The search is on once again for the Iowa’s “Best Burger.” Iowa Beef Industry Council spokesperson Kylie Peterson says there are some simple rules for the annual contest.
“We’re accepting nominations votes from Iowans, anyone that has a favorite Iowa restaurant that serves a 100 percent real beef burger served on a bun or bread product. Any combinations of ingredients and toppings can be included,” she says. This is the 15th year the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association and Beef Industry Council have sponsored the contest.
Peterson says they are going to celebrate that milestone by giving some restaurants a second bite at winning the contest. “We decided to let past winners be eligible to be voted for to get into the top 10 and to potentially win the contest this year,” Peterson says. “That’s new. We always get asked, well, what’s the best of the best and so maybe we’ll find that this year and maybe we’ll find another great location here in the state of Iowa serves a fantastic burger.”
Peterson says you can nominate your favorite burger on their website. “If you’re a restaurant owner that is new to the contest and you want to learn more, you can also go to our website iabeef.org. We have contest rules, promotional materials that you can use on your social media platforms,” she says. “And if you’re not on the list, you can give us a call, we’ll get you added. And if you’re a voter and you don’t see your favorite restaurant on the list, you can scroll all the way to the bottom. There’s a little blank box at the bottom, just type in the restaurant name and the city of your favorite restaurant and hit submit and we’ll get that nomination as well.”
The restaurants that win the “Best Burger” designation see a lot of publicity and often a big boost in business. Flight Bar and Grille in Huxley was last year’s winner and the Beef Industry Council says their sales went from around 250 burgers sold each month to 415 sold a month after they won.
Peterson says the winner will be announced on May 1st to kick off to Iowa Beef Month.
(Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City contributed to this story)