Burger Fix Part 3: Peter's Drive-In

For most Calgarians, Peter's Drive-In is an institution. Whenever I'm driving on 16th Avenue and peer over at that white and blue building, the smell of charbroiled burgers, the lineup of hungry guests and those lurking seagulls in the parking lot only mean that something delicious is close. I can't remember how many times I've paid homage to this landmark burger mecca, but I was about to once again.

A Present from Peter

The menu of Peter's has remained pretty much the same since their debut in 1962. You won't find grilled chicken sandwiches or fish here. I can also assure you that you won't see anything that resembles a salad...nothing here even rhymes with salad. Now that we're clear on that, let's move on to what Peter's does have; Burgers, hot dogs, fries, onion rings, ice cream treats and some of the best shakes you will ever attempt to drink through a straw. As a matter of fact, Peter's claims that you can mix up to 3 of their 30 milkshake flavours for a combination of more than 4500 flavours.

"Small" fries

On this day, I opted for something simple, so the double cheese it would be. I also got an order of small fries, or what Peter's calls 'small' anyway. Trust me, if you are eating alone, don't order the large fry or the seagulls will be visiting for free lunch.

Not a pretty sight

Burger nirvana...

The burgers are charboiled, dressed in a signature fashion that makes them uniquely Peter's. Each patty is made from fresh chuck, individually submerged in their BBQ sauce before being tucked into freshly baked, custom-made buns. They are then lovingly wrapped in their foil before making their way to your mouth. As you can see, we're not making pretty burgers here. Just consistently delicious.

I'll leave you with this tip: if you are coming to Peter's Drive-In, just remember: they only take CASH. Don't catch yourself making that realization when you're in the drive-through queue. Yes, it's happened before. Also, when you're making your order at the Drive-through, don't expect them to tell you how much the total is going to be. Expect an, "ok, thank you" then move on. A little 'Soup Nazi', eh?

Until next time...

Burger Fix: part 2

Boogies Burgers, Calgary

I had another craving for a burger, and this time it was daytime so I had a few more options. I have been hearing a lot of good things about this place called, Boogies Burgers, on Edmonton Trail so I had to go and check it out. Luckily, I live nearby so it was just a quick drive up the hill.

Boogies Menu. A great selection of signature burgers, or build your own.

As you can see, the place is bright and clean. Service is friendly and fast. The food is all made to order so it's delicious. Today, I opted for one of the signature burgers, "Shawn's Burger". It is a triple patty monstrosity with cheese, bacon and fried egg with Boogie's Signature Red Sauce and all the fixings. They even bring you a steak knife in case you can't fit the thing in your mouth. Good sign.

Shawn's Burger. I added the cell phone for size reference.

With a burger this size, I wasn't gonna order fries but they do have 3 kinds of fries; regular, spicy and yam. Of course, what burger joint would be complete without onion rings. They got the rings too. The sign of a good burger is one where you can appreciate the taste of the meat, rather than the fixings all over it. Though this burger had a lot of 'stuff', I could really taste the freshness of the beef. In fact, the Boogies red sauce is not overwhelming, but compliments the overall taste of the whole burger. Sorry for getting too deep.

I ate the whole thing. WOOT!

Verdict? With places like this, I can really appreciate living in Calgary. Why do I say that? When you have a hometown, you need these kind of places that are unique...places you miss when you go away. Places you tell your foreign friends about. Dining, whether it's an elegant night on the town with a hot date or a quick lunch at a great burger joint, is an experience. So go experience Boogies Burgers!