Alittle more than week ago, we wrote that April in Halifax is marked by three things: Cruise ships, potholes and Haligonians emerging from hibernation. But there’s a fourth thing that really signals spring has sprung in our wind-blasted city. And that, of course, is Burger Bash.
For 12 years running, The Coast has teamed up with—and challenged—bars and restaurants all across Halifax to come up with their most inventive, most delicious, most drool-worthy burgers in support of Feed Nova Scotia.
Few know the challenge better than longtime Halifax chef Matt Brewer. In 2012, when Burger Bash began, Brewer was working in a kitchen, grinding hundreds of pounds of ground beef and churning out over 1,000 burgers a day. The memories carry the ring of battle stories.
“There’s no doubt that it’s a difficult 10 days for restaurants in Halifax, but it’s also so damn rewarding,” Brewer—the chef behind the since-closed Bite Me Urban Diner—said in 2023. “Even when things get hairy, it’s good to remember a busy restaurant is a good view.”
And so is the cause.
Burgers for a cause
If you’ve chowed down on a Burger Bash bun, you’ve helped raise more than $883,000 to combat food insecurity in our province. It has become the largest fundraiser for Feed Nova Scotia outside of the nonprofit’s own initiatives—a cause that has only become more crucial as Nova Scotians wrestle with inflated grocery prices. (Nearly a quarter of Nova Scotian households identified as food insecure in 2022—a higher share than any province outside Atlantic Canada.)
For 10 days in April, every $2 raised allows Feed Nova Scotia to distribute three meals’ worth of donated food. Just as vitally, it also supports their efforts to advocate for long-term, policy-based solutions to food insecurity.
So: How do you get involved? This year, 133 restaurants across Halifax have joined the Burger Bash lineup, with burger options starting at $8 at some venues. (Check out the whole roundup here.)
With a Burger Bash passport, you can win prizes, too: Get at least three stamps during the 10-day burger fest and drop them off at a Burger Bash ballot box (available at any participating restaurant), and you can win a 12x24-can flat of Garrison’s Tall Ship beer.
Here’s everything you need to know:
What’s Burger Bash?
A city-wide burger-eating phenomenon that has been running since 2012, where restaurants whip up their most creative burgers—think Korean chicken with kimchi slaw, or deep-fried mac and cheese with pulled pork, or Angus burgers with candied jalapenos and black peppercorn bacon—and serve them for a limited time only, while raising money for Feed Nova Scotia.
When is it?
Apr. 11-20, 2024
Where can I go?
Pretty well all over Halifax—more than 130 restaurants are participating in 2024. From the Harbourstone Pourhouse to Peacock to Pete’s Frootique, there’s a burger out there.
What does it cost?
Burgers run as low as $8 at some restaurants to around $22 on the higher end.
Are there gluten-free/dairy-free/vegetarian/vegan/halal options?
All of the above. You can filter on the Burger Bash website to match your dietary desires.
What burger should I try?
How many burgers can you eat in 10 days? Here’s the full list below.
