As the spring melt sets in and Calgarians’ minds turn to barbecued meats, it’s time to embrace the beauty of the humble burger. Whether you’re grilling them at home, eating in a restaurant, or grabbing some takeout to enjoy in a park (the ultimate in spring bliss), a good burger is timeless. Read More
As the spring melt sets in and Calgarians’ minds turn to barbecued meats, it’s time to embrace the beauty of the humble burger. Whether you’re grilling them at home, eating in a restaurant, or grabbing some takeout to enjoy in a park (the ultimate in spring bliss), a good burger is timeless. Burger trends do
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As the spring melt sets in and Calgarians’ minds turn to barbecued meats, it’s time to embrace the beauty of the humble burger. Whether you’re grilling them at home, eating in a restaurant, or grabbing some takeout to enjoy in a park (the ultimate in spring bliss), a good burger is timeless.
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Burger trends do come and go and the smash burger has dominated burger conversations over the last few years. Smash burgers — as in the style of burger, not just burgers from the chain that claims them as its namesake — are in the spotlight for a few reasons. From a restaurant standpoint, in a world where most people don’t want to see a trace of pink in their burger, especially from a fast service joint, cooking a thinner patty makes for easy quality control as well as a faster cooking time. From a consumer perspective, a well-executed smash burger just tastes darn good.
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For the uninitiated, a smash burger consists of patties smashed as thinly and evenly as possible directly onto a flat-top grill. Fat doesn’t have much time to render out as the slim patties cook and the Maillard reaction (the chemical process of amino acids and reducing sugars browning the meat) leaves the surface crispy and full of flavour. When prepared with expert precision, there may be a lacy edge which will contrast the juiciness of the centre of the burger. Since the patties should only be about a half-inch thick, when given the option of a single or double burger always go for two to avoid the risk of throwing off the bun-to-patty ratio or going home hungry.
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With countless restaurants in Calgary now offering their version of the increasingly ubiquitous smash burger, there are plenty of places to try them out. These are some of my favourites:
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Bastion Burger
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Bastion Burger started as (and still exists as) a food truck, expanding into the food service partner at Pinbar last fall. Run by a group of experienced chefs with some hefty punk-rock spirit, Bastion has steadily gained fans thanks to its carefully prepared smash burgers. Part of the beauty of a smash burger is that the cooking method can make even average beef taste great, but Bastion raises that bar with its custom blend of high-end beef and some of the laciest edges in the city. Bastion’s O.G. Smashy is delicious as is, but there are a few clever variations available such as “The Benjamin” with jalapeños and jerk ketchup.
501 17 Ave. S.W., bastionburger.com
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Class Clown Hamburgers
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When Class Clown opened in the summer of 2023 in the old Burger Inn building, local burger lovers rejoiced. The brainchild of Xian Fullen and Noel Sweetland, the look of the small restaurant is deliciously retro chic, the wine list is fun and a little wacky but, most importantly, the burgers are outstanding. A rare casual restaurant that regularly makes critical best-of lists, Class Clown is a local phenomenon. This can result in long wait times to get in.
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The burgers, made with a blend of pasture-raised Alberta chuck and brisket ground in-house every morning are worth both the hype and the wait. They apparently make very good fish and chicken sandwiches, too, but I can’t personally confirm as I’ve never been able to resist the lure of the smash burgers.
1711 4 St. S.W. #106, classclown.ca
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Lil’ Empire
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A locally owned chain with three locations and another on the way (look for a new Beltline shop in the next month or so), Lil’ Empire is slowly growing into a bigger empire. Owned and operated by a group of friends who have been involved with some of Calgary’s best restaurants, the burgers at Lil’ Empire are made with ethically raised Alberta beef, ground in-house, and served simply with a signature burger sauce and American cheese. Plant-based and chicken burgers are also on the menu, along with a collection of tasty hot dogs.
Multiple locations, lilempireburger.com