MONROE — Amid heavy competition this year, the hungry masses have spoken: The best burger in Green County for 2022 is Minhas Kitchens’ “Back to Basics” burger.
The contest was back in 2022, following a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And it couldn’t have returned soon enough for the restaurants, say organizers.
More than 2,000 of the contest burgers were purchased over the course of the contest, which started in May. The contest featured 13 restaurants and about 107 people ordered all 13 entries, according to Nelli McDermott, of the Green County Beef Producers.
First place went to Minhas Kitchens, with its back-to-basics burger. Second place was Junction House and its Aloha Burger; and third place went to Leisure Lanes with its tasty Farmhouse Burger.
The burgers were judged on presentation and appearance, cooking to satisfaction; and, of course, taste, organizers say.
McDermott said that since this was the first year after the COVID-19 hiatus, the contest meant even more to the restaurant participants than ever. COVID-19 dining restrictions hit the restaurant industry especially hard and it is still recovering, according to experts.
The Back-to-Basics Burger at Minhas Kitchen is a half-pound patty, house-made bun, Colby cheese, peppered bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion and special sauce.
“It very much helps the restaurants,” said McDermott. “It helps the beef producers, too, especially this year.”
It’s also useful in getting the word around town among the hungry about another place to have a big burger-sized bite to eat, she said.
“People would tell us they found a new place to eat just because of the contest,” said McDermott.
Brad Bennett and his staff at Bennett’s Junction House Restaurant created the Aloha burger, this year’s 2nd place entry. The public ate it up. He estimates he’s sold more than 600 Aloha burgers over the summer.
It features a half-pound patty on a pretzel bun, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, grilled pineapple, tail-off shrimp, and Sweet Chili Sauce.
“I’ve had people asking for it still and the contest is over,” said Bennett, who estimates he sold 600 of the burgers this summer. “I can make it for them though.”
The Aloha burger will officially be added to his menu when he has them reprinted, meaning the contest has proven an excellent test market. “They keep asking for,” it said Bennett, of his regular customers.
The third-place Farmhouse Burger that proved so popular at Leisure Lanes is on a garlic bun, with two pieces of bacon, 2 pieces of your choice of cheese, ham, over-hard egg; and garlic parmesan sauce.
