Vera's Burger Shack

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Restaurant: Vera's Burger Shack

Burger Consumed: The Vic

Vera's Burger Shack has 14 locations, all but 1 are in Southern BC.

The set up is typically the same for each store. Wooden booths surround the perimeter, which you sit at while you anxiously wait for your name to be screamed out.

Vera's offers 11 variations of beef burgers, as well as hot dogs, lamb burgers and the standard chicken burger. My personal favorites are the Baja Burger (Single patty, salsa, guacamole, cheese and hot peppers) and the Vic (Double patty, cheese and fried onions = a double bypass).



The Vic (pictured above) is one of the hardest things to eat without looking challenged. It is huge and gets soggy with too many condiments on it. Luckily for me I ordered it with everything on it, so I was looking extra special while I ate lunch with my in-laws. I'm sure they are thrilled that their only daughter is married to a caveman.

Although it is a real pain to eat, the burger is pretty damn good. Points are awarded for the quality of the beef and cheese. I recommend not getting every condiment on it. It will save you the embarrassment from children pointing and laughing at you.

In addition to excellent meat, Vera's makes their milkshakes using real ice cream. I have never ventured away from the chocolate, but I am sure the other flavors will be just as enjoyable. I wouldn't waste my money on their fries, but their onion rings are excellent. Points will also be awarded because they are a licensed establishment. They serve locally brewed beers that are the perfect addition to your Vera's combo.

As for the final score-- Although it is an excellent burger I highly recommend, I cannot grant it a perfect score. It fails to meet the quality of Taylor's Automatic Refresher, which has set the bar very high.

Final Score: 4/5

Fatburger

Location: Vancouver

Restaurant: Fatburger

Fatburger is a large franchise. They have locations in every state and almost every province.

I had driven by their Vancouver location on the way to work one day and decided I had to try a place with a name as good as this. It's motto even intrigued me - "The Last Great Hamburger Stand".

I walked in and ordered a Kingburger with a side of onion rings. I thought it was odd that I was asked if I wanted cheese and bacon on it considering the name of the restaurant. That was my first sign that this place was not as 'fat' as I had hoped.

My name was called and I ran up to get my order. As I was walking back to my table I could feel the weight of the Kingburger and I thought there may be hope after all. I unwrapped this 8oz beast and noticed that there was no sesame seeds on my bun -- strike 1.

As I was easily making my way through this burger I couldn't help but think that the only good thing about it was the cheese and bacon. Strike 2. With the add-ons being the only good thing in between the bread I think they need to change the cheese and bacon to a standard on their burgers.

I then noticed that I was not receiving any chest pains from this supposedly 'fat' burger, more specifically their KING of their 'fat'. When I walked in the door I wanted a paramedic team on standby because I expected some immediate clogging to my arteries. Strike 3. Game over.

In regards to their scoring I have decided to give them a low because of the fact that it is a mess to eat due to them piling on the ketchup and mayo to cover up the actual burgers weak flavor. As well as the fact that there is no variety on their menu. There is nothing unique about this place other then their deceiving name.

One final thought, if their slogan "The Last Great Hamburger Stand" were true, there would be no point in me living if this was the best burger the world had to offer.

Final Score: 2/5

Splitz Grill

Location: Whistler, British Columbia

Restaurant: Splitz Grill

Splitz has two location, one in Vancouver and the one I visited in Whistler.

A bunch of friends and I decided to go to Whistler for a weekend. We spent our days checking out the sights and of course the slopes. We went out to dinner to posh restaurants with extensive wine lists and well displayed dishes. The one thing these restaurants did not have on the menu: a meal that could satisfy my hunger.

So the search began. Aaron and I had riffled through the pamphlets in the hotel lobby earlier and found a place that credited itself with "Whistlers Best Burger". Neither of us had to say anything out loud because we both knew that this would be our final destination for the evening.

