Off-Menu Burger At Crowbar Might Be Vancouver’s Best

by Andrew Morrison | It’s not even on the menu at the recently arrived Crowbar, but the decadent burger might just be the best in the city. It’s definitely in the top five, right up there with the Dirty Burger at Campagnolo Upstairs, the onion ring beast at Hawksworth, the simple cheeseburger at Pourhouse, and Juno Kim’s elusive guacamole masterpiece. Chef Scott Korzak explained it thus: 6oz of hand-formed, 45 day dry aged beef brisket from Two Rivers covered with melted raclette cheese and arugula on a house-milled, house-made bun brushed with smoked pork fat and smeared thick with chicken fat hollandaise. Read that again and wipe away the drool. It’s a mellow tasting, simple but complex, super duper meaty thing largely bereft of the acidic stings of tomato and mustard (the hollandaise supplies viscosity on the palate and an impactful zip). The flavour of the beef is amplified rather than masked, and it fits nicely in the hand, maintaining its structural integrity from first bite to last. It’s definitely not a steal at $21, but it’s a superior burger and definitely worth every cent plus tip, especially considering the fried fingerling potato accompaniment (crispy but toothsome, tossed in a shallot amped chimichurri). At the time of writing, the new Fraserhood eatery/bar makes fewer than ten of these awesome secret burgers per night, so don’t be surprised if they’re all gone before you get there (straight out of the Camp Upstairs playbook). Until they start making more, I guess the trick is to get in there early. Doors open at 5pm, seven nights a week.

646 Kingsway off Fraser Street (across from Savio Volpe and Matchstick) | www.crowbareastvan.com