With only 2 days between us and Halifax Burger Week, it’s time to get serious about the meaty times ahead. I’ve already given you a look at 7 of the burgers being offered (which you can see in Part 1 and Part 2), and now it’s time to start drooling over 4 more tasty dishes!

For your consideration in this part of the series are burgers from The Five Fishermen, Relish, La Frasca, and The Bicycle Thief!

The Five Fishermen

Burger: Urban Burger – Wild boar burger topped with a red cabbage relish, sesame aioli, sprouts and cheddar crumbs on a toasted buttered bun

Price: $15 with $2 going to Feed Nova Scotia

When it comes to burgers, beef tends to be the traditional meat used. However, during Burger Week, there are a good number of restaurants that like to shake things up and use a non-beef option, which is where The Five Fishermen comes in.

Wild boar is the meat of choice for the Urban Burger, and the kitchen at The Five Fishermen have managed to create a patty that is not only juicy and tender, but the flavours that it produces are amazing! I loved the use of sprouts for the greens component of the burger, as it is a lighter option in comparison to the usual lettuce, and it gives the burger a fresh taste that really lets the boar shine through.

The cheddar crumbs provided a subtle crunch to the burger, and there was a perfect amount of sesame aioli, which tied everything together without being too overpowering and distracting from the other parts of the burger.

This one may be somewhat simplistic in concept, but trust me when I say that there is more flavour in this burger than some of the more complex burgers I’ve had in my life!

Relish

Burger: The Big Wack! – One all-beef patty, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, reLiSH, on a super sweet bun

Price: $6

Whether they like to admit it or not, a good chunk of the population has indulged in the guilty pleasure that is a Big Mac. Well this year, Relish has decided to create their own version of the world’s most popular burger, with a bit of a Relish twist.

Their juicy, all-beef patty, which can be substituted for a veggie one, sits on a bed of long pickle slices, and is dressed with a single piece of melted cheese. In true Big “Wack” style, there is also plenty of chopped onions and lettuce thrown into the mix, which give a big crunch to this burger.

The thing that makes this burger for me is the special sauce. They did a great job of making a sauce that is reminiscent of the real thing, but when combined with their signature house-made relish, it gives a huge burst of flavour to the burger and I just couldn’t get enough!

This one is easily one of my favourites that I have tried so far, so do yourself (and your tastebuds) a favour and make sure this one is on your list for the week!

La Frasca & The Bicycle Thief

While I couldn’t get in to these places to get an early look, La Frasca and The Bicycle Thief hooked me up with pictures and wrote up some detailed descriptions of their burgers so I could share them with you!

Guancial di Manzo Burger (La Frasca) – $20 ($5 Feed NS)

“This year Chef Keith has tapped into his Newfoundland roots for inspiration for La Frasca’s Burger Week burger. Sourced locally from Oulton’s farm, the burger has a beef cheek as its patty! Tender and flavourful, it is textured almost like pulled pork or brisket. The deep flavours of the beef cheek patty pair perfectly with the sweetness from the bun. The bun itself is handmade brioche drizzled with a sticky red wine reduction. HOLY COW it is delicious. The burger is draped with huge slices of pickle, topped with a crispy, thick handmade buttermilk onion ring, an overflow of fresh lettuce & roasted garlic aioli. This burger is sided with hand cut russet fries with rosemary ketchup for dipping pleasure. Certainly a must try!”

The Beer Belly Burger (Bicycle Thief) – $20 ($5 Feed NS)

“Always a Burger Week highlight, this year The Bicycle Thief certainly does not disappoint with their massive, thick, beer-inspired burger. Both the pork shoulder and belly is brined using their in-house speciality craft beer, Bombetta. The patty is juicy and delicious. The honey roasted hop relish accompanies the hearty mustard barley bun like a match made in heaven. Dressed with fried cipollini onions and oozing with melty Taleggio cheese, this burger is the most wholesome meal you will have a week.”

Which burgers are you looking forward to trying during Halifax Burger Week? Follow me on Twitter and Instagram to let me know where you’ll be chowing down, and to keep up with future instalments of the preview series, as well as my adventures through this year’s event!