Torchlight ⭐️

This burger blew us away with its kaleidoscope of international flavours and textures!

Our Thoughts

When we read “pickled pineapple” we were expecting vinegary pineapple, but it seemed more like a soft candied piece of pineapple! Putting the pineapple beside the cream cheese was a little piece of heaven. 

We enjoyed that the greens were tossed in a light dressing, having that little bit of pucker from the lime was a small but welcome detail. The plantains were cut so thinly and were such a fun topping! They added a delightful airy crunch.

The patty was seasoned nicely with jerk spices, so there was both heat and warmth, with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg alongside herbal spices.

The Ebesse Zozo hot sauce made its presence known! This was definitely the spiciest burger this year, but spice fans would probably still not consider it *that* spicy. Conversely, if you don’t like spice you would find this too spicy.

Overall, the combo of the strong citrus and pineapple, the heat and warmth of the jerk spices, the richness of the cream cheese, and the crispy plantains made this one of the burgers that we’d want to visit again before burger month is over. 

Louie’s ⭐️

Mushrooms stuffed with short rib? Now we’ve seen it all! 🤯

Our Thoughts

An instant favourite on our burger tasting tour, Louie’s The Short Fungi is as amazing on paper as it is in real life! 

A crispy, panko encrusted portobello mushroom immediately catches your eye – golden brown and covered with melted Swiss cheese. Tucked inside is a truly unexpected surprise: red wine braised beef short rib! 

Crunchy and moist, the mushroom is a great base to encapsulate the soft beef. It’s a great mix of flavours that you might love in other dishes: wine, Swiss cheese, mushrooms, and beef. It really is a tasty combination.

The truffle-mushroom duxelles (think finely minced) and a subtle horseradish aioli, are welcome flavours here too. The bun is covered in sesame seeds and wraps all these flavours and textures into one soft package.

Mushroom lovers have probably tried this one already, but don’t miss it while it’s here! Take the mushroom-skeptic in your life too – it’s crispy fried and stuffed with meat, you might just convert them!

Kootenay Tamil Kitchen ⭐️

Kootenay Tamil Kitchen underwent a big renovation last year, so it was awesome to experience their burger in their beautiful new space!

Our Thoughts

The first thing we noticed about this one is that the burger was served open on the plate. Notably, there was a cute little nest-looking thing on top on one side. This was the kataifi cup. For the uninitiated, kataifi is a finely shredded phyllo dough. In this case it was shaped into a little cup and it had a ball of quinoa and feta on top of it. It was very delicate looking and impressive. It’s mostly there as a garnish, but it’s got an interesting texture to it too.

On the other side there was a little tiny samosa! We love a good samosa so it was very exciting to have our very own little jalapeño halloumi samosa to eat in this burger.

Alas, we had to squish the little cup and put the burger together to eat it. On the first bite the thought was “Wow, this is like a party in my mouth”. We had never experienced so many flavours and textures come together like this, and it was wondrous.

The harissa-infused chuck beef was so flavourful and a departure from the ‘typical’ burger spices. Harissa is a red pepper paste that typically include warm spices like cumin, caraway seeds, and coriander. Delicious, spicy North African flavour.

The zatar mushrooms provided a blend of earthy umami and citrus. It’s pretty much great on everything, so we love to see it come through here! We got a nice balance of sweet and sour from the quince jam and pickled veggies to round out these complex international flavours.

The roasted chickpeas, kataifi cup, and samosa all provided a lot of crunch, yet the burger wasn’t dry! Finally, we have to give a quick shout out to the garlic-beet aioli garnish that was beautifully coloured, delicious and fun to dip into.

There’s a lot going on here, but each flavour brought something special to the burger, and it’s a one-of-a-kind treat that you should try out for yourself!

Outer Clove ⭐️

Our favourite burger contender from last year brings the heat again for 2024 with an incredible flavour palette featuring West African flavours that really stand out in this busy competition. One of our favourites again this year!

Our Thoughts

This is one super unique burger. While turkey isn’t usually our go-to, this turkey burger has so much going on we’re fully on board!
The ground turkey has been mixed with ground peanuts for a rich and earthy flavour. It’s very tasty on its own, and goes beyond the traditional flavours we’ve come to expect in a hamburger.

