Calgary's penchant for unpretentious comfort food has been well documented on this site and others. Thus, a new burger joint opening across from the Stampede Grounds is really no surprise. What is surprising, however, is that this so-called burger spot, Loungeburger, is actually one of the more upscale, cachet-filled hotspots in the city. Yes, that's right, a trendy hipster lounge that deals primarily in meat patties.

Let's get one thing straight – Loungeburger isn't a diner or a greasy spoon. The music is loud, the décor is sleek, and the place is buzzing with energy. You'd expect the glossed up patrons to be holding colourful cocktails, and some of them are, but you're just as likely to see a pair of carefully manicured hands wrapped around a big juicy burger. This being Calgary, however, the lounge side is covered in televisions, blasting the Flames or the Stampeders if they're on, anything else sports related if they're not.

But "lounge" is only half the name. The other half is "burger", but that's hardly proportional to the burger worship going on there. Some spots will offer a beef burger, veggie burger, and chicken burger and call it a good selection. Loungeburger offers 15 of its own creations, plus a build-your-own menu with 14 choices of patties, six types of buns, 19 vegetables, eight types of cheese, eight additional meat toppings, and 23 sauces. Now, I can't do that math (I have an English degree, naturally), but that's one wackload of options.

Burgers start at $10 (Butters Organic Beef with Blue Cheese and Caramelized Pears on a Kaiser Bun) and go all the way up to the already infamous $40 Lounger (Kobe Wagyu topped with Prosciutto-wrapped Lobster, Chives, and Truffle Hollandaise on a Pretzel Bun). Just to name a few of the patty options, you've got varieties of Bison, Elk, Lamb, Sausage, Smoked Chicken, Free-Range Turkey, Ahi Tuna, Pacific Salmon, and Tiger Shrimp. Factor in the other variables, and you have lunch for the next few years. Better get started now.