I finally had a chance to check out Pink Bicycle, a gourmet burger place, after much anticipation. I suppose something went well because I went back again a few days later.
It’s a small casual place in the heart of downtown Victoria that rocks a laid back sort of indie vibe. They use gourmet (and i use this term lightly) ingredients sourced locally when possible. Yay for local! The presentation of food is taken into consideration and you can even enjoy a glass of wine with your cheeseburger if you like. So are these gourmet burgers worth the gourmet prices?
Firstly, be ready to wait! On any given night around dinner time (6-7pm) expect a wait of about 30 minutes for a table.
The first time I went it was on a Saturday night around 6pm and we were informed there would be a 20 minute wait for a table for two. Let’s just say I was surprised when a group of five who were placed a few names down the list from us received a table before we did. I’m no hostess so that’s all I’m going to say about that.
The menu has a little something for everyone from the traditional cheeseburger, to vegetarian burgers, to seafood burgers. The burgers can be ordered as is, or with soup, fries, or salad. For a bit extra you can sub in onion rings or truffle fries (fries tossed in the much coveted truffle oil) too. For something lighter or to share there is a great variety of sides such as salads, poutine, and macaroni sticks.
I ordered the mutton burger with truffle oil fries ($13). We waited about 15-20 minutes for our food. The burger was really good! The serving size is massive and I didn’t even make a dent in my fries I was so full. I do have to say though the bun makes the burger. If anyone really puts their mind to it they can make juicy tasty burger patties at home, but to get your hands on some tasty buns like that is no easy task 
I believe they get their buns from Bond Bond’s Bakery right next door. They’re soft, yet chewy, but in the greatest way possible. The mutton patty was good too, nice and juicy and the other burger ingredients complimented each other well. The fries were amazing too. Really crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The truffle oil added a great flavour, it’s worth the dollar if you like truffle oil.
I went back again the other night. Waited about 30 minutes again. This time I went for my beloved favorite fish ever, Ahi tuna burger ($15) plus a side of poutine to share with my brother ($9). Ahi tuna is a very delicate fish with a subtle flavour so I was worried how it would fair surrounded by all that bread. It wasn’t the greatest. The piece of fish was small, but very tender. I know Ahi is an expensive ingredient, but I probably wouldn’t have minded paying a buck or two more for a more substantial piece of fish. The taste of the fish was lost and to make matters worse the wasabi mayo in the burger attacked my nasal passages, once again taking away from the taste of this awesome fish. The poutine was just okay too. Within a few minutes the fries became really mushy and the cheese formed a tough sort of rubbery cheese blanket that was hard to eat. I then shared a dessert with my brother. It was an apple and pear pie feature that night, which came with ice-cream. Presentation on the dessert was great. Ice-cream was creamy, and the pie was good too but the crust was a little raw still at the bottom.
On my last visit I tried a couple of different items that I wasn’t too impresed by. I would definately go back to Pink Bicycle again, but sticking to the meat burgers and the fries or salad next time, which I feel are worth the price considering the large portion size and the use of fresh local ingredients.
1008 Blanshard St. Victoria, B.C.
