You Know What Really Grinds My Gears? Now with 3x more gears...

[PaperBagger'14]

Burgers, compared to other pub foods, are usually one of the worst things on the menu to buy. Almost everywhere will have pre made frozen patties, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, cheese and a “secret sauce” that is just mayo with some other bland ass white people approved seasoning like garlic powder. What a waste of $20+. You can always predict a burger is going to score a 5-6 out of 10 in flavour at a random pub. When it’s a 7/10 or better it’s shocking.

I’d rather order almost anything else other than a burger at a pub.

[SportsJunky]

A few years ago I had a BPs owner in Alberta share with me how he wished he'd never bought a franchise. Said he was losing money. Inflationary pressures were killing the business. Staff costs, Food costs and a general decrease in customers was stressing him out. It was visible. He told us that he knew of at least two BP owners would sell their locations for $1 if it meant getting out from under all of that.

[WideReceiver]

I know a couple who owned two franchises. They made a killing, sold their restaurants and living the life in retirement.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Sliver

K, but it's not like BPs is my go to for a night out with friends and family or whatever. I just happen to be able to acknowledge it's 100x better than all you NPCs give it credit for. They have some genuinely good stuff.

And it's funny their cold beer has been mentioned a couple of times. Couldn't agree more. I often don't drink beer with a meal because I just don't think food and beer go that well together (not including wings). At BPs, though? Their beer is magic. Love it.

Will check out Our Place. I think I might even be driving through Kimberley this summer...if so I'll absolutely go. There's no way I won't forget the name of it, though, so expect a PM in July at some point if we're there haha. I will be genuinely annoyed if the burger sucks, FYI.

It’s not that it’s not good, it’s that the quality/price balance is way too far off compared to significantly better places.

It’s better than McDonalds, but not as good as great casual, yet its pricing (instead of being in the middle) is the same as the upper end casual places. A cold Bud Lite in a stupid stein and some of their food is a great combo… for like 30-40% less than they charge.

But since you mentioned it, I have to also complain about Brewsters. That place just kind of sucks all around. Maybe like 2 items that are good, and the beer kind of sucks too.

[SportsJunky]

Damnit, my anecdote has been cancelled out by another anecdote.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

It’s not that it’s not good, it’s that the quality/price balance is way too far off compared to significantly better places.

It’s better than McDonalds, but not as good as great casual, yet its pricing (instead of being in the middle) is the same as the upper end casual places. A cold Bud Lite in a stupid stein and some of their food is a great combo… for like 30-40% less than they charge.

But since you mentioned it, I have to also complain about Brewsters. That place just kind of sucks all around. Maybe like 2 items that are good, and the beer kind of sucks too.

Brewsters has the worst food in the world. Crazy thing is it looks good. Like if the waitress is bringing a burger to another table and passes you, you'd think a gourmet meal just went by. Nope. Horrendous.

Each and everything on that menu is worse than the thing above it. Nothing is good. It's all awful, overpriced and inedible. If people like the food there I instantly know they're a total idiot.

The wings are quite good, but you have to order them extra crispy.

Best beer at Brewsters is a Budweiser. Yeah, their own stuff sucks hardcore.

If you are going to order a pint from a keg, you need to specifically request a cold glass. Yes, they have cold glasses, but if you don't ask you get one straight out of the dishwasher/oven.

Whoever is in charge of flavour there (beer and food) is my polar opposite human. I hate him and I don't even know him.

BPs I get the price thing. I'm at a point where I don't care, though. I hit it on road trip days or at lunch if I'm in, like, Strathmore or something. Lunch it's cheap - if you don't know this check it out. They have specials (like an individual pizza with a side salad) for really cheap. But yeah, supper is weirdly expensive. If I take my family and my wife and I have a beer the bill is over $100, which is not justifiable at all. I would never get delivery from BPs because - although I like it - it's not worth quadruple Pizza 73.

But I'll take BPs in some lame-ass town every single time before I tempt fate with some hole in the wall with sticky fly straps dangling onto my bald head.

[Knut]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Brewsters has the worst food in the world. Crazy thing is it looks good. Like if the waitress is bringing a burger to another table and passes you, you'd think a gourmet meal just went by. Nope. Horrendous.

