Rock Bottom Brew Pub

I’m going to take a break from smoked meat sandwiches for a bit and return to burger questing! I have had some inquiries and recommendations concerning various hamburgers in Halifax, which I haven’t yet gotten to because I was focusing on “gourmet-style” burgers. Now I am going to shift my focus to pub-style burgers, and I’m also accepting recommendations if you would like to e-mail me (shipwrekkt@gmail.com) or leave a comment below.

When I left Halifax in 2009, Rock Bottom Brewery had just opened. I sampled all the beers, which tasted strikingly mediocre and homogeneous. When I came back in 2012 I kept hearing buzz about this place and quickly figured out that the legendary Maritime brewmaster, Greg Nash, had taken over production for Rock Bottom, which now boasts of some of the best beer in the city! For this reason, I will continue to haunt Rock Bottom Brew Pub… but now I have another reason.

Peanut Butter Burger at Rock Bottom Brew Pub ($11.95)

A couple of months ago, I tried the peanut butter burger at Rock Bottom. Yes, Halifax, there is now competition in the peanut butter burger market! What Rock Bottom does differently is mix the peanut butter with cream cheese. The effect is drastic, perfect, and wonderful. Rock Bottom uses 100% Nova Scotia beef. Rock Bottom has good French fries. Rock Bottom has Greg Nash. Rock Bottom.

This is one of those rare burgers that I continued to reminisce about well after eating it. I began to wonder about the other burgers at Rock Bottom…

Beef, Pork & Bacon Burger at Rock Bottom

The Beef, Pork & Bacon Burger ($12.45) is a “beef & pork patty grilled & topped with smoked applewood cheddar, bacon & onion rings, roasted red pepper mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion & pickle.” It sounds amazing, but I actually wasn’t that impressed. The pork did nothing to elevate the patty, in my opinion. This was a very standard, but decent, pub burger.

HotBottom Burger at Rock Bottom

The HotBottom Burger ($12.75) is a peppercorn crusted burger topped with swiss cheese, banana peppers and hot sauce, plus the usual veggies. I had a peppercorn crusted burger at The Works in Ottawa and fell in love with the concept. However, this element of the burger at Rock Bottom didn’t jump out at me. Perhaps it was overridden by the banana peppers and hot sauce. The beef patty was also not as meaty and luscious as I had once remembered it… once upon a time when I had an intimate moment with a certain peanut butter burger.

I began to think that my first date with Rock Bottom had been a fluke. Had the cook that made my peanut butter burger vanished in the night? Had the restaurant implemented cost-reducing burger-shrinking strategies? Had I experienced an isolated moment of a non-replicable nature?

I returned to find out the truth about the peanut butter burger.

It’s a miracle! This burger was just as good as the first time I had it! I don’t know what it is, but the peanut butter and cream cheese concoction really brings out the beefy goodness. The swiss cheese, smoked bacon, and veggies play along just fine and the sourdough kaiser holds it all together. I confess my love for this burger, and encourage all you Darrell’s fans to check it out.

Rock Bottom also has a Canadian Bison Burger ($15.50), Turkey Avocado Burger ($13.45), Lamb Burger ($13.45), Pesto Rubbed Chicken (breast) Burger ($10.75), and a regular burger at $9.95. AVOID the frozen soy hockey puck ($8.95) unless you’re into that sort of thing. All burgers come with your choice of fries, roasted potatoes or rice. Upgrade to sweet potato fries, salad or cup of soup for $2.25.

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