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Burgoo is an international stew house offering value oriented, flavour - filled bowls of comfort food.
There seems to be a lot of hype with Burgoo and I knew eventually I had to give in. Being too late for brunch my minions and I made our way here.
We must’ve caught the break in between a late lunch and dinner time because it was relatively quiet. While a small space, they really do an efficient job at maximizing usable area without being cramped. Of course with a soup and sandwich outfit the touches of a wood cabin resonate throughout. Given the small dimensions I thought it felt really cozy and it would be rather comfortable on a cold day.
I went with their grilled cheese which supposedly included a combination of mozzarella, gruyere, emmenthal and white cheddar. While all are mild enough to be indistinguishable I could discern between some of them but boy was the amount scarce. It was as thin as it could be while still being able to barely hold the two pieces of sliced filone together. Overall it was bland and lacked the bit of saltiness on the outside that a grilled cheese needs. I loved the little bits of crab in every spoonful of the crab bisque but overall flavour lacked depth and tasted of a rushed finished product. Perhaps a personal preference but I also felt the bisque was thin given the typical thick consistency of a bisque. I asked my girlfriend who has visited them before and she agreed the soup was not as good this time around. While my girlfriend’s grill cheese was much the same as mine, her chicken corn was a pleasant combination with lots of corn niblets and chicken chunks but alas the thin soup was a bit of a turnoff given the “comfort food” angle. Our friend’s diablo sandwich was well received but he thought it was too runny to eat while his Manhattan clam chowder was par on his palette. Oddly enough, the highlights were the desserts which included the simple chocolate banana bread pudding and the fantastic hot chocolate chili pot which was a mousse/pudding cross. It was a little bit bitter, a little bit rich and with a lovely spicy undertone.
The service hits and misses. Our server was friendly and prompt, almost deliberately being a little bit slow as to ease you into your dining experience. Everything slows down completely when you’re waiting for your actual order. Kitchen speed is at a snail’s pace and unless they are making small batches of soup to order I can’t comprehend the time delay to make grilled cheese. Don’t come here if you’re in a pinch.
It’s a good soup on the whole, but I wouldn’t gush over it. My grilled cheese though, disappointing.
After our party of 5 was told that we would have a 30 minute wait for a table we waited for over an hour because "another reservation brought more people than they reserved for" After getting a table outside around 8 pm when the evening was cooling off we were told that the outdoor heaters were not working but that they would bring blankets for 2 of out party that were very cold......No blankets were forthcoming despite several requests. When our food arrived, we had to chase after our server to get cutlery as there was none on the table. We have eaten at Burgoo here and in North Vancouver many times but can see that they have become victims of there own success, we will not be back. According to staff, the heaters have not worked for quite awhile and the offer of blankets both by the hostess and server were not forthcoming, it looked like they only had a few. After paying the $175.00 bill we left feeling really bad about the place. The employees were very embarrassed about the state of things.
Food: had the biscuits, winter greens, irish stew and mac and cheese. Biscuits were great (def full fat), winter greens were refreshing but that was about it. The irish stew was bland and disappointing as it did not have the flavor our waitress was talking about as I was trying to decide between it and the pot roast. Mac and cheese seemed like any other mac and cheese out there - nothing special. We also ordered one of their specialty coffees and it was also just ok.
Service: had to wait about 25 min on a Friday night but that was expected when we unexpectedly walked in after driving by. Getting a name down on a list proved difficult and hostesses were borderline rude. I would have expected a warmer experience from a place that is supposed to be serving comfort.
Value: although it didn't come out to a very expensive meal, I did not think some of the food served warranted the price paid - bland stew with potatoes and peas shouldn't be $18 but on the other hand, those buttery biscuits and great salad were worth every penny so it balanced in the end.
Ambiance: dark and warm - great for intimate gatherings or a just fun night out with friends.
Overall, I don't think I'll be coming back anytime soon as there are so many other restaurants in the lower mainland left to explore. There has to be a place with great comfort food at a great price somewhere out there! If I did come back here, I would be more careful in what I ordered and recommend others to do the same. At your own risk, bon appetite!
I finally got to try the (relatively) new location of Burgoo on Main Street. The restaurant itself was extensively renovated; I remember going here when it was a Subway. It has a homey feel to it inside and has a great patio with ample seating. I noticed they just added an awning which is probably a good idea in Vancouver.
