For a burger aficionado like myself, there’s nothing quite like pulling up to a juicy burger joint, rolling up my sleeves, and taking that first bite. When it comes to beef, Albertans famously don’t mess around, so you can imagine how we feel about our burgers, even if we like to shake up our protein now and again.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that Calgary is no stranger to lore-worthy burger spots and retro haunts that boast vibes as good as their handhelds—the kind you’d write home about, or in my case, fly home for.
After all, it’s the nostalgic hometown burger joints that really live rent-free in your head. Lucky for you, I’m not one to keep a secret this good.
Here are two to try on your next trip:
Boogie’s Burgers
Open since 1969, this Calgary cult-classic describes itself as “a nostalgic tornado of 60’s diner culture, 70’s aesthetic, 80’s arcade games, 90’s music, and 2000’s junk food devotion.”
“The BoogMak” is their take on the comfort classic, but for the more adventurous among us, order “The Pizza Burger” or the deep-fried “Mac & Cheese Burger.” If you’re not feeling beef, try their “Skipper’s Secret” salmon burger, “June’s Jerk Chicken,” or the “Full of Beans Veggie Burger” made with a black bean and mushroom patty. All of these burgers are enormous so do yourself a favour and arrive hungry…or bring someone along to share. And if you’re looking for a salty side, throw in an order of beefeater-style onion rings or tater tots one of two ways: “just how Napoleon Dynamite liked ‘em” (iykyk) or make them a poutine.
Boogie’s is also known for its 36 milkshake flavours with a new one gracing the menu monthly. You’ve got your staple flavours for the diehard vanilla fans we know and love, but scan down the menu and you’ll find the “Angry Aztec” (chocolate, cinnamon, cayenne), “Key Lime Pie,” “Young Elvis” (peanut butter, banana), and other options to channel your wilder side.
Run don’t walk to 2129 33 Ave SW (Marda Loop) or 908 Edmonton Trail (Renfrew) to knock this off your Calgary bucket list.
Class Clown Hamburgers
If you find yourself late at night scouring Reddit for Calgary burger recommendations, you’re sure to find a flood of votes for Class Clown Hamburgers, an intimate hideout that’s dripping in 70’s style in all its wood-panelled glory.
For their beef patties, the chefs use only ground, pasture-raised, Alberta chuck and brisket which is in a class of its own, really. “Fresh, high quality, and local food” is the name of the game here. The menu features a couple playful nods to the golden arches in their “Donald McRonald” and the “Phil A. O’Fish,” with a short list of their own winning entries to the burger universe (beef, fish, chicken, and beyond).
If you love fusion and are in the fried chicken sandwich fan club like me, order the “Szechuwannabe Hot Chicken” with slaw and a dollop of chili crisp mayo. If you’re feeling nautical, try their “Nashville Hot Cod” and if this isn’t your first rodeo, give the Coney Island Cowboy a try, a butterflied Nathan’s hotdog with their sloppy-joe-style Coney Sauce. For our vegetarian and vegan friends, try “Veggie [Name Pending]” made with a crispy lentil and split pea patty. If all that wasn’t enough to convince you, every handheld is on a “squishy buttered bun.” The perfect bookend.
But beware, these burgers are an art form: the menu warns that “substitutions will be politely declined.” The chefs here don’t mess around. Just like with their plates of saucy fries, which you can try with smashed Hawkins cheezies, cheese sauce, and coney sauce or as straight up, honest-to-goodness fries (we don’t judge).
Throw your name on the waitlist and head over ASAP to 106-1711 4th Street SW.
