The King really is back: Monarch Burger has transitioned from a pop-up to a new permanent space after a five-year hiatus with a restaurant location in Vncouver.
Chef/owner Robert Belcham launched the new standalone Monarch Burger on Wednesday, May 15 at 3034 Main St in Mount Pleasant.
The venture is in collaboration with the Narrow Group (Key Party, The Narrow, Uncle Abe’s), and offers eat-in and take-out service with indoor seating (13 high tops) under an original mural by local artist and author TheCoalCinder, according to a May 8 media release.
A year-round, fully licensed patio offers an additional 10 seats; 20 more spaces will be open on seasonal a curbside patio this summer, too.
The new Monarch Burger replaces The Narrow Group's Mitra Canteen, which closed down at the start of May in that location.
Monarch Burger fired up the Vancouver burger scene back in 2016 when Belcham parlayed the Dirty Burger from his Campagnolo Upstairs operation on Main Street into a pop-up that found a home the following year at the neighbouring The American (also on Main).
“The exile is over,” Belcham jokes. “It’s great to be back where we belong.”
While Monarch enjoyed an all-too-brief reign as a burger king in Vancouver, Belcham reveals that it had been his intention all along to open the casual burger joint with its laser-focused menu soon after, only the pandemic squashed all the plans that had been in motion.
"I've been looking for a place ever since," Belcham told V.I.A. in a previous interview.
To that end, he has offered Monarch Burgers in various spots around Metro Vancouver this year as pop-up events.
The Monarch Burger menu is trim and focused, featuring: the Burger, the original Dirty Burger (cheeseburger), the Double Dirty (double cheeseburger), a Veggie Burger (featuring a house-made patty), plus Beef Fat Fries, Loaded Poutine, and, finally, the all-dressed Spicy Loaded Poutine (with pulled pork and Wreck Peach Hot Sauce from Rosie’s BBQ & Smokehouse).
Belcham's 30 years of cooking professionally in Vancouver, as well as his longtime dedication to the craft of whole animal butchery (which he honed routinely as part of operating Campagnolo for many years), has given the chef solid footing when it comes to knowing how to put together a burger.
All Monarch Burgers are made with locally sourced 66 Acres beef which is hand-ground in-house daily to ensure a mix of cuts for optimal texture.
"They're like the style of burger I remember having as a kid," Belcham said earlier this year.
As a fantastic bonus, being adjacent to Narrow Group's Uncle Abe's means Monarch will be slinging burgers into the wee hours on weekends for all your post-event cravings.
For those taking Monarch to go, the items are packed with endurance in mind, keeping components separate so that your burger or fries don't get soggy in the bag.
Follow Monarch Burger on Instagram at @monarchburger.
Watch: Visiting Monarch Burger's new location on opening day
@forkingawesomevia All hail this burger king. 🍔👑 One of the best burgers in Vancouver is back in its own restaurant space after 5 years. You’re gonna need more napkins! #forkingawesome #vancouverbc ♬ Think Different - Nujabes
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This article was originally published May 8, 2024 and has been updated