The toppings and sauces are equally unique amongst the competitors. Let’s start with the sauce. The chefs whipped up one tasty Jolly aioli that’s made with tomatoes, roasted peppers, garlic, paprika, cumin, and more. It’s WOW sauce, especially with these toppings. There’s fried plantains on here that add plenty of texture: sweet and starchy, thinly sliced, and an essential part of this burger’s DNA.

There’s fresh veggies on here too: salad greens, tomato, and red onion. It’s balanced, unique, and has rich and complex flavours on every level!

Go try this one!

Marzano ⭐️

Simply delicious!

Our Thoughts

The Il Bison is a simple burger on paper: bison and beef patties, romaine lettuce, red onion, cheese and sauce. There’s no crazy deep-fried toppings, slab of bacon, or mayo-based dressing oozing out the sides.

No, this is an elegant burger. It’s about the exact ingredients chosen, and how they come together into a burger that’s a bit hard to quantify, but absolutely delicious!

Sesame and poppy seeds coat this pleasantly fluffy challah bun. It’s slightly sweet, a bit chewy, and one of the best buns we’ve had all month!

Marzano’s famous fior di latte makes the leap from tasty pizza topping to tasty burger topping with ease. This fresh, almost milk-like cheese is gooey and is able to shine here without the clutter of too many toppings. It goes great with the hint of spice from the smoked jalapeño aioli, fresh romaine, and just a little kick from the red onion.

It’s almost a delicate burger, if there is such a thing. 😉

The Royal ⭐️

The new year brought along a totally revamped Royal menu, and we were excited to see what this new fried-chicken-centric menu would bring to the table!

Spoiler alert: she’s a beauty!

Our Thoughts

We really like carribean flavours on burgers (which is why we loved the Lion’s Head’s Burger Month Entry during Castlegar Burger Month).

The Royal went all-in on these flavours with a sweet and spicy mango pineapple adobo sauce that goes great with fried chicken. Add in some complementary flavours: toasted coconut, banana peppers, and a hit of sour from pickled onions and you have a creative chicken burger that makes a statement!

It lives up to its tropical name with a really cool blend of Caribbean flavours and textures. We could go for another one this month!

Finleys ⭐️

Finley’s and Sage might be joined at the hip, but their two burgers couldn’t be more different. First up – one with a little pep in its step!

Our Thoughts

This burger is all about balance, and it successfully combines some of our favourite flavours from the competition. Spicy African Peri Peri spices from both the patty and the sauce add some flavour packed heat to the burger. We love a good hit of spice, and this one is pleasant without being too much.

We have some very carefully selected sauces and toppings to thank for that. A smooth, satisfying ricotta cream cheese plays a star making role here, mellowing that spice out beautifully while making the burger experience all the richer. Pickled onions are also a nice touch here, adding a sour element that matched the intensity of these other bold flavours.

Holding together the trinity of flavours here is a beautiful black charcoal bun topped with soft mozzarella, arugula, and tomatoes. It’s a tasty balance of light and dark, spicy and cool, sweet and sour. Delicious!

Sprout Eatery ⭐️

Our pick for the biggest surprise of the Nelson Burger Month competition, Sprout brings a meatless bulgogi burger that’ll blow your mind!

Our Thoughts

We get it, burgers and meat have been the dream team since the hamburger was first invented. There’s bound to be a few out there who don’t believe a plant-based burger can compete in the big leagues, so let us take a minute to go to bat for Sprout’s Bibimburger, because this is an essential stop for anyone trying to find the best of the best in this burger month competition!

Let us start with the patty. Bulgogi is usually an asian marinade with soy, ginger, garlic, honey, sesame oil, and often pureed asian pear. Those flavours come through in this meatless patty in a big way. It’s super bold, with the rich flavours that we love from Korean cuisine. Sweet and savoury come together for something we could (and probably will!) keep us coming back for more.

The bun is an olive oil bun that is soft and fluffy, topped with kimchi, fresh bean sprouts, arugula, and oyster mushrooms. It’s a great mix, and not something you’ll likely have encountered before in a burger. It’s a great mix of chewy, earthy mushrooms and crisp fresh textures from the kimchi and sprouts.

The Gee Wowza kimchi deserves a mention on its own for its impressive contribution to this flavour profile! It’s spicy, usually made with a mixture of chili powder, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and other spices. On a burger like this, the tang from the fermentation is awesome, bringing a little hint of sour and umami flavour to contrast the sweet and savoury flavours from the patty.

