Category Archives: Burgers

Fresh,Local,Wild

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With Spring here that means a lot of the food carts and trucks we love come out of Winter hibernation and this year has the benefit of a bunch of new carts hitting the streets.  I visited the Triple D famous Fresh, Local, Wild on there opening day of the season.  They have the items on the menu that were featured on Triple D as well as fresh new creations that Josh Wolfe is dreaming up.

The first item I had was the The Halibut Shawarma.  Made with Ocean Wise halibut and all the traditional flavors you would expect to find in a great shawarma made this a winning dish.  The shawarma was a great filling meal that didn’t leave me like I had a lead weight in my stomach after.

The next item on the menu for me was the Kebab Burger with 1/2 fries and 1/2 salad.

My fries were nice and crisp on the outside and the skin on the potatoes added that homemade flavor.  The salad was dressed with a nice tangy balsamic vinaigrette.

My kebab burger was made from juicy heritage beef and mixed with herbs and spices.  The toppings on this bad boy were the typical shawarma toppings-humus, lettuce and tabouleh.  The humus was something that I have never had on a burger and was totally delicious.  That’s not ketchup on my burger by the way-it’s Sriracha chili sauce, it added a nice zip to the flavorful toppings and kebab meat.

Fresh, Local, Wild is a solid lunch option that will satisfy your street food hunger.  There open Monday-Friday till 3pm and they take cash and debit cards.

Fresh Local Wild (Food Cart) on Urbanspoon

Vera Your Meat Got Beat!

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Lord knows I love burgers and with all the great places that have opened that specialize in burgers and also those solid restaurants that have put a great burger on their menu it’s really become clear to me when I get a bad burger and also when the price is way out of line for what is served.

I’ve had some good meals at Vera’s Burger Shack and the one by my place in the West End has put a smile on my face in the past. Recently I was craving a burger and not wanting to hit the other burger place up the street when I have been to a few times recently I thought I would mix things up and grab BBQ Burger combo at Vera’s and watch the game for a bit~I usually just grab and go eat at home but I dined in on this visit.

I got the BBQ Burger and made it a combo, the burger on its own costs $8.99, the combo comes with the fries pictured above and a fountain drink that is equal to the medium size at any fast food restaurant and is bottomless and all this came to $17 with a $2 tip included.

It was a decent sized burger and I got all the usual toppings on it but it wasn’t so BBQ’y tasting~it tasted more like a greasy grill and I say this because I’ve had this burger a ton of times in the past and it’s one of my favorites so it was a huge disappointment when it lacked so much in the flavor department and what really gets me is the price for this combo, for the same $$ I paid I could have spent $2 more and got a burger from Hawksworth Restaurant at the Hotel Georgia~a burger really worth $20 so I think it’s really time for Vera’s burger Shack to rethink their because the prices now don’t equal value for money.

Vera your meat has been beat by every burger joint in town that specializes in burgers as well as some other places that don’t. My fries were the best part of my meal~something I shouldn’t have to be saying from a place that specializes in burgers.

Vera's Burger Shack (Denman) on Urbanspoon

Max’s Burgers~Bacon Marmalade Topped Goodness

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Attention burger lovers and addicts~there’s a new dealer in town and his name is Max and he’s gonna have you coming back for more!

Chef Connor Butler is the chef and rain’s behind the menu and the space used to be Max’s Deli owned by Bruce Redpath and Redpath Foods, he’s still the owner of the building and is the owner of Max’s Burgers.

It’s a step up from Vera’s and Sunset Burgers and is ment to appeal to the Stackhouse Burger Bar and Romer’s Burger Bar crowd with fresh ground chuck brought in from Alberta and in-house made Brioche bun’s, with extra add-ons like blue cheese, applewood smoked bacon and house-made bacon marmalade!, Hollandaise sauce, red onion rings, sautéed mushrooms he’s really setting himself apart from the others on the market. Besides burgers the menu also features ancho-chili spiced Sloppy Joes, pigs in blankets, real black truffle mayo dips, crab po’boys, a $55, 24 ounce “Behemoth” burger that comes with a pitcher of beer and all the types of fries they have~it’s gonna become a Vancouver go to spot for burgers I totally think.

My visit was on their 2nd day of opening, I walked in just 12pm and it was totally packed so I went and relaxed out of the pouring rain at the Starbucks close by. I got back in around 1:30 and it I got a table without an issue. When you walk in your intuition tells you to walk up to the counter and place your order and grab a seat but it’s not the case here and confused me and a lot of other people~grab a seat if you want to eat in and a server will come over and take your order.

The menu is full of really great sounding burgers and sandwiches and the boozy shakes sound great and something that I’m definitely going to try in a future visit.

