Big Rick's Hot Rod Diner: 3.9/5

The Big Single Burger
$3.50
Score: 4.1

The Duece Burger
$4.60
Score: 3.9

The Cadillac Burger
$6.85
Score: 3.9

Big Rick’s Hot Rod Café isn't retro, it’s the real thing - a bona fide diner. When you step through the door you're enveloped in memorabilia. You could easily spend an hour studying the walls. Rick brought in some car stuff, then diners started adding  their own relics to the walls. When asked if he was working on a car now, Rick answered "No, it's too cold!"

The diner at 379 Henderson Hwy is easy to miss if you're not watching for it. You might mistake it for an auto parts store as you drive by, but around the side you'll find the unassuming entrance. The location started out as Dutch Maid Ice Cream back in 1962. Several of the original stools have lost their tops and are now just chrome posts. One's capped with a tractor seat. Rick's had the restaurant for 27 years, but ice cream wasn't a big seller in the winter, so he decided to start serving hot food. A friend sitting at the counter piped up "we put that grill in 18 years ago."

Rick's laid back – I think he just enjoys cooking at the grill – and he has a system. First the bacon is cooked under a press. With the grill properly bacon greased, Rick forms and places the patties, pressing them lightly. He sprinkles on a little seasoning. When the burgers are just about done, the bun bottoms go on and soak up a little flavour from the grill - mine was served hot and crispy. I was talking to Rick and he said “the burgers are made with beef  ... pause ... well, BEEF" looking at me with amusement, implying what else would a burger be made from?

Rick works from good quality fresh ground beef and handles it very lightly. It's a straight-up, old school diner burger and I'm sure purists will name it a favourite. I sure enjoyed mine. The lack of binders made it a fairly fall-aparty patty. It was thick and juicy though, and cooked thoroughly. I had the Cadillac double burger and each patty had its own accompanying bacon layer to snuggle with. The two layers of gooey cheese did a great job of welding the assembly together and there was a little frilly cocktail stick spearing the stack.

The Cadillac comes with lettuce and tomato; the Duece doesn’t. I enjoyed the tomato, but the lettuce made it a torpedo burger. I think I'll have the Duece when I go back. Geoff liked his “The Cadillac burger was a jaw unhinger indeed, the two homemade patties and extra bacon packed some heft. A bit crumbly, so was the bun, which struggled at the end to keep everything inside.”

As always, tastes vary, and many in today’s gathering of Burger Club thought the patty a little under seasoned, while some said it was nicely flavoured. Most of the bacon was cooked to leathery perfection, but one or two diners got theirs a little soft. I guess not all the bacon fit under the press. Stan gave his sandwich a nice review: “The Big Single was designed just the way I like a burger: mustard, relish and raw onion. No need to customize for me. Really nice looking hand formed patty that matched the bun.”

The burger may not have won Best of Show, but it clocked a respectable lap time and always makes it to the finish. It was tasty and very inexpensive, scoring a high value rating. Newbie Jessica was succinct when she wrote “So good, I had a second.” A single burger is $3.50 and it’s a big patty. Russ said “it was a perfect handful.” If you live in River East, you're lucky because you've got both Sonya's and Big Rick's Hot Rod Diner close by for an inexpensive, delicious homemade burger in a diner setting.

Roberta was a great waitress and appreciative hostess. Practically everyone complimented her by name on their review slips. Karen wrote “Our server Roberta was attentive, prompt, and took our orders as we came in the restaurant.” The diner scored well for service. When I called to make a reservation, Roberta said "Are you a joker?" I don't think they get a lot of reservations, so I guess I was calling with a warning. When we arrived to take over the mismatched collection of tables and chairs in the back, there were souvenir takeaway menus at all our seats.

The fries were good and you can get a half order, although Cary cautioned “Warning: Half order of fries is very small.” Geoff noted “Fries were a bit nondescript, but still tasty.”

We were joined by a few new burgerers this week including Burger Club’s youngest member, Fox – only 4 months old!

In addition to the ancient ice cream freezer, there are other clues to the Dutch Maid beginnings. The big glass bowl for the 14 scoop - free if you can eat it - Mortal Sundae of Doom (or something like that - hopefully a reader will correct me) was still on the counter, although it now holds the mail.

This is Esther. She really likes burgers. Esther introduced me to the Hot Rod Diner a few weeks back but couldn't make it to Burger Club this week.

Le Garage Cafe: 4.3/5

The A Burger: Platter: $10.50

Cheese, Bacon or Mushrooms: add $1.00

Score: 4.3

Le Garage Café - the place to be in the French quarter full of patrons cheering on Canada to beat Norway 3:1 in Olympic men’s hockey. CBC television arrived to film the fans and caught Burger Club in the act. I only hope my boss didn't see the news as I’d slipped out of a meeting for this important lunch. The fun continues this week with Festival du Voyager starting Feb 14th. Le Garage Café is an evening entertainment venue as well as catering both the Franco Manitoban Centre and Fort Gibraltar.

