After a busy morning hiking up a mountain, whisking my way through art galleries and pampering myself at the spa I had a rare feeling in my gut, the pangs of hunger. I had eaten only but an apple all day so after skipping through the Banff farmers market I bolted over to The Eddie Burger Bar for a late lunch.
Locals love the place and throughout my visit mentioned many times that “you haven’t been to Banff unless you’ve had an Eddie Trashcan.” So upon arrival, before I even looked at the food menu (which I was craving hard at that point) I hollered at the bartender and told her to serve up their signature drink. I’m not a big mid-day drinker or consumer of energy drinks so I can absolutely confirm my eyes were bulging and skin was tingling as I slowly sipped a beer glass filled with vodka, gin, rum, triple sec and blue curacao. With a dash of lime juice the drink is finished off with an entire red bull can which was crashed into the centre of the glass and bobbed up and down with earnest.
I felt I had earned a naughty midday feast from all that hiking I did in the morning (READ: I was not in the slightest counting calories when I made my order). I started off with a basket of finger-licking-good BBQ wings and crispy deep fried pickles. The star of the show was The Eddie Bacon Burger which was served alongside a steaming bowl of beef gravy poutine. This particular burger concept was fresh for me. Rather than sliding two crispy strips of bacon between bun and patty the creative team in the kitchen actually grind bacon into their 100% Canadian beef pattie. Quite literally the scientific equation looks like this:
Beef + Pork = Burger Heaven
Eddie Burger Bar sources its burger beef from Hoven Farms located in Eckville, Alberta. Hoven Farms raise certified organic beef which is raised without antibiotics or growth hormones. Cattle are fed only certified organic feeds and graze on certified organic pastures. Their beef is processed at YB Quality Meats, a small family owned and operated processing facility in Penhold, Alberta.
There’s really nothing more satisfying than sitting in front of an empty plate (pardon a few poutine gravy stains and ketchup smears) after devouring an unforgettable burger. Beef burger induced food comas are somewhat of an Alberta pastime. Ask a local, they call them “meat sweats.” Bless!
The Feast:
The Eddie Trashcan
2 oz vodka, gin, rum and triple sec, 1 oz blue curacao, lime juice, full can of red bull
Wings and Deep Fried Pickles
Poutine
Bacon Burger
aaa alberta beef, canadian double smoked bacon, aged cheddar, grilled red onion, dill pickle, mayo, lettuce, tomato
