Wild Apple, Kelowna BC

The first Handsome Burger review from Kelowna at Wild Apple in the Manteo Resort Hotel. Right off the bat I’m happy, enjoying the look of the colourful home made pickled veggies and Okanagan fruits in syrup on display. I like. It signals to me that the chef is engaged and passionate about his or her craft. I think Chef Bernard has it going on.



Fancy and colourful pickled jars from Costco signal something entirely different. I wonder why other restaurants bother. We are in real deal country here and happily the burger is also the real deal.


This is a gorgeous looking burger with taste to match (even though its served open face, I hate that). Orange tomatoes, nice touch. How often do you see that? Sometimes it’s these little things that make the difference between mediocrity and something special.


I'm going with a 9/10 for this beauty.

So now you're thinking, all I have to do is add orange tomatoes to my burger and I get a stellar review on Handsome Burger? Well, yes and no. Yes, orange is nice but it’s not all that. If you read this blog regularly you can figure out the rest.

Rockford Wok Bar Grill, Prince George

I ordered the burger at the Rockford Grill in Prince George because I was impressed by their markeing claim, a chain using natural beef, I have to give it a try.




we use only spring creek ranch 100% naturally raised, hormone-free albertan cattle for all our beef burgers. our burgers are char grilled and served on our signature golden-top bun with house sauce, lettuce, tomato, onions and pickled cucumbers

I ordered the:



bacon + blue cheese burger crumbled blue cheese and two strips of smoked bacon

The good: I ordered this burger because of the beef but the standout was the bun, phenomenal. Smooth and shiny on the outside soft tasty on the inside.



The bad: Everything else. Even the bun couldn't save this thing. Natural beef cooked to a piece of charcoal is a shame. Total disappointment and I had such high hopes. I really really wanted to like this burger.


I had a bit of a debate with the server when I tried to order the burger medium rare. I'm getting tired of the "oh we are not allowed to do that" explanation. I shake my head and grit my teeth and I smile.



You notice a trend here at Handsome Burger?



6 /10 and thats just because of the bun.

Bobs Burger and Brew, Tulalip, Washington, USA

Bobs Burger and Brew is a concept restaurant. Think Red Robins for adults.


I'd like to be critical because I'm not a big fan of concept chains like this but I have to admit they make a pretty darn good burger.


I had the: Bacon Burger - Plus Guacamole.

This is one of our favorite burgers. We top our 6 oz. charbroiled burger with melted American cheese and three rashers of fresh lean Hormel smokehouse bacon and place it on a bed of crisp lettuce, pickles, a slice of tomato and savory sauce.


Sure Bob's burgers straddle that fine line between fast food and gourmet burgers. And sure the buns are Wonderbread like and could be considered fresh for years, and sure Bob's is a proud

purveyor of Hormel foods ( Makers of SPAM and $7.9 Billion 2011 revenue) but this is one tasty industrial burger, an easy 8.5/10. Big juicy and meaty and yes ordered medium rare and pink in the middle. God Bless America.


Hey, when you have burger in the name of the restaurant you better deliver on said burger. Bob's does.

Cactus Club - here we go again

Crap, here I am at the Cactus Club, again. This time in Victoria, having another Fennie Burger, again. This after promising not to have another Fennie Burger ever again a few blog posts ago.


What can I say? My work colleagues like the Cactus Club and I have the willpower of a nat.


Once again, it’s not that the Fennie Burger is a bad burger, it’s actually pretty good. But it should be better than just pretty good. I blogged about the burger a few years ago and not much has changed. Actually probably nothing, an 8 then maybe 7.5 now. OK, lower score, just because I’m bitter.

Shouldn't just pretty good be improved on?

Shouldn't they shake things up a little?


Or is that the best they can do?


Or do they not care because week minded souls like me will keep on ordering this above average mediocrity?


I don't know? But for sure this is the last Feenie burger for me.


Until, of course, I have my next one.

John's Place, Victoria BC

I went in for the burger walked out with a loaf of bread.



Forget about the burger, it’s good, the home made bread served free of charge with your meal is truly outstanding. Mine was still warm, the soft butter melted delicately in the hot air pockets and the salty crest pops with flavour. Wow, I bought a loaf, my car smelled like a bakery for the rest of the day.


And speaking of the rest of the day I was burping up beefy garlic flavour all day long. OK, back to the burger. I had the:






JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE BURGER … An 8 oz. homemade ground beef sirloin patty stuffed with Blue Cheese, grilled and topped with crispy fried onions. Served on a kaiser with leaf lettuce, sliced tomato and our own Blue Cheese dressing.






The patty was tasty albeit meatloafy (they must have thrown in a bit extra on the garlic powder) and the blue cheese melted like butter added great taste and aroma. This is a very good burger let's say 8.5/10.

Next time I'll try the Triple D Burger, but really I'll be going back just for the bread.






Expect John’s Place to be packed, the seating is almost family style, very tight, this is a very busy place. And BTW, I was really trying not to pay too much attention to the conversation next to me ( there's 3 inches between tables) but when you here " I like Jake the best out of all of my boyfriends" I just couldn't help myself. Oh well it was a tasty and entertaining lunch. And in case you are wondering, no I never did learn what it was that Jake had that made him so much more desirable then all else.

Stackhouse Burger Bar, 1224 Granville St. Vancouver

Van Mags things to eat and drink in Vancouver 2011: the Stackhouse Kobe Burger.







OK, I'll concur, this is a very good burger, 8.5/10.


Fantastic flavour from the Kobe, even though the patty was cooked through and the restaurant would not serve it medium rare. I was informed by the server that the last thing I wanted to do was have a Kobe Burger medium rare because of its high fat content it would ruin the flavour and the uncooked fat would leave a bad mouth feel and anyway we don't grind our own meat so it would be unsafe. Ah ha, the real truth comes out..excuse…excuse…excuse..real reason.


I wish restaurants would get their act together and give me rare! OK, medium rare.


None the less a very good burger in a hip small joint on Granville St. The burger not the location reminds me a lot of Romers on 4th Ave.


Good ingredients good attention to detail good flavour.

Nice, I'll go back have another and debate the waiter on why it would be ok to do Kobe Medium rare.