In 2008 the tiny café at the front of 166 Provencher Blvd expanded into the old Eagle Bus Line service bays in the back of the building. It’s a wonderful intimate music venue and I remember well my visit after the stage was built to see the Good Lovelies perform.

Despite being quite busy, our waitress Kaylynn was spot-on greeting us and taking our drink orders. The table was already set with cutlery, glassware and menus so they were ready for us. I think she was surprised when we all ordered burgers. The plates all came out at once and each of us received our own unique combination of toppings and sides as specified. When it came time to settle up, Kaylynn made payment quick and easy by passing out individual bills then waiting for us by the till.

The burger patty was large and served open faced. The first thing you noticed was it had been nicely seared on the grill. A bite confirmed it – moist with a crispy crust – it was delicious. The patty was fairly dense but not hard. I’d describe it as home-style – savory vs. spicy with just the right amount of salt and pepper. “Really flavourful“ Stephanie commented. Les, our roving reporter, spoke to owner Ray Beaudry, and he told the story of how they had a competition to come up with the best burger. Chefs and staff entered, cooking up their specials in the kitchen. One of the serving ladies won with her mother’s secret recipe.

There was lots of wrinkly crispy bacon and real cheddar cheese on mine. I asked for fried onions and received a generous portion and a ring of fresh red onion as well. There was a nice thick slab of tomato and iceberg lettuce topping the burger. Condiments were simply mayonnaise. The bottom half of the toasted sesame bun seemed to be soaked in delicious grease. The burger wasn't dripping, so not sure if that’s because the bun soaked it up, or it was from being grilled, but it was tasty. Stan wrote “the patty and bun made a perfect match.”

Les summarized “One of the best burgers ever. Nicely done, crispy outside, tasty, zesty – and a very good bun too.” Les topped his burger with fresh, fried mushrooms. Mike’s patty came in a heart shape just in time for Valentine’s Day. “Bonus points!”

Cary had the Poutine and enjoyed the real cheese curds. He was also taken with the pulled pork Mac & Cheese on the menu and plans to come back and try it. Nelson liked the skinny fries and noted there was only “One choice of burger on the menu, but it was a good choice.” I had the potato-cheddar-bacon soup and it was very hearty. Mildly seasoned and the fresh potato taste came though – I enjoyed it.

Photo: Constance Popp

After lunch some of us ran across the parking lot to Popp Chocolates next door. I was in a panic to make sure I had heart shaped chocolates for my sweetie for Valentine’s Day tomorrow. Just walking into the shop was dessert for the olfactory senses. My taste buds waited until the next day and I can say with feeling, Constance Popp is the le chocolatier extraordinaire!

Lovey's BBQ: 4.4/5

Cheesy Burger
$5.45
Score: 4.1

Bovine Bacon Burger
6.95
Score: 3.3

The Terminator
$9.95
Score: 4.6

Roger LeBleu, owner and Pit Master at Lovey’s, loves his meat. You could hear the reverence in his voice when he described slow smoking the brisket and thick slicing the bacon. "No see-through bacon here!" He cooks the burger patty by frying it in its own juices on the grill, then moves it to the flame broiler to give it that magical char flavour. There's a veggie burger on the menu and Scott asked Roger if it was really made from vegetables. It is, and Roger offered up the quote of the day: "Some people don't eat meat - how sad is that!"

Lovey’s is counter service, which is certainly an economy of serving staff (there was just the one). She was taking orders as well as bringing out the food - and she did great. Roger invited me and my camera into the kitchen, which I appreciate. I enjoy watching the ballet of chefs sweeping around each other, and seeing my meal cooked and assembled before my eyes. It's another level of enjoyment in my dining experience.

The patty was large and juicy - the fatty kind of juice, not the watery kind. It was fairly soft - I expected it to fall apart, but it didn't. I cut mine in half (as I usually do) to improve the handling, but with this big, soft heavenly mess, that made it less manageable. I got by with a minimum of fallout though. It had some nice char flavour, but didn't actually have a grill-seared crust. It was fairly lightly spiced. Roger talked about the seasoning when he sat down to ask our opinions afterwards. He said some people think it’s under seasoned, and others feel it's too spicy. He tries to find the middle ground.