We entered Splitz right before they were closing. We ordered drinks and the rest of the group found a table while I was dissecting their menu trying to determine which burger I would be slamming to make up for my toddler sized dinner from earlier. Splitz has 10 items on the menu, but most of them do not count because they are veggie patties or other wastes of time. I decided on the Double Stacker Splitz Burger, topped with the following: extra cheese and bacon, Splitz Legendary garlic mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion and black pepper.

We both bit into this monster of a burger and were quite satisfied with the flavor, but the meat was a bit too tough for our taste. The garlic mayo was phenomenal, it had a great flavor to it. The bacon was firm but yielding and the pickles were dilled to perfection. Overall Splitz did a quality job on putting this thing together, but they need to invest in a higher quality beef. There is no chance this particular cow was part of the famous AAA Canadian Beef herd.

In addition to awesome pickles, Splitz makes a mean plate of onion rings and fries. They are deep fried and then salted until just right. A real bonus of Splitz is that they serve beer to wash down their tough beef.

The employee preparing my burger would occasionally have an air guitar outburst to keep me entertained while I waited and they had no problem giving me a mountain of their amazing pickles on the side. It is just too bad that their beef was tougher than an old baseball glove.

In regards to the final score - Splitz did a decent job. They are a small operation that focuses on the essentials for a good burger joint. Although their prices are quite high.

If you are ever in Whistler make sure you find time to stop into Splitz and try one of their burgers. It is worth the chest pains on the walk back to your hotel.

Final Score: 4/5

Taylor's Automatic Refresher

Location: San Francisco, California
Restaurant: Taylor's Automatic Refresher

Taylor's has three locations, all in Northern California. Their flagship location is the Ferry Building in San Francisco.


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I first learned about Taylor's from a friend. She'd seen it featured on Diners Drive-ins and Dives. I stopped in the next time I was in California and it changed my life.

Depending on the location, the set up varies a bit, but you always place your order and then find somewhere to sit. They either call your name on the loud speaker (Napa Valley) or use the little blinking wireless pucks (San Francisco). Either way, the wait is worth it.

Taylor's has 9 burgers on the menu, along with chilli-dogs, salads, and even a grilled cheese sandwich. The classics are there -- hamburgers, cheeseburgers and bacon cheeseburgers -- but the winners in my opinion are the Wisconsin Sourdough (mushrooms, bacon, cheddar cheese, mayo and BBQ sauce on sourdough bread) and the Western Bacon Blue Ring (crumbled blue cheese,
bacon, pickles, red onion and BBQ sauce on, topped with an onion ring, all on a toasted egg bun).

The Bacon Blue Ring Burger (pictured above) is a real mess to eat, but it's delicious. The blue cheese isn't overpowering at all - so even if you aren't a blue cheese fan, I'd suggest giving it a whirl.

In addition to excellent burgers, Taylor's is famous for their awesome milk shakes. I've never had anything other than chocolate (it's too perfect to stray away), but they offer vanilla and strawberry as well. Finally, to complete the perfect meal, Taylor's makes some of the best sweet potato fries I've ever had - I definitely recommend trying them.

As for the final score -- I know what you're thinking: another perfect burger? How can it be? All I can say is try it yourself :)

Final score: 5/5

Cactus Club Cafe

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia

Restaurant: Cactus Club Cafe

Burger Consumed: The Burger

I was in Vancouver during the Winter Olympics. There were thousands of people were trying to figure out what live events they were going to see. I was researching where I can get quality beef.

Instead of choosing to go to one of the 13 million chinese restaurants in Vancouver we decided on Cactus Club Cafe. On the menu there is an entree called "The Burger", this seemed like a no brainer, I did not have to read the rest of the menu to decide what I was consuming.

Side Note: my wife ordered a drink called the "Wu-Tangtini". After she ordered it I asked the waitress for "extra killer bees on the side", which she did not find funny. It will be noted that the Cactus Club Cafe will be deducted 1 burger in their rating due to this particular server having the personality of Charles Manson.

