So on a nice sunny evening, I wound up at the Red Onion on West 41st Avenue near West Boulevard (Arbutus). I like this area, it's very clean and relaxed. No real hustle and bustle, just a nice slow-paced area.
As I've said earlier, I've been here in the past, but this time I'll be watching and paying attention to things I normally wouldn't. Again, I'm risking my future happiness with these burger places for YOU people!
In their menu they've got a blurb about themselves that you may find interesting & informative. The one that I focussed on was - the Best Burger Award! I'd never thought about putting it to the test - until now!
I can't disagree with some of those statements they've bulleted. So we're off to a good start! I ordered a Coke. Bottomless, of course. It was a decent mix.
Next up was the Main reason to be here, the Burger! I ordered it with Bacon and Cheddar Cheese. As burgers go, it's not as low cost as they seem to think it is. 3 Bucks for toppings, seems kinda steep, we'll just see if it's justified. I didn't order anything else - no fries, no salad, nothing!
While waiting for the meal to arrive, I took a few pictures and checked out the decor of the place.
I tend to eavesdrop on conversations close by. After all, if people wanted their conversations confidential they wouldn't be having them in public, now would they? This was a good one to listen in on, considering what my purpose was. One of the folks was telling everyone that The Red Onion is probably THE BEST place to come to for a REAL BURGER! For a good all-out burger this was THE PLACE TO BE! He followed it up with a suggestion for another establishment that,he says, does a phenomenal job with burgers as well - I won't mention that name as of yet, but suffice it to say - I've been there and I was NOT impressed by it - in fact I was downright disgusted! I'll tell you the details when I delve back into that hell hole for a future review. He lost a ton of credibility with that statement - for now that is! Because, as you know, this is an opportunity for me to look at these burgers with a fresh set of taste buds! And, there is a possibility that the OTHER Burger Joint may have redeemed itself!
A few more pictures of The Red Onion.
It's quite nice. Sometimes it's impossible to get a seat! We lucked out, it wasn't very busy that evening. Finally the meal arrived. They used to wrap the burgers in foil. The Burger looked good and the smell of the place really added to the experience! I love the smell of fried onions on a grill!
I picked it up, and boy did it feel hefty. Nice weight to it - it implied satisfaction by the shear size of it. Then I took the first bite. I tasted mustard and lots of it! Not only is the sauce they use mustard based - but on the other side of the burger they apply more mustard! I don't think I ever noticed this before. It was actually quite strong and overpowering! The cheddar cheese they use is shredded, then tossed on the burger. I started remembering how much of the cheese would be lost in the wrapper from the unmelted pieces! That always bothered me. The patty itself was good. It's unusual for a burger to have the veggies on the bottom bun and the patty on the top bun, but thats how it came. I realized it was probably better that way, since the bottom bun started breaking up within 2 bites. Now I understood the wrapper! To keep it together and collect all the loose cheese droppings. Cheesy droppings, hmm, there's something wrong about saying cheesy droppings!
The way I used to eat a burger was - I would pick it up with both hands and not let it out of my hands. I guess the reason was to avoid problems like these. So I reverted to my past, After that last picture, I picked it up and kept eating it, suffering with the mustard taste and trying to dissect the burger in my mouth. Periodically, I would rest my elbows on the table while I chewed and took a breather. This allowed me to gather my thoughts. It was an ok burger. Yes, just an Ok Burger not even close to great. Mustard to me is what pickles are to others. I've tried hard over recent years to work on this. After all, so many people love mustard - there must be a reason for this. I've finally come to a point where I can tolerate it and a few times even appreciate the yellow condiment. This, however, was too much and it reminded me why I didn't care for it in the past!
Then it was time for the bill. It always comes with a Red Onion. You are free to take it with you! I never have. But, it's a nice touch to remember a place by.
One time my mother had come to The Red Onion with a friend of hers, they went in for the fries. This place is known for their fries and dip. They're actually quite good and usually a bit of a handful. She had brought home the Red Onion! It seems to leave a impression on people. More places should give you something as a parting gift.
Will you find the Most Satisfying Burger Experience at The Red Onion?
No.
What you will find is a good burger with a bit of a charry taste. If you love mustard, this would probably hit the spot for you. The service is good. The decor was good, the atmosphere was good.
Sadly, the Burger was NOT good & did not live up to it's award winning claim. I found it to be way too mustard-dy. The bread broke down real quick - partly because it wasn't toasted or anything and quite dry. It was a boring Burger! Overall the food left me wanting - wanting to leave and not try their burger again! That's quite the statement, something I will always remember, especially when someone suggests going to - the Red Onion!
The Burger Blog has spoken. Onward and Upward and Outward to the next Burger Place!
Enjoy!
