| Visited On: | December 6, 2013 |
| Gluten Free Menu: | Options listed with regular menu |
| Server Knowledge: |  |
| Server Attitude: |  |
| Variety of Gluten-Free Options: |  |
| Overall Gluten-Friendly Rating: |  |
| Price Range: | $10-$15 per person, plus drinks and tax |
Over the past few years, Michael and I have been making the rounds of the gourmet burger places that have been popping up all over Metro. (You can see a summary of our finds here.) Last week we finally got a chance to visit Flipburger, which now has locations in downtown Halifax and Clayton Park.
We visited the downtown Halifax location just before a Mooseheads game. Like many other burger places, you order at a counter, have a seat, and then grab your food when your number is called. Although most of the tables were occupied, we didn’t have to wait at the counter at all. The person waiting on us was very knowledgeable about gluten-free options. All of their classic burgers (beef, vegetarian, or chicken) are gluten-free, and can be served on a gluten-free bun for a $2 upcharge. As well, all of their signature burgers are gluten-free or can be adapted as necessary. As for the sides, the French fries are the only gluten-free option. They are done in their own fryer, while everything else (Flip Chips, sweet potato fries, and onion rings) are done in another fryer. (As far as I know, this is the only one of Metro’s burger places that offers gluten-free French fries.)
With all this in mind, I ordered the blue cheese and bacon burger on a gluten-free bun, with a side of fries ($10 plus $2 upcharge). I also upgraded to a 5 ounce glass of wine for $4.00. Michael got their special of the day, the Happy Heart Attack burger. This burger was definitely not gluten-friendly, as it included battered, fried back bacon; gravy; breaded pickles; and about ten more toppings. He also got French fries and a fountain pop (total combo price $10.26).
We grabbed a seat and it wasn’t long before our food arrived. I dug in right away while Michael tried to figure out how to eat the mountain on his plate. My burger was excellent. The patty was nice and juicy, with just the right amount of toppings in the right proportion. The gluten-free bun was really good: it fit the patty perfectly and was nice and light. It did crumble a bit, but far less than some of the other buns I’ve encountered. The French fries were shoestring-style (my favourite!), cooked perfectly, and seasoned perfectly. I loved having a small glass of wine to go with the meal, too. Michael enjoyed his burger just as much, although he found that the taste of the beef got lost amidst all the other toppings on the burger. We both agreed that we would love to come back and try out some of their other burger options.
If you’re in the Clayton Park or downtown Halifax area, and looking for a fast gluten-free meal that’s not fast food, Flipburger is the place to go!
Flipburger
1565 Argyle Street (Downtown Halifax)
902-431-3547
Web Site: http://www.flipburger.ca
Gluten For Punishment 
#1 by Dave on December 21, 2013 - 7:53 pm
Thanks to your glowing review, I decided to try the Flipburger location in Clayton Park tonight.
When I got there, I asked the kid at the till whether the fries were gluten free and made in a dedicated fryer. He was very young and had no idea. He asked someone older in the back, and the guy said “yep, they are”. So I went ahead and ordered the classic burger combo.
After a short wait (about 5-10 minutes), the food arrived. The GF bun was excellent! In fact, I initially thought it was a non-GF bun and they’d made a mistake, since the bun had poppyseeds and sesame seeds on the top part, which is unusual for GF buns. Anyway, it was all good, and the burger was DELICIOUS. Really excellent. Has a tang to it that is not uncommon (if you’ve had a burger at the Rockbottom Brewery pub, the taste is very similar), but unlike the Rockbottom Brewery burger, this was very soft, tender, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Really fantastic, and I’m already counting the days until I can visit Halifax again and go grab another meal there!
Thanks again for the review.
#2 by glutenfree4hfx on December 21, 2013 - 8:32 pm
Hi Dave! I am so glad to hear that you had a great experience at the Clayton Park location. I had the same thoughts about the bun – I actually looked over to see what Mike’s bun was like to make sure I hadn’t gotten the wrong one. 🙂 Now I have to go try the Rockbottom burger!
#3 by Dave on December 21, 2013 - 9:15 pm
Yes…I wonder if the GF bun that they use is available at any kind of retail outlet? It’d be interesting to ask who their supplier is. Or maybe just do some old-fashioned dumpster diving and see if I can figure it out 😉
And yeah, definitely try the Rockbottom burger. I’m sure you’ll agree the taste is almost identical, although the Flipburger is much better for the smoother texture of the burger itself. They must do something to the burger that makes it like that…I know they’ve been compared to Shake Shack, and I know SS employs a “smoosh” technique for their burgers with a spatula. Rockbottom is more just “here’s some ground beef that we’ve seasoned the hell out of.”
#4 by glutenfree4hfx on December 21, 2013 - 9:20 pm
I was wondering the same thing about the bun – I’ve never seen anything like it! I’ll message them on Facebook to save you from the dumpster. 🙂
Can’t wait to try the Rockbottom burger, and Shake Shack sounds great too!
#5 by JGreen on February 8, 2014 - 12:42 pm
My family and I tried out the Clayton Park location last night. We all loved it and the kids are asking to go back. I had the Philly Cheese and my husband tried the Blue Cheese. Both very delicious. The same thing happened to me with the bun! I had to look at all the other buns my family had just to make sure mine was different. Once I had a few bites I realized it tasted a lot like the Glutino english muffins, which I’ve used at home as burger buns. It was so nice to have a burger, with the bun, out at a restaurant with my family. Can’t wait to try another burger there. 🙂
#6 by glutenfree4hfx on February 8, 2014 - 12:45 pm
I’m so glad you had a great experience! We’ve only tried the downtown location but definitely plan on checking out the Clayton Park spot.