Seven restaurants vie for ‘Brandon’s Best Burger’ bragging rights
Here’s to hoping the arctic air that engulfed the area last week will give way to more manageable temps. There’s a lot of outdoor winter activities to enjoy, but more importantly, there’s a burger or two – or seven – in Brandon to consume.
The Brandon Valley Area Chamber of Commerce has organized the first annual Brandon Burger Battle, a month-long battle that begins Jan. 1 and wraps up Jan. 31. Consumers can eat at seven Brandon restaurants during the month and rate their favorites.
The Chamber of Commerce has supplied the seven restaurants with marketing materials that include a QR code. Consumers can scan the code and vote immediately at their table, or they can visit the chamber’s website to vote via a Google form.
Chamber Executive Director Rachel Neiman said they wanted to hold a Burger Battle this year following the success of the Pizza Battle in October.
That, and she said they are hoping to attract some of the burger enthusiasts that take part in the Sioux Falls Burger Battle held downtown each January. Next month will be the 10th anniversary of the Sioux Falls Burger Battle, and it has become a massive event. Last year’s battle included 27 different restaurants participating.
“We decided to do ours at the same time in hopes that it will draw folks from outside of Brandon to dine at our local restaurants in town,” Neiman said. “The Pizza Battle was great and we wanted to extend the excitement. All of the burgers look amazing.”
The seven participating Brandon restaurants and their burger entry include:
• The Roni - Double D Saloon
• Smokehouse Burger - Brandon Steakhouse
• Pig Trouble in Little China - The Gruff Plates & Pours
• Oh My Gouda’ness! - 212 The Boiling Point
• The Obsession - Bottom’s Up
• Breakfast at Tailgators - Tailgators Grille & Bar
• The Phoenix - Kingbird Coffee
Of the seven participating restaurants, the one that arguably sticks out is Kingbird Coffee. It’s certainly not often a coffeehouse enters a burger battle, but for owner Michael Gross, the chance to participate and add one more venue to the contest was a no-brainer.
Kingbird added a lunch menu to its establishment on Splitrock Boulevard earlier this month. The typical lunch menu includes the choice of any bagel with a variety of cold meat, sauces and toppings.
But burgers?
Gross said they are using hot plates and George Foreman grills to create their entry.
“I think we’re going to put out a pretty darn good burger for being in a coffee shop,” he said. “We’ve worked with some people to design our burger.”
Gross said their burger will only be available during the month of January. The lunch menu will continue throughout the year.
Gross bought Kingbird in February and has ramped up the menu and offerings. He agreed with Neiman that holding the Burger Battle in January when Sioux Falls is hosting one was a good idea.
“We might get people from downtown Sioux Falls that are eating burgers who might want to try something different,” he said. “So, they come to Brandon, they do some shopping and spend some money in Brandon, too.”
Should the Brandon Burger Battle be a success and a second one is on the books for January of 2024, Gross said they’re planning on yet another twist.
A coffee-inspired burger is something Gross said they’ve already been working on.
“We just ran out of time, but the burger we came up with this year is going to taste really good,” he said. “But it will happen. Next year, we’re going to have a coffee burger.”
