Romer's Burger Bar

Romer's Burger Bar is certainly not your average greasy patty and fries. As it resides in the former home of Pinky's Steakhouse on 4th Avenue and little has changed in the decor, it looks and feels like a high-end steakhouse but the menu is all burger.


When we dined at Romer's, two of us opted for the Americano and two of us chose the Man's Man burger. It was obvious that the Man's Man burger was the better choice of the two as it received more favourable reviews but there were some consistent findings. It seems that everyone agreed that the burger itself delivered above average flavour, although all found it to be on the dry side. Perhaps your typical greasy patty may be what's missing here. All loved the presentation, the service and the decor, not to mention the fantastic fries, which range from basic to cheese-smothered and poutine.

The knocks against the burger were from those who did not like the cheese mound found on the Americano, and one diner thought there was too much bun. The Man's Man burger was more appreciated for its mild dijon sauce and the crispy onion strings.

The average score of 8.0 puts it in at an above average review for an above average burger worth checking out.

Deacon's Corner

Deacon’s Corner seemed to be a hit as far as the burger patty itself was concerned. All in attendance appreciated the thickness and flavor of the patty, although one attendee felt that a bit more fat in the burger would have helped provide some of that familiar juiciness that seemed to be missing.



There was a unique flavor that all of us noticed and we were informed that it was a hint of cayenne in the meat. That being said, I’m not sure if the unique spice flavor actually helped or hindered the overall flavor of the burger. Beyond the meat, the bun was top notch and held up well to the hearty fillings. The Roma tomatoes were a nice touch and the fries that accompanied the burger were exceptional.

The location is a little off the beaten path and not in one of Vancouver’s most desirable neighbourhoods, which may have translated to a less than clean environment. To our surprise, Deacon’s corner was virtually spotless, bright and filled with a young, hungry crowd. Friendly and efficient staff also added to the overall experience.

Deacon’s Corner is awarded a respectable average score of 80.3.

Market Grill

A few of us found it necessary to have an impromptu meeting and we agreed upon, based on the beautiful sunny day and proximity to us all, the Market Grill on Granville Island.


We all enjoyed the fresh toppings and the bun was good quality as well. The fries were top notch, cut in a pan fry style, but not too big and they had a good crispness to them.

The patty was lacking, we thought probably frozen, maybe not, but defiantly lacking a fresh flavour.

We all agreed it was a decent burger but not worth recommending, for a score of 67/100. (Sunny day on Granville Island with a burger: 100)

Splitz Grill

The latest B.S. session was held at Splitz Grill on Main Street, a lunchtime foray that exceeded the expectations of all and yielded our highest score to date (8.8 out of 10).

Expectations were modest going in, perhaps because we were feeling a bit sapped by our experiences so far, where no burger has jumped up and commanded the attention of all. It could also have been prior knowledge, as some in the party had been to Splitz once or twice before and didn’t recall the burger being anything extraordinary.

This time around, however, all put up high scores, some have gone back for seconds, and one member was moved to summarize it simply .... “it was a freakin’ good burger ....”

The highlights come in a variety of forms:

1. the juicy, nicely-sized, 1/3 pound patty, which has just the right amount of seasoning to not take away from the beef
2. the wide selection of sauce and quality toppings options,
3. a quality sesame seed bun that (unlike many others) didn’t fall apart from all the goodness stuffed inside.

Part of what makes Splitz unique is the adding of gourmet-style toppings (fancy a little hummus instead of mayo? No problem!) to the burger experience. Most of our group took the garlic mayo option, which was outstanding, and most appreciated the grated cheese, which is applied un-melted – a unique and tasty approach!

Fatburger

The review of Fatburger begins where it should, with the meat. All who attended felt that Fatburger offered a quality beefy burger, although one commented that the meat was a little salty. The bun and condiments also received good praise, as Fatburger provided a quality hearty bun and a wide range of fresh toppings to choose from.


The main knock from the reviewers was with the price. Everyone agreed that the cost is a little too steep for what is, really, a fast-food burger. The average meal with fries and a drink came in at around $15. Nobody would argue, however, that this is a far superior burger to what you would find at McDonald’s or Burger King. Top-notch onion rings and milkshakes should also be given honourable mention and are a must for any Fatburger visit. Help-yourself bottomless soft drinks also help wash away any salty taste leftover after consuming these large, meaty burgers.

Overall rating: 7.4

Cactus Club

This was our group’s first foray into a non-burger joint at Cactus Club, headed up by Canada’s one and only Iron Chef Rob Feenie. I had high expectations going in and sometimes that can lead to a let down. The burger came dressed with mushrooms, bacon, cheese and sweet relish. A few of us commented we wouldn’t normally order mushrooms, but we all decided to order it as it was offered on the menu.


In our group, all but one agreed the bun was top quality, holding all the ingredients together. Two of us felt the sweet relish was overpowering and we all agreed the toppings and ingredients were top notch, but with all the toppings, it seemed to overpower the flavor of the beef. If I could do it again, I would have had the sweet relish on the side and I think the burger would have scored much higher. Good crisp fries, but very generic and fast food like, I personally expected higher quality, although I ate them all. We all left the restaurant satisfied, but half of our group felt a little underwhelmed.

Burger Supremacy Score: 7.5

Vera’s Burger Shack

Vera's Burger Shack is consistently rated at or near the top of most "Best Burger" lists in Vancouver, so the bar for this meeting of the Burger Supremacy was set quite high. Vera's has a successful burger formula figured out, which has led to several locations around the city.

Given the CFL background of one of the Vera's principals, one would think that "Grey is Great" would be the doneness measure at Vera's. Refreshingly, we are greeted by a large sign explaining their "Pink is Perfect" philosophy. It may take a couple of minutes longer to prepare, but they produce a perfectly cooked burger.

The toppings sampled were all top-notch, especially the cheddar and bacon on the Canuck burger, and the onion rings were outstanding.

On the flip side, the BS group had two consensus dislikes: the overly seasoned (salty) patty, and the fries.

An overall score of 7.7 puts Vera's slightly ahead of Moderne Burger in our Burger Quest, with many adventures yet to come.

Stay Hungry My Friends…