies house for grilled burgers. The place was really busy and everything is made fresh to order so had to wait about 10 minutes for my order to be prepared. Thank you Irene A. for posting your picture of the fish on a bun with sweet potato fries. This is exactly what I got after seeing the photo. I was dreaming about it all week long. The fish on a bun was a good size. The sesame bun was nice and soft and the fish itself was moist with a nice crispy crunch on the outside. ($4.95) The sweet potato fries were excellent. Big portion of fries and chipotle dipping sauce. I hate when I run out of sauce but they gave more than enough. The chipotle sauce really stood out for me and I would say one of the best I have had. Some places don't even provide Chipotle sauce and give you ketchup and thats just wrong. ($5.99) read more

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Food is great but the noise coming from there can be intolerable to their neigbbours.

I absolutely love this place. Haven't been here in a while but my return was just as hospitable as the previous visit. Everyone who works here are all very friendly. Feels like you're in their home and their main priority is to make you comfortable and of course, full with their delicious food. If you have a big appetite and are craving a burger, then just get a regular sized burger. Their junior burgers, however, are also pretty average sized. I absolutely LOVE their banquet burger because BACON. Their very generous with their bacon and it's not our typical packaged bacon either. I also recommend adding some of their forty-creek bbq sauce with some added flavour, not that it's much needed. 5/5. Poutine - If ever you upgrade your combo to have a poutine instead, you'll be getting a huge serving of poutine which can be shared with at least one other person. Best part is that they use curds and their gravy is also delicious. Gotta love that squeaky cheese. 5/5. Sweet Potato Fries - Another upgrade option and I must say that their sweet potato fries is the best I've ever had. If you've ever tried to make sweet potato fries, it's not very easy to get that crispiness. Theirs is absolute perfection. And with their chipotle mayo?! Woowee! 5/5. Onion Rings - Their rings too are huge. As doughy as the batter is, it's not overly greasy. I personally prefer the light crispier batter but theirs is still pretty good. 4/5. read more

Amazing poutine. I am obsessed. Perfectly cooked, fresh French fries. The veggie burger is actually really great too. I can't comment on the beef burgers as I did not try one, but this place is worth a try for the poutine alone. If you're in Pickering and like burger joints, this is a must try! read more

The wife and went to this place. Big M is one of those places that you drive by and wonder what all those people are lining up for. Well tonight we wonder no more. I ordered the double burger, onion rings and chocolate milkshake. The onion rings were think cut and generously covered in batter. This may not be to all tastes but with a dash of salt and some ketchup they are a small meal all their own. The milkshake was on par with Mr Greenjeans - a legend in the Toronto Eaton's Centre. Excellent milkshake with one rider. I would suggest you stop by McDonalds or Wendy's and grab a straw. The shake is think and a little too much for a fountain drink pop. The burger cooked to perfection and dressed the way you want. A fair assortment of toppings and dressings. But the bun was superior. A decent burger can be wrecked by a cheap bun. This bun was designed to handle a 1/2 of beef. Excellent burger and better than Five Guys in taste and price. Will be back but now I need to run off this burger feast. Wow! read more

Good food, I had fish on a kiser with sweet potato fries and my husband had a banquet burger with onion rings, my daughter had a kids burger. Everything was tasty and fast service, very pricy for a fast food joint but the food was hood so it was worth it. I'll go back when I'm in the area. read more

Big M Burgers - Fish on a bun with sweet potato fries and banquet burger with onion rings - Hot Dogs Near Me - Pickering, Ontario

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This place was great! Fantastic service, great burgers and hometown feel! Well done BigM! #AmericansRunningTheRagnarNiagara

This is easily top 3 Burger spot in the area, employees are always friendly as fuck, big quantities and great burgers, milkshakes, onion rings you name it. And the owner is always playing Bob Marley when he's in and i can definitely get jiffy with that. I will Forever praise this place read more

Simply delicious. Creative, quality. Ill be back! Sometimes you just want a really good burger!!

As I was going to pickering Lakefront in I happened a pond a gold mine the burgers are so good makes my mouth water dnag son. the Meat paddy was the right size for the bread the fries were just right in crispyness dat stuff was on point also the ppl that work there hella nice would love to go there more often thank you you guys for the good food read more

Their burgers are made over charcoal and they're very tasty. One of the best burgers in Durham region. Highly recommend for that burger craving. read more

Theeee freshest burgers around. All homemade. And the bombest milkshakes. Staff and owner are all super friendly and welcoming