Odd Burger Vancouver: Inside the city's new vegan fast-food spot

It was 12:05 pm when the Dished team rolled up to the highly anticipated Odd Burger location in Vancouver. The quick service restaurant had been open all of five minutes, and there was already a line out the door.

This location from the plant-based, self-proclaimed “fast-food” joint has been in the works for over a year. This city is no stranger to delicious vegan and veggie eats, and people were clearly champing at the bit to check it out (us included).

Odd Burger is not a one-off spot. This is the newest location from the chain, which now operates nearly 20 across Canada with more to come.

Ontario, where the brand was founded, holds the majority of those locations. Odd Burger also has outposts in Saskatchewan and Alberta, and as of today, there are two in BC.

The first Odd Burger in our province launched in Victoria over the summer.

Situated at 2821 Main Street, Vancouver’s Odd Burger team was in full swing, frying, grilling, and scooping when we arrived.

Customers are invited to mosey up to one of two digital kiosks and place their order. We feasted our eyes on the brand’s signature selection of comfort eats, including several burgers, chickUN-based handhelds, and plenty of sides, desserts, and shakes.

With a ~$50 budget in mind, we could enjoy three burgers, one shake, and one order of fries and stay on track.

The burgers here are reminiscent of some other big-name chain core menu items, like the Famous Burger, a play on a Big Mac. This sky-high creation arrives with two housemade smash patties made from wheat and soy protein, flax seeds, onions, nutritional yeast and a special seasoning blend.

Toppings include the house-made secret, “Famous Sauce,” onions, lettuce, dairy-free American-style cheddar cheese, pickles, and a toasted triple sesame bun.

We also tried the “Vopper,” a combo of smash patty, housemade Seitan BacUn (oats, chickpeas, wheat gluten and special, smoky marinade), pickles, cheese, and all the fixings.

Switching gears to the chickUn section of the menu, we opted for the Buffalo ChickUn sando, intended  for those who “like it hot.” It definitely packed a punch and featured a hand-formed crispy chickUn fillet tossed in housemade “buttery” hot buffalo sauce.

After tasting it, it’s easy to understand why this last one was a best-seller. It was probably our favourite of the three we devoured.

Salads, wraps, onion rings, and nuggets are all also up for order, but we skipped straight on through to the sweet stuff to check out the treats, namely, the Oddnado.

Made from cookie pieces blended with creamy vegan soft-serve, this is one of several shakes, soft-serve, and sundae options on the menu.

Cookies, Whoopie Pies, and even a Nanaimo bar are on the roster, too.

Overall, our crew, which included two long-time plant-based folks, by the way, agreed the food was great. The price point was also fair to us.

Burgers run you around $10-$12 while fries and treats land closer to $6-$8 after tax.

Both vegans said they’d return, and I, a certified eats-everything-diner, would certainly go back myself without hesitation.

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Odd Burger Vancouver is celebrating its grand opening on Saturday, November 23, from noon to 6 pm.

Folks who head to the restaurant on opening day can enjoy a $1 soft serve, and the first 30 customers will get a free Odd Burger tote bag. You can find it open until 6 pm for its soft opening today.

In addition to the Vancouver brick-and-mortar, Odd Burger’s first-ever food truck will open on November 23. The truck is currently taking reservations for events and private functions, and you can also find it at festivals around the city soon.

Odd Burger Vancouver

Address: 2821 Main Street, Vancouver

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