First Look: Big Wheel Burger

“Big news, hot off the flat top: Cook St Village has lost its laundromat and gained a fast-food restaurant. However, it’s friendly mascot isn’t Ronald, Wendy, or an orange turtle-necked bear. His name is Big Wheel, and he’s a cerulean blue floating head with a lopsided lip-smack and wavy combover. More of a superhero than just a plain old mascot, he has come to the rescue of every eco-conscious foodie who still gets hit with cravings for a double cheeseburger on the fly.

Left: Jeff Hetherington and Calen McNeil outside Big Wheel. Right: General Manager Matt Quinn. Photo by Deanna Ladret

Big Wheel Burger is the brainchild of Victoria restauranteurs Jeff Hetherington (of Pig BBQ Joint), and Peter Zambri, Josephine Zambri, Calen McNeil, and Louis Vacca (of Zambri’s). Together, they aimed to create––at last––a top quality fast-food restaurant with a genuine conscience.

Inside Big Wheel Burger

There’s no reinventing the wheel here (pun intended), the postcard sized menu is short and to the point. Burgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, fries, poutine, floats and shakes. Of course, the place wouldn’t be Fairfield-friendly without a veggie burger, salad, and gluten-free bun option––plus some good beer on tap (Phillips). For children under 12, the Little Wheel Meal Deal comes complete with a bonus “collectible item”, a surefire lure for the junior set. As for dessert, chocolate chip cookies are baked fresh every hour, available in individual bags on a tray at the pick-up window or served as an ice cream sandwich. The food is sourced from within 100 miles (the Two Rivers beef is ground daily in-house), ingredients are selected for premium quality and environmental sustainability, and all wrappers, utensils, and takeout accoutrements are fully compostable.

The prices are affordable. $11 gets you a burger, fries, and a fountain pop. In true fast-food format, there’s no table service – orders are placed with the cashier and your number is called out by the kitchen when your meal is ready. Big Wheel’s honest, no-frills approach is reflected in the building’s updated design: exposed concrete walls, chalkboards, a serve-it-yourself soda fountain, and lots of casual seating.

Open 7 days a week from 11am-10pm.

Big Wheel Burger

341 Cook St.

(250)-381-0050

www.bigwheelburger.com

www.tworiversmeats.com

www.phillipsbeer.com