Halifax may be still recovering from the layer of ice that it was covered in recently, but that doesn’t mean the burger life has to slow down any! As of late, there has been a lot of burger excitement throughout Halifax with the upcoming Halifax Burger Week.
The Coast is once again doing their Burger Week from March 19th – 25th, which is a great opportunity to both try some of the best restaurants in the city, as well as stuff your face with as many different burgers as possible. Right now, you can even go on Twitter or Instagram and show your support for who you think should be the Burger Ambassador for the week (maybe a certain Halifax-based burger blogger *wink wink nudge nudge*), which gives two lucky people the chance to cover burger week, and report back to the public all the meaty details!
With Burger Week on the mind, it is a perfect time for me to get my next burger, which just so happens to be #30! For this one, I decided to go with a burger, that is one of the ones that gets most recommended to me, from the downtown restaurant 2 Doors Down. Located at 1533 Barrington Street, 2DD is still a fairly new addition to Halifax, but has received many rave reviews from Halifax diners. After hearing lots of praise for it, I knew it was time to get myself a Smokehouse burger.
Stats
From the menu: “We use house ground PEI chuck, brisket, and short rib; smoked gouda, bourbon BBQ sauce, crispy challots, bacon, onion jam, chipotle aioli”
Appearance (6.75/10)
Admittedly, when the burger was placed in front of me, I wasn’t super impressed with how it looked. Not that it didn’t look good or anything, it just didn’t seem to have a ‘wow factor’. Now to be fair, I have been dealing with a lot of burgers lately that are either stuffed full of toppings or massive in size, so seeing a burger that was more ‘well-kept’ was just sort of surprising to me. All that being said, I did notice that the patty was the perfect size for the bun (which was very visually satisfying), and I was also a fan of all the melted cheese that was dripping out of all sides of the burger.
Taste (9.5/10)
What it might lack in visual ‘wow-ness’, it definitely makes up for many times over in the taste department! The patty in this burger was cooked to a perfect medium-well, and with just a slight amount of pink in the middle, it should be a lesson to everyone on how to cook a piece of meat. The combination of the chuck, brisket, and short rib was so mouth-wateringly good, that I couldn’t get enough of it. The mixture between the bourbon BBQ sauce, onion jam, and chipotle aioli, was so delicious, and it provided the burger with a smokey, yet lively, flavour that maintained a bit of a kick. The crispy shallots gave the burger a slight crunch, and it was a very welcomed addition to the texture. If I had to choose one thing about my meal that I had a slight issue with, it would have to be the ketchup that they serve with their fries. I know it has nothing to do with the actual burger itself, but I felt like it was worth mentioning that they make their ketchup in-house, and it is definitely an acquired taste that I don’t feel is for everyone, but you won’t know unless you go and try for yourself!
Restaurant Atmosphere & Service (9/10)
We came here on probably one of the busiest dining days of the year, Valentine’s Day, but we managed to only have a wait time of about 25 minutes for a table (very acceptable given the day). From the host to the server, the service we got here was top notch. The employees were very friendly, and answered all of the questions we had about the menu. Our server was especially helpful with the drink menu (can’t complain about that). I really like the atmosphere is 2DD, as it is both intimate and welcoming. It’s the kind of place that you wouldn’t feel weird getting all dressed up to go to, but it is also acceptable to be more casual as well.
Cost vs. What You Get (7/10)
To get this delicious meal, it will cost you $17.50. Now, people are going to look at that price and immediately turn it down. I can understand the reasoning behind that, and I know that it’s not a price that I will pay regularly for a burger, but it is definitely worth it to treat yourself once in a while. The patty is made with three different kinds of cuts, and the end result is really tasty, so you should at least loosen the purse strings once, and give this burger a go.
Overall (8.06/10)
If it isn’t completely obvious yet, I absolutely loved this burger. While it may not look like the most impressive burger, after a few bites it won’t even matter. This isn’t a burger I would get all the time (mostly due to the price), but it is definitely one I will be getting again!
2 Doors Down
1533 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS
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