The popularity of the hamburger comes and goes. Over the past couple of years, the popularity has gone off the charts. I believe this is due in part to the economy. Folks still want to dine out, but are leaning towards less expensive menu offerings.

The amount of burger places that have opened in recent months has grown leaps and bounds. There is Meatheads, Smash Burger, Epic Burger, and Lettuce Entertain You’s M Burger, to name a few. Being a restaurant known as a steak and seafood mecca, we know that our burgers are an important part of our menu as well. Recently, we have made some changes to our burgers to “kick it up a notch!”

Among the delicious changes is our burger blend which now consists of prime meats. We are also on the brink of changing to a thicker burger, which will make it even juicier. And, we have made our bun even better. And of course, we serve the burgers with our hand-cut french fries.

We have always been famous for our stuffed burgers. We have also had great success with our High Plains Bison Burgers. And in the last couple of years we introduced a fantastic veggie burger that is loved by meat eaters and vegetarians alike. I’m also trying out some Midwest artisan cheeses soon that we’ll be using to top our burgers, so watch for that!

We grill our burgers and I think this method creates the best flavor you can get. Another method that is tasty (but not my preference!) is cooking on the griddle, which is basically cooking the burger in its fat.

So, are you a burger lover? If so, the next sentence is going to be an exciting one! I would like to announce the “Ultimate Burger Contest”! Whether it’s a spice blend, marinade, topping combination or all of the above, start thinking about your favorite burger recipe or experiment on a new one! Details of the contest will come on the next blog.

From the wood burning oven,