The Eat Machine
Inner Harbour
Lower Causeway
Corner of Government St. and Belleville St.
Victoria, B.C.
(250) 893-3303

E: The first time James and I found the Eat Machine, a food truck operation, it was closed. The second time, we arrived near their cleanup time. But realizing I was strapped for cash and was armed only with a debit card, I had to quickly find the nearest ATM. At nearly 5pm on a Sunday, I’m surprised we didn’t race to one side of the Inner Harbour and back. To imagine us at the wharf, shouting, “Look out, there are Two Hungry Blokes on the warpath!” would have been amusing.

J: I avoided any urge for a race because I didn’t need the extra hassle should Ed drop dead from a coronary. And carrying him, well…he knows how bad my back is.

I would’ve just quietly rolled Ed into the water and let the fish do the rest. But honestly, I had just had a light snack at Bubble Tea on the Run and I wanted to avoid any discomfort by breaking into a full run. And besides, it was a beautiful day

E: And who knows, maybe James might have bumped into Alice in Wonderland and fell into the rabbit hole, leaving more of those twisty potato fries for me. Those were delicious, and they put any regular potato chips to shame. It was soft and crispy, with that oh so light warm taste of being fresh from the fryer! The light dusting of salt made these chips the dinner highlight!

J:  Ah yes, the female performer who I thought was dressed as Alice was right in the middle of the harbour walkway. That would’ve been a shame. It would’ve deprived me of her act.

The Eat burger comes with the twisters chips and for $12, I may have to reconsider coming back for more in the future. The ingredients of bacon, mushrooms and onions weren’t lacking in flavour and freshness. The patty gave this burger a less-than-stellar reputation. I loved the way the patty was cooked but the meat was lacking in taste and nothing added to the burger could improve on it.

Technically I was given “a burger” rather than the Eat burger I ordered. But due to their dwindling supplies at the end of the day, I realized Eat Machine worked with what was left in their small prep area.

E:  I thought the burger patty itself could have been a little more juicier. But when Chris Mitchell, the co-owner of this operation, was very accomodating in making up two burgers just before closing, brownie points were earned.

I’m sure the Eat Machine will improve over time. A bit of tinkering is required to really make this place stand out. They already do with those twisters.

3½ Blokes out of 5