A woman in a green frog suit is hugging a brand-new car. And, then she’s joined by others who stream onto the stage. Men in suits. Someone in what looks to be a porcupine costume. They are all hugging this bright red vehicle. It is joyous. I am hooked.
I am about to bite into a very large burger, but the images on the screen, well I just can’t ignore them. The action on Let’s Make a Deal can’t be missed. Someone at Len’ Steves Restaurant and Lounge remembered what it’s like when you were a kid, had a sick day, and watched game shows all day long. I am getting a serious case of deja vu while I sit in the restaurant booth. And what’s happened to Let’s Make a Deal? It was a strange enough game show back when I was a kid and Monty Hall hosted it, but it was like the producers of the reboot ate a bunch of mushrooms and created a show that’s got contestants in even more ridiculous costumes and the deals come at you faster than the New York Stock Exchange. I watch a guy turn down a chance to snatch as many $50 bills as he can from a box, and instead ends up with an oversized Magnum P.I. trading card (the real Magnum, like, Tom Selleck with the mustache and all). It kinda reminds me of this game show that used to air on TLN, it was in Italian, didn’t understand a word of it, but, about 25 years ago my friend would come over to my apartment, we’d smoke pot and watch it… there was a man in a costume who climbed a pyramid and, for no reason we could understand, screamed “COLO-RAD-OHHHH” at the top of his lungs. Despite the language barrier, we knew it was kinda awesome.
How did I get here? Well, this is my final week at Edify, so this means this is my last weekly restaurant review. So, I wanted to do something a little out-of-the-way. And, knowing how much the Edify readership loves stories about diners, I found Len’ Steves, a spot that opened in ’23 that we’ve previously overlooked. Some Internet chatter told me that the burger is pretty great… so why not? And yes, as an editor, that apostrophe really bothers me.
You will find Len’ Steves inside the Ramada Inn on Calgary Trail, and this only heightens my anticipation. The entryway is part restaurant, part hotel gift shop. And it advertises itself as a diner with influences from the East. The menu has takoyaki and Chinese pork dumplings, along with your North American diner favourites. So, I start with pork dumplings, and they’re kissed by the skillet, with a nice sweetened soy sauce for dipping. The pork is generous and it’s a satisfying start.
But the Len’s Burger is what I’d heard about — and it doesn’t disappoint. Keeping with the theme, it’s served with a soup filled with pork dumplings and glass noodles.
And, damn, if it wasn’t one of the best burgers I’ve tried in Edmonton. The patty is really thick, and there’s no real filler or flavouring needed. It’s all beef-forward. The bacon, caramelized onions, grilled tomato and sweet relish are punched up by the Yakitori sauce, because, heck, why not? It’s an awfully big bite, there’s a deep char flavour, a sense of umami, and this all incredibly bougie for a burger that you’ll find in a Ramada Inn. OK, that was pretty classist of me.
The thing is, I am spending an afternoon with a mind-numbing game show, and I’ve been able to escape the rigours of just another Monday. And I didn’t even have to call in sick.
Len’ Steves Restaurant and Lounge
Calgary Trail North | 5359 Calgary Trail NW, Edmonton | 780.761.7187