For this adventure I wanted to try something that I heard great things about~the British Columbian Burger for $12.50, it has their house made bacon marmalade as well as Apple Wood Smoked Bacon on it as well as all there usual toppings~shredded lettuce, tomatoes and fried onions that are a free option as well as their house Big Max Sauce. All burgers come with hand cut Kennebec fries.

This bad boy was totally delicious, the different flavors from the bacon marmalade and the beef went totally beautifully together, I had to employ the Tripple D Guy Fieri move~the hunch, the juice would have totally ran down my arms!, it’s a 3 napkinr’ and a definite must try.

My fries unfortunately were the weakest part of the meal and needed to be cooked longer~I left 3/4 of them and just chowed on my burger, I’d totally try the onion rings that they have~I saw some orders of them and they looked really good.

Max's Burgers on Urbanspoon

Rogue Kitchen and Wet Bar

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One restaurant that has really embraced all forms of Social Media and there customers as well is Rogue Kitchen and Wet Bar at Waterfront Station. They offer daily specials if you follow them on Twitter, contests via Facebook and free gift certificates for drinks and menu items if you “check in” on your visit on Foursquare and that’s just what they have in the works right now, @MaryInVancity introduced me to this place and informed me of the deals they offer via social media, it’s definitely on her usual dining and drinking spots and her post in it can be found here.

The space is great and with the high ceilings it’s afforded them the opportunity to really split the space up and make intimate dining areas that are great for any sized group.

pardon the green spots on the picture

They really create a nice atmosphere at night with the candlelight and over sized Jetson like chandeliers.

These are the drinks we scored for following them on Twitter, the specials change daily and today it was any drink off the menu, I went with the Central City Raspberry Wheat Ale~Infused with raspberries from the Fraser Valley, this wheat ale is crisp and clean with a subtle fruitiness. The toasted crystal malt from England balances the natural acidity of the raspberries producing a beer that is refreshing and a delightful taste experience, Mary went with a glass of Gewürztraminer, at $11 for the wine and $6 for my beer it’s a no brainer to follow them on Twitter.  They have a HUGE beer list and some killer cocktails and shots so if you’re looking to hit a bar and watch the game Rogue is the place for you.

Asian Potstickers were up next for us, recommended by our server they were a hit, they were nicely fried and filled with seasoned pork and served with a sesame soy and sriracha dipping sauce for $8.99.

The Sushi Bombs 2.0 are a new thing to me but one of the things the Rogue is known for, they are sushi rice rolled in a ball and topped with albacore tuna, tobiko, wasabi flying fish roe, sriracha & sesame seeds and chased with wasabi soy shots~you put the whole thing in you mouth and squeeze the soy wasabi shot in your mouth as you pull it out.  They were OK~I thought the wasabi roe along with the sriracha on top along with the soy mix was a bit hot for me, the tuna was really understated compared to the other ingredients in this dish.  For $9.99 it was a neat thing to try but I wouldn’t order it again.

Mary went with the Coconut Poached Chicken Salad, it had snap peas, red & yellow peppers, mango, mixed greens, cashews, thin Asian noodles and sesame soy dressing, for $14.99 it was a filling meal and a pretty big salad, the coconut poached chicken really added a nice Thai touch to the meal.  Mary said she enjoyed it and from what I tasted I would order it sometime.

With my never ending burger hunt I just had to try the 9.2oz Rogue Burger, it was totally ultra juicy, a two napkin-er, made from house ground sirloin burger cooked to 160 F, placed on a sesame brioche bun and topped with bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, pickle, sweet relish & mayo, served with your choice of fries~they have 4 or 5 different varieties or a salad for $12.99 it’s a solid choice, I went with their regular fries on this visit

they use Kennebec Potatoes for all their fry variety’s and were munched on by the both of us.

With the great service we got, the diverse food choice along with all the specials~both via Social Media and regular daily in house specials Rogue Wet bar is going on my go to list for drinks and good eats and would suggest it to anyone~especially if you’re visiting our fine city in the Gastown area.

Rogue Kitchen and Wet Bar on Urbanspoon

Fat Burger on Denman St

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Fat Burger is an American chain that has made its way up to Canada about 4 or 5 years ago. With a location on Denman street it’s not far away from my place but to be honest I made a visit here right after they opened years ago and they had a bit of a different menu~and it wasn’t a good thing, the prices for a burger, fries and a drink were over $14 and the value for money wasn’t there, I made the decision not to come back~till a couple weeks ago!

The decor inside is very American Diner and the walls are adorned with record albums from classic American artists and each location has a Wurlitzer Jukebox and the seating consists of booth type seating and some tables.

I ordered up their “Big Fat Deal”, it consisted of a bacon double cheeseburger, an order of their skinny fries and bottomless fountain drinks for $9.99. This was a better priced option that what I had before and made a lot more sense to me for value for money.

