ANNOUNCING: Winners of Burgher Battle, presented by Pittsburgh City Paper and PA Beef Council

In July, Pittsburgh City Paper and PA Beef Council started a search for the best burger in the ‘Burgh. What normally would be a restaurant-hosted competition, Burger Month, became Burgher Battle, a citywide contest to be named Pittsburgh’s top burger.

Home cooks and restaurant chefs were invited to submit a photo and description of their burger masterpiece. Then, we asked you to tell us who deserved to be crowned a winner, by voting for your favorite burger.

And, with 25 entries and almost 1,500 votes, we have our winners.

Home Cooks

First place: The Burgher, Krista Kay

Giant Eagle dill pickle chips, Giant Eagle angel slaw, and diced onion on a quarter-pound patty with American cheese over Heinz ketchup and mustard. All on a toasted Giant Eagle hamburger bun. Served with mini tots and a pop.

Runner up: Banana Bottle Burger, Michael Desiderio

Bacon wrapped half pound grass fed beef patty stuffed with green peppers, onions, and banana peppers. Topped with pepper jack cheese and Hellmann’s creamy bourbon barbeque sauce. Lettuce, tomato and Hellmann’s mayo on a toasted Mancini’s Egg Kaiser bun.

Runner up: HUNGOVER, Nathan Mass

An angus beef-chuck-brisket burger loaded with jalapenos, onions, bacon, extra sharp cheddar cheese, and a fried egg. Presentation is key here – just look at it as it melts to perfection.

Restaurants

First place: Liberty Burger, Burgh’ers Brewing

Burger build from bottom bun to top bun: bottom potato bun, mixed greens, white onions, grass fed and finished beef (evenly and liberally salted), American cheese, pickles, tomato, in-house special sauce, top bun.

Runner up: Cash Money Melt, The Vault Taproom

Named after its creator Cash Culver (pictured above), the Cash Money Melt is a burger melt made with a 70/30 ground beef/mushroom blended burger topped with caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, house BBQ sauce crispy bacon on toasted sourdough and melted cheddar and swiss cheese.

Runner up: Steak House Burger, Tessaro's American Bar & Hardwood Grill

Eight ounces of blended beef ground fresh daily by Tessaro's in-house butcher, with candied jalapenos, grilled mushrooms and onions, applewood bacon, all smothered with Tessaro's house-created BBQ sauce and choice of cheese on a toasted bun.

Review the winners and read their full burger descriptions here.