Miss Browns: 4.5/5

Aussie Burger: 4.5
$14 (platter)

Mushroom Bacon Cheese Burger: 4.8
$13 (platter)

Jalapeño Cheese Burger: 3.9
$13 (platter)

Miss B's Trio of Brisket Sliders: 4.5
$10 (platter)

What happens when you combine restaurant experience, fine arts, world travels and a smoker? You make Burger Club's Top 5! Miss Browns, the little hot pressed bruncherie, opened at 288 William Ave near the Red River College campus just over two years ago. It’s a popular spot and Burger Club needed to schedule lunch between studying students and a large catering order.

Miss browns is bright and cheery with a big communal table, line of two-seaters and a window counter to accommodate any social situation. It’s an open kitchen and co-owner Jenny assembled and plated the stacks while husband Steve worked the smoker and sliced brisket for the sliders. There was steady takeout action over the lunch hour and enthusiastic servers Taylor and Laura took great care of our group.

Did I mention the smoker? After cooking on the tiny flat-top, the beef patties are finished in a glorious oak smoker adding a dimension of flavour that made my taste buds sit up and take notice. Practically every Burger Club review had the words “Great smoky flavour!” Miss Browns keeps it simple, adding fennel, a bit of chili flake and salt and pepper to the ground round. The local, free range beef is processed in Carman and sourced through The Carvers Knife, so if you like, you could probably go meet your meat beforehand.

The sandwiches are beautiful and you can see Steve’s BFA education in the presentation. I got a chuckle, because although the two different aioli sauces framing the burger are made in house, the open faced sandwich must’ve needed some red and yellow because there’s a squeeze of Mustard and Ketchup completing the colour palette. Jenny commented “We love our burgers and sandwiches juicy and saucy - it can get quite messy.” She added “Steve is the mastermind behind the menu. He has a keen eye and a great talent for presentation. Miss Browns was designed and built by him.”

Steve’s an Aussie, so of course there’s a burger of the same name, complete with pickled beets and a fried egg on top. The week Burger Club dined the Mushroom Bacon Cheese Burger replaced the Jalapeño Cheese Burger, but the Aussie still anchored the BURGERS section of the changing menu. Jenny wrote: “Our inspiration for Miss Browns is derived from Australian cuisine using fresh high quality products to create delicious flavours done simply. Aussies know how to do brunch and we wanted to share that with our Winnipeg customers.”

The buns are baked at Gunns, glazed and grilled at Miss Browns. “The bun is the champion here” wrote Scott. “I doubt even Tupperware could do a better job containing a huge patty, beets, onion, pickles, lettuce, four sauces, cheese and a fried egg. The bun stayed together and my fingers dry through the whole process.” Russ echoed “They managed to put every condiment I could think of on one burger while still holding together.” Alfalfa sprouts were a seasonal bonus.

The brisket spends 12 hours in the smoker and it's heavenly. Stan scribed “I love brisket and it was very good. The other appealing thing was that each slider was unique, so got a variety of flavours – BBQ, Hot and Herb. All were very good.” Louella added “Sliders were great. Beef brisket was very tender.”



All the burgers come with “a side of house made, crispy, warm potato chips, which I thoroughly enjoyed” wrote Dani. Tom added “The soup was incredible.”

Miss Browns came to our attention during #LeBurgerWeek 2016. Jenny described the experience as crazy – they have a tiny grill and there was a line out the door for six hours!

King’s Head - March Special Burgers: 4.4/5

Raspberry Jalapeño BBQ

Score: 4.8, Platter: $9.95

Stuffed Bleu Cheese Bacon

Score: 4.4, Platter: $10.95

Island Burger

Score: 4.3, Platter: $10.95

Poutine Burger

Score: 4.2, Platter: $11.95

Burger Club are big fans of the King’s Head Pub at 120 King St, and when I heard about their March Special Burgers, I dropped what I was doing and booked us in. This was our fourth ‘official’ visit and it landed on the fourth anniversary of Burger Club. 25 people made it out and staff had us set up at one long table on the bar side – they know how we like it!

The King’s Head does service well and true to form, Kim did a fantastic job taking care of food and drink orders for our large group. Dave and Reg helped out and Chef Steve made a couple of burger deliveries himself to make sure we were all enjoying his and Jay’s creations. I don’t know how they do it, but the platters were coming out 5-10 minutes after people ordered.


