After The Burger's Priest showed up in Edmonton, another Canadian-based burger franchise has made it into our city! Located in the north end of Edmonton in the Oxford area, South Street Burger Co. is here to share their burgers with us beef-loving Albertans.

South Street Burger Co. - 15134 127 Street - Edmonton AB

South Street Burger Co. is owned by the popular french fry chain New York Fries. As fries are the best accompaniment to burgers, it makes sense that the company moved into this direction. All South St. locations are set in a contemporary, New York style loft-like environment, and the Edmonton location seats 45 and has additional seating on the patio in the summer time.

South St. Burger's menu features 4 oz. and 6 oz. patties made from 100% angus beef that is raised without hormones or antibiotics. Aside from beef patties, chicken breasts, veggie patties, and hot dogs are available too. Four signature burgers are available to choose from (see above), or you can even customize a burger the way you like it with gluten free and vegan options available.

To accompany the burgers, all locations feature the same fries you get at any New York Fries location. Milkshakes and ice cream can satiate your sweet tooth, so there's a little something for everyone on the menu. Want to give South St. Burger Co. a try? Check out the details below!

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THE GIVEAWAY

$20 to spend at South St. Burger Co.

Mandatory Entry: To enter, tell me which signature burger you would order at South St. Burger Co. Please make sure you leave a valid email address in the giveaway widget as this is how I will be contacting you.


ADDITIONAL ENTRIES

1. Follow me on Twitter (@littlmissandrea) (+1)
2. Follow South St. Burger co on Twitter @southstburgerco (+1)
3. Tweet about the giveaway: "I want to try the new @southstburgerco! Enter to win a meal from @littlmissandrea #yegfood" and link back to this post (+2)
4. Visit my Facebook page, like and share the giveaway post (+3)
5. Visit and like the South St. Burger Co. Facebook Page (+2)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


This giveaway is open to anyone 18+ years of age. You have until October 26 to enter and the winner will be selected by random and be contacted via email. Good luck!
*Images in this post thanks to South St. Burger Co.

Yesterday night, I had the opportunity to attend the media preview of Alberta's latest Smashburger location - in Sherwood Park! While Smashburger is no stranger to Americans (it's originally from Denver!), this location is the third in Canada, and a sign of many more locations to come across our country.

Smashburger - #530 5000 Emerald Drive - Sherwood Park AB

So as it is explained by the sign, the cooking technique is what makes Smashburger different from all the rest. I had the opportunity to speak with the owner, Lin, for a bit and I was told that the beef they are using in their burgers is never frozen. It is brought in fresh to the store, and allowed to stay in the fridge for a maximum of two days. If it isn't used up within those two days, the beef is discarded to ensure that all the patties they make in store are fresh for customers to eat.


Truffle Mushroom Swiss Smashburger
Ordering is simple. You walk in, take a look at the menu, and then you're given a number to bring to your table which specifies your order number. Once your food is ready, a server will bring it to your table, so it's a semi-serviced dining experience. This particular location has a smaller menu than other locations, so I was a little disappointed to find that items such as their deep fried pickles and chili weren't available for ordering. Nonetheless, there are tons of options on the menu, or you can build your burger to your liking, which gives tons of variety and flexibility to patrons.

I was able to bring guests with me to try out the restaurant, so of course we tried lots off the menu. The Truffle Mushroom Swiss Smashburger ($6.99 reg) - Truffle mayo, sauteed baby portabella mushrooms and aged Swiss on an egg bun - had a nice truffle flavour to it, but the bun was quite oily. We also tried out the Avocado Club Smashburger ($6.99 reg)- Fresh avocado, applewood-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, ranch dressing and mayo on a multi-grain bun - which had a nice creaminess from the avocado and flavour from the bacon, but it didn't feel heavy since there was the lettuce and tomato in the burger to complement it.

For myself, I had the Spicy Baja Smashburger ($6.99 reg) - Fresh jalapenos, guacamole, pepper jack, lettuce, tomato, onion and chipotle mayo on a spicy chipotle bun - which I really enjoyed. The fresh jalapenos really gave the burger a kick, but the spiciness wasn't so overwhelming that you couldn't taste anything else. It's a burger with heat to it, and I do recommend it if you love spicy food.

To test what else the menu had to offer, we ordered the Avocado Club Chicken Burger with grilled mushrooms on it ($8.49 + $1). The chicken used in the burger is a seasoned, grilled chicken breast, which was quite juicy and tender. The flavour profile matched the Avocado Club Smashburger, and the only difference was the protein. If you're health conscious, the chicken burgers are a nice option.

