Downlow Burgers is set to officially open in The American at 926 Main Street on Tuesday, September 3rd. The concept comes to us from the wildly successful Downlow Chicken Shack crew on Commercial Drive, where the burgers have popped up every Monday for many months.

If you’re unfamiliar, these are exacting handfuls made by people who fetishize burgers. Over the course of menu development (going on for several years now), co-owners Doug Stephen and Lindsey Mann narrowed on robust 7oz patties of dry-aged Two Rivers beef. Similar to the chicken on The Drive, the meat has a distinct taste. In this case it’s a singularly beefy tang, and it’s a flavour that people regularly line up for. I’ve never had a burger quite like it.

One of my sons and I snuck into the basement kitchen yesterday as they were prepping for a buy-out upstairs. Doug was kind enough to set us up with a couple of burgers, some onion rings, a serving of crispy pork belly nuggets and a spread of deep fried pickle coins. It’s exactly the kind of stuff (all pictured at bottom) that will pair well with the sports bar direction that The American wants to go (just in time for the NHL and NFL seasons).

I’ve had several Downlow burgers over the past year or so, but out of the seven on the menu I keep going back to my favourite, the significantly amplified “Not in Kansas” cheeseburger. It’s loaded with bacon and a BBQ sauce that tempers the super beefy taste with some acidic sweetness and a special tang of its own.

They’ve just put out a press release announcing the official launch on Tuesday, but if you slip into The American over the weekend I wouldn’t be surprised if they were cooking full-on. That’s on the downlow of course. Here’s the full text of the release, which includes the full menu and pricing.

Downlow Burgers is smashing the end of summer on a high note with an official launch day of Tuesday, September 3, 2019 at The American (926 Main Street).

Previously renamed Downlow Smash, the popular pop-up has reverted back to its beloved original name due to an unknown North American-wide trademark on the word “smash”.

“We are excited for people to come down, find us at The American, and try our burgers and menu specials,” says Doug Stephen, co-owner of Downlow Burgers. “It’s been incredibly rewarding working with Simon, Patryk, and the whole team at The American, as well as training our own folks. We look forward to smashing up some burgers on game nights, concert evenings, and more!”

Downlow Burgers specializes in the smash method of making burgers – each patty is smashed firmly into a flat shape to create maximum crust for that extra flavour. All burgers are made with special dry-aged beef grind from Two Rivers Meats and fresh baked buns from Livia Sweets.

Downlow Burgers Menu:

Merch (Backyard)
Americana (aka the “Big Mac”)
Not in Kansas (BBQ Sauce)
Fat Boy (Winnipeg Classic)
South of the Border (Tex-Mex)
Faux-Pho (Banh Mi)
Veggie or Vegan Burger

Sides
Caesar Salad
Wedge Salad
House-smoked Onion Rings
Crispy Pork Belly Bites
Chicken Wings
Crispy Cauliflower

Fries
Chili Cheese Fries
Classic Fries
Loaded Fries (with a smashed beef patty)

Burgers prices start from $12 for a 7oz patty and sides from $4. Downlow Burgers is open daily at The American (926 Main Street).

DownLow Burgers

Neighbourhood: Main Street

926 Main St.

778-866-5662

WEBSITE