I ordered the gooey cheese grillers which were very tasty. This was accompanied by the lobster bisque which was pretty good as well although something was not quite to my tastes with that although I can't quite put my finger on it. This is a minor quibble and my personal tastes only.
The prices are a tad on the high side but when you see the restaurant and the money poured into the renovations, they obviously needed to recoup some of their costs. My one gripe is that for lunch, it took way too long to get the food out. If I actually had somewhere to be, I would have been clock watching a lot more than I was. Not sure exactly how long it took for the food but it was well over 30 minutes. We were on the downside of the lunch rush so not sure what the problem was in the kitchen. When we left, the place was practically empty.
I will return especially in the winter when I want some comfort food.
Just hit upon this place by chance, not well advertised outside but a great location for trendy locals. The menu is varied with something for everyone. The special of the day was a strong white cheddar fondue with stout which was excellent and a very adequate lunch, $13 was a bit on the high side but the presentation was just about worth it. The BLT and soup was also good and the service was pleasant. Must be good at night with more of a bar type atmosphere. It seems they have built up a steady local clientale which is good for both the restaurant and the neighbourhood.
Finally, the Burgoo on Main is open! This was a great location for my first Burgoo experience. It just opened recently, and although the "grand-opening" kinks are noticeably apparent, my experience was still a good one.
My girlfriends and I sat inside. Regrettably, the patio was still a little too chilly to enjoy jacketless. The ambiance is, with no surprise, very cozy chalet-like. Eventhough very new, it had a very worn look to it.
We each enjoyed our picks from the menu. I had the Corn and Chicken Soup with Summer Greens - both very delicious. I though the prices were fair - neither good nor bad.
Service was friendly - but the wait time for our food was pretty long especially considering what we ordered. Soup (me only), salads, and tapenade.
At the end of the meal, the bill came in dimsum bamboo steamers. A creative way to present the bill, but IMHO, did not fit the ambiance of the place (barn-like atmosphere with checkered napkins).
Overall, great place and may be the start of a large patio trend on Main! Definitely will revisit for fondue!
This place is small! We had to wait 1.5hrs for dinner last time. This was our friend's choice or else I wouldn't pick this place. Many yrs ago, I tried this place on the west side (I think w.4th) and it was a horrifying experience.
But this time, I must admit, they have improved a lot. We had the hummus with dried crostini which was refillable. We also tried the french onion soup. The soup was delicious but it had too much bread in it and it filled me up very quickly.
I noticed on their menu that they have cheese fondue which looked pretty yummy. And they have a big selection on soups which I might wanna try in the future.
Went there with my hubby and baby for DOV 2010. The food was tasty and it was a good value for $18 for a 3 course. My hubby had the caesar salad, beef bourginon, and vanilla icecream with bananas. I had the tomato soup, chicken dijonnaise, and banana bread pudding. They were all so good. My bread pudding was a little too sweet but thank god for the vanilla ice cream to balance it out. Very yummy!
The regular menu does seem a little on the pricey side for the kind of food you get. Service was a little slow... perhaps not enough servers on the floor since there were 3 for a full restaurant.
Burgoo deserves its excellent reviews - great food (more on this in a minute) and great ambiance. Prices are a bit steep, but not totally unreasonable - their soup & sandwich combo is the best deal in my opinion at $14. I was shocked to read the bad food reviews on here until I realized that they hadn't ordered SOUP! This is the one main reason why I go to Burgoo!! Their sandwiches are delicious too. I think it is the perfect restaurant for comfort food on one of Vancouver's dreary rainy days. But I haven't ordered any of the other foods (e.g. mac & cheese) that other people have rated poorly. So if you go, stick with what they do best, which is soup! You won't be disappointed.
I haven't been to the other locations, but I loved the ambience and cozy atmosphere or this location. You just feel like you are sitting in a log cabin- perfect for a dreary Vancouver day. The gooey grilled cheese sandwich was to die for...it was just pure cheesy goodness. I also tried the French onion soup- loved the cheesy part- I think I forgot that maybe I don't like French onion soup, because the broth was quite salty and not quite to my liking. Burgoo was maybe a tad expensive, but the portions were large, so not bad value.
Went there with hubby and 2 other friends last week, weekday late night. I picked this restaurant because I was craving for cheese fondue. Which I hated by the way. But I still rated there food as solid because I was told that's how fondue should taste like, so it was probably just my incorrect expectation on that.