If it sounds like we really like this one, it’s because we do! There’s a lot going on here, and if they didn’t tell us it was meatless we’d never even know!

Relish ⭐️

When talking about great burgers in Nelson, Relish’s “The Jughead” comes up frequently as a favourite of many, with its peanut satay sauce and one of their crispy quinoa crusted onion rings.

Needless to say we had high expectations for Relish’s “The Big Beer Belly”.

Our Thoughts

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: that cheese sauce. It’s a show stopper, both in its presentation and its execution, adding a warm and moist element to this one that brings it to the next level. It’s fun to pour, fun to eat, and just all-round high quality comfort food. There’s a nice crunch from the apple jalapeño cabbage slaw, and a bed of crispy pork belly and golden onion curls that’ll put a smile on your face.

It’s feel good comfort food done right, and a burger month highlight!

Kurama Sushi ⭐️

We’ve never had a rice bun before, but we’d sure recommend this one… if you like wasabi!

Our Thoughts

This might be the best chicken patty in the competition. It’s very light, crispy and moist, with great sesame teriyaki flavours going on. We weren’t sure how the brown rice bun would hold up, but it’s actually awesome. Almost perfect really – a bit less rice-to-burger ratio perhaps, but if it means the bun stays together like this we’re very happy with it.

Your enjoyment of this one will vary based on how much you like wasabi. It’s a flavour we like, put to great use here in the Japanese mustard coleslaw, but it’s also strong.

A really cool burger that’s gluten free, delicious, and totally unique!

29 Other Great Burgers (Chronological)

There are SO many amazing burgers that almost made the top 10! Read our thoughts on every burger in the competition, listed here chronologically from the first we tried to the last. 🔽

Waits on Nelson

We usually go to Wait’s for their breakfast or ice cream, but since we were starting our burger month journey at 10am on November 1st, we figured this would be a good place to start.

Our Thoughts

As the burger was being walked over to the table, we could smell the savoury herbed bun. The bun proved to taste as good as it smelled – how can you go wrong with a thyme bun that’s freshly made in-house?

The turkey patty was understandably a softer texture and not as ‘meaty’ as beef would be, and melted in the mouth with the smokey gouda cheese. The pickled jalapeños added some needed crunch and sour notes to complement the sweetness coming from the braised pears. The pear flavour was subtle and added a general sweetness to the burger.

Some variation on coleslaw has been a common theme amongst the burger entrants, but this one came on the side. Put it on if you want, or just grab a fork.

All resulted in a burger that felt light and great for brunch.

Full Circle Cafe

Classics never go out of style.

Our Thoughts

As the name suggests, Full Circle Cafe offered a classic cheeseburger. This is your classic bacon cheeseburger with some nice touches. Very satisfying.

Prime rib and horseradish are a classic combo, in this case through horseradish cheese. The horseradish flavour was just the right amount- a hint, and didn’t overpower the other flavours.

The Block

The Block at Railtown is one of Nelson’s newer establishments (they opened July 2023), and do they ever pack a punch.

Our Thoughts

The Lamberella. An eloquent name for an eloquent sandwich! The highlight here of course is the spiced lamb shoulder that was braised for 12-hours, resulting in meat that was melt-in-your-mouth good. It was probably the best lamb experience we’ve ever had.

We loved the chilli-marinated fresh mozzarella, as the soft cheese provided a perfect bit of heat and creaminess to complement the lamb. The bread and butter pickled heirloom green tomatoes added a bit of crunch and tang. There was just the right of basil mayo to bring it all together for a great sandwich. What an awesome lunch experience.

Kudos to Burger Month for introducing us to this gem of an establishment. The Block is just off the beaten path of Baker Street, and it is sure worth the extra two minutes to eat this delicious burger! I

If you can’t get to the Block for breakfast or lunch (they’re open from 9-2), for Tuesdays and Wednesdays only, Kyle from The Block is going to be serving the Lamberella at the Nelson Brewing Company Taproom on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4:30-7:30pm for the rest of the month.

Broken Hill

Going to Broken Hill and not liberally applying their trio of awesome BBQ sauces is a big ask for these busy burger reviewers, but we’ll let it slide this time. We’ve never had anything short of excellence from this Nelson gem. Their talented chefs cooked up something that both looks bold and tastes great for the 2024 competition.

