By Matthew Ritchie, Assistant Arts Editor
Grade: C+
“You haven’t experienced Nova Scotia until you’ve had The Chickenburger.”
“It’s the best food in the Maritimes.”
“Delicious!”
These are the accolades I encountered upon my trip to the infamous Chickenburger. Created on March 10, 1940, by the Innes family, The Chickenburger has served up diner food to the HRM’s masses for decades. Known for being the first drive-thru in Canada, The Chickenburger garners some of the most attention when it comes to food in Nova Scotia. Next to donairs and garlic fingers, this is one of the most referenced food items when tourists and out of province students ask what to eat.
However, much like the film Avatar, this food item is overrated and contains more glitz than substance.
Upon pulling up into The Chickenburger’s parking lot on a Friday afternoon in Bedford I was greeted with bright neon lights and cars filled with teenagers. It felt exactly like the 1950s, but instead of Buddy Holly playing from Chryslers, T-Pain was playing from Civics.
Walking up the asphalt incline into the main entrance I encountered a soda shop seating area and a larger take-out area.
Walking over to the take-out section I was greeted by a young (perhaps 16-year-old) girl, surrounded by four other high school aged girls talking away. When I ordered the classic Chickenburger, I was asked whether I would like it in my hand or to go. Yes, at The Chickenburger, the main option to go is by having one of the staff place the food in your hand rather than wrap it up to go. For some this is where the kitsch factor lies. The food is apparently so good that taking it in your hand is a normal thing to do at the restaurant. I wish the reason was that by doing this you can consume the delicious food faster, but it seems more likely that this is an attempt to save money on supplies such as napkins and packaging.
I requested my burger in a bag and began to leave. Following me, an elderly gentleman ordered three Chickenburgers.
In a parked car outside the diner, I removed the Chickenburger from its packaging and began to fantasize about what lay inside. A juicy chicken breast slathered in mayonnaise and ketchup with crisp lettuce and a fresh tomato? Possibly grill marks would adorn this dirty bird, keeping all the tender flavour inside.
Instead I was faced with the Pandora’s Box of foods. In my hands were two plain hamburger buns that appeared to be from Ben’s Bakery. Inside was chunked chicken. The burger was wet. Juice dripped down my hand. I wondered: “Is this gravy?” Nay. It was too light to be traditional gravy.
I looked inside the store and noticed one worker dipping a ladel into a deep steaming pot, pulling up chunks of chicken and placing it on a customer’s bun. I walked inside and requested something to go on the sandwich. I was informed that the Chickenburger is known for being just chicken with no fixings. I was directed toward a squirt bottle of ketchup.
The Chickenburger is a truly unusual meal. What you get is bland chicken chunks that could have come from a can. And bread. It is the closest I have come to eating a meal that makes me imagine what it must have been like to eat dinner during The Great Depression.
The other big problem with the Chickenburger is that it’s not a burger at all. It is simply chicken slops. When I invite someone over for sloppy joes, I don’t say, “Why don’t you come to my place and we’ll have some burgers.” Instead I say, “How ‘bout some sloppy joes? I made them extra sloppy for you.” I would also tell them that I was drunk, as that would be the only way someone would understand the origin of this item.
The Chickenburger costs $3.50. It may be the Sham Wow of all foods.
That said, what the Chickenburger does best happens to be fish and chips. Their website says that it is made with fresh haddock, and the deep fried food may be the most pleasing item on the menu. The fries are crispy and light and make up slightly for the confusing meal I had previously consumed.
The Chickenburger is a restaurant that carries a long tradition in Nova Scotia. Eating at this location is certainly a rite of passage for many new Haligonians. But in a province with so many one-of-a-kind foods, chunks of chicken on bread seems to be a bit of a cop out. A much more logical focus would be on items such as Pictou County Pizza – perhaps the best-seasoned pizza outside of Italy. Let us not forget Darell’s Peanut Butter Burger – the best burger combination since deep fried onion rings began to top patties of meat.
The Chickenburger certainly offers a unique dining experience that caters to those who wonder what it would be like to live in the ‘50s. The service is excellent for such young workers, and the décor is fun. But next time you’re craving chicken, maybe Burger King would be a better option.
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