We’d just wrapped up at DaDeO and decided the day wasn’t finished being ridiculous. Next stop: Wayback Burgers, somewhere else in the city, because a proper food tour doesn’t pace itself, it commits.
I called it a happy high-cholesterol day out loud, more than once, and I stand by it. Clogging the arteries a little, sure, but on purpose — the kind of splurge you plan for instead of picking at apologetically. Wayback Burgers isn’t a place you visit for subtlety. It’s a place you visit because, for one meal, subtlety isn’t the goal.
What to Order
We split a milkshake decision the way people do when neither wants to commit to just one flavour. Audrey went with strawberry, her standing order, no debate required. I got more adventurous, aiming for something in the chocolate-mint direction, which earned some gentle mockery before a quick “I’m just kidding” softened it. We’d already decided we didn’t need two milkshakes and a shared dessert besides, so the shakes stayed simple and the real indulgence went elsewhere.
Then the fries — upgraded for a couple of extra dollars into a loaded version, buried in cheese, bacon, and green onions. It might have been the single best decision of the day. Fries are usually the order you don’t think twice about and don’t comment on. These didn’t let me get away with that.
The burger came next — one order, cut in half so we could actually share it instead of each ordering our own and wasting half. Two patties, four slices of melted cheese, all of it held together by a bun that’s thinner and butterier than it has any right to be given what it’s supporting. Judging by the description, it’s close kin to what’s now called the Cheeeesy Burger on their menu. Nothing fancy about it. Just meat, cheese, and bread done with enough attention that you notice, which was precisely what I wanted by that point in the day.
Dessert is where the visit actually surprised me: fried cheesecake, wrapped in a cinnamon-sugar shell and fried until it’s crisp outside, hot enough that it fights with the actual cheesecake filling underneath, which stays properly cold. That contrast is disorienting for exactly one bite — hot shell, cold centre, your brain trying to decide which reaction to have — and then it just works. Somewhere between a churro and a cheesecake, better than either idea has any business being on its own. By the second bite I’d come around completely, and by the time it was finished, Audrey and I had both said, separately, that we’d order it again. It’s still on the dessert menu, so that part isn’t hypothetical.
What We Skipped
Somewhere on the menu, tempting anyone with more ambition than sense, is a nine-patty burger running well past thirty dollars. We looked at it, laughed, and kept walking. Nine patties stopped being a meal a long time before it got to nine — it’s a stunt, and we already had a full, satisfying spread without needing to prove anything. I haven’t tasted it and I’m not going to pretend otherwise; skipping it was the right call for two people trying to enjoy a meal rather than survive one. Some locations turn it into an actual timed eating contest, for anyone who wants their lunch to double as a dare. For the rest of us, it’s worth a laugh and a walk past, nothing more.
Good to Know Before You Go
Wayback Burgers isn’t a single Edmonton address — it’s a small chain scattered across a handful of locations around the city, including the original one downtown on Jasper Avenue. I can’t tell you exactly which one we ate at that day; my memory of that stretch of the afternoon is a lot stronger on flavour than on street names, but the downtown location is my best guess, both because it was Edmonton’s first and because it fits where the rest of that day’s stops were clustered. Worth checking which location is actually closest to you before you go, since there’s more than one.
Hours run roughly late morning into the evening, a little later on weekends, but I’d confirm the current hours for your specific location rather than trust a schedule printed here — small chains aren’t always perfectly consistent store to store, and neither, it turns out, are the reviews. This is a multi-location fast-casual chain rather than one independent kitchen, and from what I’ve seen, the experience shifts more from location to location than you’d expect out of one brand. Ours, for what it’s worth, was a good one. That’s not a promise every location matches it exactly, and I’d rather tell you that upfront than let one good visit stand in for the whole city.
The Verdict
Wayback Burgers did exactly what I needed it to do that day. The cheeseburger handled the basics without cutting corners. The loaded fries turned out to be the best two dollars spent all afternoon. And the fried cheesecake, which I walked in expecting nothing from, ended up being the one dish from this stop I still think about.
Skip the nine-patty burger unless the challenge itself is the appeal. Get the fries loaded. Share the cheesecake instead of doubling up on dessert, because you’ll want the room for it after everything else. This isn’t a place you build a trip around — it’s a place you build one very specific, very indulgent stop around, on a day when that’s exactly what you’re after.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I order at Wayback Burgers in Edmonton?
The double cheeseburger and the loaded bacon cheese fries are the two dishes worth building an order around, and the fried cheesecake turned out to be the real standout of the visit. The nine-patty challenge burger, on the other hand, is worth skipping unless the challenge itself is the appeal.
Is the nine-patty challenge burger at Wayback Burgers worth trying?
Not for the average appetite. It’s a stunt burger built around quantity rather than flavor, and I skipped it entirely rather than pretending I’d tasted it. It suits someone chasing the challenge itself, not someone looking for the best thing on the menu.
Is there only one Wayback Burgers location in Edmonton?
No. Wayback Burgers operates several locations around Edmonton, including one downtown on Jasper Avenue, so it’s worth checking which location is actually closest to you before heading out.
Which Wayback Burgers location does this review cover?
I can’t say with certainty. My memory of that afternoon is stronger on flavor than on street names, but the downtown Jasper Avenue location is my best guess, since it was Edmonton’s first location and fits where the rest of that day’s stops were clustered.
Is Wayback Burgers a local Edmonton restaurant or part of a chain?
It’s part of a multi-location fast-casual chain rather than an independent kitchen, which is worth knowing going in since it shapes what kind of consistency to expect.
Does the experience vary between different Wayback Burgers locations?
Based on what I’ve seen, yes — the experience seems to shift more from one Edmonton location to another than you’d expect from a single brand. Ours was a good visit, but that’s not a guarantee every location matches it exactly.
Is the fried cheesecake a permanent menu item at Wayback Burgers?
Yes, it’s still on the dessert menu, wrapped in a cinnamon-sugar shell and served with a strawberry dipping sauce.
This article is also available in Spanish. [Leé la versión en castellano: Reseña de Wayback Burgers en Edmonton: hamburguesas, papas cargadas y cheesecake frito]