Battle of the Burger Showdown Results in Full Stomachs
On Sunday, August 3, I attended the 2nd annual Battle of the Burger at Shorefront Park in Patchogue. Of all the summer food events in Suffolk County, this one certainly has the most unique name, and as a huge burger aficionado I was very excited. This year, the event showcased the 10 finalists of 80 restaurants vying for the “Burger Champion” crown, and the results were tasty, to say the least.
The restaurants:
- Brownstone Brewing Company, Ronkonkoma
- O’Reilly’s Restaurant & Pub, Oakdale
- Duffy’s Ale House, Lindenhurst
- The Park Lounge, Kings Park
- Faradays of Smithtown
- PeraBell Food Bar, Patchogue
- Gator Blue, East Islip
- Rudi’s Bar & Grill, Patchogue
- GM Burger Bar, Rockville Centre
- Shennanigans Cafe, Ronkonkoma
Along with two friends and foodie companions, I happily waited on line to taste each restaurant’s offering. The event, sponsored by Amstel Light, was extremely crowded, and the lines occasionally got blurred together. Luckily, attendees were all very friendly and all the restaurants were prepared and unfazed by the onslaught of hungry red-meat eaters.
I confess that I lost my voting token, so my burger-eating was in vain, but my foodie buddies Mike and Matt both voted for O’Reilly’s Restaurant & Pub. I won’t say who I would have voted for, but it was definitely a close race! GM Burger Bar, whose burger had a seasoned, spicy kick, took home top honors. Their location may be too up-island for some, but I definitely recommend it to any serious burger fan.
Congrats to all of the participating restaurants, and I look forward to seeing who wins next year.