Run, don’t walk to the King’s Head this March

The new pretzel bagel bun was the hot topic and Jay Khanuja told us how they tested three different buns. They’re big, messy burgers and he knew the traditional Kaiser wasn't going to be up to the job. The first pretzel bagel they tried was too dense, but the pretzel bun they settled on was a soft bite and elastic enough to hold the whole assembly together to the last mouthful.

King's Head hand forms the 7oz. beef patties using 15% fat chuck steak. The burgers are thick, firm and filling. The meat is tasty on its own and the mild seasoning leaves room for the flavourful toppings to make their own statement. No one left hungry and the platters are good value ranging from $10-$12. They put our burger handling to the test though, and even the training video didn't help unless you had gigantic hands and could do a pinky squeeze.

Russ wrote “Oh happy day! I highly recommend Winnipeg peeps head down to the King's Head before the end of the month. The 'Raspberry Jalapeño BBQ  Burger' has perfect sweet heat and pairs great with a Guinness. It makes your mouth warm before warming your belly.” Jacques said “I love the pretzel bun, they should keep it on the menu. I was impressed with the spicing; the patty was well formed and meaty.” Interestingly enough, this was supposed to be the ‘Chipotle and Jack Daniels BBQ Burger’ but the Chipotle peppers were off their prime so the kitchen made a quick change to use Jalapeños with raspberry sauce which ended up being the favourite.

Blue cheese burgers are tricky to flavour balance because if there’s too much or too little, or the nose doesn't work, diners can be sad. The King’s Head nailed it perfectly to make the ‘Stuffed Blue Cheese Bacon Burger’ the #2 March Special favourite. Scott wrote “I've been away too long, but it was like coming home. Good friends, good food.” Back in December 2012, Jay made us a blue cheese stuffed Khanuja with Cajun sauce and onion rings on top. It was a special creation and had we ranked it, it would be in our Top 5.

The ‘Island Burger’ was the popular choice at Burger Club. Chris wrote “The creaminess of the avocado was nicely paired with the slight spiciness of the mango sauce. The pretzel bun was the best I’ve ever tasted.” Liz commented “Sauce was a bit too spicy and overshadowed the flavours of mango and avocado.” Nicole echoed “It was close to being too spicy for me. It obscured some of the rest of the flavours – avocado was too subtle to stand up to the chili.” Karen bubbled “I enjoyed what I could manage to eat as the patty was huge! All the flavours were stellar – spicy, sweet and messy. The patty was simply seasoned, fine ground and the sauces worked to compliment.”

The fourth special beef burger was the ‘Poutine’ – also a popular selection and visually impressive. Geoff always gives me good words and had this to say “Since I've never seen anything like it before, I had to try the Poutine Burger. There was quite the heft to the creation, especially with the new pretzel bun. It was pretty tasty; the poutine meshed well with the beef. By the end, once it cooled the potato/cheese creation emulated another patty in consistency. Thankfully they don’t tell you how many calories it has!” Nat wrote “A slippery, tasty mess. Did not hold together, but boy was it tasty!” Stephanie scribbled on her gravy stained review slip “I died and went to poutine burger heaven. Fun combination.” I should mention the gravy was another favourite – dark with plenty of garlic and roasted onion. I saw a couple of people drinking out of the gravy boat.

If you don’t make it down before the end of March, don't worry because the regular menu ‘Big Khanuja’ is as tasty today as it was four years ago and is a favourite at the King’s Head. Isabel had it and exclaimed “They don’t call it Big Khanuja for nothing! Spicy! My ideal combo for a burger – bacon, jalapeños, mushrooms, onions and cheese – but OMG … so big! I feel like I need to have a nap.”

Jessica tried the ‘Lamb Vindaloo Burger’ but wasn't wowed: “Difficult to taste the lamb that was overpowered by the sauce. Not too spicy.” April wrote “The Bison Burger was good but a little middle heavy.” Brian critiqued “The burger was served open face showing the melted cheese and bacon on one side and the tomato and lettuce on the other side. The  patty was thick and dense and maybe a little dry (expected with bison).”