My burger arrived and I was satisfied in the size of the burger. I went for the first bite and all I could think about how this tastes exactly like the burgers you buy from the grocery store. This patty was not handcrafted in the back. This patty was a frozen brick 5 minutes ago. The bun was too soft, the beef tasted like cardboard and the overall flavor had nothing special about it. The sauce did have a pleasant sweet taste to it, which is the only reason it received a score at all. Although the entire time I ate it I was picturing myself sitting in IN-N-OUT slamming some double doubles.

It tastes just like every other restaurants mandatory burger on the menu. Mediocre. And it leave you wishing that you had gone to a burger joint instead of wasting your time in an actual restaurant dining with normal people.

Final Score: 1/5 burgers.

Barbie's Primo Burgers

Location: Mojave, California
Restaurant: Barbie's Primo Burger

This is a definite "jewel in the rough" situation. Barbie's Primo Burgers is situated just off the highway in the tiny town of Mojave, California.


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I think I may have met Barbie herself. I found the menu a bit daunting -- they have at least 10 different burgers - with no description of what's on them -- but she effortlessly rhymed off the detailed description of each of these burgers from memory.

After deciding I didn't want to taint my burger experience with ham, turkey, avocado or pastrami (just some of the many options available), I ordered a standard 1/4 pound bacon cheeseburger. "Barbie" said "OK honey, I'll bring it to the table". Perfect.

About 10 minutes later, my burger arrived.

 

The picture doesn't do it justice. This burger was delicious. Bacon, lettuce, pickles, and a 1/4 pound of beef on a sesame seed bun. It even came with some kind of secret sauce.

The bacon was perfect - the pickles were perfect. Everything was balanced - nothing was overpowering anything else. I added ketchup, but it probably didn't need it. The lettuce was fresh and crispy.

I'd consider comparing it to an In-n-out burger, but the bacon added a new dimension. If you're ever in Mojave, you've got to stop by Barbie's.

Final score: 5/5

IN-N-OUT

Location: San Francisco, California

Restaurant:

IN-N-OUT

Burger Consumed:

Double-Double

I have been hearing about IN-N-OUT forever. I have read about it in novels, newpapers, the internet etc. Yet I have never had the opportunity to try it, mainly because they are basically only in California.

My wife and I decided to take a trip to San Francisco for the weekend. She had plans of

seeing the sights, eating at romantic restaurants and shopping. I had one goal in mind, destroy IN-N-OUT burgers every chance I got. . .

The first night there, wasting no time, we pulled up to this place of worship and I walked inside and knew I was going to be overwhelmed with awesomeness. I look at the interior design, nothing too flashy. I looked at the employees dressed in vintage paper hats, big upgrade from a hair net and visor. Then my eyes caught the

menu (which I memorized due to studying the ways of IN-N-OUT on their website for years).

I decided the double-double with a side of onion rings would be my first method of attack. I was then given a receipt with a number on it that would be called once it was ready. I paced back and forth at my booth watching other people being called. As I watched them sit down with their food I began feeling a strong hatred for them because they were able to taste this burger phenomenon while I sat in a burgerless darkness. I had urges of punching them in the forehead and stealing their meal until I remembered that would result in an authority figure taking me away before it was turn to reach ecstasy.

Then finally my new favorite number was called, 91. I sprinted up to the line as fast as I could, knocking people/children out of the way so I could reach it sooner. I took it to my table sat down and bit into my first double-double. I was in a comatose state trying to figure out why something so cheap could taste this good. I did not speak to the people at my table the entire time I ate it, I would occasionally mumble praise to the high school dropout who assembled this handcrafted wonder. Because he is the one who had grilled these 2 patties and knew the exact time to place the processed cheddar on top. If all lettuce was as crisp and fresh as the piece in this burger I would actually each vegetables on a daily basis.

I then began to plan my relocation to the state of California. I am wasting my life living in a place where I cannot have IN-N-OUT on a daily basis. For once in life something had lived up to the hype it was given. And that something is the double-double.

Final Score: 5/5