pink bicycle
The Pink Bicycle
(250) 384-1008
1008 Blanshard Street
 Victoria
Think positive, think happy thoughts, think juicy beef patty. Screw it! I am disappointed in Pink Bicycle. Having lived in Victoria for 18 years, I've been longing for, even pining for a good hamburger. I fasted all day before my first visit and you let my tummy down Pink Bicycle Burger.
With the opening of the Pink Bicycle Gourmet Burger Joint, my spirits were raised with the possibility of accessing a good burger and fries combo once again. Upon entering the Pink Bicycle, you're met with a sense of cool, understated urban chic. The room is smallish with about twenty or so seats but well appointed. I am met by the owner who I am hoping will welcome me with salutations, open arms and perhaps a pat on the back. End dream sequence. Okay, maybe that's going too far but a smile and warm welcome isn't too much to ask for is it?
The service on both of my visits was very business like and fairly prompt. My first experience was a lunch date and I have to say that my Pink Bike Cheese burger was quite delicious. A burger with a poutine side (hand cut fries with cheese curds and gravy) ran me $21 and change which I felt was over priced as the poutine was a "waifish" portion. I had only water so with a pop of some sort, expect to pay north of $24 per person.
My second visit to the restaurant was for dinner with three other guests and the experience was much the same. On this occasion my burger was grilled until "crispy" with little burnt bits . One of my guests had an uneventful Roast Garlic Caesar salad. Again, the portions seem far too small especially for a dinner service.
I really want the Pink Bicycle to do well and rock my world. We all want a good hamburger joint to call our own after all. Let's hope that they increase the portion sizes and watch the burners a little more closely. If it's not too much trouble, a "come again, thank you or perhaps a nod of recognition" would be nice after paying our bill.
Published Dec. 11, 2009
Kurt Marhue writes from a sunny place in Victoria B.C.
Loved the Pink Bicycle
My husband and I were in Victoria for a few days and, while wandering the downtown area, we asked a local where the best burger place was. She quickly directed us to The Pink Bicycle.
We found the quaint shop not by a sign hanging outside but from the pink bicycle parked on the sidewalk outside the door. It was the first indication that the owner has marvelous creativity.
We were seated quickly as it was still early enough that they were not busy. The surroundingss are quite comfortable, a bit urban feeling but very quaint. We both made our choices, my husband choosing the Blue Flame Beef and me choosing the Pink Bike Cheese, adding bacon to it. We both chose the Truffle Fries.
It took a relatively short amount of time for our order to arrive. On first bite of our dinners, we were both delighted with the wonderful taste sensations. My husband described his Blue Flame Beef burger as spicy yet not at all overwhelming. The blue cheese dressing gave it a perfect blend of flavors, he said. My Pink Bike Cheese was very flavorful and, I have to admit, I'm not a huge burger fan but this was out of the world great!
We both ordered the truffle oil fries and neither of us were overly impressed with them. If I had a do-over, I would order either the regular fries or the onion rings, which looked fantastic. The side salads and soup both looked inviting as well. That being said, there are some very avid fans of truffle oil fries and they would likely find these in their liking.
Our total bill for our dinner, without adding soft drinks because we are water drinkers, was $30. Given the price of most of the restaurants we looked into in our search for dinner, this was certainly within the realm of average price for what we had.
Next time you're in Victoria and are looking for a fantastic burger, give the Pink Bicycle a try.