Looking for a good burger in Calgary

[jdm127]

We are looking for a good burger in Calgary - all you can eat fries would be a bonus. Something like the old Red Robin or Fuddruckers.

[opus]

Now that spring has arrived, The Little Cactus burger bus in Airdrie will be opening again. Great burgers! Don't order a double, you won't be able to finish it

[sweeterpea]

Had a not bad burger at Belmont Diner today -- it does fit the criteria of "all you can eat fries" in a way -- they have "bottomless hashbrowns". Great chocolate shakes.

[beggsy]

Dells' in Bowness.. not pretty but the burgers (and fries with gravy) are fantastic.

[sarah galvin]

I had a traditional Western burger at Nathan's tonight (downtown on 6 Av). I thought it was pretty good - real beef burger, melted aged white cheddar, delicious sliced dill pickle, thinly sliced ham, fresh tomato slices and crispy lettuce, real sauted mushrooms on an onion and poppyseed bun. Traditional old school fries but tasty.

[remorseless eating machine]

Man, I miss Red Robin, too. Grab a burger there whenever I'm in Edmonton, which is all too seldom. Peter's isn't bad, I agree with the poster who said the burgers are a bit like meatloaf (I like meatloaf), and the fries and onion rings are pretty good; huge portions, too. I find Angel's and Inglewood comparable, Burger Inn is in there too, along with Giant Hamburgers on 17 Ave. SW, at about 26 St., I think. All similar. Burger Bus is kind of like a loose meat sandwich, they can be good, but you really have to go when the guy who owns it is actually cooking. He leaves them on the grill long enough to get a good crust. Best in the city, IMHO, are Fatburger and Tommy's, though neither can touch Red Robin, and both are very expensive. Tommy's has great sweet potato fries as well. If you have a craving for the thick cut steak fries that Red Robin serves (as I often do) you can still get them at the only remaining Willy's in the city, at 32 Ave. & 36 St. in the northeast. Burgers are terrible, but the fries are great with some mayo (not bottomless, unfortunately, but that fact may be keeping me alive). Heart attack in a bag, for sure, but what a way to go...

[remorseless eating machine]

Oh yeah, I almost forgot... if you just want bottomless fries, all the Joey's Only fish and chips restaurants do that. Decent seasoned fries, and they taste awesome with tartar sauce on them. Great fish, too, though I guess that's a whole other thread...

[yen]

Im of the opinion there isnt one :)

[howlin]

whats your dream burger yen ,you sound hard to please.

[yen]

Lol. I like to think not, but maybe im getting difficult in my old age.

A burger i'd be happy with is pretty simple in my mind. Hand ground meat so it can be cooked to order (medium rare or medium depending on the cuts used). Juicy, handformed patties that have been seasoned, and mixed with some combination of onions, capers, mushrooms, peppers, and even a binder (breadcrumbs or egg both work fine). A nice bun, some sauteed mushrooms, good cheese, bacon, tomato, and lettuce, with an aioli or some other sauce that doesnt constitute ketchup from the bottle.

The last key ingredient is price - i'd like that for $10 or less.

See - simple!

[John Manzo]

sounds like a yen burger! I'd eat it!

[sarah galvin]

You have to try Nathan's then. Really comes close - just no capers.

[John Manzo]

Nathan's downtown? Never been- will check it out.

[yen]

Ditto that. You may have just made my day!

Was it cooked to order?

[sarah galvin]

Nathan's downtown, yes. I didn't ask for anything special but yes, it appeared to be cooked to order. Was very fresh in all regards - lettuce, tomato, bun and the best dill pickle

[sharonanne]

You had me other than the add ins. Capers belong everywhere but inside my burger. Mushrooms, on but not in!

Related only because of your definition, take a look at the current In Search of Perfection. He's doing burgers. I particularly like the part where he concludes that the perfect burger squishes to 2 fingers tall so that each bite can contain all parts.

If you don't get Food Network here's the link:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/tv_and_radi...
Gotta love Heston Blumenthal. He's such a nut case. In the right way.

[yen]

I did say some combination of.... i've had burgers that had some of those items mixed in and i've enjoyed them all. Basically something that breaks up the "beefiness" of an all meat patty is appreciated by me.

And i find capers work really well if you don't put pickles on the burger.

As for ISOP, I do get FN -it's the only reason (other than Sportsnet during hockey season) that i have cable. HB is awesome. Looking forward to the burger episode!

[sleepycat]

I was looking for that link yesterday Thanks!!!

[hclass]

If you're in the area of the Glenmore Inn try out Bobs burgers. Cheap and nicely grilled. Place inside has seating but it's "industrial"

[kritafo]

burger in town..haven't had a good one unless I make it myself.

I eat a peters burger out once a year and its a great reminder of why I hate meatloaf that is what they taste like to me.

Burger inn I find is hit and miss but do enjoy the wild meat burgers. That is usually what we end up BBQ'ing at home. Bison, Elk. Those are my favourites.