After placing your order at the counter your burger is cooked fresh so they give you a number and bring out your meal to your table when it’s ready~nice touch in my eye’s. They have all the usual condiments at the table as well as their brand of MSG free seasoning, I like the fact it’s MSG free but it’s still high in unnecessary salt so use it sparingly.

After waiting for 5 minutes my food was delivered to my table, it’s a nice amount of food and the burger looked like a classic bacon double cheese and would satisfy any burger lover.

The fries here have changed since my first visit~the potato skins are new and they are a bit thicker now, still they were good fries~not soggy and well seasoned but as I got to the bottom of the container they were soft from sitting.

My burger on the other hand was just what a bacon double cheese should be and it definitely kicks the Golden Arches in the butt!, the bun was soft yet it held together throughout the eating of the burger.

It was almost like my burger had a bacon tongue!, the burger size here is very similar to Nimby Burger in Kits, there not as big as Vera’s Burgers but still I didn’t walk away hungry.

With a good meal on this visit I’d come back and try them again,  the restaurant is also really kid friendly, while I was eating dinner a coupe Grandparents came in with 3 little ones and the staff hooked them up with toys to draw on and keep them occupied while waiting for dinner and it totally worked and the kids were quiet with Grandma and Grandpa smiling away!

Fatburger (Denman) on Urbanspoon

Edible Canada At The Market

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Edible Canada and the Granville Island Public Market has opened it’s doors and is offering something that is a perfect fit on the island and is serving up some authentic local fare that is partially sourced right from the on site public market. It’s more than just restaurant here though, they offer public market tours, chef table market dinners and one of the best patios in Vancouver.

They also offer a store featuring all Canadian products, you can also get Championship BBQ Pit Master Rockin’ Ron Shewchuk’s BBQ pulled pork that’s vacuumed sealed and just needs to be reheated and enjoyed. One other thing to note is all the planter boxes outside contained edible items, from the one pictured with different lettuces to flowering lemon thyme and other herbs and they also feature electric vehicle recharging stations in front for you to use for free.

The purpose for this visit was to try there burger and there fries but these aren’t just ordinary fries-there cooked in duck fat and served with a bacon aioli!

My burger was made from meat sourced from the market and was cooked perfectly, the toppings were BC double smoked bacon, Canadian cheddar cheese, farm fresh heirloom tomatoes and it’s served with a homemade ketchup and housemate dill pickle served on a house made roll. I love the idea of a burger made completely from local products, the burger itself was OK, the meat like I said was cooked perfectly but the local greens on top added a grassy flavor and the housemate pickle was a disappointment-it tasted like was seaweed smells like and didn’t work with me, other than that the other ingredients of my burger were good.

Next up we have the duck fat fries, I loved the extra flavor from the duck fat and the fries were really crispy and I wish more places offered these. The bacon aioli is a bit on the salty side but I love the idea and this was a good way to really see what their homemade ketchup tasted like, compared to the famous brand we all grew up with this one was more sweet than sour. One negative was the fact a lot of my fries were small-like little fry nibs, once I got thru the big ones on top the rest of the fry cone was these fry nibs-perfect for poutine but not on their own.

At the end of the day the rest of the menu at Edible Canada is really good and they provide the best dining value for your buck on Granville Island and is the best way to sample some real Canadian cuisine.

Edible Canada at the Market on Urbanspoon

Deacon’s Corner

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Deacons Corner sits on the border of the Downtown Eastside and Gastown and is serving up classic diner food and all day breakfasts. I can remember eating here years ago when it was a generic white box and the food was pretty so so. Now with the same owner as Gastown’s Cobre being the proprietor of this joint the good food and solid service have arrived at The Deacons Corner.
On my first visit I had the classic clubhouse with fries. For $11.75 you get the usual suspects in a classic clubhouse-freshly roasted chicken, fresh tomatoes and lettuce and perfectly cooked bacon. This was one of the best clubhouses I’ve ever had and it’s simply because of the fresh ingredients. The fries here are hand cut and tossed with salt and pepper and are totally addictive.
On another visit I tried their daily special-a ham steak sandwich with bacon, Swiss cheese and cheddar with a bowl of potato, ham and leek soup for $10.00. This was a bit hit and miss for me, the soup was the off part, I got a few big chunks of bay leaf on my first few spoonfuls and consequently that’s all I tasted in the soup from then on. The sandwich on the other had was good and full of porky goodness with the thick cut fried ham steak and the bacon. It’s a classic diner sandwich at the end of the day.

The burgers here are where it’s really at, the toppings are classic and fresh and again I went with the fries.

