The Pink Bicycle Gourmet Burger Joint
• 1008 Blanshard St | Victoria, BC | V8W 2H5
Average User Rating:
7.91/10
7.91/10
Recommended by:
75%
75%
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"Great Burger Joint!"
Marion Ann
August 2011 — "The Pink Bicycle on Blanchard Street is a great local dining experience. It is known as the gourmet of burgers joints. The restaurant is cozy with limited seating and there seems to be a line up after 7pm, they don’t take reservations so make sure you get there before 6pm to get a table. What impressed is the menu is known for its local ingredients to ensure freshness and sustainability. When my friend and I walked into the Pink Bicycle we were greeted by a wonderful host who welcomed us right away and sat us to our table with a genuine smile. Our server was so pleasant and helped me choose one of their known burgers for the first time. I enjoyed the herb chicken burger with fresh leeks, and Little Qualicum Gruyere, it was so fresh! I tried their house salad with a homemade fig-balsamic dressing which was delicious! Our server was very attentive and I noticed how quickly the restaurant was becoming busy and when we left there were at least five people waiting in line to get in. If you’re in Victoria and looking for a gourmet burger experience, head to the Pink Bicycle. "
User Rating
9.33/10
9.33/10
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"Burger Heaven?"
Shane
April 2011 — "I have been waiting for an opportunity to get in here for a burger for some time now, after hearing rave reviews over the years. We ended up just getting a few burgers with sides to go, as a sit down dinner just wasn't coming together for us...
I think my expectations were so high that next to nothing could have satisfied my need. It is also very reasonable to blame this on taking a burger and fries out, but I just wasn't blown away with what I ended up with. The menu really does look great, a lot of fantastic options, where I decided on a lamb burger and fries. (I am not judging my experience on having to crisp up my fries a bit when I got home). The burger was just kind of flat, by which I mean not that exciting. It was just crying for some more moisture. I thought afterwards that "maybe I should have just stuck to a more basic burger" but then realized that everything on your menu should be stellar, or not on there. I am going to go back and eat in, I am not doubting that they have some great local fare..."
User Rating
5.50/10
5.50/10
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"Local Meat is Quite a Treat"
Brian
July 2010 — "I ate last night at the Pink Bicycle in Victoria, BC. It was my third or fourth visit to the gourmet burger joint, and just like every time previous, I left thoroughly satisfied. The Pink Bicycle is a rare breed these days, in that it serves burgers made exclusively from local organic meat and wild fish. I rarely eat meat due to both ethical and health considerations and it is very satisfying to know there is a restaurant near by that has plenty of delicious options to choose from. I had the BBQ Island Bison burger, which was deliciously smoky and coated with cheddar. My wife, a strict vegetarian, had the Moroccan Veggie burger and left equally satisfied.
While the deliciousness of the food is the forefront of the experience, the décor, friendly service (by beautiful waitresses), and flexibility of the kitchen staff are all reasons to partake in the experience. It’s a great night out for a couple, a wonderful family environment, or a decent spot to people watch while chowing down on a burger and chasing it with a local brew.
"
User Rating
8.33/10
8.33/10
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"This is a classy burger!"
Melissa
February 2010 — "Wow! OK really, ones never knows what to expect when they hear the phrase 'gourmet burgers' (um, Red Robin's anyone?), but this place was great!
I had the Moroccan veggie burger with mint mayo; it tasted like they had cooked a whole tagine, then blended it up in to a phenomenal veggie patty. My husband had the bison and raved about it. They serve water at the table with an old green wine glass (cool!), and the rest of the decor is really cool! An orchid on an old metal chest, great pictures.
Oh, and spend the extra dollar and get the truffle fries. Oh wow. Those are something special."
User Rating
8.83/10
8.83/10
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"unique burgers"
Jenny
December 2009 — "I'm not sure where this place gets its funny name but I would say this style is matched by the inside decor and menu selection. Their menu items focus on organic and local ingredients. The place is small and cozy. I went for lunch with work colleagues and it was packed.
I ordered the mutton burger, which is raised locally in Metchosin. the meat patty was grounded and I found the seasoning to be tasty, but it had too much seasoning because about half way through the burger, it became overwhelming and too salty. I would come back though and try something else again. Everybody else they ate with love to their food."
