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!

Clementine: 4.6/5

Hamburger: 4.6, $12

Clementine was a surprise entry for #LeBurgerWeek 2016; they didn't have a burger on the menu but the “Southern Affair” took the Judges Choice Award. Four months later the understated “Hamburger” appeared on the lineup and was as near to perfection as any juicy stack we’ve feasted on. Nineteen Burger Clubbers voted to make Clementine #1.

Le Burger Week 2016

The underground restaurant opened at 125 Princess in May 2016. "We wanted a brunch space first and foremost, a place in the Exchange" said Chef Chris Gama. "The big draw to this location was the beautiful beams and exposed stone walls. We worked with Dutch East Design and they did an excellent job highlighting the existing features." Clementine is a partnership between Chef Adam Donnelly and his wife Carolina Konrad, sister Raya Konrad and Chris Gama.

Photo: Adelina Wong (packmeto.com)

The subterranean location is reminiscent of a Quebec City cellar pub. The space felt roomy with a high timbered ceiling and open kitchen - lighting up one end of the dining room like a window into burger heaven. A variety of wooden surfaces and rich wall treatments present plenty of eye candy. There were sparkling bottles of water on the tables and an “Eat this it’ll help” neon sign near the kitchen. Stephanie exclaimed“Super cute restaurant!” and Brenda echoed “Very much enjoyed the ambience.”

The burgers arrived quickly, served fully assembled and unaccompanied. They were beautiful to look at. The hand formed patty is an 85:15 mix of beef chuck and bacon, simply seasoned with salt and pepper, coarsely ground in-house and lightly handled giving it a fluffy texture. It’s a thick 5-6 oz. round prepared to perfection – cooked through and very juicy.


The pillowy soft sized-just-right Japanese milk dough bun was baked in-house and then grilled. Chris described how “a portion of the flour is pre-cooked limiting the amount of gluten that forms during mixing and providing a more tender crumb. We add dill and top it off with crushed dill pickle potato chips.” The stack was an easy bite and held together to the end. Many restaurants outsource their buns and when I asked Chris about it he said “The decision to bake in house was easy, we do all our baking in house!”

The made-from-scratch zucchini refrigerator pickles provided vinegary tang and crunchy texture to the sandwich. The patty was nestled on a bed of shredded iceberg lettuce and pimento cheese sauce. The sauce was fairly bold, and if your sandwich received a large dollop in the kitchen, it could dominate the otherwise well balanced flavours. Between the juicy patty and pickles it was drippy, but it's a well known fact that messy burgers taste better. To coin a phrase from Breakfast Connoisseurs, there was slurge.

• Russ: A return to my happy place. The bite and flavour were both perfect, if a bit unconventional. The homemade bun was the ideal consistency and complimented the lightly packed bacon and beef patty. I will be back.
• Les: Super simple construction with minimal additions. No tower of added this-and-that to impress, just a real burger with lettuce, sauce and zucchini pickle. The patty was thick, juicy and tasty with the added bacon infused. Sauce made it drippy (which is always good) and the bun held together!
• Brett: I usually prefer a crispy patty but this was soft and quite flavourful.  Liked the tangy sauce. I love green relish and the sweet zucchini pickles satisfied that with a crunch. Bun was soft, tasty and held up well.

In the spirit of sharing, one of your table friends should order the Potato Home Fries ($5). The tasty morsels are buttery soft on the inside with a light crispy crust giving a pleasing texture. Artistically drizzled salsa negra and lime mayo add the flavour punch.



They don’t take reservations and Clementine is a popular destination. Most of us got there around 11:30 and were seated in two areas. There were lots of smiling and efficient service and kitchen staff and we were served quickly. I asked the kitchen folks if they’d like to pose for a photo and heard “No posing, only action shots!” It was the lunch rush and they were busy. By the time our group left at about 12:20 there were a number of people in line to be seated.

At $12, the unaccompanied burger seemed a little pricey, but it’s created from fresh, quality ingredients (as are all their menu items). The designed space is beautiful, staff are plentiful and well trained so I guess you get what you pay for. Andrew commented “For $12, it would be nice if a side was included, but this won't stop me from coming back.”

Silver Heights Restaurant: 4.3/5

Los Bad Hombres: 4.5
   $12
Mmmm-Heighty Memphis: 3.7
   $13
Angus Sirloin: 4.7
   $10
Blue & Gold: 4.5
   $12
Saucy St. James: 4.6
   $10

The Silver Heights Restaurant made Burger Club’s Top-10 list! The neon landmark of 60 years is famous for ribs, so it comes as no surprise they also make a 5-Star burger. We were lucky enough to sample new creations coming soon to an updated menu.

