Shannon's Irish Pub: 4.3/5

Shannon's Burger: 4.3 

$11.99 (platter with fries)

If you think of Shannon’s more for great Celtic music than a dining destination, you may need to change your tune. They make a great burger! Shannon’s lies beneath the streets at 175 Carlton; out of sight, but not out of mind. When Winnipeg turns into Winterpeg you can get to the bar from the downtown indoor walkway. The Japanese Gardens - commemorating our sister city status with Setagaya, Japan - grow over Shannon’s.

Owner and Chef Gerard Fletcher is no stranger to the kitchen. Papered through the culinary apprenticeship program at George Brown in T.O., Chef Fletcher cooked his way from Field, BC to Halifax, NS before buying the Shannon’s Irish Pub in 2007. “When we took over Shannon's Pub, it wasn’t necessarily known for its food. I think now, after all the years, we have gathered a bit of a reputation that the food is another reason to stop in for a visit.”

The Shannon’s Burger is masterfully designed and executed. “The seasoning is a proprietary recipe that I have been tweaking since we took over the pub and this particular blend has been in use for the past four years. Inspiration is taken from of the fact that I love a good burger, which is why the recipe has been morphing for so many years.” The stack is assembled from perfect parts with the Brioche bun prepared by Gunn’s Bakery and the cheese a Bothwell Monterey Jack.

They pushed two large, carved wooden tables together in the centre of the bar for our group. Server Hailey confirmed our count so the kitchen could get the patties cooking while we were still arriving. It’s a *big* 8-1/2 oz. patty so takes some time on the grill. On game days (the MTS Centre is nearby) the ‘Burger and Beer’ special is $15. The Shannon’s Burger is $11.99 (with fries) and for a ‘nominal charge’ you can add cheese for $1 and bacon for $1.50. For another $2 you can have soup, and the soups are *amazing*. Three choices the day we went. “I highly recommend the mushroom & Guinness soup” said Tina.

Despite the size of the stack, the burger and bun handled well and held together to the end. Chef Fletcher used a revolutionary assembly technique with the melted cheese, groceries and bacon all on the bottom. The patty was cooked through, but juicy and a nice bite. The Brioche bun, brushed with a wash, made it shiny and attractive. The smoky bacon was cooked to leathery perfection.

Chris critiqued: “I really like these traditional pubs. Shannon’s has a comfortable homey feel. Staff were attentive and made sure I had everything I needed. The patty was nice with a little bit of charcoal on the outside while the bacon was smoky. The bun kept the burger all together; never got my hands messy. The fries were homemade and I liked the potato skins on the ends.”

Paper Poutine Separator

Karen wrote “The Brioche bun held up nicely while not adding too much bread. The burger, as a result, stood out. The patty was 3/4" thick and seasoned pleasingly. I enjoyed my side of flavourful French onion soup.” Stan echoed “The patty was happily the main component. It was a nice healthy size, perfectly cooked.”

Brett recently returned from a pub crawl in Dublin and scrawled “Better than any burger I had last month in Ireland!” High praise.

Les enjoyed his: “One of the biggest, juiciest tasty burgers ever. The juicy-squishy done-to-perfection burger dribbled out of the corners of my mouth when I took a bite through the well oiled, shiny bun, which held that big monster burger surprisingly well.”

Underground Windows

Chef Fletcher left us with a teaser for 2017: “Stay tuned for the Lamb and Bison burger on the new menu starting in the New Year.”