BurgerBattle is now complete, and now that a Bar in Wilton Manors not particularly known for their burgers has been crowned "Best Burger in Fort Lauderdale", what does it all mean? Well it doesn't mean a thing, but it was some good clean fun for all. No lives were lost, no oceans were polluted, and no hostages were taken. I do have one word for the organizers for next year: Salt. We know its bad for us, but if you're going to put out Ketchup and Mustard then you need to put out salt also. Preferably Sea Salt.
The judges selected Georgies Alibi's burger as the Best Burger, somehow, some way, and now they own the trophy for a year. My information is that the judging was legitimate; the judges didn't know which burgers were from which establishment, and maybe they know more about burgers than I do. Will people be flooding to a Gay Bar in Wilton Manors to sample the winning patties? Probably not. But at least we'll be spared any more cheesy banners on Las Olas proclaiming the victory.
Something to note is that the burgers at the contest were not necessarily representative of the burgers that you might get at a particular restaurant. This was a chef's competition; an all out cook-off to see who could wow the judges and patrons on this particular day.
There was also a "People's Choice" award, where attendees could vote for their favorite burger. The winner of this award was Capital Grille. Of course it really had more to do with voting for the restaurant where your friends work rather than the best burger; I found my self under intense pressure to drop my chip in places that I regularly patronized. I didn't succumb, however, and I did vote for the burger I liked the best.
Before revealing my choices I will say that the event was very well done. It started off badly with a very long line to get in, but that seemed more due to everyone arriving around 7pm rather than trickling in over a couple of hours as is the case with most other events. The number of attendees was just right; the lines for burgers and drinks were manageable, the band "Bounce" was excellent and the atmosphere was fun. The only negative was people from Lauderdale Grill seemingly everywhere handing out 2 for 1 lunch coupons. Thankfully they were the only vendor to bug the crowd with solicitation beyond their space.
The only burger I failed to photograph was Big City's Mushroom Burger. I apologize for the oversight.
And now for my choices. I'm not going to attempt to rank these, as many were quite good and its difficult to put them in order. I do feel compelled to chose a winner, and in fact I have.
Drumroll Please......
The Winner Is
Smith and Jones Ribeye Burger
Just look at this baby. You can tell its going to taste good without even biting into it. Now I'm someone who believes that cheese is to Burgers as Rye Bread is to Pastrami, so maybe I'm biased. This burger was delicious; flavorful, tender, and downright inspiring. In fact I may wander into Smith and Jones this evening.
The Best of the Rest
Mortons Charbroiled and Smoked Cheddar Burger
Morton's burger was juicy and tasty just like the burger at the restaurant. Nothing special about it; It was just a good burger.
Georgies Alibi
The burger that took the big prize. It was a pretty good burger. I didn't get cheese on my burger, but the judge's burgers had cheese. Maybe they ran out? It doesn't seem right that they gave a better burger to the judges than the people who paid.
Tarpon Bend
I liked the Tarpon Bend burger. They had some sort of sauce on it that reminded me of a Big Mac. Imagine a Big Mac with a real piece of nice, medium rare meat. Pretty good.
Johnny V's Short Rib Burger
The short rib burger itself could have been a contender but it was underseasoned; a bit bland. Perhaps if there was salt available it would have been useful? But I digress.
Hyatt Pelican Landing's Cheddar Chili Burger
Pelican Landing wowed the crowd with its fancy booth and elegant presentation. The burger was good; the chili added a unique component. The drink chaser ruined the experience however. I forget what it was but it was nasty.
Hilton Ilios
The Hilton Burger was pretty good; Shredded Buffalo Meat or something. Not Bad.
Ho Hum Burgers
These burgers were just OK.
Big City Tavern
[ No Picture ]
Big City Tavern's burger with marinated mushrooms was pretty good, but a little bit too rare and not in the same league as the top picks.
Timpano
Timpano's burger was boring and uninspiring and I didn't like the bread. Enough Said.
Counsil Oak
Council Oak overmarketed their burger with too much stuff, going as far as toothpicking a hard rock keychain to the burger. The most ridiculous statement of the day came from one of their hostesses. I asked if this was the same burger I could expect to get at the restaurant. Her answer: "I can't tell you, you'll have to come and find out". Huh?
China Grill
Now I'm not going to China Grill for a burger, are you? A lot of people seemed to like their burger, but I didn't care for the chinese pickle.
Capital Grille
Capital Grille's burger would have been in the top tier if they didn't ruin it with a big roasted red pepper slice. Or maybe it was a massive sun-dried tomato. Whatever it was, I don't want it on my burger.
The Big Losers
The losers of the contest were easy to identify. These were entries that did damage to the corporate image of the entrants. These entrants would have been better off if they just stayed home.
Biggest Loser: Stop Burgers
I now know why they put a stop sign on their burgers. Stop's ill-advised Chocolate Chip Burger was the only one that I regret putting into my mouth. The pairing falls into the same category as bacon ice cream and sushi with cheese sauce. Its just a bad idea.
Riverside Hotel
Riverside Hotel's burger didn't inspire the same gagging effect as Stop's, but their breaded conconction reminded me more of a beef-based crabcake than any sort of burger. Burgers have enough calories without breading them. The banana leaf and mystery goo on top didn't help.
Publix' Apron's Cooking School
Publix Apron's won a spot at the contest by sponsoring the event, and their burgers certainly didn't demonstrate any culinary skill. Do you really need to go to school to learn how to cook a burger? A dab of Ketchup on the tray; is that the presentation they're teaching there? At least the tomato was ripe.