Peters’ Drive-In
5151 - Calgary Trail NW, Edmonton AB
People still talk about the traffic that gridlocked Calgary Trail and Gateway Boulevard the day Peters’ Drive-In opened its Edmonton location. The Calgary brand has a devout following, and between southern Albertan ex-pats, curious food bloggers, and a population gone stir crazy in the early weeks of a pandemic, motorists converged on the gleaming white-and-blue drive-in, stymying traffic for hours.
Peters’ makes a style of hamburger that is rarely written about, one that I call the “ballpark concession burger”. The patty is usually quite thin, though it could never be confused with a properly made smash patty. The meat has been thoroughly mixed, developing a slightly springy chew, reminiscent of a sausage. It is blandish, tasting little of beef, though the flavour is improved with some coal-black grill marks. The bun is generic and for some reason never has sesame seeds on it. It is garnished with chopped onion, and sometimes pickles, but the primary thrust of flavour comes from the holy trinity of North American refrigerator doors: ketchup, mustard, and relish.
There is nothing abhorrent about a ballpark concession burger, but it has roughly the same appeal as a ham sandwich purchased at a gas station. That is to say, it is nourishing, and can be enjoyed when there is not a better option available.
If I am casually critical of Peters’ burgers, I am baffled by their French fries.
At most places the fries are more or less crisp depending on how fresh they are. At Peters’ they are never crisp, even moments out of the fryer. Excepting some errant bits of potato skin, the fries are uniformly soft and squidgy. I’ve always felt that texture and flavour are equal partners when it comes to fries, so these ones have no appeal for me.
Some of the affection Albertans have for Peters’ is due to their portion sizes, which are generous to the point of cheekiness. The single burger comes with precisely one and a half patties. The “family” portion of fries comes in a box big enough to help a college student move into a dorm. If you need to feed a team of U-12 soccer players, Peters’ will satisfy them.