Silver Heights is family owned and operated now in its 3rd generation of Siwickis. It's a popular destination for those looking to nurture the soul. The restaurant and bar were full on a Tuesday night, and our servers Shelly and Leah had no problem taking care of our large group. A grinning Tony kept sticking his head out of the kitchen to make sure we were happy.

The new ‘Los Bad Hombres’ was the popular choice with Burger Club. It made a striking presentation topped with shredded mozza and cheddar cheeses, pico de gallo and colourful tortilla crisps. Grilled jalapenos and chipotle mayo filled out the flavours. The only distraction was the bottom bun got soggy for some people. Karen wrote: “60 years of practice in the kitchen really shows as Los Bad Hombres was a really good burger. The patty was crisp and flavourful with a full-beef flavour. I loved the texture of the Tortilla crisps on this burger. My only complaint was the patty was huge and I couldn't finish mine.  9/10 messiness factor equals 9/10 in flavour." Jeff scribed: “The burger was done to perfection, and the flavours complimented each other perfectly - just enough heat to not overwhelm everything.”

The ‘Mmmm-Heighty Memphis Ribber’ tantalized with a cherry tomato on top. It had a Cajun dry rub, smoked Beaman BBQ sauce and zingy coleslaw and will be a great addition to the regular menu. Russ commented: “A great blend of flavours! Spices on the ribs and sauce on the slaw went well together and the bun was perfect.” During #LeBurgerWeek back in September, Tony joked that the cooks were annoyed at him for his popular creation – they were madly ‘shucking’ a mountain of rib bones back in the kitchen.

The straight up ‘Angus Sirloin Burger’ from the regular menu was the highest rated creation and that says a lot about how well the patty stood on its own. Nat exclaimed “A solid burger! Moist & meaty with nice grilled surface. Nice warm bun and great beef ratio. Good flavour.” Geoff penned “A rather basic sounding burger with no bells and whistles but it came through with flying colours; a good sized patty and a good collection of fresh toppings. It was nice and juicy, and the tasty bun held up pretty well." Sleemans makes a beer just for Silver Heights and Geoff went on to say "The SHeights lager is a treat, like Original Draft but with a local flair. The Silver Heights is a true Winnipeg institution and one of my favourite neighborhood bars/restaurants."

The ‘Blue & Gold Stuffed Burger’ took Les to new heights: “It was a top-notch crispy done to perfection tasty zesty mouth watering bliss! Onion rings, hints of blue cheese swirling over the 10 yard line, the bun was tackled, SHeights beer pushed us over the end zone. Touchdown!” I found the burger wasn’t so much stuffed with blue cheese, pickles, bacon and mushrooms as blended, but all the flavours came through in the mix. I enjoyed it, but I liked the spicy flavour of Karen’s Los Hombres patty even more.

The last of the five stacks we feasted on was the ‘Saucy St James’ with smoked ham, spicy jalapenos, banana peppers, mushrooms and chipotle cheese gravy. Isabel wrote “Loved the crusty burger. Had nice bits of crunchy beef bits. Can't say I noticed the ham. The cheese sauce was tasty and the crispy onion bits on top just made it super extra tasty. I would get it again.”  Jacques liked his too: “I was a bit leery with a name like Saucy St-James that I would be wearing half of my burger, but it held up exceedingly well. I want to come back to try all the others. Very meaty and great flavour.”

The fries met with mixed reviews, but Brad said the “Chili cheese fries were to die for.” I had a big bowl of meatball soup and it was delicious.

The Heights is having a big 60th birthday party in June and you can play along to win a VIP pass. Western Restaurant News recently wrote a great story on the history and operation of the Silver Heights Restaurant and Lounge (5.5 MB).

Stella's on Sherbrook: 4/5

Burger Club - Winnipeg has reached an amazing 500,000 views. Thank you burger fans!

Choego Burger: 3.9
- LeBurgerWeek Special
$11.95 (platter)


B & E Burger: 4.6
- Regular Menu
$14.35 (platter)

The newly renovated Stella’s at 116 Sherbrook is bright and roomy. There’s an open kitchen and interesting artworks. A plethora of personnel took turns greeting our group with sincere smiles and conversation. They’re a happy bunch and the service can’t be beat.

