Vera's Burger Shack (Granville)
I've heard that Vera's has won the "best burger" award 5 years in a row, so I was expecting a pretty good burger when I dropped by for dinner. I was planning on getting a Vera's burger ($5.99) and asked if it came with cheese. The cashier said it came plain with just the bun and patty, but additional toppings could be added free of charge. I took a look at the list of toppings and was surprised to find that cheese was not one of them. A burger joint with no cheese? Hmm... I had my doubts but decided to keep an open mind. I ordered my burger with ketchup, relish, lettuce, tomato and Vera sauce which is made from garlic and mayo. It was a long 20 minute wait before it was brought to my table wrapped in foil.
The bun didn't look very appealing and I was disappointed to find that it was cold and not toasted.
I opened up the burger to take a peek inside and... where's my tomato? I went back to ask for a few slices of tomato on the side and the cashier was very friendly and accommodating. But then I realized there was no relish in my burger either... At that point, my mom mentioned that her burger was missing a few toppings as well, so I figured I should just give up.
We substituted sweet potato fries ($1.79 extra) for fries in the combo to share. The basket of orange fries came with a side of Vera's sauce. Personally I found the fries a bit too thin as I prefer the fatter kind with more to chew on.
My meal at Vera's was a disappointing experience and very different from what their website advertises. The following text in bold is taken from their "About Us" page:
I guess I'm just appalled that the burger I had is supposedly the best burger in Vancouver. Personally I found it the same as if not worse than the burgers served at fast food chains. I'm not sure if it was just an off-day or if the quality varies greatly among different locations, but I don't think I'll give Vera's another try.
The bun didn't look very appealing and I was disappointed to find that it was cold and not toasted.
I opened up the burger to take a peek inside and... where's my tomato? I went back to ask for a few slices of tomato on the side and the cashier was very friendly and accommodating. But then I realized there was no relish in my burger either... At that point, my mom mentioned that her burger was missing a few toppings as well, so I figured I should just give up.
We substituted sweet potato fries ($1.79 extra) for fries in the combo to share. The basket of orange fries came with a side of Vera's sauce. Personally I found the fries a bit too thin as I prefer the fatter kind with more to chew on.
My meal at Vera's was a disappointing experience and very different from what their website advertises. The following text in bold is taken from their "About Us" page:
Our 6 ounce burgers are made fresh to order and served slightly pink. Because of that, they take a little longerYes my burger was made fresh to order, but the beef patty was anything but pink. It was completely brown and the edge was overcooked. In fact, bits of it were so hard that I had to bite them out. Maybe that's why it took 20 minutes to cook.
Our fries are double-fried and deliciousThe sweet potato fries were probably double-fried, but I wouldn't say they were delicious. I think double-frying the fries only made them crispier and drier than they should be.
Our milkshakes are made using real ice creamI can't comment on this since I didn't try the milkshake.
Our Vera's sauce is made to make you want to drink itUhhh... no! I have absolutely no desire to drink it. The sauce just tasted like weak and watery mayo with a subtle hint of garlic.
I guess I'm just appalled that the burger I had is supposedly the best burger in Vancouver. Personally I found it the same as if not worse than the burgers served at fast food chains. I'm not sure if it was just an off-day or if the quality varies greatly among different locations, but I don't think I'll give Vera's another try.
Hm.
ReplyDeleteI had a burger at Vera's, at the UBC location before. Maybe because I ordered it with all the toppings ("The Works"), but it looked much more appetizing than yours.... your lettuce is looking a little limp, too.
I remember it taking a long time, too, but the patty was very juicy.
Well I suppose my burger would've looked better if they had remembered to put in the tomatoes and relish I'd asked for. And I saw the cashier punch it in the register too! No idea how they messed it up. And the patty was definitely way overcooked.
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