Two times proved to be the charm for Northville’s BurgerFi. Its “Rodeo Burger” wowed judges to earn top honors at Sunday’s, June 28, Burger Battle Detroit.
BurgerFi’s Rodeo burger is crafted with two generous all beef patties, topped with grilled jalapenos, Pepper Jack cheese, fried onions and barbecue sauce. While it has a bit of kick, the jalapeno’s and Pepper Jack mellow some with the sweet tasting barbecue sauce.
BurgerFi owner Alban Shehu called the win “unbelievable.”
“We weren’t really expecting it,” Shehu told the Free Press. “I know we have a great product, but the competition always, looks like really good.
Shehu said this was his second time in several years competing in Burger Battle and that there was a lot of competition.
“But I know I have the best burger, and I got a check to tell me that and a trophy tell me that,” Shehu said.
Taking place at Eastern market shed 5, this year’s Burger Battle was one for the books as the stakes were high with this year’s overall winner crowned the “Burger of the Decade.” Eight metro Detroit burger competed standing over hot grills, battling Sunday’s hot temperatures grilling burgers and creatively assembling them.
Burgers lovers came together on standing in line and battling Sunday’s 80-degree temperatures to savor burger samples at an ultimate annual competition.
At Eastern Market, this year’s annual competition was one for the books as burger places were trying to create Detroit’s best burger.
Sunday’s event marked Burger Battle Detroit’s 10th anniversary by raising the stakes crowning this year’s winner with the “Burger of the Decade” title along with a $1,000 check and a trophy.
Eight burger spots competed to earn top votes. Only the five burgers that got the most votes were sent to the judges table.
Here are the metro Detroit places that made it to the judges table:
Returning champs pull out the stops
At the competition, chefs pull out stops, grilling a steady stream of burgers, placing them on grilled bun and topping them with special sauces like chimichurri, cheeses, crunchy friend onions and even steak tartare.
AlJoom’s returned this year hoping to earn the title again. It was 2023 when AlJoom’s Barbecue Burger won the Burger Battle. This year Aljoom’s earned second place with its burger of a patty topped with brisket smoked for 14 hours, American and Swiss cheese, bacon mayo, homemade barbecue sauce and crunchy onions.
Kozy Lounge was another favorite to return. This time Kozy’s gussied Battelle Burger included an assembly line of ingredients from garlic aioli to Swiss cheese to a, herby chimichurri sauce. Frita Batidos is a two-time, back to back winner and vying for third win this year. Instead, Frita Batidos took home People Choice award.
Each year, the competition has an award for best presentation. This year the award went to Tiliani in Dearborn and its steak tartare burger. Starting this year and moving forward, that award will be given in honor of the late chef Max Hardy, who died unexpectedly in 2024 at age 40.
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SusanMariecooks. Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for insider scoops on food and dining in metro Detroit.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: BurgerFi’s ‘Rodeo Burger’ earns best burger title at Burger Battle
Reporting by Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
