Vancouver’s Best Burgers

Tomahawk Barbecue

Why bother with a faux-retro burger shack when you can chomp on the greasy goodness at an original? At the Tomahawk, a North Shore institution since 1926, the certified-organic beef patties are hand-shaped and sizzled on a flattop grill—as they’ve always been. May we suggest the Chief Simon Baker Burger, $11.60, loaded with butter-sautéed mushrooms, aged cheddar, and crispy Yukon-style bacon, double wood-smoked by the same private supplier that the family owners have been using for the last 50 years? 1550 Philip Ave., North Vancouver, 604-988-2612. Tomahawkrestaurant.com

Hamilton Street Grill

Some may scoff at provincial health regulations that scare restaurateurs into constantly overcooking their hamburgers, but we can think of more pleasant ways to die than from E. coli poisoning. You can still get a pink burger by going to a reputable restaurant that grinds its own chuck meat and steak trimmings in-house. Mind you, there aren’t many. The char-grilled Hamilton Street Burger, $16, made with certified Angus beef, is our favourite. 1009 Hamilton St., 604-331-1511. Hamiltonstreetgrill.com

Stackhouse Burger Bar

Sometimes you feel like a steak, sometimes you feel like an insanely expensive Kobe Beef Burger. This juicy beast, $21, is significantly more luscious than any other burger in town. The 6.5-ounce patty is a blend of 50 percent wagyu and 50 percent Angus beef, both from Washington state. It’s served in a buttery brioche bun and topped with sharp Guinness cheddar, caramelized onions, Bibb lettuce, and truffle aioli. The latter, made with fresh black truffles and white truffle oil, is the full-fat icing on this marvellous meaty cake. 1224 Granville St., 604-558-3499. Stackhouseburgerbar.com

White Spot Triple-O’s

In the olden days, the White Spot Restaurant chain had drive-in carhops. Now they have fast-food Triple-O’s outlets in Mac’s convenience stores. The famous secret sauce is still a mystery (mayo with red relish is our best guess), but those late-night, crave-worthy original cheeseburgers on a toasted bun with a sliced pickle laid over top never disappoint. Various locations. Tripleos.com

Guu Garden

The marvelously messy Kobe rice burger stuffs a ground-wagyu golf ball between two lightly browned patties of pressed sticky rice. Topped with shredded cabbage, shiso leaf, pink ketchup-mixed mayo, chopped egg, and lots of dark, goopy tonkatsu sauce, it almost tastes like an upgraded Big Mac. Only $10, this awesome lunch special is served with battered green bean “fries,” miso soup, shrimp-avocado salad, and fish balls. 888 Nelson St., 604-899-0855. Guu-izakaya.com