Bistro Burger Plus
Article mis en ligne le jeudi 14 avril 2011
“Once upon a time I was the Montreal Expos’ p.r. assistant and scoreboard operator. One of my tasks was to write feature articles for the club’s Baseball magazine.
Several of those articles were written in collaboration with a member of the scouting department, a former professional ballplayer whose minor league career was cut short by a knee injury. One article we did together talked about life in the minor leagues and, among the many stories he told me, one in particular stood out. When the team arrived (by bus!) in a town where they had never played before the most important question the players had about the town was: “Where can we get the best and cheapest burgers?” It was preferable that the burger joint be located on a straight line between the team hotel and the ballpark.
The effect this story had was to set me off on a “worldwide” search for great, cheap burgers. Well, look no further than Bistro Burger Plus at 6966 St. Jacques West in NDG. Who? Where? Bistro Burger Plus (BBP), on the south side of St. Jacques just before heading down the hill to the westbound highway 20.
BBP serves a regular burger, a doubleburger, a Bistro burger and an Angus burger. Mine is the Angus and it’s best if you ask the grill man to do it as rare/medium as the law allows. They’re juicy like a good burger should be but they don’t drip all over your face and hands and clothes. Speaking of the grill, BBP’s burgers are cooked fresh, made to order, on a real grill, over charcoal. The sign outside says so: “Hamburger et Hot Dog sur le Grill.” The sign also says: “Frites Maison.” That means their fries are freshly cut, by hand, on the premises. Not frozen! And they’re substantial fries; crisp and a little bit greasy on the outside and potatoey on the inside — like fries are supposed to be. And they taste best if you dump them on your tray and sprinkle them with salt and vinegar.
BBP’s best bet is the trio of Angus burger, a generous serving of fries (or onion rings) and a soft drink. Cost? $7.51 includes taxes. You cannot go wrong.
But be warned. BBP is NOT designer burgers. There are no “theme” burgers. There are no “letter” burgers. And most definitely NO gourmet burgers. No kid burgers either. BBP is nothing more and nothing less than a great burger joint. Period. With your choice of mustard, relish, ketchup, onion, lettuce, tomato and pickles. They probably also have mayo but, on a burger? No thanks! BBP’s most esoteric topping? A sort-of, not-excessively-hot, pepper.
These are burgers the way burger fans want them: Cooked fresh, over charcoal, your choice and quantity of toppings, as much or as little as you want, not pre-determined and pre-measured, served with fresh-cut, homemade fries.
Bistro Burger Plus also serves all the usual things you’d find in a place like this: breakfast, poutine, hot dogs ($1.19), BBQ chicken, spaghetti, club sandwiches and a special lunch menu (but hustle, it goes fast).
Do I have any negative comments? Just one. The onions are diced. I would prefer they be thick, round, slices. But hey, hardly a reason to stay away!
Bistro Burger Plus
Adress: 6966 St-Jacques West, NDG Hours: 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Access: Ground level Parking: Their own parking lot Credit Cards: Yes Interac: Yes Alcohol: None Prices: Very reasonable Portions: Very generous Clientele: Primarily adults but kids will love it too Recommendation: For true burger lovers and those who want to become one