Before Pecha Kucha 8, Mack and I met up with Brittney and Shauna for dinner at Rodeo Burger. I had been looking for an excuse to hit up the campus burger joint, and an event at the U of A was the perfect justification.

The bold signage, declaring the restaurant’s commitment to using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, and dedication to from-scratch goods (including their bread, patties and toppings) was eye-catching. But the red and black colour dynamic and hokey “Western”-themed font lost me, but then again, I’m much more attuned with the diner sensibilities of Fatburger, probably the closest burger joint comparison.

Interior

Service was friendly, and the cashier was quite patient with us as we waded through the options we had available to customize our burger (19 included in the basic burger price of $4.69). I ended up with a burger topped with bacon and cheese (at $1 more) and caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato and ketchup (included). Mack chose the Western burger ($5.69) topped with mustard, southwest sauce, sautéed mushrooms, bacon, guacamole, green chillies and caramelized onions, and we both upsized with fries and a drink.

Our order didn’t take long at all, our meals ready for pick up at the front counter in no time. I loved the presentation of the shoestring fries, spilling over the paper cup into the basket below. Mack had chosen the “seasoned” variety, which, unfortunately, needed more seasoning. My sea salt version was tasty, but under salted for my taste.

Burger and fries

As for the burger? The patty was thin with not much inherent flavour, surprising because they are custom-made for them, a claim that usually signals the expectation of something more substantial. Brittney’s complaint was that her patty did not fit the bun at all, again puzzling since they bake their own bread as well.

Mack digs in

My grievance was the composition of the burger – typically, ketchup is used as a “binder” of sorts underneath the top of the bun. Here, the ketchup was underneath the patty, resulting in slippery lettuce that would not stay put.

My burger

Rodeo Burger recently had a “free burger day” in support of the Salvation Army, and I do respect the fact that they, unlike other fast food chains, support area producers. And though I would return to Rodeo Burger if I was in the neighbourhood, I’m not sure I would go out of my way for a visit.

Rodeo Burger
8525A 112 Street
(780) 436-4375
Monday-Friday 11am-11pm, Saturday-Sunday 11am-10pm