Recap // Denver Burger Battle

The smoky haze over sculpture park on august 7th was nothing to be alarmed by; how could it be when the the air was filled with the delicious scent of burgers getting grilled up by the hundreds. The denver burger battle was a food-lovers paradise... 12 burgers from some of the top restaurants in town, endless pours from tasty craft breweries and a couple sweet treats to end the night in a state of utter discomfort, in the best way possible.

This was my first year attending the denver burger battle so I didn't know what to expect. I just knew I needed some good judges by my side so I brought my husband and dad with me as they are burger lovers just like me. As we made our way from line to line, tasting quarter portions of each submitted entry, we realized that our stomachs were going to need to step it into overdrive to make it through the night. 

There were some seriously amazing burgers served up and I only wish I had a hollow leg to make room for seconds of their tasty offerings. Larkburger's all american burger which was topped with dijon, western slope vine-ripened tomatoes, georgia onion, vail valley rocket and oregon cheddar was served on a griddled brioche bun and it was my favorite of the night. Its iconic burger toppings were perfectly balanced and the slightly-salty patty tasted amazing and stood out from its competition. My runner up burger of the evening belonged to williams & graham. Their steak burger was made from western daughters ground beef, a double-creamed cheese called port salut and caramelized onions on a soft bun. This burger was indulgent, on-point and one I would happily eat on a regular basis.

I was only able to stomach (literally) 11 of the 12 burgers served up and sadly my top 2 favorites did not come out as the people's choice or judge's choice for the night. However, crave real burgers walked away with both titles with their 'love stinks' burger... garlic cream cheese, whole garlic, onions, roasted red peppers, bacon and a pepper aioli.

Seriously, this was one of my favorite nights of the summer. This event was so well put together, the caliber of the restaurants was impressive and the ambiance was welcoming and fun. I will admit, eating the equivalent of 3 full burgers in one night plus drinking is not something I could do more than once a year. However, come summer 2015, you can bet that I will be getting my ticket for another night of fun.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by the denver burger battle, however, all opinions expressed here are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who allow me to continue creating new content for South on Broadway!