User Rating
8.83/10
8.83/10
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"Not Convinced"
Thomas
October 2009 — "So me and my gal had heard a lot about this place. Word on the street was that they had the best burgers in town. I guess you can't believe everything you hear. Don't get me wrong, the Pink Bicycle serves up some tasty food, but their claim over the burger is uncalled for, and unsubstantiated. They offer some creative and unusual versions on what a burger can be, and many of them I still want to try (such as the Seared Ahi Tuna Burger, or the Blue Cheese Lamb Burger), however, I must say that the Pink Bicycle Cheese Burger was nothing to rave about, and the Truffle Fries were borderline awful (easy on the black pepper already!). Burgers and fries aside though, the most disheartening part about the Pink Bicycle was the atmosphere of the place. Highly pretentious and somewhat rude servers, plus long waits, and expensive food makes it hard to give them a good review. Nevertheless, I would like to give the place another try someday. Like I said, there are many intriguing items on the menu, and I have to hand it to them for using local, and natural ingredients in almost everything they make."
User Rating
5.17/10
5.17/10
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"Burgers go gourmet"
Diana
May 2009 — "I love a good burger, and am always on the hunt for a great one. Having heard some good things about Victoria's first restaurant specializing in burgers, I decided to give the Pink Bicycle a try.
Aside from the usual beef and chicken, the menu offers some more adventurous options for the carnivore. There are also several interesting vegetarian choices, including the Portabella Burger and Moroccan Veggie Burger made of garbanzo beans and dates. While the Blue Cheese Lamb Burger was tempting, my companion decided to try the less common Mutton Burger. I had the Pink Bike Cheese Burger, a triple-A certified Angus beef topped with smoked cheddar. The mutton was lean and beautifully seasoned with a little kick, the richness of the meat balanced nicely by the sharp Gruyere cheese. My beef was a nice solid cheeseburger on a Bond-bonds Bakery sesame bun. Both came with a choice of sides; we had the fries, which were crisp and delicious.
It is not a large space, but well decorated in a modern and spare style. We were initially put off by a server who seemed more interested in the personal conversation she was carrying on with several acquaintances than in helping us, but the other staff member redeemed the service with her warm smile and efficient help.
This place fills a great space in Victoria, offering the burger enthusiast an elegant setting to try more up-scale burger options. "
User Rating
8.83/10
8.83/10
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"Gourmet Burgers, huh?"Tiemen
March 2009 — "We hit up Pink Bicycle this past weekend, finally caving in and deciding to try the most recent addition to the Victoria burger landscape. I was actually hesitant to try Pink Bicycle, because they call themselves a "Gourmet" burger joint, and I don't really think burgers need to be very complicated or fancy. We walked into the restaurant around 5PM on a Saturday, and the place was half full. Looks like this is great time to head over there for a bite to eat, because when we left 45 minutes later the place was packed...and I hear there is a long line-up around lunch. Anyway, we sat down and took a look at the menu. Every item was a burger...nice! We decided to forgo more "exotic" choices like Mutton, Halibut or one of 3 choices (!) of veggie burgers, and I went with the Bison Burger for $14, and added house Onion rings as a side for an extra $2.
We waited for our burgers and checked out the interior. It's a clean, little restaurant, comfortable, but a little sparse...missing the funkyness of similar gourmet burger joints in other cities. The burgers came quickly, and we dug in. The first thing that impressed me about the burger was the bun. They use fresh sesame buns from Bonds bakery next door...soft and chewy at the same time..the perfect burger bun. Aside from this, the burger was pretty standard. The bison burger came with BBQ sauce, lettuce, tomato...all pretty standard. The patty was a little on the dry side, but not so dry that it ruined the burger. I thought the half pickle and olive on the side were nice, but frankly, I'm wondering what made this burger a Gourmet Burger? I don't know what I was expecting, but I guess I was looking for something beyond your standard burger. What I got was a decent burger, with a really good bun...for $2 to $6 more than I could get a similar burger, somewhere else in town. The onion rings were really good...probably the best home made rings I've had. Big slices of red onion in beer batter, lightly seasoned...tasted great with a little salt. Admittedly, I'm not a huge fan of the home made onion ring, and usually prefer the little, generic, golden onion rings you get out of a bag...these were great though. So, my wife and I were in agreement. Pink Bicycle makes a good burger. Just nothing special. The burgers were missing the extra flair that I expect from a gourmet burger, and frankly I can get a burger that I enjoyed more, for $6 less, elsewhere in town. "
User Rating
7.67/10
7.67/10
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DescriptionOpen for lunch and dinner, The Pink Bicycle specializes in really good burgers using as much locally sourced ingredients as possible. The selection of burgers include: herbed chicken burger, halibut burger, blue cheese lamb burger, mutton burger, black bean veggie burger, and AAA Angus beef burger. They are licensed to serve wine and beer.
Location Information1008 Blanshard St
Victoria
BC
V8W 2H5
