Restaurant Review: Fox Burger
FOX BURGER
6423 112th Avenue | foxburger.ca
Instagram: @foxburgerbar
Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew
You've likely been living under a rock if you haven't at least somewhat noticed the smash burger craze. What's a smash burger? Well, they're exactly what they sound like: Burgers that have been smashed onto a hot griddle or skillet, sizzled until deeply browned, and cloaked with melted cheese. This smashing technique has obviously been around for a while but was further popularized by the Smashburger chain which was founded in Denver in 2007 (we have two of these restaurants; one in Sherwood Park and one in St. Albert). Beyond chains, Edmonton has several great options to indulge in this specific type of hamburger and I would be remiss if I didn't mention Flat Boy Burgers, a personal favourite, as a part of this conversation. The main difference of a smash burger compared to a "normal" burger is that the flattened patties are extra thin with crispy edges and a great sear. They're full of that good, good brown flavour. Fox Burger is one of the top restaurants in the city to experience an amazing non-chain version of this burger and now with three locations and a food truck, they clearly know what's up. Their original Highlands location was also awarded Favourite Patio on the Edmonton Food Faves We Crave 2024 list. Sadly for me, my visit happened on a Saturday evening in the dead of winter so a magical patio experience was not in the cards. However, the restaurant does boast a gorgeous rooftop patio that I would love to visit in warmer months. Every time I visit Highlands I can't help but exclaim what an adorable part of the city it is. The main strip on 112th Avenue is small, yet full of amazing businesses and so much character. What a gem of a neighbourhood in our city! Fox Burger is located right in the thick of it, in the historical Gibbard Block building, an iconic landmark that was built in 1912. The restaurant is small yet decently spacious and simple in decor with wood paneling details and an antique-style ceiling. There are old-timey framed pictures of Edmonton scenes on the walls that fit in with the era of the building perfectly. Settling in at a comfortable table with bench seating, I looked at the cocktail menu and easily decided upon the Winter Sangria ($13.50) because I love anything that matches the season.
I was brought a big wine glass full of all the fun bits that make sangria special. The drink was juicy and boozy. The winter theme was achieved by using warm spices, capturing that holiday-like feeling. Sangria is certainly viewed as a summertime beverage (I bet it's the ideal drink up on the patio) and I loved that they found a way to make it work in the winter as well. Of course there is also plenty of beer on the menu, because beer and burgers just makes sense! My co-diner tried the Aurora Key Lime Pie Sour by Rival Trade Brewing Co. and we were both impressed at how well they truly harnessed the key lime pie flavour in a way that was a total delight. There's also a secret boiler room-turned-bar in the basement that is only open on certain days - just in case you needed even cooler options for consuming alcohol. Before we dive into the burgers, I was surprised to find so many other menu items in terms of Small Bites and Shareables. The Small Bites section is fun, with Cool Ranch Jalapeño Poppers and Fried Pickled Green Tomatoes ($10.00) on offer. Intrigued, I chose the latter.
Definitely fun and easy to share, I enjoyed the crispy batter and strong pickled flavour that was helped along by a generous coating of dill. After taking a bite I totally looked inside at the tomato itself to confirm that it was actually green - it was! The jalapeño ranch was more like an aioli but it served as a zippy dip to add even more flavour. The Sharables part of the menu impressed as well with the usual suspects such as Deep Fried Brussels Sprouts. But there was also Animal Fries (which I'd heard a lot about), and a Panzanella Salad (one of my top favourite salads). However, the decision was made when I saw the Bacon & Bleu Wedge Salad ($23.00) - my even more top favourite salad.
This salad is massive! (Which I suppose makes sense based on the price.) This could very easily be an entire meal for one person. Otherwise, sharing is a must and it's a great way to get some greens into the meal. I was surprised to find chicken on this salad - not a usual ingredient on a wedge. I got the impression that they were attempting to make this salad "more" and I was curious how it would taste. It was a big success! In fact, this salad might have been the highlight of the entire meal, which seems like a wild thing to say. Large quarters of crisp and fresh iceberg lettuce laid open like welcoming vessels, ready to grab all of the elements and flavours within its leaves. Dotted with bacon and tomato, everything was bound together by a deliciously creamy dressing. The bleu cheese was abundant but not overpowering - I was curious about which type they use because it was certainly on the milder side, likely rendering it more accessible to a larger crowd. And the chicken? It was a delight! Super tender and nicely seasoned, it didn't seem out of place or like something that they just tossed on. This may very well be the best wedge salad in the city and I loved it! It's burger time! There was no way that we were going to visit Fox Burger without getting into some serious burger action. There are eight smash burgers to choose from and also two chicken sandwiches (I see you Crispy Buffalo Chicken). All burgers can be ordered as a single or a double and are served with a choice of side. For my first visit I had to try the Fox Cheeseburger ($21.00 for single) because it felt like the quintessential thing to order plus it has the restaurant's name in it. For my side I decided to order the Animal Fries for an additional $4 because I needed to try them!
I loved the bun right away, fully coated in sesame seeds. These recognizable buns are certainly part of the Fox Burger esthetic and they're soft like warm pillows. This cheeseburger was hefty!! It was only a single but the huge flatty patty was spilling out all over the place! The meat tasted really good, was well-seasoned, and of course had the desired caramelization from being smashed onto the grill. They weren't kidding around when they called this a cheeseburger - it was very cheesy! It seemed that gooey cheesiness was coming out of everywhere with the use of two kinds of cheese. Although, I didn't get as much of the smoky flavour as I was hoping for from the smoked cheddar. I suppose that there were pickles and lettuce in there - they were mostly buried but I did catch a green glimpse from time to time. There was also a lot of dijonnaise. I'm a sauce girl. I love a lot of sauce or dressing. But I felt that the dijonnaise was a bit too heavy-handed, even for me. The Animal Fries were fun (they also do an Animal Smash) and will sound familiar to you if you've ever been to In-N-Out Burger in the USA. (Definitely do go if you get the chance - it's one of my favourites.) Fox Burger's Animal Fries involve garlic fries topped with cheese sauce, animal sauce, mustard fried onions, and scallions. It's a big party for sure. The fries themselves are very good and nicely crispy. The rest of the toppings added a whole lot of flavour. It was probably all a bit too much with the whole gooey saucy cheeseburger and then the fries also being gooey and saucy. I would probably recommend ordering the Animal Fries as a sharable item for the whole table to pick at instead. One thing is certain: The high quality of the ingredients and the care put into each dish is very evident at Fox Burger. It's a lot more than just a burger joint and the effort is obvious. I briefly considered ordering dessert (they had an Apple Crisp that sounded pretty good) but quickly realized that there was no additional space available in my stomach. There are a lot of good burger options in Edmonton and Fox Burger is absolutely one of them. They've taken the smash burger trend and refined it - making it less fast food and more gourmet. There's something on the menu for everyone. Sometimes (all the time!) you just want a really great burger and you'll find one here.
Comments