I opted for the Terminator 2: Brisket Day, that came with brisket on top instead of the usual pulled pork accompaniment. It was delicious. It was a very balanced burger and I enjoyed each and every flavour - one bite at a time. The brisket was sliced thin and had been fried up on the grill just before assembly. It was crispy along the edges, tender in the middle. The bacon was very flavourful, even a little sweet, thick sliced, and somehow leathery and crispy all at once. Not like thin crispy bacon that shatters when you bite it.

I quite enjoyed the chili sauce - both for its flavour and the additional sloppiness it contributed to the burger. I was aware of the real cheese slice, but it wasn't as strong a player as some of the other burger team members. We suggested to Roger that it would be nice to have additional cheese choices. The iceberg lettuce and tomato had a little bit of January-in-Winnipeg sadness. They could've used some ripening in a hot climate somewhere.

I asked for fried onions and no pickle which is just what I got. I don't like a hot tasting onion, but the fried onions pretty much disappeared on the burger. That was my rookie mistake. There was also a big onion ring on the burger, which was fun for the eyes and contributed to the flavour and texture. If there was coleslaw on the burger, I didn't notice it.

The Terminator 1 came with a good slather of BBQ sauce over the pulled pork topping. Karen had the T-1 and wrote “I ordered the Terminator, it was very wet and sloppy. I enjoyed all of the ingredients. The pulled pork and bacon were very tasty.” Stephanie liked hers too “The bacon was delish! The BBQ sauce had a good spice. Overall, a very good burger. I'll be in a meat coma for the rest of the afternoon.” Geoff commented “Been here a few times and I've never left hungry. There's a lot going on with this burger, lots of heft. The last bite was as good as the first.”

The bun was okay, and held together, but was the weak link in the burger chain. I can't say specifically why, it just didn’t add anything special. It's definitely tricky to match a good bun to a burger, as we've seen at so many restaurants, and we told Roger that too when he asked. The patty is larger than a standard 4” and messy, so not just any bun would be up to the task.

The fries were good and plentiful, and I liked the creamy coleslaw. April commented “Fries are soooo yummy and the burger was a good value.”

Cary appreciated the bulk napkins on the table “Rolls of paper towel are good so you can make a BIB!” One disconcerting thing about our long, private dining room - was the mirror along the wall where you could watch yourself  - and everyone else - eat. One wall was covered in photos of party room alumni grinning in their pig ear hats.

Lovey's has a cooler full of Boylan to choose from, and as a bonus, is also licensed. The chalkboard proclaims Lovey’s to have the best selection of Bourbon in Manitoba.

Fox & Fiddle (closed): 3.6/5

Perogie Burger
Platter: $15, Score: 3.8
Beef Burger

Platter: $11, Score: 3.0

Cheese Burger
Platter: $12, Score: 3.9
Bacon Cheese Burger

Platter: $13.50, Score: 3.6

The Fox and Fiddle is a beautiful restaurant in the old Toronto-Dominion Bank at 456 Main St. The interior is high ceilinged and finished with stone and wood. There are solid wooden tables, comfortable leather chairs and a long marble bar. Just about all of the Burger Clubbers today commented on how nice the décor was. There's a small patio among the stone pillars out front that is no doubt packed in the summer. The stairs to the basement wrap around a modernized old cage elevator. You pass by a bank vault on the way to the washrooms. It's a locally owned franchise that began in Toronto and opened in Winnipeg in the fall of 2012.

We arrived early and were promptly greeted by a happy hostess. At first I (and she) thought they hadn't set us up. As it turns out, they were ready for us; they just don't set the tables at the Fox & Fiddle. The only things put out were the drink menus and the ever-present little cardboard contest tents. Our cutlery was delivered to the table wrapped in a sturdy paper napkin and neatly stacked in the middle for us to distribute among ourselves. You receive a linen napkin during supper hours.

Our smiling and efficient waitress, Katie, took our drink orders right away and brought out glasses of water for those who requested them. She made sure to get our names for the bill preparation later - rather than the usual diner #1, diner #2, etc. They already had our names with our pre-orders so this just made more sense - and was friendlier! The fun drinks were served by the sparkly bartender; a couple of people ordered the special - cherry blasters.

There were beautiful girls serving in the front and a guy's kitchen party in the back. I asked if I could visit the kitchen, and when I was shown to the hub of activity, one of the chefs asked me where the best burger was. Another chef called out "Fox .. and .. Fiddle!" The third wisely quipped "the one that's in front of you." All three chefs were bustling and seemed to be enjoying preparing our food.

The burger changed since I was last here in October. I didn't realize until I'd made the reservation that our visit coincided with a new menu including revamped burgers. I'm beginning to realize that full menu restaurants like to change up their recipes once in a while to keep things interesting for their regular patrons. It could also be chain strategy to try and stay fresh and trendy. A straight-up burger joint has their secret recipe and they never change it. The Fox and Fiddle replaced their “Banquet”, “Crushed Peppercorn” and “Mediterranean” burger packages with more of a build-a-burger offering. You choose either a beef, chicken or veggie patty then specify a la carte toppings. However, they also added a Perogie Burger to the menu and that’s the one that caught my eye.