It was LeBurgerWeek – the greatest week of the year – and we were at Stella’s to feast on their homage to Asian/Latin/Caribbean/LA street cuisine boldly named the Choego (the best).

I had the Grass-Fed Beef Burger a few years back at Stella’s @PlugIn when the patty consisted of a collection of tasty morsels in close association, perhaps held together by some strange beefy magnetism, but not “pattyfied.” Today’s beef round took on a more traditional form but was quite a departure in flavour.

The Choego patty had good texture, not too soft and not to dense, but it was lean and dry. The seasoning was complex – cilantro, and opinions varied from caraway to thyme. The grilled ring of pineapple added some moisture. As you’d expect from Stella’s, all the ingredients were fresh and healthy, evinced with the generous pile of Arugula. Although present, neither the smear of avocado mayo nor the cheese was evident. The house baked fun was fresh, fluffy and did a great job wrapping the stack.

Photo Credit: Jeff

“It's burger week! It's burger week!” exclaimed Geoff. “I had the Stella's special entrant into the ever-expanding burger week roster. The Choego wasn't a bad burger but there were aspects that could have been improved. The Arugula had a bit of conflicting taste with the rest of the creation, but the pineapple had a good flavour and added some moisture. Overall the burger was a bit dry, meaning there was no burger detritus left on the plate afterwards - a rarity for me!”

“The burger had everything going for it, but some of the flavours did not work for me” critiqued Karen. “Perhaps it was the Arugula because I like pineapple on a burger. Overall a nice burger - good potential for the patty - but too many special ingredients made for complex flavours that didn't appeal to me.”

“Hmm … conundrum. Love the grilled pineapple and I love Arugula on a burger but something there was amiss” pondered Sandy. “Did the cinnamon change the chemistry of the pineapple? Nope, it was great on its own. I suspect the Arugula was extra peppery. A flavourful patty, albeit a little dry in spots. Love the Ally McBeal bathroom!”

Every burger is someone’s favourite, and the Choego was Maureen’s. “Not the flavour of a normal burger, but wow, absolutely delicious in its uniqueness. Burger held together really well and didn’t have to lick elbows!” Jeff liked it too: “Delicious! I was a little worried when I read the description that flavours would be too overpowering, but they worked together in perfect harmony. The bun was amazing - perhaps best I've ever had - in perfect proportion to burger and held together perfectly to the last bite.”

There were differing opinions over the Choego bun; some thought it perfectly sized to the patty, with bun and beef in every bite right to the end, but others thought it a little too ample. “Burger held together like a champ” jotted Brad. Les scribed "I like a bun you can pick up and eat! The bun held together for the whole experience so kudos for that!” The regular menu bun didn’t fare so well. Dani wrote “My burger came with a Focaccia bun. Although it was good, it didn't hold its load well and disintegrated. Decided to eat it with a knife and fork. Hopefully I won't get kicked out of burger club for introducing cutlery.”

A few people opted for the B&E Burger and enjoyed it. April exclaimed “My burger was a great choice! The B&E burger (with the addition of cheese and Avocado) was very yummy. The first half was relatively mess-free, however the second half (when the egg yolk broke) was running down my arm as I ate it.” Jacques wrote “I was curious about the combination of egg and burger and it did not disappoint. The bun was trouble from the get-go. Do not trust Focaccia buns to hold your burger. It was an eggcellent burger.”

Oscar's Deli: 4.4/5

#dirtyburger
Score: 4.4
Platter: $14


Cheeseburger
Score: 4.3
$6.25

Oscar’s Deli is not just about Rubins and Clubhouses – they also make a 5 star burger! Top 10 on Burger Club’s list. The north end delicatessen opened in 1929 and moved to 175 Hargrave Street in 1982 where they still pack in the lunch crowd every day. Oscar, aka owner Larry Brown, is a funny guy – evidenced by the framed GQ magazine cover of daughter Rachel and him overlooking the deli counter. When I booked in 18 of us and told Larry we’d all be having the #dirtryburger, he responded “Okay, we’ll kill another cow.”

Very popular for sandwiches and breakfast – and great service - the menu has grown to include ribs and burgers. Oscar’s Deli extended their hours to 7 p.m. on weekdays and now offer dinner service. The #dirtyburger, their entry for LeBurgerWeek, was such a hit they extended the special, and 4 months later, the slightly faded handwritten sign taped to the bottom of the special board is still there. Oscar’s is licensed for beer and wine, and in summer you can enjoy your meal on the patio.

