Though the Woodfire Grill has closed its doors, its venue and much of its food selection live on through Stacked Burger Bar — which will have its official opening at the end of October.

Priding itself on offering natural and non-processed meat options, Stacked provides a wide variety of beef, turkey, pork, chicken and falafel burgers for their customers to choose from along with bun options such as ciabatta, pretzel and gluten-free. Burgers aren’t the only things cooking in the kitchen though — Stacked also offers pizza, salads, deserts and appetizers such as stuffed mushroom caps and nachos.

While their burger menu is undeniably extensive, some standout options include the classic old cheddar burger and the more creative blue cheese and pineapple chicken, rosemary apple pork and basil infused turkey burgers.

The burgers are all cooked on a hickory wood-stoked barbeque and filled with toppings such as arugula, thick slices of tomato, pine nuts and gourmet cheeses. Customers also have a choice of fries, baked beet and parsnip chips or poutine for sides.

The endless lineup of unique patties, buns and toppings is what will put Stacked on the map. What it makes up for in food however it seems to lack in atmosphere.

The external appearance of Stacked is bang on — with its brick facade and bright orange trim, it would look quite at home on the streets of New York city. The inside, on the other hand, looks more like a show home than a restaurant. The walls and stone accents give a whole new meaning to Fifty Shades of Grey and the decor is made up of a sparse assortment of head-scratching modern art.

Atmosphere certainly isn’t everything when evaluating a new restaurant. Stacked’s food is perfect if you are looking for a filling and hearty eat —  on a student budget though, it seems a bit steep to pay $18 for a burger. Stacked would be a better choice for a special occasion, especially considering their cocktail, wine and beer selection including local choices such as the Prairie Sun Toffee Chocolate Porter.

Still in their soft opening stage, Stacked — like any new restaurant — has a few kinks to work out. The hickory barbeque, while providing a nice smoky touch to the burgers, makes the air in the room foggy and oily and the plastic sleeve menus look  flimsy and cheap.

Stacked certainly has a lot to compete against being in the same neck of the woods as established places like Congress, The Rook and Raven, O’Shea’s and The Woods, but hopefully in time this ambitious little burger joint will make a name for itself.

The owners have also expressed an interest in adding a build-your-own-burger option to the menu, which would certainly draw in more customers and give a more personal and homey feel to the restaurant. A few people I’ve spoken to that have eaten at Stacked have also been rooting for the restaurant to add milkshakes to their menu which are without a doubt one of the best sidekicks to a good burger.

Stacked has a ways to go in making itself a must-visit in downtown Saskatoon. But with its enthusiastic staff and unique burger selection, it is already beginning to show a lot of promise. I would love to return to Stacked when its been kicking around for awhile and has overcome the awkward fumbling stage of its soft opening.