This is the week many of you have been waiting for…its time to get to some of Edmonton’s heaviest hitters on the burger scene – including one of the most overwhelmingly suggested eateries in town.
The 2 places we hit up this week have been on my list since the beginning, but I’ve been holding off until I could sample some of the lesser known burgers of Edmonton’s food scene. I wanted to get a feel of what else was out there before hitting up the places I already enjoy so I could get a greater understanding of what was being offered throughout the city.
Like a playoff round, I started with a mish-mash of players, hoping to find an upset, but knowing the serious contenders would make their presence known in the later rounds.
Which bring me to the much-suggested places I visited this week – 2 pubs in Old Strathcona, both known for their extensive beer lists, good food and eclectic crowd.
The Sugarbowl – 10922 88 ave
The Sugarbowl is a well-known staple of the University area, and is popular with both the students and faculty, as well as pretty much the rest of the community. In addition to the burger I tried, their cinnamon buns are a hot commodity, and the chicken and waffles were featured on You Gotta Eat Here.
The go-to burger at the Sugarbowl is the Lamb burger, which is topped with goat cheese, caramelized onion, rosemary aioli, lettuce, tomato, and pickle, but they also have a veggie option with a portobello mushroom. I, of course, had the lamb.
- Meat – This was the most flavourful patty of the Odyssey so far. As much as I have talked about liking a good, beefy, flavour – this had none of that…you know, because it was lamb. What it did have was mint, and a good amount of it. It wasn’t an overpowering amount of spice, and there was plenty of lamb flavour without being gamey. The spice: meat ratio was very well done and the mint added a burst of freshness to the burger. There was a nice sear on the outside and the patty remained juicy throughout. The texture was fairly loosely formed, but there was some gristle in a couple of bites.
- Bun – It was a lightly grilled brioche bun. It was nice and soft, but it could have had more of a crispy, edge to it – I tend to appreciate a bit more crunch.
- Toppings – This burger is all about the lamb, the mint and the goat cheese. The lettuce, tomato and pickles were all nice and fresh, but the star of the toppings is the goat cheese. There was a hefty dollop of it in the centre, and when you got a bite with cheese, it was amazing. Unfortunately there was a lack of distribution, so the edges were left wanting. There was just a smidgen of the rosemary aioli and caramelized onion, but they contributed a bit of extra flavour. The lettuce and tomato were, well, lettuce and tomato.
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The Lamb Burger at Sugarbowl
The Lamb Burger at Sugarbowl
Overall, this burger had some real stand-out attributes, and is definitely a burger I would go back for. The lamb meat, the mint and the cheese pack a memorable flavour punch, and makes this burger one of the best of the odyssey so far.
I have to say that I have had the lamb burger at The Sugarbowl a few times before – the first time was outstanding, and I could not wait to get back to have it again (and again). Unfortunately the next couple of times I had a craving, the execution fell short. So consistency may be a problem. Served the way I got it this time, it’s a total winner.
Side Note: There are a few options for sides, but we always get the sweet potato fries – they are some of the best in the city, and they come with homemade ketchup and an aioli for dipping. They are great accompaniment to the burger.
The Next Act Pub – 8224 104 st
The Next Act Pub received more recommendations through tweets, DMs, emails and blog comments than all of the other establishments put together. You guys really love this pub! And I have to admit, I wasn’t surprised, since this is my favourite watering hole in the city as well.
With so many burger options (as well as a weekly “cameo” and a seasonally changing menu), there is a burger for every taste (including veggies) – but the one that all of you insisted I have is the PB & J burger. So that’s what I did!
- Meat – The patty was super juicy, nice and thick with a good sear. It had a loose texture, and not a lot of spice to overwhelm the beef. We picked out a small amount of gristle, which seems to be an issue with many of the burgers around town.
- Bun – The bun here was also a nice, soft brioche. Lightly toasted with slightly more of a crispy edge than the Sugarbowl. It was a good vessel to get the burger to my mouth-hole.
- Toppings – There was a good (great?) amount of bacon jam, which was tasty all on its own – a touch of sweet, a touch of smoke and, duh, bacon made this just about perfect. The crunchy peanut butter was subtle addition, enough so you can enjoy it, but not too much so that it overwhelms and makes you feel like you’re eating a peanut butter sandwich. Incidentally, Robyn really like the “crunchy” aspect of the peanut butter and enjoyed biting into the bits of peanut. Everything sounds good, and makes sense up to here…then they add in cheddar cheese – a bunch of it – and you might think this is where the burger falls off the rails, but you would be wrong. The cheddar is the magic that sends this burger to a mystical land of rainbows and unicorns. No single flavour dominates this burger, and everything pairs perfectly with every other aspect. The fresh lettuce, tomato and pickles were props in the magic act.