Oscar’s has conventional hamburgers and cheeseburgers on the menu, but Burger Club was all about the #dirtyburger with its 2 beef patties, bacon, pastrami, salami, American cheese, an egg, lettuce, tomato and fried onions dressed with hot mustard and horseradish sauce on a sesame seed egg bun. It’s $14 and comes with fries. The kitchen could only cook five at a time because that’s how many the grill would hold. They had us setup at two tables and our server Lisa was very quick and friendly. Our large group was in and out in under an hour even with the lunch rush.

The diner style patties are 4 oz, hand formed, unadorned ground chuck, flattened thin and wide so they cook fast while staying juicy with a nice grill crust. The piles of pastrami and salami – and of course the egg – are also fried on the grill and the whole stack is served piping hot. Chef Hary chose the Gunn’s Bakery bun “because it's like candy, as in its sweet and adds that element to the burger. As you may have noticed, it holds the #dirtyburger very well.”

Photo: NB

There’s plenty of cheese, fried onions and groceries along with their signature beet horseradish sauce. The assembly is speared through and topped with a couple of thick slices of pickle. It was daunting and I couldn’t take it in one bite – I nibbled from bottom to top. The overall flavour was balanced and I could taste every ingredient. The horseradish sauce and pickle are popular so Oscar’s sells jars at the deli counter.

April commented “Best buns in town! Great flavourful burger. I really enjoyed the taste! I feel that the price was great for the amount of food. The fries were also very tasty.” Karen critiqued “I loved the crispy crust on this burger. It was a handmade patty, fairly plainly served. Toppings were good. Fried onions added a great grilled flavour. The tomato and lettuce were fresh and lots of it which added a little extra juiciness to the whole mess. I could even taste the cheese throughout. Love Oscar's quality stuff. Oh, and the bun is brilliant, soft but resilient.”

The #dirty burger was juicy and messy; Roxanne scribbled “Definitely needed a fork! Overall - great food & great company!” Nelson was exuberant: “I had little bits of meat all over the place when I was done. Very messy, but very good. I was worried about the horseradish and hot mustard but the flavours worked well together. Time for a nap.” Russ jotted “I was amazed how well it stuck together. Even the patty which seemed fairly lean. So HOT inside. Amazing fries.”

Some of our group opted for the cheeseburger. Depending on your appetite, a double wouldn’t be out of the question. Tonia had a single and wrote “Bun was good! Patti flavourful - but could be a bit thicker. Great service & value.” Stan enjoyed his: “An excellent burger. Very nice bun and patty. The condiments are my favourite basics: mustard and relish. Raw onions option put it over the top for me. Wonderful pickles and fries too!”

Les, as always, saw the art in his food: “Very nice bun that rose up like a tower, and with the big chunky pickle slice nailed to the top of the swirly shiny surface, it became the Leaning Tower of Pisa burger!”

Photo: Instagram\OscarsDeliWinnipeg

Photo: Instagram\OscarsDeliWinnipeg

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Photo: Instagram\OscarsDeliWinnipeg

The Oscar's Marantz Burger 2000 Challenge

Legend has it that a man named Marantz went to Salty’s at Winnipeg Beach and asked for a quadruple patty burger with a piece of chicken on top. He then proceeded to eat it in 2 minutes, 50 seconds. Oscar’s Chef Hary Haidau has created the #MarantzBurger2000 and has a challenge of his own.

The rules are:

• The challenge runs January 25 to 29, 2015, from 5 to 7 pm. If no one beats the challenge, it will be extended.
• The newly created #MarantzBurger2000 ($16, glass of water included) is 4 quarter pound all beef chuck patties, bacon, schnitzel, honey dill, hot mustard, lettuce, tomato, onion and comes with fries.
• If you finish the burger in under 2 minutes and 50 seconds, Oscar’s will buy you the burger.
• The best time under 2:50 during this challenge will be the winner. It may be that by the time you get here the burger is called something else and the time challenge is even shorter.
• Finish the burger and fries under the same time (2:50) and Oscar’s will not only buy it for you, but will also give you a $5 gift card towards your next visit to Oscar’s Deli. Not just that, they will also rename the burger after you and enter it with your (the winner's) name in this year’s LeBurgerWeek competition.
• The burger has to be kept together and no cutlery is to be used.

May the best burger eater win!

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