For our last burger, we chose the Edmonton Smashburger, but substituted the patty with chicken breast. The Edmonton Burger - Canadian seasoned grilled onions, cheddar cheese, Canadian BBQ Sauce, and fried egg on a Kaiser roll - is special to this menu, and I think it's neat that Smashburger tries to cater the menu to the local population. This burger isn't available down in Calgary either, as their Calgary burger is quite different from this one. The Edmonton Chicken Burger was juicy and tender, and the BBQ sauce was smoky but not overwhelming. I just wish that the egg was fried sunny side up! And of all the buns tried that night, I actually found the Kaiser roll to be my favourite. It was really soft, and not too dense, whereas some of the other buns we tried were.

Now you can't have a burger without sides! I was a little bit disappointed in the selection of sides, because I had taken a look at a different menu and found that this particular location doesn't offer as many choices as other Smashburger locations. For example, they don't have the fried pickles or the chili, but they at least offer 6 choices - and of course I had to try them all. The Veggie Frites ($3.99) are flash fried carrot sticks and green beans - they were a little limp, but seasoned nicely and quite addictive. It's their "healthy" alternative to fries - but how much healthier are deep fried carrots than deep fried potatoes?

The Haystack Onions ($2.49) were very thinly sliced and battered onion rings, which were crisp, but became soft and oily in no time. They were also very salty, so I would skip these if you're looking for onion rings, or you're trying to be health conscious. They would be delicious inside of a burger though!

Smashburger's Sweet Potato Fries ($2.99) were skinnier than most I've tried, but they were crisp and tender, and served with an aioli that had a strong horseradish flavour to it. At most restaurants, sweet potato fries are typically $1+ more than regular french fries, but the two sides differ by $0.50, so you do get a great value for getting sweet potato fries.

The Smashfries ($2.49) were something I was quite looking forward to: shoestring fries tossed with rosemary, olive oil and garlic. The fries were golden, crisp and tender, and the seasoning hit the spot. The fries weren't salty, so the rosemary and garlic were able to speak for themselves. I'd have to say this side was my favourite of them all, and it wasn't just me that liked them! They disappeared from the table in the blink of an eye.

Last but not least, we tried out the traditional poutine ($4.49). The gravy was quite salty, and having the gravy poured overtop of salted fries was a salt overload. If the shoestring fries weren't salted, I think this poutine would've been alright.

Unfortunately, there weren't any shakes or malts available to order yesterday night, but I did get the chance to sample the Saskatoon Berry Shake and the Chocolate Shake. Both were thick, creamy and not too sweet, and would be great accompaniments to burgers in the summer time. So what's the verdict? I quite enjoyed the experience at Smashburger, and would likely return again in the future if I was nearby and craving a burger. But would I drive the 30 minutes from my house to this location in Sherwood Park just for the sake of a burger? Probably not. Open a location close to me and I would be there! The environment is clean, the staff are friendly and helpful, and the burgers here are fresh and have juicy patties. Not too shabby if you ask me. This Smashburger location officially opens today, so go check it out if you're in the area!

Back in the 30's, soda jerks were usually nothing close to being a jerk - they were the people behind the counters in drugstores, serving up drinks from the soda fountain. Here and now in Edmonton, Soda Jerks is a restaurant offering burgers & bottles of old fashioned soda.

Soda Jerks - 17520 100 Avenue - Edmonton AB

Walking into Soda Jerks, you're greeted by a cozy environment furnished with a beautiful fireplace and dark wooden decor. To the left is a stunning refrigerated display of a variety of sodas, from where the name is partially derived. To be honest, I was actually expecting a old-style drugstore environment to make the restaurant live up to it's name, but hey, classy decor works for me.

Back in April, I decided to go for a quick dinner before meeting with friends in the evening. Shortly after we arrived, we were seated by the hostess and given time to look at the menu. For a Wednesday night, the restaurant wasn't empty, but not too busy, with most patrons being families with children. On the menu there are a variety of sodas and shakes to choose from, as well as burger combinations. Alternatively, you have the choice to customize a burger to your liking.

To start off, I had ordered a Cookies N Cream milkshake ($3.75) while Vince had a Henry Weinhard's Vanilla Cream Soda ($3.50). The milkshake was nothing out of the ordinary - simple, thick, and tasty. The vanilla cream had a strong vanilla flavour, and was quite sweet.

To hold us over while waiting for our burgers, ordered the deep fried dill pickles ($7) to start. I had always wanted to try a deep fried pickle but never had the chance (couldn't find them at the fair!), so I was excited to see this finger food on the menu. The fried pickles were coated in a thick layer of batter before frying, which made them feel really oily while being eaten. The chipotle mayo they were served with helped cut the greasiness down, but realistically, I could probably eat only 2 or 3 pieces before feeling like its too much oil I'm eating (the plate has about 8 pieces).

