Monticello Restaurant Among 10 Finalists for Iowa’s Best Burger Contest

The beginning of springtime signals many things, including the fact that Iowa Beef Industry Council's "Best Burger in Iowa" contest is here. This week, the council released the 10 finalists for the contest, with one poised be crowned the winner of the best burger in the entire state.

More than 500 restaurants across the Hawkeye state were nominated during this year's voting process, per Iowa Beef Industry Council Marketing Director Kylie Peterson. But just simply serving a burger doesn't automatically make a restaurant eligible for the council's prize.

The Criteria for the Contest:

In order to qualify for the Iowa Beef Industry Council's Best Burger Contest, a restaurant's burger must be:

• A 100% real beef patty served on a bun or bread product
• Inclusive of any combination of condiments, sauces, cheese, or toppings

Previous winners of the competition were allowed to compete in this year's contest. Three of those previous winners were among the top 10 finalists this year, including Chuckwagon Restaurant in Adair (winner in 2016); The Flying Elbow in Marshalltown (2022); and Flight Bar + Grille in Huxley (2023).

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The Nominees for the 2024 Best Burger in Iowa Contest:

• Big Head Burger, Waterloo
• Chuckwagon Restaurant, Adair
• Flight Bar + Grille, Huxley
• Houston's On Main, Milo
• JJ's Tavern + Grill, Ankeny
• Lucile's at the Continental Hotel, Centerville
• The Flying Elbow, Marshalltown
• The Market at the Tap, Monticello
• Wilder at Graduate Iowa City, Iowa City
• Williamson Tavern, Williamson

The Iowa Beef Industry Council's contest now enters its final phase. A panel of anonymous judges will now visit each of the 10 restaurants and evaluate the burgers based on taste, appearance, presentation, and condition. The judges' scores and comments will be accumulated with the winner being announced on May 1st, 2024 as a kick-off to May Beef Month.

Past Winners of the Best Burger in Iowa: 

Here are a list of past winners of the Best Burger in Iowa contest, per KCCI:

• 2010: Sac County Cattle Company, Sac City
• 2011: Rusty Duck, Dexter
• 2012: Coon Bowl III, Coon Rapids
• 2013: 61 Chop House Grille, Mediapolis
• 2014: Brick City Grill, Ames
• 2015: The Cider House, Fairfield
• 2016: Chuckwagon Restaurant, Adair
• 2017: Smokin' Herford, Storm Lake
• 2018: Cafe Beaudelaire, Ames
• 2019: Wood Iron Grille, Oskaloosa
• 2020: The Twisted Tail Steakhouse & Saloon, Logan
• 2021: Bambino's, Ossian
• 2022: The Flying Elbow, Marshalltown
• 2023: Flight Bar + Grille, Huxley

Read more about the Best Burger in Iowa contest on the Iowa Beef Industry Council's website.