The smoke from the grills was visible from a block away, and that’s when I realized the Third Annual Burger Brawl was no joke. Two dozen local restaurants all touting the best burger were put to the test by nearly 1,000 hungry eaters.
Every burger is a beauty in its own way, but I’ve narrowed it down to my top 5 favorites:
(Unfortunately, due to extreme sun glare and greasy fingers, pictures of these beauties were not always possible.)
5. The People’s Choice pick, Manayunk’s Lucky’s Last Chance, clocked in at my number 5, mostly from bonus points due to the ballsyness of submitting a peanut butter, bacon and jelly burger in a competition. And while the sandwich was undoubtedly tasty (who doesn’t love PB&J?), the meaty flavor you expect from a burger was lacking.
4. No surprise here, the wildly popular Good Dog Bar burger made my list, due to its molten blue cheese core. The contender’s showing was strong on Sunday, and while it was a practical move to portion the burgers into quarters to feed the hungry masses, the resulting oozed-out innards didn’t win any beauty competitions.
3. The Brawl did take place on Cinco de Mayo, and Spencer ETA was on-point with their Dr. I’s burger—featuring sister restaurant Sabrina’s huevos rancheros sauce, guacamole and lime sour cream. Of course, the Mexican trend continued with a tomato salsa and pepper jack cheese, with a fried jalapeno as the crowning, fiery finish. Delicious AND holiday-appropriate.
2. Probably more than any other food group, I love breakfast, so Table 31’s South Philthy piqued my interest, with a burger blend including scrapple and a crisp layer of pork roll on an English muffin. Top it with guilty-pleasure American cheese and fried onions and you’ve got a burger for the books. I’d have no trouble eating this again, though I think I’d prefer a healthy slice of pork roll, instead of a crisped wafer.
1. Perhaps a sleeper hit, my favorite burger of the day was definitely from The Dandelion. I was excited to see the beautiful pink center of a slender, mid-rare patty among the sea of well-done, inch-thick behemoths. Complemented by crisp lettuce and onion, a touch of bacon and a superb bun … it was my burger heaven.
Because there’s more to talk about, my honorable mentions:
First, to South Philly Tap Room for bringing my childhood favorite, ham salad, to new culinary heights in a Ham-Hamburger. I just wish there’d been more of the ham and less burger and everything else. Okay, okay. Maybe you just made me want a ham salad sandwich.
And to Kennett Restaurant, I wanted to love your burger, with its Mediterranean herbs (coriander, mint, marjoram) and supremely amazing ginger ketchup condiment on the side, but the burger half I got was just this side of raw. It was unfortunate, and otherwise would have surely been among my top.
It’s not a party without some drinks, and Jim Beam upped the ante by challenging restaurants to a cocktail competition as well. All drinks were made with Jim Beam Jacob’s Ghost white whiskey. These were my faves:
3. The sponsors themselves were prepared for the heat of a sunny day with an easy-drinking blueberry margarita. Yes, a whiskey margarita. Stop worrying, just try it.
2. The “light, refreshing cocktail” idea was a wise move, and Barbuzzo excelled too, with their summer smash, made with fresh pineapple juice, lemons and a local thyme-ginger infusion. Herbaceous and delicious.
1. Undoubtedly my favorite, The Capital Grille‘s cucumber lemonade was recommended to me by a complete stranger, and any time someone loves something so much they just have to tell everyone else about it, you know it will be good. It was insanely delicious … like drinking a cucumber, and I don’t like cucumbers. Is this on their daily menu? Can it be? Someone tell someone.
Photographs credited to Philly Burger Brawl (crowd photo & Barbuzzo cocktails) and Melissa Woodley.
