This $6 Burger Might Be the Best Deal in Vancouver

We’re living in a golden age of burgers. Downlow, Between 2 Buns, Hundy and Trans Am are just a handful of the patty practitioners that have legions of dedicated fans willing to line up for their faves (with seemingly every one of them honour-bound to immediately post a pic of their juicy prize). But far west from these madd(en)ing crowds there’s a burger being made in seeming monastic exile by one of the city’s most lauded and beloved chefs. Many will remember Quang Dang from when he ran the kitchen at West, where his relaxed, even goofy vibe brought the South Granville spot some much-needed stability in the post-Hawksworth era. After West closed in 2019, Dang continued for a spell in various TopTable spots, but as COVID wreaked havoc on the industry, we sort of lost track of him… until we heard whispers that he was “flipping burgers” at the Jericho Hostel near Locarno Beach.

To be honest it seemed like a plot dreamed up by a Hollywood screenwriter, but damned if it wasn’t true—and the full truth is even better. Dang has teamed up with Chef Don Guthro at D.I.C.E.D. Discovery Café, a social enterprise that gives back to the community by providing affordable chef training to those in need, along with money raised by their “breakfast, burger and beer” joint a few hundred feet from the beach. The burger—all classicism with lettuce (not the au courant “shredduce”), raw onion and tomato—is, at $5.95, not just the best burger deal in town, but actually in the running for the best food deal in town, especially when served with the side of philanthropy.

1. To be clear, although the price suggests otherwise, this is a full sized quarter-pound hamburger. Amazing.

2. The burger skews classic with Canadian cheddar (over the resurgent  American cheese) and local Fraser Valley beef.

3. In a city that’s seriously lacking in beachside spots, the Discovery Café’s location—just a block from Jericho Beach—is a godsend.