BAMM’S Snack Shack's burgers and donuts will soon be gone, but not forgotten

No sooner do I add Bamm’s Snack Shack to the writing schedule, than I learn that the owners, Ashley and Matt Atton, will be closing their doors on May 1st. 

They’re not wanting for business. In fact, they’re doing so well that they need a break. It’s in part their own fault, of course. Their standards are so high that on donut days (Thursdays and Fridays) they get to the restaurant by 4 a.m. to prep.

By 7 a.m. Matt heads home to get their three kids ready for school. After dropping them off he’s back to the Snack Shack for an 11-hour day.

“It’s a heavy schedule. It’s just not sustainable," he told me. “It actually hurts to think what I’m missing out on in my kids' lives.”

The couple make everything from scratch and they’re mindful of the various dietary concerns of their customers. 

French onion soup is typically made with beef stock, but here they make their own vegetable stock, adding a bouquet of herbs for complexity. Rather than the classic wine or brandy, the soup is finished with a dose of apple cider vinegar.

The broth was delicious and hearty, while the portion was substantial. It was rich with lusciously wilted onions, but it was a tad heavy with croutons, making it too much like a savoury bread pudding. 

I looked at the cheeseburger egg rolls and was not inspired to order them. It’s not how I imagine an egg roll to be. Matt however, suggested I give them a go, and I added them to the lunch.

Chalk one up for guilty pleasures. The egg roll wrapper was perfect. With one bite I had soiled the front of my freshly laundered top. 

The delicious beef and cheese filling threatened to pour out, but I avoided a lava burn, letting them cool before continuing. 

The seasoning made them very appetizing, and it was certainly burger-like, only juicier.

It was the kind of appetizer that would suggest beer as a pairing. As they’re not licensed, I settled for the smoked house-made lemonade. All that acidity would help with those rolls.

It was enough of an oddity to make me curious. It was a playful take usually reserved for over-priced cocktails, but strangely enough, it worked. 

The lemonade was super fresh and sweetened just enough. The woody smoke character added a campfire grill facet to the cheeseburger roll. It was a fun combo, and at $4 for housemade lemonade this size, it was a steal.

Their Bowie burger is named after their son and comes as a single patty. You can step it up with a two or three-patty burger, but in my case, I’d already had sufficient beef.

Ashley and Matt use brisket for their burgers. They brine it and then grind it in-house which does make a difference in the quality of the experience. 

I felt more of a springy chew to the meat. When I suggested it, Matt confirmed that they do indeed only grind their meat once. For burger meat it’s common practice to put the meat through a second grind but I much prefer the meatier texture a single grind gives.

The griddle char on the meat gave that extra seasoning. With the pickles and house burger sauce in play, it was an umami explosion. 

Like the brisket, the fries are first brined, giving them a built-in saltiness. Just enough that further seasoning other than ketchup and mayo (if you so choose) is hardly warranted. 

Here again was a demonstration of the extra care Ashley and Matt put into the food, when, like too many other places, they could have taken the easy route.

Apart from all the other tasty items they offer, they’ve become incredibly famous for their ridiculously delicious and oversized donuts. 

The ones you see here (clockwise from top left) are: apple fritter, cinnamon roll, popcorn donut, berry banana smoothie, old-fashioned sour cream and the French cruller.

All were excellent, with the old-fashioned sour cream and cruller being the two finest versions I can ever remember having. The cinnamon bun weighed in at just shy of a pound, and the popcorn donut was inspired. Donuts are available only on Thursdays and Fridays, and I suggest getting there early.

As we talked, Matt spoke of his 18 years in the Navy. When he took leave, it was to attend the culinary program at Algonquin College. He would later take on a role as Executive Chef at the Shore Club and went on to work in other fine dining kitchens around Ottawa.

On one of his navy stints in Nova Scotia, he met Ashley (also in the navy) and the two fell in love. 

Back in Ottawa they eventually embarked on a culinary adventure to share their belief in the power of community. Indeed I’ve heard from many people over the last year about how beloved, by their neighbours, the Attons are.

I’ll leave you with an excerpt from their website:

“I'm going to say this word until I don't have to yell it from the rooftops: Community.  ​

Over the past few years, our family has been trying to figure out our many reasons why.  

One thing that kept coming up was how much we wanted to help people in their everyday lives. Come with peace and honesty and you'll be greeted with love and compassion.”  ​