Tried Tommy's and didn't think much, people speak of the Burger Bus but I haven't made it out there. I didn't think much of fatburger either.

I never go out of my way for burgers, I do however go out of my way to buy my burgers from CRMR http://www.crmr.com/ranch/index.php excellent meat, and fantastic people.

We grow our own onions, lettuce and tomatoes...make our own mayo top it off with some bacon from CRMR...mmm that is a burger! I can't wait for summer to arrive!

[sweeterpea]

The burgers from the Burger Bus were a huge turn-off for me -- very crumbly. Think of a sloppy joe without the sauce. Good fries though.

We usually make our own burgers with ground Valta Bison from the CFM topped with Valbella bacon and Gull Lake or Hotchkiss tomatoes mmmm

I can't wait for summer either!

[maplesugar]

I picked up some Hotchkiss tomatoes at Lina's on Friday and Gull Lake is back at CFM :)

I'm not a big burger fan but I 2nd the rec for Inglewood Drive In :)

[sweeterpea]

Gull Lake is back? will head down next weekend when I have time. I feel a pasta pomodoro coming on .... :o)

[maplesugar]

(Sorry to the OP for going a bit OT again)Try them on Fri or Sat...I was there Sunday and they were nearly cleaned out. The guy behind the counter felt bad I think and gave me a deal on cherry tomatoes though 3 boxes for the price of 2. :)

[Hart50]

Although unfortunately I haven't had the chance to try one I gather Buchanans has very good burgers. Their Scotch selection is pretty impressive as well.

[young lion]

I really liked the Barley Mill burger, the add ground chorizo in there to give the burger a nice spicy kick. Delicious.

[pengcast]

I know it is not news, but I had a Peters cheeseburger a few weeks ago -- the first time in years. It was a sunny winter day and we sat outside at lunch and we all remarked that they were the best take-out burgers we had in a long, long time. Also thought the onion rings were very good too.

[John Manzo]

goin' on 8 years in Calgary and still have not been to Peter's... or the zoo :)

[sharonanne]

Peter's burgers are unique. They are soft as if they had been soaked in their smoky juices or sauce. It's a matter of personal preference. Sometimes I'm in the mood for Peter's but in general I prefer a burger that has a moist inside and a crispy crust.

[sweeterpea]

Not all you can eat fries, but I think Tommy Burger Bar has one of the best burgers in Calgary.

Fatburger is quite good too.

[sleepycat]

I like those nostalgic corner stores and burger places where they're run by an Asian couple/family. On of the tiny ones is Inglewood Drive In by Spulumbo's. It's a nice size and the patty is juicy. You can get a double cheese burger for $2.82. DH loves Moxie's extreme burger, however, lately everything on Moxie's has drastically increased in price so he's not loving that part. Not many places have bottomless fries and unfortunately all the Red Robin's in Calgary closed a while ago.

DH thought Fatburger was way overpriced and the Turkey Burger I got there was dry and inedible.

Someone off the CH board mentioned they like everything at Angel's Drive In.

[sweeterpea]

I had the turkey burger at Fatburger and it's not the best. But the beef burgers are good.

Angel's burgers are pretty good -- we go there mainly for the onion rings and shakes. If ordering the burger, avoid the white sauce.

[sleepycat]

oh yeah everything but the mysterious white sauce lol... so what is wrong with the white sauce?

[sweeterpea]

Nothing, if you like white shoe polish on your burgers ;o)

[sarah galvin]

Laurier has the best burger in town. Not crazy about their fries - not crispy enough for me. They moved into the old Michelango spot on about 6 St between 12 &11 Ave SW, Calgary

[sharonanne]

I hate to say it but Joey Tomato's has a good burger. The fries aren't all you can eat but ther serving is large. The only issue we've had lately is that the fries can be cold or too dry but not consistently and when they are good I really like them. They're the shoe string kind.

[mcmuffin]

White Spot does the all you can eat fries and the chipotle mayo is really good.

I wasn't thrilled with their burgers though.

[John Manzo]

Last time we went to White Spot (by Southcentre) we waited an hour for two Triple-Os. I wish to heck that we had those fast-serve White Spot places like they have in Vancouver, not just the sit-down versions.

And yes I know there used to be 2 in Calgary but both were way on the outskirts and they're closed now anyway.

If you can live without all you can eat fries, I heartily recommend Burger Inn!

[Shazam]

The White Spots are gone, eh? They were Montana's quality anyhow.

They were packed to the gills when they first opened. The last time I went, it was totally dead on a Sunday afternoon.

[maplesugar]

Closed? I thought the one on 32nd west of Barlow Tr opened under a year ago?? I admit I've never been...but I thought they were still open?

[sarah galvin]

Whitespot web page still lists both as open. Now they were in Calgary years ago, and closed, but they opened again about 3 or so years ago. I think the new ones are still open.

[John Manzo]

No, it's the triple-O places in the deep south that are gone. They were too far in the boonies for me to ever visit anyway.