Hog Shack

3900 Bayview St., Steveston, B.C.                hogshack.ca

FOOD
Its website promises "epic bbq." We had a pretty epic disagreement over the burgers here. One member of our group thought the Flatline Burger (double patty between two grilled cheese sandwiches) lived up to its "to die for" reputation, and even outranked a similar offering at Burger Heaven. He was particularly impressed the mammoth burger stayed intact down to the last bite. But another member complained the burger lacked char and that its flavour was flat and the rustic bun was a bit "chewy." A third member said he quite enjoyed his burger. We enjoyed the fries which reminded us of In-N-Out fries in the States.

AMBIENCE
Nice, airy hangout spot with red-checkered-tablecloth charm, albeit a bit quiet on the weeknight we visited.

SERVICE
Friendly, attentive service, though we were a bit gobsmacked at the lack of response from staff when a small, four-legged rodent was seen scurrying about in the dining area.

VALUE
Classic burger meal is $10. Dressed up burgers range from $13 to $18. If we come back we'll definitely want to give their bbq ribs a try.

Summing it up, eating at the Hog Shack is like driving a Scion XB through Drumheller, Alta., with Jenna Fischer in the passenger seat and Billy Joel's "Piano Man" playing on the radio. (Visited on Sept. 24, 2013)

Sophie's Cosmic Cafe

2095 W. 4th Ave. Vancouver     sophiescosmiccafe.com

Food This Kitsilano landmark is known for its breakfasts/brunches, but how do its burgers fare? Patties were nicely seasoned and healthy-sized, but we can't say we were 'wowed' by them. A couple of us thought our sesame buns were on the stale/dry side. We all thought the fries were top notch, though the in-house ketchup was a bit on the tart side. The offering of beans as a side is rare, and they were good!

Ambience It was a nice night so we opted for outdoor seating, which was very pleasant. First-time 'goers will enjoy the kitschy, colourful interior.

Service Attentive and cheerful.

Value At $12.59 for the "deluxe" burger, you're getting a decent amount of food for your money, though the consensus from the group seemed to be that we're not in any rush to come back (at least for the burger).

Summing it up, eating at Sophie's Cosmic Cafe is like driving a Chrysler 300 down Cornwall Avenue with Jay Leno in the driver's seat, while listening to Foo Fighters 'Best of you.' (visited on August 27, 2013)

Save On Meats

43 W. Hastings St. Vancouver www.saveonmeats.ca

Food This is a quality burger. It is on the small side, but it's a wonderfully well-proportioned burger, with a coherent flavour (nice seasoning, with a pleasantly sweet sauce), fresh toppings — including bacon and cheese — and a great brioche bun. Unfortunately, the fries seemed a bit overdone but we liked the sprinkle of green onion.

Ambience We love the airy diner atmosphere, exposed brick and booth seating.

Service Cheerful and attentive. Our server seemed to have mind-reading abilities.

Value At $6.95, it may be the best burger deal in town


Summing it up, eating at Save On Meats is like driving a Subaru BRZ through Gastown with Jeremy Lin in the passenger seat while listening to "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell. (Visited on July 30, 2013).

Cannibal Cafe

1818 Commercial Drive, Vancouver   cannibalcafe.ca

Food More mixed opinions within the group. One liked his two-pattied American Classic; didn't even care that there was no bacon. Another raved about the Montreal burger — a patty topped with smoked meat and sauerkraut. However, the Blue Cheese burger was just a bit overpowering with the blue cheese. Two of us thought the burgers were a tad on the dry side. We all liked the handcut fries, but what was the point of the side of salad?

Ambience Our mixed opinions carried over into a discussion of the interior. We liked the music posters on the walls but we couldn't quite tell what sort of a vibe they were going for — it's incomplete.

Service Decent, we suppose

Value Overall, prices were reasonable but we can't say there was really anything that set this place apart  —maybe except for the great onion rings.

Summing it up, eating at Cannibal Cafe is like driving a 2008 Honda Accord west along Bridgeport Road in Richmond to where it loops around into Russ Baker Way with Willem Dafoe in the passenger seat and "38 Years Old" playing on the radio. (Visited on May 23, 2013)

Splitz Grill

4242 Main St. Vancouver  www.splitzgrill.com

Food "Frickin' great" was the consensus of our group. Burger Heaven (one of our all-time faves) should be worried. We thought the meat was top-notch with good char/crumble factor. Fries were as good as they come. The Splitz sauce seemed to make all the difference. They also make other homemade sauces. Lots of topping options.

Ambience Large wooden booths. Nothing fancy.

Service Good. Get to see the burger put together right in front of you.

Value About $12 for the combo, which we think is a pretty good deal.

Summing it up, eating at Splitz Grill is like driving an Audi S5 down Main Street with Sandra Bullock in the passenger seat while listening to 'Feel it Again' by Honeymoon Suite (visited on Feb. 27, 2013).

Au Petit Chavignol

843 E. Hastings St. Vancouver   www.aupetitchavignol.com

Food Good-quality, fresh ingredients, but burger lacked flavour. Was there really a special sauce in there? Liked assortment of cheeses, some more potent than others. Disliked paying extra for add-ons
like lettuce.

Ambience Modern and mellow.

Service Amiable.

Value Good value. May return just to check out cheese store next door and the ping-pong club across the street.

Summing it up, eating at Au Petit Chavignol is like driving a Cadillac CTS (V-6 engine, minus the standard equipment) along UBC's Northwest Marine Drive and past Spanish Banks at dusk on a Sunday with Robert Downey Jr. in the passenger seat and 'Life is a Highway' playing on the radio. (Visited on Oct. 28, 2012).