Burgers can be bad or good, cold or hot, dry or juicy. Not just grilled “hamburgers” with ketchup anymore, featuring burgers on a menu today means options. There can be beef, chicken or fish burgers. There are meatless burgers, mushroom burgers and bean burgers. Toppings are fresh. Sauces are sweet, spicy or sometimes a bit of both. Everyone has their fast food favourites, but if you’re treating yourself beyond the drive thru or the backyard cookout, we have a few suggestions. Get ‘em while they’re hot!

Hub Grub-Truro, N.S.

Owned by Trevor and MiYoung MacDonald, Hub Grub offers a veggie burger option by way of a grilled portobello, but most burgers star Nova Scotia Angus beef from Withrow Farm. All of the shop’s burgers land on fresh buns from the Masstown Market. Patties at Hub Grub, open since 2013, are hand formed. The real treat is the options for dressing up the burgers. For example, there is a Blue Cheeseburger, the Brie BBQ, the Hickory Burger complete with grilled Hickory Sticks on top, the Peanut Butter Burger and, of course, the Donair Burger made with donair spices and donair sauce, made complete with a side of donair-spiced fries.

 

 

 

The best seller is the BBQ Maple Burger, featuring grilled onions, bacon, Havarti cheese, mayo and lettuce, topped with a house barbecue maple sauce. Pro tip: Hub Grub offers a star burger each month apart from its regular menu and August is featuring a Greek Burger with feta and olives. The restaurant is open for a relaxed, sit down Tuesday through Saturday, starting at 11:30 a.m.

Burgers at Busters-Hampton,N.B.

With over 20 years’ experience in the food industry, Chef Jason Petrie runs the show at this treat-yourself burger trailer. A red seal, Petrie was born and raised in Ontario, then studied and worked in British Columbia before heading East. He has been in Hampton for a decade now, working as a chef and butcher, as the Burgers at Busters site recounts. He decided to try his hand in the food truck business starting in 2016 and opened late summer. The name, Burgers at Busters, comes from Buster Melick, a well-known small businessman who owned a corner store in the same area. The trailer typically found at 618 Main Street is open from noon to 8 p.m. seven days a week, with changes posted on social media along with specials. Everyday burger options include, but are not limited to, the Busters Burger (a classic burger with the works), the Bonfire with pickled hot peppers and spicy mayo, or a BYOB (build your own burger) option starting with a beef, chicken, fish or mushroom patty. A special might just be the right match for your burger cravings though. There has been a Mushroom and Swiss burger, for example, or the Beef Breakfast Burger. The latter was ground beef seasoned with breakfast sausage spices with may, lettuce, tomato, bacon cheddar and a fried egg.

BOOMburger-Charlottetown, P.E.I.

The stop in Charlottetown is just one of three, with BOOMburgers also located in Cavendish and Halifax, Nova Scotia. The secret for BOOMburger has been local suppliers, with all-Island beef (MacQuarrie’s Meats in Winsloe are a source), with cheese and butter from COWS Creamery. The cheeseburgers make use of extra old cheddar, while fries are fresh cut from P.E.I. potatoes. The burger options are whatever you’d like to make of them, starting with the choice of a “Little Boom” burger of one patty or “Big Boom” of two. Stack on the usual toppings of your choice from there, topping it off with whatever sauces you’d like.

Backwoods Burger-Tyne Valley, P.E.I.

This is the place to go for a Dam Burger! The Dam Burger features a beef patty made from local beef, a little American cheddar, red onion, tomato, lettuce, bacon and secret dam sauce on a toasted bun. While the names are fun and the appetizers on offer are hefty, there’s thought put in to every normal and not-so-normal burger option here. The Return of the Mac features Island beef again, paired with house made mac and cheese between the buns. The Meatless Wonder is a nice change of pace for vegetarians tired of the mushroom patties, featuring instead a black bean patty and the bonus of opting for a gluten free, vegetarian or vegan construction. It’s recommended you book ahead for a table here. There are seats for 23 in house and more with patio space, but space can at times be at a premium.

Bentleys – Happy Valley-Goose Bay, N.L.

The locals know Bentleys and visitors to Happy Valley-Goose Bay should in short order. There is fast food on a few streets in town, but Bentleys has produced local comfort foods for more than 20 years now. The Big Land Burger is featured here and comes with lettuce, tomato, pickle, mayo and crispy fried onions. Whether choosing the Big Land, Chicken Burger, Vegetarian Burger, Mushroom Burger or another option, you can skip the fries and get a side of rice instead for a change. The restaurant has a big menu, so any fellow diner not interested in burgers can enjoy anything from the Cobb Salad to the Chicken Parmesan. Wednesdays are burger days at the location, east to spot off Hamilton River Road.

About our “5 Places” series

It’s been a difficult period for small businesses, particularly in tourism and hospitality. While it’s not deep investigation, we wanted to encourage the sector by taking a moment each week to shine a spotlight on some of these small businesses in Atlantic Canada, “5 Places,” with the hope of encouraging people to make some staycation plans and get out to support local (albeit with COVID and related restrictions in mind). We’re featuring spots in no particular order, but with representation from all provinces. The series will continue at least until fall 2021, looking at some hidden gems or popular stops for ice cream, kayaks, comics and more. Any tips on BIPOC-owned businesses, ideas for future themes or general feedback are welcome: [email protected].