A couple of diners had the regular menu burger and Esther shouted “AWESOME BURGER! THE OVEREATER IN ME WANTS TO EAT A 2ND ONE. THE BUN WAS THE BEST I HAVE EVER HAD!”

Tonight we were trying everything on the menu and newbie Lisa had the Veggie Burger. “Delighted to be invited to the Burger Club in spite of breaking the ‘First Rule of Burger Club’. I enjoyed the Veggie Burger, though not the best I've ever had. Pretzel bun was great, but filling and salty. Fries and malt vinegar always a treat at the King’s Head.”

Deer + Almond: 4.4/5

Royale with Cheese

Score: 4.4

Platter: $10

Art meets food in the little diner on the corner of Princess and McDermot and Mandel Hitzer is the creative tour de force in the kitchen.

Photos 1-6: Mandel Hitzer

There’s only one beef burger on the menu and it doesn't have any options. The sandwich first appeared for #LeBurgerWeek 2013 as a parody of the Big Mac, complete with special sauce and three-part sesame seed bun, but eventually the troublesome middle bun disappeared and the two patties merged into one thick layer of beef. It’s the ‘Royale with Cheese’, an artistic interpretation of Pulp Fiction's Quarter Pounder with Cheese, but it's still ‘Le Big Mac’ at heart.

Mandel is a self proclaimed “burger connoisseur who has travelled the world tasting burgers to come up with the perfect recipe." He uses a selection of beef cuts and just the right amount of fat to produce the succulent and flavourful patty. “The patty should stand on its own.” Our last few Burger Club outings have had prefab patties and it was like coming home to have lovingly crafted ground round once again.

Mandel knows the importance of a good bun and Deer + Almond are almost unique in that they bake their own. Mandel looked like a proud parent when he gazed at the bun and said “Behold its pillowy soft, shiny, seedy goodness. Once you make your own you can't go back.”

"Are you ready for a burger? We're just waiting for A&W" Mandel joked. He took my camera into the kitchen and returned it with a photo essay of burger love. We preordered, and our sixteen meals came out quite quickly. Brian started cutting his burger in half and Mandel exclaimed “You're compromising the structural integrity! Holding a messy burger together is part of the experience.” There's a training video for that.

Karen critiqued “The Royale was a delicious mess of love. The bun is the first thing you bite into - it should be the very best quality - and it was! Could taste all the ingredients and the special sauce rocked my world.” A number of our group raved about the sauce – Stephanie scribbled “OMG so good! The secret special sauce made the burger.”

Most diners really enjoyed the bun, but a couple thought the fresh bread a little doughy for the patty. The processed ‘American Cheese’ was exactly what it was supposed to be on the Royale – and I enjoyed it - but one or two could have done without the direct analogy.

Chris wrote “the burger was juicy, and very nice to taste a homemade bun. I found it drippy, but the sauce was very flavourful and helped to really punch it up.” Isabel commented “Little bit of spice was nice. Liked the cheese/sauce/burger combination. Kinda tasted like a Big Mac but way mo better. Bun was tasty - liked the seeds.”

Mandel asked what could make the burger even better and the only comment was the beef resembled a ball more than a patty. It's quite thick which allows chef to leave it pink in the middle – tender and juicy, and very flavourful.

You won't find fries at Deer + Almond, but you will find gourmet soups and salads – different delicious creations every visit. The teardrop shaped soup bowl - or salad - and the sandwich were served on a large, round plate that had the effect of making the burger look small.

All in all we had a great time at Deer + Almond and Burger Club put the ‘Royale with Cheese’ in our Top 10; a 5-star burger! At only $10 including the side, it was quite a good deal for a steakhouse patty and ranked #3 in value. Deer + Almond made our Top 5 for service so very good numbers all around! Peter was a quick and attentive server, and Graham cleared the restaurant and stood on furniture to take our group photo.

Nelson inspected the facilities and noted "the bathrooms are unlabeled. Good luck determining the correct one on the first guess.” He added “They should really have a portrait of John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson on the wall.”

'The Burger': Les Brandt

Mandel found a kindred spirit in Les who wrote a poem about the burger and followed it up a few days later with a watercolour tribute.

