You wouldn’t know it was there unless you were bowling a Wednesday league, grabbing beers with friends, or grew up on Fredericton’s North Side. But tucked just off Main Street, behind a wide façade that once promised little more than coffee and candlepin, sits a place that’s slowly turning into one of the city’s best-kept burger secrets. It’s called The Drome—and it might just be serving one of the best smash burgers in town.

It’s a rainy October afternoon, the kind that has you reaching for a good book or a warm meal. I take the bus, hop off a few blocks early, and walk the last stretch to what was once the Bowl-a-Drome—a fixture in the city since 1961. These days, it’s been revived by the folks at Trailway Brewing, who’ve turned it into something more: part bowling alley, part craft beer hangout, part neighbourhood diner. Inside, it still feels like an old-school alley—but with a new spirit.

There are 12 lanes, but only two are in use when I arrive around 4:30 p.m. By the time an hour passes, about half of them are filled. The space is brighter than you’d expect—white walls, big windows, and vintage posters that nod to its history. A few steps down to the west end brings you to the heart of the food action: a cozy bar and kitchen where diners perch on stools, watching the bowlers roll strike after strike.

I order a double smash burger and a pint of Trailway lager. The total comes to just over $15, and I nearly double-check—surely it should be more? A single smash burger and fries would’ve run me around $10. It’s the kind of price that feels like a throwback in the best way.

The burger arrives on a steel plate that feels lifted straight out of a 1960s lunch counter. It’s hot, generous, and wrapped in a kind of minimalism that feels intentional. No tomato slipping out, no lettuce threatening to wilt—just beef, cheese, sauce, and pickles, stacked on a soft, golden bun. The smash is real: those lacy, crisp edges crackle slightly under each bite, while the interior stays juicy and flavourful. The sauce is tangy, with a hint of heat, and works as a perfect counterpoint to the brine of the pickles. A buttery brioche bun hugging two crisp-edged patties, melted cheese, pickles, and a smoky chipotle-style sauce—simple, juicy, and perfectly done.

Trailway’s lager is just as refreshing as I remember it—light but not boring, full of flavour but easy-drinking. It’s also a small reminder of how local this whole operation really is. Trailway’s original taproom is just a block away, and their fingerprints are all over The Drome. It’s not just a rebranding—it’s a revival. From beer to beef, a lot of what’s served here is made in-house, and what isn’t is bought from local suppliers. Even the spring roll wrappers, I’m told, are sourced locally. Clean, crisp, and deeply satisfying—a pint brewed just down the street that goes down smooth and pairs effortlessly with whatever’s on your plate.

Behind the bar, Justin, a longtime league bowler turned full-time staffer, tells me: “Because we have the bowling and the beer—that’s why we can keep the prices low.” You can feel it—UNB women’s soccer players roll in for team bonding, league regulars file in one by one, and the kitchen cranks out takeout bags for folks who never bowled a frame.

I believe it. There’s something incredibly comforting about a place that doesn’t overdo it. The Drome isn’t trying to be trendy. It’s just doing things right. The menu is short and focused. The space is friendly. The value is unbeatable. And the fact that you can eat something this good for under $10? That’s a win. Add the fact that you’re sitting steps away from a 1960s bowling lane, and it starts to feel like something rare.

This is a place I’d come back to—on a Sunday afternoon with a book, on a Friday with friends, or any time I just wanted a burger that’s better than most, for a price that makes sense.

The Drome is a Fredericton institution with a new lease on life. Bowling or not, it’s worth checking out.