Our Thoughts

We’ve never seen a bun like this, beautiful bright orange, a result of the natural colours from the achiote and the cornmeal. It’s very eye catching – the photos don’t do it justice. Bite into one and you’ll see what we’re talking about. Very flashy.

It’s not just pretty though. The bun is sturdy and chewy, a satisfying base for the real star of the show: smoked beef shank, braised in a chili-spiced broth.

There’s a little kick from the chili infused meat, and the bold flavors are balanced by the refreshing ceviche topping. The thinly sliced onions, fresh cilantro, and lime juice added a bright, citrusy note that cut through the richness of the meat. It’s not something you’ll see often, and it keeps this burger feeling light and fresh.

There’s a lot of meat going on here, with smoked beef shank on top of a flank steak patty. We found the smoked beef shank takes centre stage in this one, and it could easily make a scrumptious sandwich on its own. We might even prefer that, but it’s still part of a tasty package here.

Yum Son

The trick to salmon is always in how you cook it, and this one is salmon perfection: butter soft, moist, and complemented by delicious flavours. Served up on a soft and airy Banh Mi bun with a slightly crispy exterior, this salmon burger is a welcome break from the sea of meat based burgers this month.

Our Thoughts

The lone seafood entry on this list, Yum Son’s Nelson burger month entry brought a tasty mix of asian fusion flavours to the competition. The salmon itself is the highlight: grilled just right to bring out the flavours while retaining the moisture fish needs to present well.

We were pleasantly surprised by how much ginger was on this. It’s really a primary flavour. The salmon rests on a thin bed of pickled ginger that spans the whole burger. Your mileage may vary, but we love ginger on sushi and in many other dishes, so thought it was a great complement to the fish.

The homemade tartar sauce also came through strong. We don’t normally have tartar sauce with salmon, but it was creamy and sweet, and together with the roasted pepper relish added some great sauces to this burger.

Sakura Sushi

Oriental flavours amongst the cherry blossoms.

Our Thoughts

The second of two bulgogi burgers we’ve had, this time with a traditional beef patty. It’s a pretty generous size, so it’s a relatively meat-forward burger. We like the bulgogi flavours at work here, but could go for a bit more intensity. This one is served with a side of kimchi mayo, which isn’t just flavoured, it’s got plenty of actual kimchi in it. If you like a bit more spice, like we do, apply it liberally, or use it as a dip.

We also quite liked the pickled daikon, which is crisp and crunchy, with a slightly sweet and spicy taste. It’s a little tangy, and a flavour that goes well with the soy and ginger from the bulgogi patty.

BRIXX

This towering mammoth of a burger month entry keeps up Brixx’s tradition of big burgers with big flavours, loaded right to the brim.

Our Thoughts

The Godfather is huge, saucy, and satisfying. The star of the show here is the béchamel sauce, which is creamy and smooth, coating everything with herby buttery goodness. The patty is huge – essentially two patties with blue cheese stuffed in between, making this one very filling. You’re definitely getting good bang for your buck here. With a side, even your hungriest friend will go home happy!

The blue cheese is pretty mild, in balance with the other flavours from the béchamel and the onion and bacon jam. Together with the crispy onions and a surprise hit of salami, there’s some good flavours here in the mix.

It’s so saucy and filled with cheese it’s hard not to have a good time with every bite. It’s definitely messy though, but a great take on a pub-style burger.

Beauties

This chopped burger is cheesy with a capital CHEESE.

Our Thoughts

Our server described this as a cross between a New York style chopped sandwich and a Philly Cheesesteak, and that seems pretty close to us!

There’s a couple things that you’ll notice about this one right away.

First, the bun is super soft, like eating a cloud. It comes apart so easily, and we’d be interested in trying it with some other sandwich combinations. It’s pretty uncommon to find one like this, and I’d love to try it with something like a classic cheesesteak.

Second, they’re generous with the queso sauce. This burger is super cheesy! If you’ve ever put queso and ground beef together on nachos, you’ll have a pretty good idea what to expect here.

This could probably be described as a distant cousin to the humble hamburger. There might be a little DNA in common, but it’s really its own thing.

Your mileage will vary based on how you feel about queso cheese sauce for this one.

