Bob's Burger Bar

Bob's Burger Bar
152 Main St South
Kenora, ON
P9N 1S9

https://bobsburgerbar.com/

807-468-4701

Facebook:  @bobsburgerbarkenora

Instagram:  bobsburgerbar

August, 2020

Happ's used to be one of my favourite restaurants in Kenora.  They sat right in the heart of downtown with a beautiful patio overlooking the lake (and parking lot).  They served great food and great beverages.  Sadly, they're gone and there's no permanent takeover.  With no owner per se, Bob's Burger Bar rolled a grill into the site, set up some tables and claimed the space (temporarily I assume).  Bob's proper patio sits below the Cornerstone's patio, just at the entrance to the pier.  Bob has their server running from the home patio to the temp site, likely overseeing both, leaving them quite stretched.

When we arrived, the person behind the grill told us to take any seat.  Shortly afterwards, a person about 10-years old approached us.  We assumed they wanted to pet our dog but instead, they proceeded to take our orders--sort of.  Being quite out of their league, the actual server came anon, mercifully.  

Being on the borrowed patio, the menu limits to what they can whip up on site, that is, burgers, hot dogs and smokies.  We grab one of each and some fries for a side.  Like most places around here, they carry the usual mass-produced beers, but they also carry the Lake of the Woods Brewery products.  I'm happy to see most of Kenora's local restaurants supporting their local brewer.

The food comes in quick order, expectedly so since the grill person stands only three metres away from us.  I don't have the opportunity to measure the length of Bob's weiner but it sticks out the sleeve considerably.  If I had to guess, I'd say that Bob's weiner is 12" long.  It's not very thick though; in fact, it's one of the skinniest weiners I've ever seen.  Bob's weiner is long and skinny--other than that, it's a normal hot dog.

Bob's sausage is a different story; it's not nearly as long but it's quite fat.  I like my sausage to be bareback but Bob covers his sausage with a thick layer of cheese.  Have a look at Bob's sausage:

If I had a complaint, I'd say that Bob's sausage is a little too black.  I probably would have taken it off the grill just a minute earlier.  Still, it remains moist and oozing with juices.  I have a take/leave relationship with pickles.  As you can see, the vertically sliced pickle runs the entire shaft of Bob's sausage; if you don't like pickles, you probably won't like Bob's pickle.  The same goes with the raw onions; there's enough to give you onion breath for the rest of the afternoon.  I love onions so I'm perfectly fine with that.  

Bob's Fat Bob Burger, their signature sandwich, comes with tomato, onions, lettuce, mustard, mayo, chilli and pickles--basically a fat boy (fat boy = fat bob).  If you don't like the pickle in the smokie, you won't like the pickle here, sliced lengthwise again to ensure every bite has pickle.  I mention it often and I'll mention again:  where's the logic in adding vegetables and calling a burger "fat boy?"

Bob's vegetables come just-picked fresh, glowing green and crispy delicious.  The equally fresh tomato slice gleams red with juices.  The patty as well seeps with meat juices, resulting from a perfect grill job--just cooked to get the pink out.  The bun too sees some grill marks, giving it a bit of a crunch.  I would like to see a bit more chilli as my hands aren't completely covered in goo by the time I finish.

The fries come lightly dusted with salt, cut moderately thick with skins intact.  They're a tad greasy to the touch.  A bit more crunch would be nice as the outside is roughly the same degree of softness as the insides.

As I already said, this is one of my favourite spots in Kenora.  I hope this patio finds a permanent owner soon, or I'd be perfectly happy if Bob takes takes over this site.  Even though I haven't tried anything from Bob's kitchen, everything from Bob's outdoor grill tastes excellent.

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Ray Yuen, Pit Master, Grill Master

Certified Kansas City Barbecue Society Judge - Badge #97736

Certified Steak Cook-off Association Judge - Badge #7788

Canadian Barbecue Society Member