The PB&J Burger at Next Act Pub
The PB&J Burger at Next Act Pub
The PB&J Burger at Next Act Pub
It’s very rare, when I eat a burger, that I’m not thinking, “This could use more of…” or “It needs a little less of...”, but all I was thinking when eating the PB & J burger was “Mmmm, can’t think…Eating.” The only thing that tripped this burger up a bit was the gristle – which has been my beef with the beef on occasion with the Next Act burgers I have eaten in the past. They recently did a cameo using fresh, local beef and, by all accounts, it was amazing. Moving forward with a top quality beef would push this burger from pretty darn good, to freaking outstanding.
Side Note: The fries are plentiful, but nothing to write home about – though they are elevated by the addition of jalapeno mayo. I’m often inclined to pay for the upgrade to the house salad, which is about as good as a salad can get.
Both burgers shined because their ingredients were very well done and all worked together in harmony with each other, with The Act just inching out The Sugarbowl in creativity. The Lamb burger at the Sugarbowl makes sense – you expect those ingredients to be good together – and The Act has that element of surprise that everything works as well as it does.
I’ve never had a salad at Next Act so I’d really like to know what’s in the house salad that makes you want to pay extra for it. You don’t strike me as a salad guy!
I’m not really a salad girl, but the Next Act’s house salad really is a winner. It’s got pea shoots, strawberries, grapes and almonds — none of which sound exciting enough to put a salad over the top, but are just a great combo. The best part is the white balsamic vinegrette, though… It’s delicious!
I totally agree. I had to be convinced to switch to the salad the first time, but it’s so good! It’s a nice change when you’re eating too much fatty stuff already.
Phil
Seriously, salads are a complete waste of stomach real estate and should be taken out back and shot. But I have to concur with Phil here – Next Act’s house is honestly the only salad I don’t want to beat like a bad monkey.
Haha. I’d have to say a great caesar salad with a pound of fresh parmesan on it is pretty good too.
Have fun beating your monkey. 😉
Phil
Shari,
Actually, I love a good salad. Emily who commented also pretty much nailed it… pea shoots, grapes, arugula, strawberries, nuts- it’s got it all. It’s pretty much the only place I ever substitute a salad for fries.
Phil
I’m just so used to reading about burgers, bacon and fries that salad threw me! I have to agree though; salads are a nice contrast. The salad at the Grizzly Paw in Canmore is one of my fave things on their menu. I’ll have to try the one at Next Act next time I’m there…
Haha. I’ll try not to let it happen again. Although I may post a brussel sprout salad recipe later this week. lol.
Maybe I should give next act another try. It was pretty horrible the one time I went. I swear it was a frozen patty. Way over seasoned with some kind of steak spice and rubbery as hell. Not loose or juicy at all.
When you say “not a lot of spice” are you referring to salt and pepper or do they put some kind of spice like montreal steak spice on it?
Rob,
When I say not a lot of spice, I normally mean spices other than salt and pepper. A pet peeve of mine is burgers that are so heavily spiced that you can’t even taste the beef anymore. It’s hard to tell what they season with, but the dominant flavour is beef.
I’ve had a couple different buns when I’ve gone, but I haven’t noticed huge differences in the patty. With that said, I’ve been ordering the jalapeno mac n’ cheese pretty much every time I go the last couple years and I can’t get enough of it.
Phil
Thanks Phil. My wife and I agreed we’ll have to try it again. I’m with you in that I hate any other spices other than salt and pepper on a beef burger (for lamb it’s ok).
I made Kenji’s ultra smashed burgers last night http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/03/the-food-lab-maximize-flavor-by-ultra-smashin.html?ref=title Better than any other burger I’ve had in Edmonton.
Do you know of any good bakeries in Edmonton that sell brioche style burger buns? Sometimes I’m too lazy to make my own.
The brioche buns at Popular Bakery are pretty good, but they seem to be out often when I go. I think Bon Ton has them too.
I typically smash burgers at home, and when I saw Kenji’s article a week or 2 ago I was happy to see it’s pretty much identical to what I do. His posts are a great resource, no doubt.
Of course a nice grilled burger is good too when the weather is agreeable for bbq’ing.
Mouth. Watering.