Each burger here comes with 2 homemade little patty’s, the meat is cooked on a flat top grill and I chose to add cheese. For $9.75 this is the best and cheapest burger I’ve had in a while, when it’s put all together you get this:

The perfect burger!, they have a couple of specialty burgers on the menu that look really good so if you’re looking to satisfy that craving for a perfect cheese burger check out the Deacon’s Corner and they’ll hook you up right.

Deacon's Corner on Urbanspoon

Milestones Grill and Bar English Bay

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Milestones at English Bay is a longtime standard summertime hangout for me because of the killer patio overlooking English Bay and the tasty drinks they offer. With the renovations done to the chain the interior is like the Robson street location which makes for great daytime dining and intimate dimly lit evening dinners.

I live right around the corner from this location so it’s really convenient and a solid stand by when I have a late night at work and want dinner later in the evening without going to a loud bar.

Heineken Draft $7.99.  I started out with a big beer and from what they had on tap this was the most appealing choice for me.  The size of the glass surprised me-it’s one big beer so I got my moneys worth.

Crispy Asian Chicken Bites $9.99-tossed in a Thai chili sauce with cucumber and toasted sesame seeds.  I really liked these boneless chicken bites, the sauce was more heat than sweet and the bites were all crispy and juicy.  I’d defiantly order this again.

Milestones Beef Burger with the American topping add-on $12.99+$1.50.  All the burgers come with the usual lettuce, onion, tomato and pickle, you also get your choice of fries or salad-I added the extra .99 for yam frites.

The burger is juicy and the double smoked bacon was nice and fried perfectly.  The yam frites were so so-they reminded me of cremated yam strings!, the plate comes with a southern aioli that is really heavy on the cumin.

Milestones continues to be a go to choice for a sold meal and the menu is big enough without reading like a novel so you’re sure to find something that will satisfy your hunger.

Milestones Grill and Bar (English Bay) on Urbanspoon

The Market Grill on Granville Island

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On my quest for good burgers around the city~or whatever city I’m in for that matter I’m always on the look out, one of the places that has been around for a while is the Market Grill located in the main eating area at the Granville Island Public Market.

The style of the place is straight up 80′s and hasn’t changed since they opened I’d venture to say but that’s all good because I’m here for the food!.

The menu is good old-fashioned beef, chicken burgers balanced with a side of salmon, veggie hot dog and sausage options if you’re not looking for that traditional burger, I also see they offer breakfast here as well.

I’ve stuck to the beef burgers mainly here but on one visit I met a lady next to me from California who had the salmon burger and she said it was petty good.

The Market Special $9.25, mushrooms, onions, special sauce, swiss cheese and tomato served with wedge fries.  This was a really good burger, the flame grilled parry had that great charbroiled flavor, the mushrooms and grilled onions added a nice moisture to the burger and the bun held up nicely.  The fries here are wedge style and have a great crisp outside with a nice fluffy middle and are nicely salted~great fries at this joint that’s for sure.

The Deluxe Classic $8.15, loaded with relish, onion, pickle, mustard, mayo and tomato’s.  This was their standard burger I take it and the meat on this occasion was kind of dry and the chunks of onion took away from the burger.  On the bright side~the fries were great again!.

I’m looking forward to trying the Californian burger, other than that I’d suggest the Market Special if you’re looking for something really good and a solid burger.

Market Grill on Urbanspoon

Milestones on Robson-Old And New Favorites

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I grabbed lunch at Milestones on Robson St a couple of days ago and I was surprised by the new interior redesign~lots of black and pops of orange and fake snake skin chairs.

With alot of new items on the menu I went with a new appy and an old standard main for my lunch and here’s what I got:

Trio Of Roasted Mushroom and Goat Cheese Risotto Balls $10.99, A lightly fried panko crusted medley of roasted mushroom risotto, creamy goat cheese and Reggiano cheese, served with a chili Arrabiata sauce.

These were really good, the goat cheese wasn’t to strong and the risotto was still creamy on the inside with a really crispy outside because of the panko, the sauce tasted more like a tomato sauce rather than a  chili sauce, the parm was tasty and I the size of the appy was large and could be shared by 2 people.

Grilled Chicken Salad $14.99, hand shaven chicken breast, crispy red tortilla strips and cilantro, tossed with a honey lime vinaigrette and drizzled with peanut sauce.  This has been a favorite salad of mine over the years and nothing besides the presentation style has changed much for the dish itself~the ingredients are still exactly the same and it’s just as enjoyable but man the price has really gone up, I remember when this salad was like $10 bucks!.

At the end of the day my lunch was good food quality wise but value for dollar just wasn’t there for me, Milestones is a what you would expect from a chain restaurant but theirs other places~like one across from this Milestones, that are more innovative in my eyes.

Milestones Grill and Bar (Robson) on Urbanspoon