Each and everything on that menu is worse than the thing above it. Nothing is good. It's all awful, overpriced and inedible. If people like the food there I instantly know they're a total idiot.

The wings are quite good, but you have to order them extra crispy.

Best beer at Brewsters is a Budweiser. Yeah, their own stuff sucks hardcore.

If you are going to order a pint from a keg, you need to specifically request a cold glass. Yes, they have cold glasses, but if you don't ask you get one straight out of the dishwasher/oven.

Whoever is in charge of flavour there (beer and food) is my polar opposite human. I hate him and I don't even know him.

BPs I get the price thing. I'm at a point where I don't care, though. I hit it on road trip days or at lunch if I'm in, like, Strathmore or something. Lunch it's cheap - if you don't know this check it out. They have specials (like an individual pizza with a side salad) for really cheap. But yeah, supper is weirdly expensive. If I take my family and my wife and I have a beer the bill is over $100, which is not justifiable at all. I would never get delivery from BPs because - although I like it - it's not worth quadruple Pizza 73.

But I'll take BPs in some lame-ass town every single time before I tempt fate with some hole in the wall with sticky fly straps dangling onto my bald head.

I hate that everyone in Bonavista wants to meet at Brewsters. I have never had a meal I have liked there. The Mexcellent is the only beer that is passable too. 403 Local, Dixon's, The Winkin' Owl and Rockwell are way better options in the area

[habernac]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Oh, here are a couple of pics of some Fuddruckers burgers I've enjoyed. I usually just put the bruschetta on and nothing else, but looks like I got crazy and added lettuce for some reason. In the one pic it looks like I have ketchup and mustard for dipping the fries, but the mustard-looking stuff is actually their warm squeeze cheese.

Spoiler!

1/3 lb works burger FTW. There’s a Fuddruckers in Whitefish? I didn’t know that!

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by PaperBagger'14

a “secret sauce” that is just mayo with some other bland ass white people approved seasoning like garlic powder.

Excuse me, that would be the "house aioli" you're insulting. Secret sauce is so 90s.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Knut

I hate that everyone in Bonavista wants to meet at Brewsters. I have never had a meal I have liked there. The Mexcellent is the only beer that is passable too. 403 Local, Dixon's, The Winkin' Owl and Rockwell are way better options in the area

I like their wheat ale a lot but the rest of their beers are pretty meh. My brother actually used to work in their brewery about 20 years ago and they had some good options back then, but since they expanded and apparently ran some of their suppliers dry (like a certain kind of hops that they overfarmed and ran out of, basically) now they all suck.

Agree with sliver about their food. Stick to the appetizers I guess might be the rule of thumb. A Chef friend of mine joked about how Brewster's uses a lot of food colouring because their recipes don't make sense. Apparently their corporate chef (at the time, again this is a while ago now) was fired from Moxie's of all places, for being terrible. That definitely tracks

[PepsiFree]

Brewsters has a good beef dip. It’s the one thing I can stand there.

That said, I don’t actually like beef dip and would never order it anywhere else, so I’m not sure what that says about Brewster’s beef dip.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Knut

I hate that everyone in Bonavista wants to meet at Brewsters. I have never had a meal I have liked there. The Mexcellent is the only beer that is passable too. 403 Local, Dixon's, The Winkin' Owl and Rockwell are way better options in the area

Couldn't agree more.

Its always Brewsters. I dont want to go to Brewsters. The beer is bad and the food is worse.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by Sliver

I am beyond picky when it comes to burgers, guy. I wouldn't get one at BPs, either. I don't eat them at Brewsters. I'll barely eat them anywhere, but for the ones I like I'll go to a ton of effort to eat.

Once drove all the way to Whitefish, Montana because I was craving Fuddruckers. Made the dumb mistake of telling the border guard the truth of why I was going - to get a burger - and he didn't believe me so tore my car apart and had a drug dog sniff me down. It was nuts.

There's a burger at a dumpy little restaurant in Moyie, BC I love. I'll drive six hours there with my trailer and camp for a couple nights just to eat this burger.

Five Guys is great for a fast food burger.

Rocky's Burger bus is awesome.

If I'm at somebody's barbecue and they're serving "homemade" burgers, but they're really just frozen patties I'll excuse myself, drive to a Wendy's or something for a spicy chicken sandwich, wolf it down, then go back to the barbecue. I will not eat a frozen garbage burger no matter what and I don't care who I embarrass (including myself) to avoid it.