The Junction Eatery 

This year’s Nelson Burger Month competition included an entry from the nearby village of Salmo. This was our first visit to the Junction Eatery, and we were happy to find a gem of a restaurant to visit when we’re in the area!

Our Thoughts

This burger was served with the cutest presentation. Our burger came on a beautiful live-edge round, served with a custom wooden pick with the name of the burger on it “Whistle Punk”. Very cute!

The Junction Eatery is a new addition to Salmo this year, serving up tasty burgers, beef dip, salads and casual bites to the village. They’ve clearly been perfecting their burgers in anticipation of burger month if the Whistle Punk is the result. It’s not the craziest burger on this list, but it’s a great package of flavours and toppings we love done just right.

The two smash patties were thin, nicely seasoned, and had little bits of crispy cheese wherever the grill came in contact with it – reminiscent of the best part of a grilled cheese. The guacamole was a great addition, and the only guac representation we saw in the class of ’24. Smooth and creamy, it brought this already tasty smash burger to the next level.

Whenever we’re in Salmo, we’re happy to have found a wonderful go-to spot, and just down from a very tasty brewery in Eerie Creek Brewing too!

Main Street Diner

Main Street Diner has been a Nelson staple for decades thanks to a few things: their patio, weekly Greek specials, and their burgers!

Our Thoughts

Going into this one we had high expectations. After all, of all the Nelson restaurants we’ve been to, Main Street has Nelson’s biggest burger menu. And they’re great. Like really great!

The Menthe Armani Burger takes the tried-and-true Main Street approach: a great burger isn’t about how much you put on a burger, it’s about how those ingredients come together. When it works, the result is greater than the sum of its parts.

We always like to see Fomi’s Bakery representation (Fomi’s Long John, anyone?😍), with non GMO whole wheat flour. The lamb was very mild, and the classic pairing of mint and feta was a great complement. The sauces were subtle enough to let the meat be the star, but the mango chutney added a nice sweetness that went super well together.

It came together for a tasty combination of flavours that fit right in with Main Street’s top burger offerings. We’re not sure it took the crown from our other favourites there, but when the company you keep is that good, that’s no slight!

The Hume

We’re gonna need a bigger boat… er, mouth 👄

Our Thoughts

We love the Hume. They’re Nelson through and through. We recently listed the Library as one of the essential restaurants for visitors to Nelson, with the sheer size of Burgergate, we were in.

You’ll find all the things you love in a burger here: pepper bacon, red onion, pickles, plenty of cheese. The smoked ham added more of what we love from bacon. It felt like someone took all the things you love about a great bacon cheeseburger deluxe and cranked it up to 11. The shiitakes deserve a mention here for the wonderful earthy umami flavour they add, and we can definitely get on board with fries on a burger.

You know what you’re getting into here, and you’ve had something like it before… just never this big!

Black Cauldron 

Black Cauldron has won a number of burger month awards in past years, both for their flavour and for their creativity. This year they brought their A-game with a tasty Croque Madame burger that comes with an egg baked right into the burger and an adorable black cauldron bubbling with tasty béchamel sauce.

Our Thoughts

Black Cauldron has an ambiance all of its own, with its moody colourful bar and charming decor. The burger was presented with crazy attention to detail, served on a charcuterie board with a little black cauldron filled with béchamel sauce. It’s a perfect fit for this place, and it’s this kind of creativity that makes Black Cauldron a Nelson Burger Month contender every year. It’s just so fun!

At the table, our server poured a can of NBC “Blackheart” oatmeal stout into the béchamel, elevating what was already a pretty decadent experience. The burger itself was a modern take on a croque madame, featuring Gruyère cheese, thinly sliced ham, and a poached egg. The large and messy presentation added to the fun, making this whole experience more than just a meal, it was an adventure!

Cantina del Centro

Al Pastor taco flavours come to Nelson Burger Month.

Our Thoughts

Tropical fruit salsa? We need it. This burger month entry brings together some of the flavours you might have had in Cantina’s Al Pastor tacos: spiced pork, pineapple, cilantro, and lime.

It’s a really cool idea, and looks beautiful, topped with chipotle glazed pork belly and a pepperoncini popper. The pork belly is pretty deluxe – we could go for a whole sandwich of it!

Together the spiced pork patty and smoky Mexican flavours go well with the tropical fruit flavours for a fun burger that’s all on its own in the flavour palette of the competition.

