Last Updated on November 12, 2024 by Kari
Odd Burger just opened up in Edmonton! I can’t believe we finally have a fast-food vegan place in Edmonton. When we first went vegan years ago, I was desperate for a vegan place where I could get breakfast sandwiches and milkshakes in Edmonton. It took over 10 years for it to happen! But Odd Burger is here and I couldn’t be happier. Plus, it’s on the West End so it’s closer to home for us than any other vegan place in Edmonton!
Our First Experience At Odd Burger
See November update below
We tried going on opening day of May 11th, but the line up was way too long. They had at least 40 people in it, and we didn’t want to be standing there for hours. We were glad there was so much interest though!
We went on the second day of opening almost at close and it was still very busy. It took about 45 minutes for our order to come out, but there were about 20 people ahead of us!
There were so many people in Odd Burger that I thought we would have to wait to order. When we first walked in, I noticed everyone had little tickets in their hand and I realized they were all waiting for their order so we made our way to the front, ensuring everyone was waiting on the way, and then realized that all ordering is done through a kiosk, not through the staff. That was awesome!
The ordering kiosk is user-friendly, and you can easily customize your order. I think this is how all ordering should be in restaurants.
The staff at Odd Burger did great. There were about 8 or more of them behind the counter, and they were friendly, considerate, and made the food to order, which we appreciated.
There was one woman (there’s always one) who complained about how slow the service was and got herself a refund and I think a free milkshake. I’m not totally sure how they ultimately accommodated her, but she was so miserable and upset. She had no awareness about how hard they were working to complete all the orders they had on their SECOND DAY of work!
What We Ordered
We had a Venedict, Ham Breakfast Sandwich, Fresca Tater Tots, Onion Rings, and Strawberry Milkshake, and it was all really good.
Before we went, I couldn’t find any specific reviews about the ‘egg’ at Odd Burger, so I didn’t know what to expect. It looked like a piece of tofu sliced up, so that’s pretty much what I was expecting.
It surpassed my expectations. I swear the Venedict tasted like a McDonalds Egg McMuffin to me. I omitted the ham because I never ate ham before going vegan and I just didn’t want it. The Venedict didn’t even have cheese, just tofu egg, hollandaise sauce, and margarine, and it was so reminiscent of an Egg McMuffin that I was shocked.
Up until now, we’ve been having Just Egg breakfast sandwiches at home, which are really good, but not the same as McDonald’s Egg McMuffin, which was something we both loved years ago.
The tofu slice is a softer tofu, and it’s seasoned with black salt (you can omit that if you want when ordering) and it’s perfect.
You can taste the tofu a bit once the sandwich cools or if you just taste a bite of the ‘egg’, but together with the English muffin and sauce, it was just like a McDonalds breakfast sandwich to me.
I only remembered to take a picture of the Venedict once it was half eaten. This is why I can’t be an influencer. I eat first and take pictures later when things are looking like a mess!
My husband got his on a gluten free ‘bun’. It was more like small pieces of bread. But he really liked it. The cheese on his was a sharp cheese and I couldn’t place it from all the different vegan cheeses I’ve tried, so I’m not sure what brand they are using, or if they have their own brand. The ham just tasted like typical ham with salt and spices. All in all, he liked it.
The Fresca Tater Tots were loaded with a really creamy cheese sauce and sour cream (no hint of coconut taste – thank god) and tomatoes and green onions. Reminded me of Taco Time.
The onions rings were good.
The Milkshake was good too. Doesn’t taste like a dairy milkshake. It’s made of oat and soy, and I would say you can tell that. I could taste the oat mostly. But it’s good! We finished that very quickly. There’s only one size to order, and personally I would like it to be a bit bigger, but I’m still happy with it.
The sundae wasn’t so great. It’s good. But the ‘ice cream’ doesn’t have any flavor. I would rather get something from the store than this.
The total cost at Odd Burger was about $40, including a tip. That’s half the price of what we normally pay at Die Pie for a few pizzas, appetizer, dessert, and tip.
I’m so happy that Odd Burger has finally made its way to Edmonton. And it looks like they are opening another one on the south side, close to my husband’s work, which is going to be great for a breakfast or lunch run!
Update November 2024: Odd Burger’s Service And Cleanliness Isn’t Good Anymore
Odd Burger has gone downhill since it opened. We went in the other day and WOW did we have a poor experience.
First off, the bathroom looked like a rest area bathroom that never gets cleaned. I don’t think the toilet or around the toilet has been cleaned since opening. I’m not exaggerating. One thing that I know, as someone who has cleaned in hospitals before, is that the bathroom of a home or business can tell you a lot about the cleanliness of the place… and Odd Burger’s bathroom made me wonder if we should eat there.
We did eat there because I was craving a burger, and I never crave burgers.
I found that they had more customization than the last time we went, but, unfortunately, they got the customization wrong. It was so simple. I paid extra for onions on my burger and didn’t get any. So, I got up to ask for some onions. When I asked the woman behind the counter for onions, she informed me that she did put onions on my burger. I thought maybe I got it wrong, so I went back, opened up my burger again, and onions had not magically appeared. I went back to the counter and SHE IGNORED ME. I’m not a demanding person at all, but being ignored as a paying customer is not OK to me. She was trying to send me a message.
When she couldn’t ignore me anymore, I told her that I didn’t have onions and would like some, so she angrily threw some onions in a container and gave them to me.
That ruined the whole meal for me. There was no need for her to be so angry and rude. I was just asking for what I ordered, and I did it in the nicest way possible.
The staff that used to be there were so friendly. But, the two behind the counter that we had serve us obviously did not enjoy their job. They were pissed off and just trying to get through the day.
BUT, the worst part was the gloves. They didn’t change their gloves the whole time we were there. From making food, to grabbing stuff from the counter, to touching themselves… their gloves never changed.
We won’t be back because of those above 3 things. Cleanliness is important. Good service is important. When you pay $50 for a couple burgers, sides, and drinks, the establishment and staff should represent that.
They are opening another Odd Burger on the south side, right by my husband’s work. But if it’s owned by the same people, we won’t be going, because cleanliness and good service starts from the top.
