Restuarant Review: BoomBurger...didn't blow my mind.

Saturday morning, my mother and I went to the Charlottetown Farmers’ Market. We did this just about every Saturday when I was living at home, and now, whenever I visit. We have a pretty dedicated ritual. We go to the market, walk the circle of booths twice, then retreat to Starbucks for coffee, then drive home. This time, we were both a little hungrier than normal, and decided to stop somewhere that we’ve never been: BoomBurger.

BoomBurger opened last August (2011) on the North River Causeway, sandwiched in between Charlottetown and Cornwall. It’s down in what was formerly a strip mall parking lot, containing a Paderno Outlet, Rockport, Cows Ice Cream Creamery, and (soon) the Anne of Green Gables Chocolate Factory. Although a fast-food burger joint, there is no drive-through.

When we went, it was a blustery and cold day, and the place had just opened for the day. It was around noon, so it would be prime lunch time. The place was very large and relatively clean, with huge picture windows surrounding the whole front, facing the highway. The only real mar in appearance was the mountain of 50lb bags of potatoes that nearly blocked the entrance. I’m not sure if these were there for artistic finesse or they were a delivery. We were greeted by a polite teenager in all-black who quickly explained the menu to us. You pick one patty or two, and then all the toppings are free. You can buy a soda, or some fries, but as of this time, there are no ‘combos’ to speak of.

Mom and I settled for just a one patty burger each, called the Little Boom, and sat back and waited. The kitchen/grill area was right behind the counter, and was very open, so you could literally watch your food being made. It was a little disconcerting. In the ten-twelve minutes it took for my burger to be made, another worker was boxing up poutine for a takeout. This involved grabbing handfuls of fries and throwing them into a paper bag, and then throwing some cheese and gravy on top. The bag was unlined, and looked like a disgusting mess by the time it was picked up. After that little display, I decided to look away from the kitchen area.

All around the restaurant, in and out, there were posters that extolled the virtues of the ingredients. It’s pretty obvious that their shtick is locally sourced products. The cheese on the burgers comes from the Cows Creamery, and there were many pictures of smiling cattle and potato farmers nearby. I really liked how each ingredient was labeled with the farmer that produced it for you. As far as local ingredients go, the buns are not locally made, even though there is a high-volume bread factory nearby that produces for a lot of other restaurants. Also, it’s impossible for you to even pretend that there are PEI tomatoes and lettuce at this time of year. On a more positive note, there is, however, no doubt in my mind that their fries are fresh-cut PEI potatoes.

When I finally got my burger, after what I thought was a pretty long wait for a burger, I was a little disappointed. Not terribly so, but just a little. The burger itself was fine, the lettuce and tomatoes crisp, and the patty well cooked with a good texture. It wasn’t phenomenal, but it was okay. Actually, that sentence sums up the whole visit. It was alright, but it wasn’t great.

Now let’s talk money. On PEI, the restaurants, generally, with few exceptions, come in two flavors: seasonal or short-lived. Very few restaurants can command the following that allows them to be open year-round without completely hemorrhaging cash. BoomBurger, I feel, cannot command this following. While we were there, I saw no fewer than five workers on duty at one time. Together, our two burgers came to less than $10, and we were the only people present, even at peak lunch hour. During the summer, they will certainly earn their keep with the many tourists looking for a quick bite, but I believe that they will certainly need to shut down winter operations.

All in all, check it out, or don’t. You won’t be missing much.