A bad burger pisses me off so hardcore. Do it right or don't do it at all.

A smoked or charcoal cooked frozen burger is better than fast-food burgers IMO. A way to sorta redeem frozen burgers, and I admit I keep a stack in case I have a quick hankering for a cheeseburger and I don't want to make an whole pile of them fresh. Charcoal + smoked frozen beef and smoked bun is still better than most if the options out there.

When I was a kid I was at a friend's house and I asked my friends dad what he was making for dinner, "hockey pucks" was the reply. I cannot explain it other than it was a charcoal briquette in the shape of a puck. Traumatizing. "So we don't get e-coli" literally was the dad's reply. The damn thing snapped in my and crunched in my mouth and I politely attempted half before I secretly bailed (everyone else wisely decided to starve). I get where you're coming from for bad burgers, but I'll grin and bear it and have condiments with a burger. It's no worse than that "hockey puck".

Do you DIY burgers? One of the few ways to maintain a standard against bad beef and bao. Learning to make a decent aoili or pub sauce goes a ways as well. Lazily air fry some Cavendish crosscut fries while grilling.

[Weitz]

Burgers are over rated. Would never choose to make or have one if there is another option.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Burgers are over rated. Would never choose to make or have one if there is another option.

I wouldn’t go that far. A burger is fine choice to throw on a BBQ when you want something fast in the summer. But I’ve never had a burger that rose above a 7/10. It’s ground beef on a bun.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Burgers are over rated. Would never choose to make or have one if there is another option.

Get the Heathen!! Torches and pitchforks!!!

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Too late, you took a big ol' juicy bite of my bait.

That’s fine. I like pickles.

[PepsiFree]

Burgers are perfectly rated. “I don’t like burgers” is some fart smeller nonsense.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

A smoked or charcoal cooked frozen burger is better than fast-food burgers IMO. A way to sorta redeem frozen burgers, and I admit I keep a stack in case I have a quick hankering for a cheeseburger and I don't want to make an whole pile of them fresh. Charcoal + smoked frozen beef and smoked bun is still better than most if the options out there.

When I was a kid I was at a friend's house and I asked my friends dad what he was making for dinner, "hockey pucks" was the reply. I cannot explain it other than it was a charcoal briquette in the shape of a puck. Traumatizing. "So we don't get e-coli" literally was the dad's reply. The damn thing snapped in my and crunched in my mouth and I politely attempted half before I secretly bailed (everyone else wisely decided to starve). I get where you're coming from for bad burgers, but I'll grin and bear it and have condiments with a burger. It's no worse than that "hockey puck".

Do you DIY burgers? One of the few ways to maintain a standard against bad beef and bao. Learning to make a decent aoili or pub sauce goes a ways as well. Lazily air fry some Cavendish crosscut fries while grilling.

Were we friends as kids? This is my dad to a T.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

A smoked or charcoal cooked frozen burger is better than fast-food burgers IMO. A way to sorta redeem frozen burgers, and I admit I keep a stack in case I have a quick hankering for a cheeseburger and I don't want to make an whole pile of them fresh. Charcoal + smoked frozen beef and smoked bun is still better than most if the options out there.

When I was a kid I was at a friend's house and I asked my friends dad what he was making for dinner, "hockey pucks" was the reply. I cannot explain it other than it was a charcoal briquette in the shape of a puck. Traumatizing. "So we don't get e-coli" literally was the dad's reply. The damn thing snapped in my and crunched in my mouth and I politely attempted half before I secretly bailed (everyone else wisely decided to starve). I get where you're coming from for bad burgers, but I'll grin and bear it and have condiments with a burger. It's no worse than that "hockey puck".

Do you DIY burgers? One of the few ways to maintain a standard against bad beef and bao. Learning to make a decent aoili or pub sauce goes a ways as well. Lazily air fry some Cavendish crosscut fries while grilling.

Similarly to you, although not as a kid, I married into a British family.

My father-in-law wouldn't eat anything that wasnt either boiled down to nothing or scorched all to hell.

His steaks were basically shoe-leather, it was gross.

"Oh well how do you like your steaks??"

Still complaining.