Vienna Cafe 

Surrounded by books and quiet chatter, brunch at the Vienna Cafe captures Nelson’s small town charm.

Our Thoughts

Right off the bat, The Beef Kyiv Burger makes its flavour palette clear. There’s a sweet hit of pickled beets, yet another interesting ingredient from this year’s competition that we’ve never had on a burger. 

There’s other classic Ukrainian flavours going on here too: cabbage, onions, cheese, and tomato infused sour cream all fit right in. Most of those flavours are pretty subtle compared to the beets, but they do go well together.

The only thing this was missing was a tiny “varenyky”, (aka perogi) as a garnish!

Uptown Sportsbar

A cheesy deluxe pub burger all dolled up.

Our Thoughts

The Augusta was another really tall burger that was a bit of an adventure to eat. The tallness of the burger came from a mountain of little crispy onions. We liked the format of these crispy onions (vs thicker onion rings) because it was easier to eat than onion rings on a burger but it still had that satisfying breaded crunch. 

The pimento sauce was definitely the special sauce here, there was lots of it and it paired really nicely with the onions, the patty, and the thick bacon.

The lettuce provided some freshness with all the other rich flavours.

Corked Fork 

Served on a bun turned upside down, this smash burger incorporates the flavour of a cheeseburger with the tastiest parts of a grilled cheese. 

Our Thoughts

The Smashy Smash forgoes some of the toppings that can clutter up a burger in favour of sticking with its strengths. 

The bun is flipped upside down before it’s placed on the grill and slightly browned. If you like the feeling of biting into a grilled cheese, you’ll love this. 

The toppings are simple: pickles, onions, cheese, and sauce. It’s a very tasty combo! It’s the same tactic employed by the Quarter Pounder. A little acidity from the generous helping of pickles, tasty fried onions, and their special sauce, which we’d wager has some sort of mustard in it. 

It’s really great, and there’s a version of it on their menu year-round. If you’re planning a day-trip to Kaslo, stop by and grab one! 

Waypoint Restaurant

Wild elk from the Northwest Territories paired with an absolutely stunning lake view.

Our Thoughts

Looking out the window of the Waypoint really captures the essence of the Kootenays, and in such a special building it’s a favourite stop of ours when visiting Kaslo.

Their Into the Wild burger is made with a mix of elk and chuck. Elk is a pretty lean and flavourful, and mixing it with the fattier chuck kept the patty tender and soft while keeping some of that savoury rich flavour from the elk.

Biting into this one we found the smoked cheddar and the bacon-onion jam were the main complements to the meat. Both were very tasty together, giving this burger a notably sweet and smoky flavour, the latter from both the smoked cheddar and the bbq aioli. 

Bluebelle Bistro

A visually striking burger that’s ready for your instagram feed. 

Our Thoughts

While not the only burger featuring an activated charcoal bun this year, The Gambit has the darkest look of the bunch.  When contrasted against that white provolone cheese sauce, it make for a stark contrast that’s certainly eye catching! 

Biting into it, we found get a generous helping of black-vinegar caramelized onions. Spread liberally over the whole patty, they make up a pretty substantial part of this burger’s identity.

The patty is a chuck/brisket blend that was very tender, with a generous helping of provolone sauce that added a nice gooey texture to the palate. 

Of the three main flavours: the meat, cheese sauce, and the caramelized onions, we felt the onions were easily the most dominant flavour with their savoury and lightly acidic flavour. The only other veggie here is the jalapeno, which has been de-seeded and grilled, providing a tasty and mildly spicy palate cleanser.

Ainsworth 

Dinner with one of the best views in the Kootenays!

Our Thoughts

We’ve never had a burger with fennel on it before, but we would like to again! 

It’s used in moderation in The Open Season, which we appreciate, but the subtly liquorice flavour was a really neat idea that worked out well. Not overpowering, but a cool complex flavour here. 

The patty was a mix of elk, bison, and bacon – definitely a denser texture than beef, but with good flavour to it.

The burger also had a strong hit of smoky cedar from the aioli that we liked, adding another layer to this Nelson Burger Month entry. 

Stop by for dinner and a soak if you’re planning a visit to Nelson’s North Shore.

Mama Sita’s 

This tasty spin on a breakfast sandwich has sparkle to it!

Our Thoughts

Nelson Burger Month has taken us to restaurants all over the area – some new to us and some old favourites. 

