By Melanie Lloyd
I recently had a lunch date at Bite Burger House, located at 108 Murray Street in downtown Ottawa. The ambiance was cozy and laid back. The service was friendly and the food was savoury and succulent.
I ordered the Double Bite Me, which is a juicy double beef patty served with double smoked bacon and Cheddar cheese on a fresh brioche bun.
This was quite the burger! OMG! The beef patties had a nice fresh flavour and the meat was moist and grilled to perfection. I could taste that it was made with real ingredients. It was so enjoyable!
My husband ordered the El Gringo which is a beef patty with chorizo, guacamole, pico de gallo, and cilantro sour cream.
I had a couple of bites of his burger and loved the flavour combo. It had just the right amount of spice as to not take away from the other flavours. We both paired our meal with truffle fries, so delicious!
The drink menu was compact while being versatile. I could see right away that it was well thought out, with a good selection of craft beer, cocktails, and wine.
Sometimes I go to a restaurant and find that the wine list doesn’t match the food being served in the restaurant. This was definitely not the case with Bite Burger House. There were many great choices for wine and burger pairing.
The drink menu changes from time to time. This wine list included Torres Campos Ibéricos Tempranillo 2015 from Rioja, Spain, which I ordered to pair with my burger.
On the nose, this red wine is fruit forward with aromas of tart blackberry, plum, as well as subtle red berry notes, tobacco, cigar box, dark roasted cocoa, and smoke. On the palate, there are blackberry and plum flavours with dark chocolate at the finish. This is a medium to full bodied wine with gentle tannins and fresh acidity.
The smoke in the wine matched the smoke in my burger and the flavours of both paired well together. The wine also paired amazingly with the El Gringo burger. The spice of the burger enhanced the flavours of the wine.
If you are craving a burger, this place is totally worth checking out. The handcrafted hamburgers are very satisfying! Word of caution: If you order the Double Bite Me, such as I did, you will likely be leaving with a doggy bag as it is a huge burger. Bring your appetite!