After finishing the appetizer, we waited, and waited, and waited some more until about 20 minutes had passed without us seeing our waiter. Finally he checked in with us, only to say that our order had been misplaced somewhere. Nothing was being cooked for us, and we had to reorder, which would mean waiting another 15-20 minutes before getting our food. Considering that the restaurant wasn't busy, I found it unacceptable for such a large mistake to occur. Our waiter was apologetic, but honestly, it was a big time kill. For the rest of the meal, we didn't see him too often either. Hopefully this doesn't happen too often!

The Cowboy ($14.50): Cheddar, chili, bacon, onion ring, coleslaw, sesame seed bun. Vince's burger didn't really have anything out of the ordinary - the chili was something different, but nothing outrageous. The burger itself was juicy and tender, and I thought the presentation was cute!

For myself, I ordered a custom burger ($12.75) with: a beef patty, lettuce, tomato, onion rings, roasted red peppers, and a variety of dressings (garlic mayo, dijon mustard, ketchup, cajun spice, ranch). The combination was good, but honestly, I'll eat almost any burger. The most important thing for me is to have fresh, tasty ingredients. That's all you need to make a good burger, but of course you can go gourmet and spice things up. What I really like about the customization though is the range of possibilities. You can turn your burger into a salad, add premium toppings, and just experiment with so many ingredients. Some notable ones? Root beer BBQ sauce, candied pecans, Gin & bacon sauerkraut, Doritos and chocolate dipped bacon.

While the service may not be the best, go ahead and experiment - have some fun! The combinations are endless.

Back in the day, Sherwood Park felt so far away from where I live in the South side. Hell, it still feels that way. Downtown & the North side of Edmonton are SO foreign to me even to this day. I almost feel like I've only ever been in the South side my whole entire life.

Five Guys Burgers & Fries - 100 Sierra Springs Drive - Airdrie, AB

Then came the day when I was watching Unwrapped on the Food Network maybe two years ago during the summer, and seeing Five Guys Burgers & Fries being featured changed my life! When I heard that a location was going to hit Sherwood Park, it was almost enough for me to venture out there. Almost.

Recently, a new location has opened up in the South side! The five guys made a good move. But instead of fighting the crowds on opening weekend in Edmonton, I visited the Airdrie location beforehand.


Five guys promises a fresh burger, made to order the way you like it. At all their locations, there are no freezers on hand, but rather coolers.. so that your patties are always fresh and never frozen. Vince and I had arrived shortly after 2:30 in the afternoon, and while the restaurant wasn't packed, it was still substantially busy. After we arrived is when things started to heat up. A line started to form behind us, and we were glad we arrived when we did!


Like other fast food joints, you line up, and choose the burger you want, with the toppings of your choice. They don't have any preset burger choices, and all the toppings you choose are free. Go crazy! Their regular burgers are served with two patties, and for those who don't have a huge appetite, the 'little' versions are served with just one.


One thing that should be noted, is that they are not contained in a nut-free environment. These five guys are famous for using pure peanut oil for cooking, and the restaurant itself is laden with boxes upon boxes of peanuts for your enjoyment. Eat up & get your fix! It does say on their website, that while they do not wish to purposefully exclude guests from their restaurants, the peanuts have become a part of their identity and they will continue to serve them as long as they are open. Many restaurants site the usage of peanut oils due to it's chemical properties. Peanut oil has a higher smoking point, leading to a crispier, deep fried end product with a unique taste.


Vince and I chose to go for the Cheeseburger, dressed the way we like it, and the cajun style fries along with a drink. With the pop, you are expected to serve yourself and the refills are free. Totally gives you something to do while you wait for your order. Or you could just gorge on peanuts like I did. Your choice.


Our order took a little over 4 minutes for us to pick up, and upon first bite into the burger, the patty was tender and juicy, and tasted fantastic. The cajun style fries on the other hand weren't exactly crispy the way I had expected them to be. The short ones were crisp, but the longer ones couldn't hold their shape, and were a little limp as seen in the picture above. I wonder if it's due to the fact that they had to be seasoned? In the future I'd definitely want to try them plain to see how well they are on their own.

All in all, it was a yummy burger and I would return. For a burger, fries, and drink, it came out to around $13, which isn't asking for much when you consider how much you would pay at a sit down restaurant at lunch for the same thing.

For lunch today, Lisa and I decided to venture a little off campus and visit our nearby Rodeo Burger. Previous experience review can be found here

The burger was tasty, just as it was the first time I had been there. It took a little longer for them to make though, since they didn't have an assembly line going, haha.