Photo: NB

Maw's Eatery (closed): 4/5

Cheeseburger
Score: 3.9
Platter: $12



Charlie Sheen
Score: 4.0
Platter: $16

Burger Club spans a wide demographic with some of us remembering Maw’s as the Old, Old Spaghetti Factory and some more recently as Sound Republic. The bartender, Cody, said her dad used to win the limbo competition every week when it was Brandy’s. The restaurant at 111 Princess is named after the pioneering building – Maw’s Garage - built around the turn of the century. The other end of the original Maw’s Garage extends to King St. next to the King’s Head.

Maw's Eatery and Beer Hall, a.k.a. Maw’s Garage, has two personas. The eatery side offers a seating style for any mood. There are tall chairs in front of big, bright windows, short chairs and a high backed bench along one wall, and couches and coffee tables centered in front of the stage or tucked away in a cozy nook. You can also sit at the bar. It’s a high, roomy space with heavy wooden pallets suspended from the ceiling. An area for smaller performances is backed by curio cabinets with the stage defined by a rug and microphone stand. It’s a very welcoming, comfortable atmosphere. The beer hall was empty at lunch time today, but on weekends it’s a large music venue complete with a long bar and balcony overlooking the stage and hall. Between the two sides, there are shows every day.

When we arrived they didn't seem to have our reservation, but were very quick to set us up comfortably together. Our waitress, Amy, was fast and cheerful, happily answered all our questions and took a couple of group pictures. She was on top of our drinks and the food didn’t take long.

Meals were served on a variety of large plates and platters – some right out of Maw’s china cabinet. Except for Dani’s – she opted for no side and her sandwich came in a bowl. The burgers were a bit of an optical illusion – the tiny homemade brioche bun perched on top of the double Charlie Sheen made the assembly look small – but it wasn’t. The two patties were thick, juicy and flavourful - nobody left hungry.

My Charlie Sheen came with two perfectly cooked slices of bacon lolling off the side and way more burger than bun. I ate it like an ice-cream cone – nibbling my way around the patties before reaching the bun.

Those that tried eating it by picking it up with both hands and digging in found themselves juggling a handful of meat – the patty quickly fell apart with the bun containment overwhelmed. Russ said it best: “Like Sheen himself this burger was an exciting mess, when pressed it fell apart completely.”

Brian reviewed: “The burger arrived, stacked high with cheese, and bacon clearly visible.  Also immediately noticeable was the size of the bun, small compared to the beef patties jutting out in all directions.  The beef was seasoned well, though a little greasy, the bacon was cooked fresh and the cheese portion was generous.  The other condiments where almost invisible, and that was a great disappointment.  There was supposed to be a jalapeno relish, promising a little heat, that didn’t materialize.  Overall a good burger, but it was missing the promised heat, and a little pricy.”

Karen had the single cheeseburger and scribbled “The burger looked a little small, however proved to be just right in portion size. The patty was good quality beef, dense and finely ground. Simple ingredients were nice. Nothing in condiments distinguished it in flavour.”

The flavour of this stack was all about the beef patties. Esther ranted “Burger was good but menu said pickles and it was relish. They are not the same thing!” I couldn’t discern the jalapeño relish either and there seemed to be prepared mustard on mine. The leafy bed of spinach wasn’t mentioned on the menu. I don’t remember having spinach on a burger before and it worked quite well in flavour and grip.

Staying on theme, Stephanie tweeted on her rating slip “Eating the Charlie Sheen at Maws #winning”. Mike wrote “Burger-to-bun ratio was a bit off (too much meat). The taste of the burger and bacon was good. Couldn't detect any tiger's blood though!”

Everyone enjoyed the crispy fries, the only gripe - they were too short to dip into the little jar of ketchup – we really are a critical bunch! Cary had the Sexy Fries – they looked spectacular with their pizza topping. He said they were “interesting.” Cary didn’t share so we have to take his word for it.

Karen and I opted for the tomato soup side – it was creamy, and thick enough to spread on toast - with a delicate, fresh tomato flavour. It came served in the bottom of a mostly empty soup cup that left me wanting more. The dollop of soup was a $1.77 add-on to my $16 Charlie Sheen burger. Karen wrote “I started with the tomato soup with crunchy croutons. It was very tasty and the crunch of the croutons complimented nicely.”