Battle of the Bacon Cheeseburgers!

February 3, 2020February 3, 2020 / life-of-burgers / Leave a comment

Since starting Life of Burgers (almost 6 years ago!), I’ve been all about the burgers that were original and unique, and that used a wide variety of toppings and flavours to impress the tastebuds. This meant that a lot of the time, when choosing a burger, I would overlook the more simple and classic ones, in pursuit of the next great creation.

While I always appreciated the beauty of a burger that didn’t need to push the limits to be great, I have never really given them the attention that they deserve. Until now.

I’ve decided that a good chunk of my burger feasting experiences over the next while will be dedicated to eating Bacon Cheeseburgers all over Halifax, and finding the one to rule them all! I’ll be taking detours along the way if a must-try burger pops up, and of course for Halifax Burger Week, but my main focus will be on these simple beauties.

To pick which places/burgers would qualify as contenders, I decided on a list of “allowable toppings” so there was no question about whether or not they were eligible to be included.

Obviously, each burger has to have at least a beef patty, bacon and cheese. I’m also allowing different types of bacon and cheese (e.g. back bacon, Monterey Jack, etc.) to allow some variation (bacon/cheese offered as an add-on is ok). Other toppings that will be allowed are:

Tomato
Lettuce (or “greens”)
Pickles
Onions (grilled/fried/caramelized onions are ok, but no battered ones)
Ketchup
Relish
Mustard (dijonnaise included)
Mayo (different flavours of mayo are ok)
Burger/House/Secret sauce that is made specifically for the burger

Burgers don’t have to have all these toppings, but if it has something that isn’t listed here, it won’t be able to play (that means no onion rings and aioli this time around!).

I’ve set the boundaries of Halifax/Dartmouth/Bedford for restaurants (it’s totally possible that I venture further in the future!), and after scouring MANY menus, I’ve made a list of 55 restaurants that have a qualifying burger on their menu.

Restaurants will be randomly put into nine different groups (six per group, except for one that will have seven) and each group will face off in nine rounds. The winner from each round will go to the finals, as well as one burger that almost won its round that I feel should still have moved on, for a total of ten finalists. I will then try all ten finalists again (just to be sure that each one continues to bring the greatness), and from that one burger will be crowned the king of Bacon Cheeseburgers!

And that’s it! Be sure to follow all the beefy updates on Instagram and Twitter, and show your love and support for the burger that you think will crush the competition!

Burger #63 – The Smoke Burger (Durty Nelly’s)

January 14, 2019January 14, 2019 / life-of-burgers / Leave a comment

Way back in 2014, when Life of Burgers was still pretty new, I paid a visit to Durty Nelly’s one evening where I found a burger that thoroughly impressed me. It was called the Whiskey Smoke Burger, and between the onion rings, the whiskey apple BBQ sauce, and the Guinness honey mustard, it quickly became one of my favourite burgers in the city.

However, it is normal for restaurants to change up their menus from time to time (which can be either really great or a swing and a miss), and unfortunately the Whiskey Smoke Burger didn’t make the cut during one of these changes and I had to say goodbye to a burger that treated me right.

While that one may be gone, it just so happens that there is another burger on the menu that has many similarities to the old one, with a few changes. I stopped by to try The Smoke Burger, hopeful that it would be just as good as the one I had 4 years ago.

Stats

From the menu: “Smoked garlic aioli, bacon, smoked cheddar, BBQ sauce, lettuce, pickle, onion rings”

Burger #61 – Vandal Burger (Vandal Doughnuts)

December 10, 2017December 10, 2017 / life-of-burgers / Leave a comment

When Ace Burger Co. closed up shop at their Gus’ location in the North End (don’t worry you can still get your fix across the harbour at Battery Park in Dartmouth) they left a burger-shaped hole in the heart of every burger lover in Halifax. Luckily, the fine people behind Riot Snack Bar stepped up to the plate and quickly opened up Vandal Doughnuts.

At first mention, most people probably thought that a place called Vandal Doughnuts may be more of a cafe-esque kind of place, but it just so happens that they also have a menu of gourmet sandwiches and burgers (obviously alongside a wide selection of donuts of all shapes and sizes).

The combination of there being new burgers in town, and the team that creates some pretty delicious food over at Riot being the ones cooking them up, I knew a visit was a must. There are three burgers to choose from on the menu (one of which is a veggie option titled “Return of the Mack”), and I figured it was only appropriate that I go with the Vandal Burger for my first visit.

Stats

From the menu: “Grass fed beef, blue cheese, double smoked bacon, balsamic mayo, pickled red onions and local greens on a brioche bun”

Veggie Burger Series – Part 3

September 4, 2017September 4, 2017 / life-of-burgers / Leave a comment

Summer is quickly flying by, and I’ve been spending a lot of it sitting on patios throughout Halifax, drinking some great local beer and eating delicious veggie burgers (it’s a hard life, but somebody has to do it).

I’ve already covered six pretty great meatless burgers, which you can check out in Part 1 and Part 2, and it’s time to show off three more! You’re going to want to keep reading because these three don’t mess around, and they seriously raise the bar in the veggie burger category!

