Burgoo Bistro

For the longest time Michael and I thought Burgoo was a hipster burger joint, but we were really wrong. I really considered going to Burgoo after an art buddy of mine had recommended the place to me since she told me she works there. Why not.

We began at the Burgoo on the Main Street location, but it was such a long wait and I was super duper hungry. So Michael decided to search for their other location at 4434 W. 10th in Vancouver. It was smaller and quieter inside, but the ambiance was so cozy with their fireplace and wooden walls. It was like going to grandmas house for dinner, and a hip grandma at that too. The pleasant smell of food when we walked inside was enough to make us hungry, very inviting and not overwhelming at all.

The restaurant has a small bar section too

I discovered that Burgoo was voted "the best place to hang out on a rainy day" by the Georgia Straight, and I agree since Burgoo is known for the bowls of soup, all you want to do is snuggle up to  nice hot soup on a rainy cold Vancouver day. Michael also thought their menu was interesting, it notes exactly which country every dish originates from.

Crab croquette

For starters, Michael and I shared the crab croquette ($8), originating from France. It's similar to a crab cake - a clump of fried goodness, filled with crab, cheese, potato bits and served with a tomato jam. Michael thought the croquette was the best part of the meal. Not only was it a good price for what was served to us, there was a generous amount of moist crab and he really liked the dipping sauce. I have to agree with him, it was very juicy and flavourful, especially with the cheese inside. I thought the dipping sauce was mediocre though. It was a nice sauce but it was just a little too sweet that it over powered the nice flavours the crab and cheese had to offer together. Why hide their natural flavours?

Dos Diablos

For entrees, I really had a hard time deciding what I wanted: sandwiches, soups, salads? Decisions, decisions, decisions! I went with the soup and sandwich ($15) and contemplated between the vegetarian - a sandwich with hummus, bell peppers, cucumbers, feta, artichoke and a vinaigrette dressing - or my other choice, the Dos Diablos, two slices of bread with melted spicy cheddar, chorizo sausage, and roasted bell peppers. Since Michael and I are going away together soon for somewhere with a decent beach, I have been really watching with what I eat. But faced with my weakness and kryptonite, ooey gooey cheese, I decided to go with the Dos Diablos. I loved that ooey gooey goodness and the crunchiness from the grilled sandwich was a nice bonus. I guess my diet will start tomorrow.

Tomato soup

I paired my sandwich with the tomato soup, my favourite. Tomatoes, garlic and a drizzle of olive oil, it was so rich in flavour and I could clearly taste the tanginess from the tomato. It wasn't too sour either, spot on.

Beef bouguignon

Michael got the classic French dish, the beef bourguignon ($18), when Michael told me he was going to order that,  for some reason I thought of Julia Child. Michael thought there was lots of meat on his plate and the beef was easy to chew. The sauce was nice and wasn't overwhelming. But I thought the mashed potatoes was a little underdone.

Strawberry lemonade

To wash everything down Michael had the Burgoo Brew ($5) and I had the strawberry lemonade ($3).

Yet another clever way to present the bill :)

The portions at Burgoo was so big that we weren't able to finish. Michael and I can't wait to come back to Burgoo and try the other selections on the menu. Everything sounds so good, we just want a taste of everything. Another thing I like about Burgoo is that after chatting with our waitress, I learned that Burgoo offers to a wide range of eaters, they offer gluten free, vegan, and vegetarians. How thoughtful.


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