The Pink Bicycle 4.30/5

 

Pink Bicycle Homepage

On Saturday night, Mr. Pink, Mr. Blue, and Miss Violet decided to head off and try the well-heard gourmet burger joint, The Pink Bicycle. This restaurant is renown for using fresh local produce in all of their burgers and boasts that you really can cook spectacular burgers if you use your local resources. Not only were we hungry, but we are 100% behind the motive of boosting the local economy. The restaurant is a decent sized establishment on the south end of Blanshard St. in downtown Victoria. There is a pink bicycle parked outside, in tribute to the name of the restaurant. Here are the reviews:

Mr. Blue: the restaurant itself is fair sized and strikes you as a cozy place to sit down and have a full out delicious burger. Coming to a place this you do not even think of it as a burger joint, the atmosphere is more of a french cuisine or a small-town jazz bar. My only complaint of the restaurant space is the waiting area and the entrance door that opens inwards instead of outwards. It makes for a really cramped entrance which also collides with the area that the waitresses have to take to get to the upstairs kitchen. Anyhow, on to the food... I ordered the Metchosin Mutton for a decent price of $12. I ordered with it a side of Blue Buck beer-battered sweet red onion rings. The menu itself says if you like lamb (which I do!) then you'll love mutton. Well, after taking about 5 large bites and finally making a dent in the burger I can definitely say that I do indeed, love mutton. It was awesome, messy, but awesome. The burger patty itself tasted like it was broiled or pan-fried with a hint of olive oil and topped with the light cheese, mint, and lime sauces it was spectacular. Top everything with fresh lettuce, a pickle, a green olive, and a giant toasted sesame bun and it is as I had hoped, a wonderful combination. The onion rings were super crispy, large, and were tough to finish as the burger was a big portion to begin with. My only complaint with the food is that it was fairly greasy and the sauces being heavy on the lettuce led to a waterfall of juices with each bite. Overall, a good meal and does not hurt the bank too much at $15 meal, tax, and tip included.

Mr. Pink: I also had the Metchosin Mutton, but opted for the fries tossed in truffle oil, which was an addition $1. I agree with most of what Mr. Blue has already stated - the burger was a saucy, messy handful of deliciousness. The toasted sesame seed bun was just the right size and did not turn into a soggy mess while eating the burger. The fries were well seasoned and crispy, and the hint of truffle oil added an earthy end note. The meal sat nicely and didn't leave me with that sickening greasy feeling that fast food or some pub burgers often do. As far as the atmosphere went, dodging people and squishing by the wall to avoid getting bumped was a bit annoying.

 

Ratings:

Mr. Blue's opinion...
Taste: 1.95/2.00
Value: 0.85/1.00
Atmosphere/cleanliness: 0.80/1.00
Service: 0.80/1.00

Overall: 4.40/5.00

Mr. Pink's opinion...

Taste: 1.85/2.00

Value: 0.80/1.00

Atmosphere/cleanliness: 0.75/1.00

Service: 0.85/1.00

Overall: 4.25/5.00