Also, the final round for The Coast Best of Halifax awards is now open and Life of Burgers has snagged a nomination for Best Food Blogger! If you wouldn’t mind heading over to The Coast and throwing a vote my way, it would be hugely appreciated! Thanks!

Krave – Veggie Burger

“Careful blend of lentils, sweet potato, corn, black beans and southern seasonings. Served with tomato jam, lettuce and tomato”

Veggie Burger Series – Part 2

July 19, 2017July 19, 2017 / life-of-burgers / 1 Comment

The hot days in Halifax seem never-ending, and the same can be said about the delicious veggie burgers that restaurants have on their menus! I’ll admit that before starting this series, I wasn’t super excited about focusing primarily on meatless burgers for the majority of the summer (what can I say, I am a carnivore through and through), but that opinion has quickly changed, and it’s all thanks to the creative and well-thought out veggie burgers that places in the HRM have come up with.

See what I mean with a look at three more veggie burgers, in Part 2 of the Veggie Burger Series!

You can check out Part 1 of the series, and the first three meatless burgers I tried, here!

Riot Snack Bar – The Riot Burger

“Hand crafted veggie burger, house-made ketchup and garlic aioli, crunchy sprouts, house-brined pickles and gouda cheese on a local brioche bun”

The Burger Map

February 11, 2017February 11, 2017 / life-of-burgers / Leave a comment

Looking for that next great burger? There are over 100 places in the HRM that can serve you up a burger, and the Burger Map is here to help you pick your next one! Whether you are in a certain part of town and looking for a burger near by, or you want to discover a place that you didn’t even know served burgers, this is the map for you!

Just click a location, take a look at the burgers they have on their menu (complete with prices), and find your next great burger!

The map primarily focuses on places found within Halifax, but restaurants outside this area will gradually be added as well. Please feel free to use the form below to suggest a restaurant anywhere in Nova Scotia that isn’t already on the map. This form can also be used to give feedback on the Burger Map, and to let me know if you have any ideas that would make it even better!

Burger #59 – Big Earl (Cheachie’s)

February 3, 2017February 3, 2017 / life-of-burgers / 1 Comment

We are now over a month into 2017 and it’s finally time for Life of Burgers to get back into the swing of things by chowing down on some delicious burgers!

I decided for the first Halifax burger of the year, that I would visit a place that has been recommended to me a few different times, but I had yet to give it a try (except for Burger Week 2015). Cheachie’s is known for their menu of Mexican food and burgers, some of which are actually comprised of a combination of two of their regular burgers! Wanting a burger that was a bit more modest, I went with the Big Earl.

Stats

From the menu: “Mayo, lettuce, tomato, 8oz. burger, cheddar cheese, bacon, onion rings, ketchup & BBQ sauce”

Burger #58 – Brewmaster’s Burger (Gahan House)

July 9, 2016July 9, 2016 / life-of-burgers / Leave a comment

Voting is now open for The Coast’s Best of Halifax 2016 Awards! If you could take a minute and head over to the voting page and vote Life of Burgers for Best Food Blogger, I would be extremely grateful! Thanks!

The warm and sunny days have finally arrived in Halifax, and it’s a great time to be a food-lover in the city. Patios are open, and nothing beats the heat like a cold beer and some tasty eats. I finally had some spare time (it’s been a busy past few weeks for me), so obviously getting a burger was high on my list of things to do. I noticed that Gahan House had added a new burger to their menu since the last time I was there, so I decided to give the Brewmaster’s Burger a try.

Stats

From the menu: “Atlantic beef, Gahan cheese sauce, Montreal smoked bacon, onion jam, Porter mustard, buffalo ketchup, tomato, lettuce, pickle, Iron Bridge bun”

Burger #57 – The MacDaddy (Flipburger)

May 23, 2016May 23, 2016 / life-of-burgers / Leave a comment

The weather is getting (somewhat) warmer, restaurants are setting up their patios, and I’ve finally recovered from the piles of delicious burgers that I devoured during Halifax Burger Week and PEI Burger Love! Not wanting to waste any time getting the Summer burger season underway, I stopped in at Flipburger on Argyle to try out The MacDaddy!

Stats

From the menu: “Deep fried mac & cheese, pulled pork, spicy ketchup, pickled onions and grilled tomato”

Halifax Burger Week 2016 – Meet Your Burger Ambassadors!

March 17, 2016March 17, 2016 / life-of-burgers / 1 Comment

The glory, the fame, the meat sweats. These are all things that come with the highly sought after role of Halifax Burger Ambassador. As last year’s Ambassador, I know firsthand how awesome it is to fill this role, and it really made my Burger Week a memorable experience. Parading around Halifax with my burger sash and Team LOB, I had people coming up to me everywhere to talk burgers and take pictures, and ask the very popular question: “Are you really going to eat them all?!”. Well, I did eat them all and I lived to tell about it, but with a new Burger Week on its way, it is time to pass the torch on to this year’s Burger Ambassadors!

Given my status as Ambassador Alumni, The Coast asked me to find out more about this year’s new burger-loving Ambassadors, and how they plan on tackling the meatiest week of the year!