I wish I could record tastes and smells as well as thoughts and images, but I seem to remember my burger back in October being juicy and flavourful. Today's burger had no additional seasoning that I could discern - just good quality beef. They were flame broiled, and perhaps it was a lean cut, but they didn't pick up the charbroiled flavour and were quite firm and dry. Our food came out a little later than we'd requested. I'm not sure if there was a miscommunication, or they were waiting for our entire party to arrive before bringing it out. It's possible some burgers were kept warm for a while. I've no doubt a group our size – fourteen this week, all with custom orders - challenges the kitchen to prepare meals and serve them all hot and at the same time. However, when our food came out, Fox & Fiddle got it all right the first time – no mistakes!

The Perogie Burger was a work of art. Russ said the “the burger presented as very impressive.” It was a big burger, but not so massive that I couldn't get my mouth around it. It had a nice potato and cheese perogie - that at first glance looked like a fried egg - on top of the burger. The perogie was big and round - sized to the bun - and flat. There was also split farmer’s sausage and delicious fried onion. Sauerkraut and cheddar cheese rounded out the toppings. Condiments on the burger included sour cream for the perogie and spicy mustard with the sauerkraut.

The assembly was very well engineered with neighboring stratum carefully chosen for compatibility. The bun was described as brioche on the menu. It was a doughy soft white bun whose surface seemed to crumble away as you handled it. It did have a nice glaze and appeared toasted, but mine was cold. The whole package was sprinkled with crispy fried onion bits that cascaded off the crown onto the surrounding plate. They went well with my salad. I had the mixed greens with a pleasant balsamic dressing served on the side. The salad ingredients were fresh and I quite enjoyed mine. This was echoed by other Burger Clubbers that had the mixed greens.

Somehow, even with all those layers of potential flavour on the perogie burger, it didn't throw my taste buds a party. Cary wrote “Flavour was lacking - not bad, just not wow.” Bess opted for a plain burger and had this to say: “Surprisingly average. I'm doing a Paleo diet, so I didn't eat the bun (no wheat) and that allowed me to focus on the dry, flavourless patty.” Some had the complete opposite opinion. A couple of diners described the patty as moist and flavourful. Notably, one late arrival who’s Perogie Burger was made fresh. That may say something about the pre-ordered burgers congregating in the kitchen until it was time to come out and meet Burger Club.

The burger patties are hand formed in the kitchen from good quality, fresh ground beef – with “no filler” as the menu proclaims – and well done on the flame broiler. Russ described them as a “homemade style burger”. I’m sure some diners would enjoy the straight-up beef taste and texture of the unseasoned, firm patties, but I've grown to like a patty with a little juiciness and some seasoning to it.

As to the build-a-burger diners, based on their reviews and comments, you should load up on the a-la-carte toppings. You're already committed to a plain beef patty for $11, so you may as well spring the extra dollars for some cheese, bacon and moist, flavourful toppings like fried onions, sautéed mushrooms, or jalapeños - and really enjoy your burger. April built up her burger, but commented “While the burger was good, I didn't feel it was a $14.50 burger.” She also upgraded to poutine, so her platter was $17.50. I thought about this perception of value. The build-a-burger can end up the same price as a bundle - $15 for the Perogie Burger - but somehow it’s not as fun when every one of your topping choices comes with a price attached. Also, pre-bundled burgers simplify it for the diner by presenting options, the assumption being the chef has created tasty signature combinations.

I think everyone agreed that the lettuce and tomato toppings were nice and fresh. Karen had a bacon-cheeseburger and wrote on her little rating slip “Nice burger, but the patty was a bit hard and chewy and not very flavourful. Toppings of lettuce and tomato ingredients were fresh. Bacon was a bit underdone. Fries and onions were a good addition along with the melted smoked gruyere cheese.” Stephanie had a jalapeno-cheeseburger and wrote “Bland burger. Toppings did not add to the burger experience.” In juxtaposition to these comments, Nelson quite enjoyed his: “Really enjoyed this burger. The bun was very nice and the burger was flavourful and juicy.”

The consensus was that the fries were good. Josilda noted “Fries delicious!” Karen though they were “very nice and crispy.”

On a closing note, the Fox & Fiddle did not apply the dreaded auto gratuity that diners dislike so much. We were permitted to choose our own tips and that was appreciated.

Food pr0n for any veggie-lovers that have found their way here. Fox & Fiddle makes their own veggie patties in-house. Check out the whole peas, corn niblets and black beans!