Family-run Real Burger is owned and operated by Ata Faraji, Ramesh Koulaji, and their daughter, Rojin. Ata is the main cook and an avid photographer whose work is prominently displayed, adding charm and character throughout the Clappison's area restaurant. Ramesh is a nutritionist who makes sure customers are getting fresh produce and healthy alternatives, while Rojin manages the staff, deals with customers, and pretty much runs the restaurant.
Although Ata operated other restaurants in Toronto, the family found this great opportunity in Waterdown just as the town was starting to grow. Real Burger opened in 2017 and is not a franchise. There’s just one location at 13-94 Dundas Street East, Waterdown, in the Walmart Plaza.
Rojin stresses the importance of establishing connections with the community when it comes to getting people to choose a small business over the well-known burger chains. That means the staff is trained to remember customers’ names and know their orders whenever possible.
“It’s a lot of word-of-mouth. Obviously, Waterdown is a very family-oriented, tight-knit community, so everyone just loves to spread the word if they like something or not,” says Rojin.
Real Burger prides itself on being a celiac-friendly and vegan-friendly restaurant. There’s a variety of comfort food classics, but as the name suggests, burgers are the main attraction. They offer up smash burgers, which don’t add breadcrumbs, eggs, or anything but salt and pepper. Pretty much what they sound like, smash burgers are loosely packed ground beef smashed onto a hot grill to sear in their own juices.
Real Burger’s meat comes from VG Meats, a local butcher shop in Stoney Creek that offers products free of antibiotics and hormones. The buns come from Cobb’s Bakery fresh every day, or diners can choose a lettuce wrap or a keto-friendly bun.
Customers can dress up their bugers with a selection of 16 free toppings and a host of premium choices, like five different types of cheese, caramelized onions, sauteed portobello mushrooms, guacamole, and strip or peameal bacon.
Burgers come in three sizes, with the choice to customize or opt for one of the signature sandwiches with preset toppings. The Grilled Chicken sandwich is a popular choice, marinated in saffron and topped with portobello mushroom and Swiss cheese, as is the Philly Cheesesteak, featuring shredded steak, caramelized onions, mozzarella cheese, and Real Burger’s signature sauce.
The menu features four different types of vegan burgers, including beet, Beyond Meat, black bean and sweet potato, and quinoa.
The Real Poutine is billed as bucket-sized and consists of one pound of fresh-cut fries, two layers of Quebec cheese curds, and two layers of beef gravy. There’s Veggie Poutine with veggie gravy, along with more elaborate options like Buffalo Chicken Poutine and Philly Cheese Steak Poutine.
There’s also a selection of fresh salads with salad dressings made from scratch.
“For us, it’s about the customer experience. We want to have that engagement with the customers. We want our customers to feel like they’re in that homey atmosphere so that they feel safe and welcomed,” says Rojin. “This is a second home for us. Our home is your home; we want you to feel like you are a part of our family, whether that’s dining in or taking out.
"We want to make sure we’re giving our customers the best service and best food at the same time.”
