The Denman Challenge: Fatburger

Founded by Lovie Yancey in Santa Monica CA in 1952, Fatburger's first Canadian franchise came to Vancouver's Denman Street in May 2005. After two more Canadian additions, the Canadian franchisee for Fatburger is currently planning to open more than 20 locations throughout Canada in the course of the next few years.

The location on Denman Street has the signature 1950's retro-style décor of the usual Fatburger with neon lights, an open kitchen with counter seating, music and sports memorabilia on the walls and a jukebox that plays great tunes. This location also has a garage-style door which opens-up to the street. Witty signage welcomes you into the shop, inviting you to step into this "taste bud recovery center".

Fatburger, which prides itself on using fresh ingredients, is immensely popular along the American West coast and has even earn itself an entry in Wikipedia. Burgers and sandwiches are made to order and only never-frozen 100% USDA lean beef and 100% cholesterol-free oil are used. Burgers are made to the customer's liking and can be customised. Patties come in two sizes: Fatburger (1/3 lb) and Kingburger (1/2 lb) and all patties can be doubled-up. Add-ons include bacon, cheese, egg and chili.

Also available is the Turkeyburger and the Chicken Sandwich, as well as a veggie patty that is looked-down upon by the meat-loving folks at Fatburger. From the fryer one can get skinny or fat fries as well as onion rings that "come from onions, not the freezer". And to quench your thirst, fresh lemonade and real hand-scooped ice cream shakes complement the usual soft drink options.

When: Sunday, July 16 2006. (9pm)

M says: I first heard of Fatburger when I was in Las Vegas, where it had been described as a "must-do" on par with casino attractions. The Fatburger on the strip was jam packed, with long lineups and customers sharing tables in order to get a seat. There I ordered the Bacon Egg Sandwich and I was hooked. I read the tray liner and I got really excited: a Fatburger was set to open in Vancouver soon.

Since its opening, I have been back a few times and I am never disappointed. I have also never encountered an ordering mistake, which is quite a rarity in my case (I seem to have a 1 in 4 incorrect order running streak). I always order the same thing: the Fatburger Cheese Deal with added bacon and egg ($11.56). The deal comes with fries (I like the skinny ones) and a drink.

All I can say about Fatburger is that they make a damn good, juicy and tasty burger. I don't put sauce in my burgers and sometimes that can result in a dry burger, but not here. It's a satisfying eat that always fills the spot.

T says: The burgers are quite large enough to accomodate the splitting of fries, making it unnecessary to double-up on a combo or the meat. In light of this, I ordered the Fatburger Cheese with bacon and egg ($7.96) and was left satisfied. The burger was juicy and pleasantly pink. Looking forward to saving room for a shake on my next visit!

Fatburger vs. Vera's Burger Shack, by M: There is a big debate about which burger joint on Denman Street serves the best burger, with many taking sides. With Fatburger as the new kid on the block, it seems that a small army is standing by Vera's. While Vera's burgers are good and quite comparable in price to Fatburger's, I often find their burger to be quite dry. I have also noticed that they will change their bacon from regular strip slices to back bacon without warning, changing the taste and texture of the burger. I have to admit though that Vera's fries are better and that I do love to indulge in the poutine. I think that people's disappointment with Fatburger may come from the fact that Fatburger is fast food-type burger, not the type you'd get at a fancier sit-down restaurant.

Surprisingly, there's even some fighting within the BC Lions' CFL team as to which burger shack they prefer. While Fatburger is the "official" burger joint of the Lions', Vera's is co-owned by a former Lions player and pictures of current Lions players can be found on the website... can anyone say breach of contract?

Pro: Excellent taste!

Con: A tad expensive for fast foodod-type burger.

Verdict: T says yea, M says yea!

Update: Fatburger now also offers combos with beer, instead of just soft drink or milkshakes.