There are quite a few sources of information about the food happenings in Vancouver. The Daily Hive is one of my favourites and they update...well, daily. It was on their website that I first learned about the Pigot Burger Club Smash Burger Pop Up from Chef Mike Pigot in Calgary. We got in on it this past weekend in Vancouver.
Ordering is on-line and you chose your time for pick up at Craft on the corner of Beach and Denman in the West End. We liked that because a) it feels like we have not been downtown in forever and b) there is a most beautiful place across the street for us to use as our picnic site.
We ordered a Double Cheese Burger and added bacon. It is definitely a full-sized burger and not for the faint of heart (they also offer a triple but really?). The best thing about a smash burger is that the 'smashing' guarantees a brilliant sear on the meat, a dark and tasty crust. Despite the thinness and well seared outside, we noticed that the patty was still pinkish on the interior. Perfect! This burger also comes with masses of melty 'Merican cheese' (almost completely obscuring anything else in the picture) and a slightly sweet secret sauce, slow-cooked brown sugar onions, and a perfect potato bun. And there you have a sandwich that should not be missed! Ridiculous and somewhat challenging to eat on a park bench!
We also had an AC Burger, the creation of Chef Alex Chen, and only available at the Vancouver location of this pop-up. This double burger comes with white cheddar, bacon aioli, house pickles, onion, and tomatoes. It was not as messy as the double above but no less tasty. We would have been OK with a little more of the aioli but the smashed patties were spectacular again.
And while PBC kills it on burgers, they do a couple of kind of impressive sides and beverages so you can enjoy a square meal on the beach. We loved the Dirty Tots which featured the secret sauce and 'Merican' cheese that we had already grown to love. I am honestly not sure if the dip that came with the tots was the secret sauce or a variety of tartar sauce. Either way, we couldn't leave these alone until they had completely disappeared!
We also ordered a side Kale Ceasar Salad, not because we thought we were going to make this a healthy meal but because we like kale caesar salads! It was full of bacon, Grana Padano and dressing (on the side) and full-on delicious.
The dining room (the beach) was beautiful and that and the excellent eats made this a memorable Sunday (it could have been a little less windy)! I don't know how long this pop-up is going to be here but I would say, don't miss it (as opposed to the Mooby's pop-up, which you can definitely miss).
Food 5 out of 5
Comfort 4 out of 5 (English Bay Beach! ...but windy)
Service 4 out of 5 (right on time)
Value 4 out of 5
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