If you Google “Oilers” and “burger,” you’ll realize that a decent number of Edmonton restaurants have created burgers, and in a crass and clever way to attract attention, named these burgers after the Oilers.
Clearly, name a burger for the Oilers and there will be interest. Maybe it should become my mission to try them all, to determine which Oilers burger is the best.
But, today, I am focused on the Oilers burger at Meat the Bun, located near the Edmonton Soccer Dome in Summerside. The place is in a strip mall, by a gas station, next to a cannabis shop.
There are a number of burger options, with black, sesame seed or brioche buns on offer. You can build your own, but if there’s an Oilers burger on the menu, why would you do that?
Before I get to the toppings, I have to point out that what makes Meat the Bun pretty special are the house-made patties. The chopped beef patties really have a deep flavour, and they’re not burned to a crisp like we see at a lot of burger joints. Really, I’d almost think I was eating a burger in the United States. There’s no nonsense here, no overpowering spices. The patties are simple, but so well executed. If you want bells and whistles, well, that’s what the toppings are for.
And, now, let’s get to those toppings. Served inside the brioche bun are a bacon tomato jam, bacon, aged cheddar, lettuce and barbecue sauce. There’s some tang and some richness, but what there isn’t is 650 toppings and the need to put a knife through the burger in order to hold it all together. Clearly, the inventors of this burger got together and thought “what would Mark Messier eat?” and went from there. We know that, sometimes, toppings on burgers can become overwhelming, to the point where the patty becomes an afterthought. Heck, you could forget the patty and maybe only some people would notice. With a well-curated but simple selection of toppings, the beef still shines through.
Meat the Bun
Summerside | #118, 9080 25 St SW, Edmonton | 587.754.5863 | meatthebun.ca