We were seated right away. And I really like what the did to this place: it is mostly decorated with wood. Wood table, wood bench. even the ceiling is wood. It gives a really warm cottage feel.
We all order soup, which is very good: big portion and good quality. The guys ordered some stews, and I was surprised that they serve it in a big bowl. Funny how the waitress did not write anything down when we ordered and end up messing up our orders! But she was very polite and friendly, so no points deducted there :)
I would call the prices cheap because of the kind of food you get, I mean, it's comfort food right? But overall, it's a pleasant experience and we might go back there if we want big soup again. But no more fondue...
We went on Mother's Day and had the seasonal fondue and hummus. Very tasty and filling for two and cheap at less that $20 for both. We had three different desserts; the seasonal crumble was a bit dry, the clafouti was very good and the chocolate chili pot was orgasmic. Sandwiches and salads going by looked beautiful. Will definitely be back.
Had dinner here recently with a couple friend and four kids between 4-7 yrs old. The ambiance was warm, cozy and inviting. We had reservations so we were seated immediately at a corner booth.
We ordered the mac 'n cheese, fondue, grilled cheese, ratatouille, chicken & corn soup, and maple bundt cake for dessert. The first three dishes were very rich and cheesy as you'd expect. The kids devoured it and the adults ate it up. The ratatouille was also good although I'm not a fan of this dish in the first place. The chicken & corn soup was very creamy and filled with so much stuff that next time I might order it as a meal in itself. It was on the spicy side with a hint of curry and lots of pepper, but was yummy nonetheless. One odd thing about the soups there is you can only order them as a large bowl and not as a smaller cup, which tends to be too much food when it's a side dish. The bundt cake was warm and moist, if not a little bit tiny.
It's challenging to find a place where both adults and kids love the food and the ambiance and this is such a place. For that reason we can't wait to go back again and again.
The first time I ate here, we enjoyed it...I had fondue and the tomato soup with a sandwich. The food was quite solid, especially the tomato soup. The second time, I had a Caesar salad, and the French Onion soup. The menu clearly stated that the Caesar contained Parmigiana Reggianno cheese, which is the good stuff. This is the only kind of Parmesan cheese I eat. The salad I got did NOT have Parmigiano-Reggiano. It was far more mild, more similar to the cheapest Parmesan cheese. Reggiano is a bit crumbly when grated. This cheese was more rubbery. Yes, it was grated in shreds from a solid block, but it was a cheaper kind of cheese.
The French Onion soup wasn't bad, but I thought the cheese was a bit tough. It seemed to clump into a giant rubbery ball, instead of dispersing amongst the bread and beef broth. I'm not sure, but I think that this too was a cheaper kind of cheese than what would be ideal, probably not real Gruyere, but instead a industrialized copy.
After watching enough of the cooking shows on Food TV, especially the British show on the "Little Chef" chain, I think I can imagine what is happening at this restaurant. The original creator of the restaurant establishes excellent recipes using high quality ingredients. People visit the restaurant and love the food. But then a particular manager decides he needs to cut some corners to increase the profit margins. The original recipe calls for high quality Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Why not substitute industrial Parmesan cheese that costs 70% less. Maybe he can't tell the difference. He suspects the patrons won't notice. What he forgets is that you can't make good food with bad ingredients.
Cheeping out on cheese in a restaurant whose best comfort food dishes are based around cheese doesn't seem like a good idea.
I had the lamb stew with mash potatoes and it wasn't very good. The mash potatoes had no taste and the lamb stew seemed like canned chilli with lamb. I was expecting ALOT more from here The server wasn't bad but he didnt seem to be at all passionate about his job. He offered no advice about the food choices. However, i did like the atmosphere, it is a great place to chat with your friends.
Visited Burgoo with a couple of girl friends on a Thursday evening. The restaurant has a comfort feel and the drinks we ordered were good. Karen didn’t care much for their Beef Bourguignon but I thought the lamb main was tasty and I enjoyed it. As for the service, it was polite but on the slow side but the place had the nice hub of people eating, drinking, and enjoying themselves and we had a lot to catch up on. Perhaps a little on the pricey side but I’m sure to visit again if in the neighbourhood and in no particular rush.
Bravo Burgoo: 4 awards for the best resto in different categories!! for 2008.Since 2002, Burgoo has been our (friends, family) resto of choice for all occasions. We have been looking forward for Spring to go and enjoy their food and their patios.
