Local writer Bronwyn had recently visited and wrote about No5 Orange‘s food menu. Liking what she had then, she wanted to return to experience it with friends now, so we organized today’s meet up.
I feel that strip clubs don’t have the same negative connotation as they use to, especially as so much more is available, so much more easier online and on social media platforms.
Nonetheless visiting as women supporting other women still felt empowering in person. The space as a whole was inviting, we didn’t feel out of place or judged. In truth I have visited No5 Orange before, typically as a late night, last stop for wind down drinks and snacks. But today was the first time for lunch.
We were a group of food writers here on a mission. We started with a pitcher of beer. They recently went from Molson Canadian to a brand a lot more local: Parallel 49. And even have their own house brew made in partnership with Parallel 49. You can only get The No5 Shower Power Lager from the show lounge as a pint or pitcher. This was an easy drinking and neutral beer. The type of brew that doesn’t linger and that you don’t remember you had a sip so go back for more.
No5 Orange was one of the firsts to do a shower scene on their stage, hence the name. This history goes way back, with Bon Jovi even being inspired by it, and naming his album “Slippery When Wet” after his visit. Other celebrities that frequented the club included David Duchovny and AC/DC. Courtney Love even did a dancing stint here, for a week. And more recently No.5 Orange has been seen in the Deadpool movie franchise.
The food menu is a concise listing of classic bar eats with fried, finger sides and handheld burgers. All familiar and friendly with no listed ingredients, so no surprises.
The burgers typically come with fries on the side, but seeing as our group of four were sharing, we had it all in its own basket with ketchup on the side. These are your standard, chewy, thicker-cut potato sticks with a soften mashed centre.
The onion rings kept their crunch well after they cooled. I was appreciative that they didn’t have large hunks of onion at the centre of each ring. Served with a diluted chipotle mayo for dipping. It was runny and only had a whisper of flavour. Not bad, but could have been punchier for my tastes.
The Wings are available in dry or saucy. Choose between BBQ, Buffalo Hot, Honey Mustard, Salt/Pepper, Lemon Pepper, Lemon Pepper, or Hot & Plain. We went for the lemon pepper and had it with both ranch and blue cheese dips. Similar to the dip above these felt runnier than you would expect and didn’t have the bold flavour that you’d want from a bar bite with beer. It was hard for us to tell if this was indeed ranch, as it didn’t taste like it; but there was no missing the unmistakable umami of blue cheese.
As for the wings it was fried crispy and on the drier side, especially at its ends. The sauce was helpful. Overall, nothing out of the ordinary, that I couldn’t find anywhere else. Yet better than most’s standard, much like the sides above.
The No5 Burger was your classic smash burger with 2 patties caramelized with a wonderful crispy charred edge all the way around. Each topped with melted American cheese, one over the other then crowned with caramelized onions, shredded lettuce, fresh tomato slices, and pickles. This was your classic cheese burger combo, but done right and exactly how you’d want it. This was everything I want when I say I crave a smash burger. To quote Bronwyn, this was “Better than it needs to be”. I agreed, a strip club burger has no business being this good. This is the last place you would expect to get a smash burger, and now it will be the first place I recommend.
The BLT Sandwich is bacon, lettuce, and tomato but instead of bread it is in the same bun as the hamburger above. I would have preferred toasted white bread over the sweet soft bun here, but the multiple strips of extra crispy bacon made me forget about everything else. It was delicious and carried the whole burger. I would order this one again because of it.
In closing, we had a great time, the food was tasty and it hit all the spots, the company was amazing, and the entertainment was one of a kind. This was definitely a memorable experience, and so good that we’ve already made plans to check out another local show lounges for their food. Expect the next one in two weeks time.
No5 Orange®
205 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6A 2S7
(604) 687-3483
no5orange.ca