Our first visit to Mama Sita’s, and on a night with live music no less, came with all of our favourite things: sparklers, moustaches, and cheese sauce – very cute presentation! 

The Nexus Paradox Burger came served on an English muffin with lettuce, the ever-popular sweet and savoury onion jam, and purple pickled fries. 

Yes, you read that right – purple pickled fries. They’re dyed purple using natural vegetable colours as part of the pickling process, before being fried up into these crunchy burger toppings. Fun and flashy!

Topping the beef and turkey patty was a velvety smooth hollandaise sauce. Together with the English muffin, it gave this one a hearty breakfast sandwich feel. 

In a nod to the name, which means to fuse two opposite things together, the breakfast sandwich elements are contrasted with the meat patty and cheese dipping sauce to make this one a tasty meal at any time of the day. 

Sleep Is For Sissies

Exposed beams and loads of windows (and skylights) make for a cozy nighttime experience.

Our Thoughts

The Valley Mac was another visually striking burger due to the stark contrast of colours of the ingredients. The black charcoal bun, the pink pickled onions, the green pickles and lettuce, and the white cheese made for a big pop of colour. Who knew a burger could be so brightly coloured.

The large pickled daikon pieces added some nice crunch and sour to the burger. The bun itself was probably our favourite bun – it was soft and chewy but didn’t fall apart in your mouth.  

Tonik Distillery

This is the best sauce in the whole burger month, made all the better by the fact that it’s made with an incredible spiced rum made in-house!

Our Thoughts

We’ve long thought sliders deserved more representation during Nelson Burger Month, and apparently we’re not the only ones!

Served up on fluffy sweet buns, these two sliders are cute as can be, and a tasty treat that’s fun to split with a friend over a couple of Tonik’s signature cocktails. These little units have a carefully curated flavour profile with Hawaiian flavours. Ham and pineapple, caramelized onions, and banana peppers top these friendly island cheeseburgers, with some crazy good sauces.

On one side is Kewpie mayo: a tangy, sweet spread hailing from Japanese cuisine. On the other is a teriyaki and pineapple relish made with Tonik’s own spiced rum. We’d classify ourselves as moderately experienced rum connoisseurs, and the flavour came through beautifully in their relish: warm, with allspice and cinnamon notes, maybe a little vanilla in there.

Whatever their secret blend of herbs and spices is, it makes for a phenomenal burger spread, and we loved those flavours together with the sweetness of the pineapple.

Served up with a lei and a cocktail umbrella, and with a Singapore Sling in hand, this is self-expressive fun we like to see in burger month!

Pitchfork

Sage 

Now let’s ride the flavour train south – waaaay South, to the land of BBQ.

Our Thoughts

Taking more than a little inspiration from the Tex-Mex flavour palette of the Deep South, the Smokin’ Bourbon Beast is a fun ride through some of America’s favourite flavours.

The patty itself is stuffed full of cajun flavours with jalapeños and cheese, topped with a house-made Jim Beam bourbon BBQ sauce. It’s smoky and warm, and definitely a little spicy too, as Tex-Mex often is. There’s other hot flavours at work here fleshing out the heat with hairs and chipotle. It certainly wasn’t overwhelmingly spicy, but that cold pint sure went well down easy!

Balancing out the heat was shredded cheese, arugula, tomatoes, and the pickled red onions we liked from The Prince of Darkness, served up on a nice sesame bun from Kootenay Bakery. These weren’t flavours we found much in the competition this year, and after 30+ burgers, a welcome change to the onion jams popular amongst the contestants.

It’s a very different beast from next door, making this a great place to double dip if you’re looking to try a few different burgers this month!

The Dam 

There’s just something about Thai peanut sauce that puts a smile on our face.

Our Thoughts

We’ve had many chicken burgers this month, and even some Asian inspired versions, but this is the first appearance of peanut sauce in the class of ’24.

The crispy chicken patty was great here, crunchy and tender, and paired with some strong flavours of peanut butter, soy, and garlic for a tasty package.

Crispy aisian slaw with pickled ginger, red onion, and dill pickles brought a pleasant freshness here. You’ve probably had Thai peanut sauce on noddles before, and you might have even had it on burgers before (such as last year’s excellent Busaba entry). It’s a burger we’ve had before, but it’s a flavour we love, and we’ll be tempted to try every time!