One Sunday,we managed to go to the North Shore B..It was a bit chilly outside but their super brunch warmed us up quickly; I had the chicken Florentine scramble with a side of spinach salad, did not leave 1 leaf of my favorite salad, never had such a delectable breakfast before!!. One lucky sunny Friday we went to Burgoo on Main and to our surprise they were providing confy blankets so that we could sit outside."du jamais vu"!.What a classy place and addition to the trendy Main.We felt like being in an european Bistro specially when we heard joyeux chimes from the church( Edward style??) on the opposite corner.
One of my concern is that I never know what to choose since I have tried and truly enjoyed most of the exotic stews, soups etc... and I am always so pleasantly full to order any dessert! I am addicted on you Burgoo-licieux.Denise
Went here with my husband for a nice dinner after enjoying the Lonsdale location a few weeks ago.
The food was very good. We started with the split pea soup and seafood chowder. Both were delicious, but I must say the chicken corn chowder is still by far the best. We will definately return to try the others! We then had the mac and cheese (good, but could have used some more flavour, maybe they should try some sharp cheddar in it?) and a chicken club with spinach salad - yum!! We finished with the special chocolate fondue - divine.
The service was ok. The guy seemed pretty busy, but it seemed to me as if he were a bit new? As a former waitress, I recognised that he didn't have his timing figured out. But that's ok, I have been there too. One thing that was a bit annoying was when we asked what was in the salad - while I LOVE goat cheese, hubby HATES it. He didn't tell us the cheese was in it, ergo hubby didn't eat much of his salad. Staff should always inform customers of all ingredients, especially something like goat cheese which can turn many people off!
Overall, a good night. Bill came to $75 for two people - two alcoholic drinks each, two starters, two mains, and the fondue. Not bad!! Try this place out, you will like it!!
Where do I start…I guess with my dinner. The Mac n’ cheese was appalling. What a sad-dry-flavorless excuse for a Macaroni and Cheese. I could go on, but it’s not worth it.
My partner had "Butter Chicken" but really it was vegetable and chicken curry with brown rice...and it wasn't even remotely close to butter chicken. Why call it that if it isn’t. If they called it “Healthy Chicken and Vegetable Curry with Brown Rice” then you would expect that.
We had guacamole and it was this weird black-brown color and when I mentioned it to the waitress she said..."oh ya, I know...it's because WE HAVE TO USE frozen avocados".
Who in the heck HAS TO USE frozen avocados...please give me a break…of course we still had to pay for it, even though I said “I would actually never order it again”.
The bread on the sandwiches looked like you might loose a tooth because the bread was so hard.
I think that some one should open a restaurant next to them and call it "BUR-actually-GOOD! It is busy just because people here don't even know what good food is. I wanted to invite everyone in the restaurant to my house for dinner. Not because I think I am awesome but just because I wanted to let them know that maybe Burgoo is the THE best.
I am sorry, I am not really a negative person and I really did want it to be good…but it really really wasn’t.
I deicded to try Burgoo....I thought it must be good if the wait is always a good half hour or more! Needless to say we went there on a weeknight and waited just under 1 hour. People kept pouring in.
My friends and I ordered a variety of stews....the description on the menu sounded good. However, they were all a little bland...just a stew but nothing special. I said to my friend, "But mom makes better stew". She agreed! The stews her mom made were tastier. I think if you went to and Indian restaurant or Hungarian restaurant etc. you'll get the more authentic stew.
Of the 4 different stews we all ordered, none of them were stellar. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to friends as a "You gotta try it". but perhaps I'd give it another try and order mac & cheese??? And I'll try to go at 5pm to avoid the wait.
| 1. | Kitsilano (4.3 km) |  |
| 2. | Lonsdale (6 km) | |
| 3. | Point Grey (7.8 km) | |
| 1. | Ryu Sushi (11 m) | |
| 2. | Whole Vegetarian Restaurant (35 m) |  |
| 3. | Joe's Grill (48 m) | |
| 4. | Mitra Canteen (56 m) | |
| 5. | Five Point, The (58 m) |  |
| 6. | Papa's Gourmet Pizza (60 m) | |
| 7. | Kwong Chow Congee & Noodle House (73 m) |  |
| 8. | Caffe Rustico (75 m) | |
| 9. | JJ Bean House of Coffee (80 m) | |
| 10. | Starbucks (115 m) |
