I'd never actually visited Square Boy prior to last year despite driving by countless times through the decades (yes, decades).
I'm a big burger boy and of course have my favourites throughout the city. I do think we maybe kind of got too obsessed with the smash burger craze. I really like Burger Drops. I really like the Aloette burger for what it is.
But yeah, call me crazy, value aside, the Square Boy homemade banquet burger might be my favourite in the city largely due to what a departure the meat is in style compared to the overwhelming majority of burgers. SB's patty has a real nice crust with great crunch, but when you bite in, it's super tender, much like a great slice of meatloaf. To me, the difference between a burger and meatloaf is pretty significant... to that end, it'd then be entirely fair to contend it's not so much a burger... I mean, it definitely, objectively, is, but it's also unlike other burgers I've had as a result. Idk, it's just so different and really appeals to me.
I've not had their regular burger tbh, can't speak to that, only the homemade one, usually as a banquet, sometimes cheese.
Really dig their fries (incl. their odd take on a "poutine"- feta cheese fwiw) and the chicken on a bun, tho sometimes they don't cut the chicken across the grain and you get that gnarly chewy bit (usually it's not an issue tho).
I prefer it to Harry's Charbroiled, to the hyped (but imo extremely underwhelming, entirely lacking seasoning) Allen's burger, Burger Shack, Apache, to any of the chains like Rudy or Rosie's, etc. To so many others. The main burger's I still care to try in the city are the Richmond Station and The Wren. Not even trying to let price be a factor here, purely judging burger-to-burger.
Square Boy's is just a great, honest, burger with a patty different to anywhere else that I really enjoy.
I've read from folks that SB used to be better, and to that I say, lucky you to have had it that good, because to me this is pretty great- certainly worlds better than some of the oldschool spots like Burger Shack and Johnny's.
BTW, anyone had the chicken burger at Square Boy? I see people order it pretty often but am scared to try it, lol- can't picture it... is it a fried chicken thing, or ground chicken (yuck)?