A Big Wheel Update

I returned to the area of Cook Street Village to return videos to Pic A Flic and do what I planned on since reporting about this diner, and that’s to order their double double… well, a double patty burger. It was certainly much more filling and tastier. I could taste the grazed beef difference because of the volume, and has much changed?

Not really. With more meat to evaluate, it could do with some veins of bovine fat or being cooked with walnut oil (to bring out the flavour). Also, the condiments were not evenly spread out, but aside from that, I must say I commend their customer service.

I distinctly remembered that I ordered a double but when I looked at my bill afterwards, I saw that I paid for a single. When went to the counter to ask if a double is indeed coming my way, I was treated to a huge surprise. Not only did the staff corrected my order, but they did not ask me to pay the $2.25 difference. I received a complementary milkshake. There was even an apology by the manager which I found cool.

And since I got to try one their shakes, I have something new to report: I loved it. It was rich, creamy, and thick. The chocolate was not too strong. It even did not melt at all in the 15 mins it took for me to finish it off while on the way to town.

I have to say Big Wheel earned a huge point in its favour that day.

Big Wheel Burger on Urbanspoon

Big Wheel, Fast Food or No?

Big Wheel Burger
341 Cook St.

Cook Street Village
Victoria, BC
(250) 381-0050

J: My latest adventure with my roly poly compadre, Ed, brought me to the gentle little community of Cook Street Village. The area is known for Beacon Hill Park and for the tidy little shops that dot the Cook Street scenery. I managed to come away from this excursion with a bottle of Old Tyme pancake syrup (a product I used with frequency in the 1980’s) from Oxford Foods.

I also obtained fresh produce from Cook Street Market (established 1986) and I would’ve rented a British comedy DVD or two from Pic-A-Flic but I lacked the credentials.

E: We wound up in this area at the suggestion of Erin, who posted on our blog, suggesting we should review Big Wheel Burgers.

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Fatburger Thoughts

1209 Douglas Street
Victoria, BC
(250) 590-4142

Fatburger finally opened its doors in Victoria, and now a month past its grand opening, just how does it fare? For those hungry burger eaters who do not want to venture far from the offices, they’re better than their direct competitor that lies directly across the street. And competition will be stiff between them and Burger King.

When time is tight and I’m wanting to sate a burger fetish, these are the only two places I’d consider going to.

Against the gourmet burger joints, there is no comparison. Bin4, Jackalope and Mafia are safe from the invasion of the big corporations. They have tastier choices to support their product over the franchise operations.

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Burgers on the Industrial Side of Esquimalt

Bimo Burger Stand
878 Viewfield Rd.
Esquimalt, BC
(250) 360-2955

By my count, only a few months have elapsed since I said that I’d visit Bimo Burger Stand. It literally is a shack, owned and operated by a friendly-looking Chinese couple, and if I wanted some Chinese fast food to go, yes, that option is available.

But that’s not what this operation is all about. They serve burgers street vendor style, and they’re reasonably tasty ones at that. Although it doesn’t have the greasy joe’s feel, what I ate was a touch on the dry side. It doesn’t dribble when you’re eating and walking at the same time. When that’s put in a nicely warmed whole-wheat Kaiser bun, it left me satisfied for several hours. I only opted for the $5 piece just to see how their basic product fares.

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Bobbing for Burgers at Bin 4

Bin 4 Burger Lounge
911 Yates St
Victoria, BC
(250) 590-4154

E: Bin 4 is a new burger parlour in town, and they’ve only been open for a couple of weeks. They are located in the spot where JB’s Cafe used to be, and I can easily see myself visiting Harris Green Village a lot more often.

The scents coming from there are very inviting, and just how many places can I say offer fine dining with a burger experience? I met up with James here to find out.

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Big Leagues or Little Leagues: Just Where does the Mafia Belong?

(Located inside Sopranos
Karaoke & Sports Bar)

730 Caledonia
Victoria, B.C.

Mafia Burger has a good product-line going for them: all the traditional toppings and extra heavy fattenings for their 21 burger line-up. There’s plenty to choose from if people visit at particular times. At any others, the pickings are slim.

On my Friday evening visit for a quick dinner bite, the only burger available during hockey night is “The Royale,” a bare bones burger. It was created for the Victoria Royals Budweiser Tail-gate Party that was happening around the bar.

On these special events, the Mafia had no choice but to provide simplicity. Shouldn’t that be the other way around? I was feeling jilted. Where’s the Don to say, “I want it my way!” All Mafia seems to do is to supply a demand. Al Capone once said, “Capitalism is the legitimate racket of the ruling class,” and Mafia Burger is not in the big leagues yet.

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