The Great Burger Hunt - The Burger Place

The hunt begins…

It is a beautiful thing when you get a tasty burger in between your hands. I personally love a good burger.

That being said, my plan is to visit one burger joint around the city each month, reviewing their “signature” burger with a side of fries. Looking at the vast amount of burger joints in the phone book I decided one close to home is a good place to begin.

To come back to The Burger Place evokes memories from my very early years. I grew up just a few blocks away and went to school right across the street from The Burger Place. So it will always have a special place in my heart and it may cause me to look past any shortcomings on the menu. However I truly believe they make some of the best burgers I have ever tasted.

In the quaint little restaurant you can find an array of burgers (beef or chicken), hot dogs, chicken nuggets, fries, onion rings, chilli and milkshakes. I would not recommend showing up at The Burger Place for a dine-in meal unless you know it will not be busy. Most of their customers do not dine-in but the seats seem to be taken by customers waiting a good chunk of the time and the restaurant only has three small tables (each seats four) that they provide for their patrons. In the summer time they do have a few small picnic tables to sit at outside if it is a nice day.

Now that you have probably decided to get your delicious food and head to the park to eat, what exactly do you order?

PHOTO BY BRETT ENQUIST

My first suggestion, especially if you have never had one before, would be their signature burger, the Deluxe Burger (pictured). If you throw cheese on your Deluxe Burger the total price after taxes is an even $5. Although it is not a huge burger, the size of the Deluxe Burger it is well worth your hard earned money, trust me. Fresh toppings on the Deluxe Burger consist of, if you want them all, mustard, mayo, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and chilli. This is a messy burger, not the sloppiest I have eaten but you need to be careful as the shredded lettuce and chilli always manage to escape the confines of the bun for your plate, or if like me, your lap.

The sides offered for your main entrée are very slim. Basically you can order fries ($3), which you can upscale by adding gravy, chilli or make it a classic poutine for an extra cost. While I would not express the same amount of love for the fries, as I would the Deluxe Burger, they are still good. They are fresh homemade fries but the flavour they contain does not bring any unique taste to your palate and you may find similar fries elsewhere. Many times do I walk away with two burgers instead of fries but I just prefer burgers to fries.

A perfect add on, especially on those hot summer nights would be the milkshake. At least depending on how you like your milkshakes as these are not very thick. Now I enjoy my milkshakes on the thin side compared to the thicker milkshakes of BDI so I am a little biased here. The milkshakes will run you $3.75, which is a little on the pricier side but I would say you should give them a chance at least once before you avoid them because of the price. The Burger Place has a nice array of milkshake flavours: root beer, chocolate, vanilla, orange, banana, and strawberry. Go with the vanilla or banana.

Hopefully you will treat yourself and head down to The Burger Place one of these days. I am sure you will not regret it. You will enjoy a loaded burger with fresh veggies or possibly a Double Deluxe Burger while adding bacon ($1). If that is more your style, that means you want a heart attack by the time you are 50!!!

What I ordered – Deluxe Burger and fries: $7.35 (after taxes)

Dollar Value – 5/5
Burger Taste – 5/5
Fries Taste – 3/5
Menu Selection – 3/5
Overall – 4/5

The Burger Place
1909 Portage Ave
Winnipeg, MB R3J 0J3
(204) 831-7967