Mary in Vancity

Romer’s Burger Bar is the brain child of chef Jim Romer, who believes in offering fresh and local ingredients and food that is good to the environment. Open for a bit over two years, the restaurant has a great pub-like atmosphere, with a long bar and an extensive beer-cocktail menu.

I don’t venture out to Kits as often as I’d like, so I took this opportunity to check them out. I found a couple of tips on foursquare from @dennispang, food aficionado extraordinaire, so off I went.

As I mentioned before, their drink menu is definitely worth a look. I ordered a Pepper MD ($7) – Amber Ale, Amaretto, Vodka, and Cherrytree Cola. – It tasted like a Doctor Pepper soda. I’ve never had a beer cocktail before, and I gotta say, I like them! On the menu they have other ones, such as a Guinness float, that really peaked my curiosity.

Ok, now to the food:

At first glance, I was surprised at how affordable the prices were: $11 for a Range-feed Angus beef burger?? Sign me up! Folks, this is an a la carte menu. All sides are extra. The $11 was only for my burger. In the end, I forked over another $4 for the Organic Baby Beet Salad. Still a good price for a burger platter.

My burger, The Americano came with Iceberg lettuce red onion, vine-ripened tomatoes, yellow mustard, bacon mayo and two crispy cheddar cheese planks on top. My meat was a tad on the overcooked side, but still pretty tasty. I don’t eat carbs much anymore, so I really, really, really loved the briche bun. Yum. I had the option of making my burger green for an extra .75 cent; It basically means that they will swap the bun for iceberg lettuce. My dining partner opted for no bun, instead he swapped his for a portobello mushroom. A much more flavourful option for the same price.

If you decide to visit this restaurant, order the Spicy Kosher Dills –  for $2 you get lots of them and they are a crispy and tasty side. Also save room for dessert, because this one is a must: Their famous Drunken Donuts ($5) are not to be missed. (Thanks @dennispang!) These little bites of heaven come with three dipping sauces: Kahlua nutella, limoncello and maple whiskey. Don’t ask me which one was my favourite, I loved them all. I loved them to the point of liking the plate clean afterwards. Not my finest hour, I agree, but speaks to my enthusiasm. The donuts were the highlight of my visit, and I would come back again just for them.

Follow them on twitter @romersburger