‘Tis the season for voting, and in addition to the 2022 Midterm Elections, you can cast your vote for the best burger in Macon. The fifth annual Macon Burger Week returned Nov. 7-13 and offered interesting takes on the original all-American burger.
Macon Burger Week was founded in 2018 by the Georgia Beef Board and gives local restaurants an opportunity to create unique dishes and promote their businesses.
The participating establishments are Amici Macon, Bearfoot Tavern, Buffalo’s Café, Cashman's Pub, Dua Fish Tank, Fall Line Brewing, Felicia’s Cake Factory, Glory Days Grill, Grey Goose Player's Club, Just Tap’d, Kinjo Kitchen and Cocktails, La Bella Morelia, Macon Beer Company, Macon Water Ice, Marie’s Lounge, Midtown Daiquiri Bar and Grill, Northside Cheers, Ocmulgee Brewpub, Oh Honey Baking Company, Statterfields’s Barbeque, The Brick, The Library Kitchen and Taphouse, The Rookery, Tommy’s Bakery, VIBEZ, and Yollah.
Each burger is listed as $10, and participants are encouraged to complete a “Burger Passport.” If participants receive at least five stamps by purchasing burger week items, then they have the chance of winning prizes if the passports are sent to the Georgia Beef Board at P.O. Box #28230, Macon, GA 31221.
Macon Beer Company won both the 2020 and 2021 competitions and is raising the bar with this year’s entry called the “Mississippi Mouthful” burger.
The Mississippi Mouthful is described as a “Double stack Certified Angus Beef burger, melted gruyere cheese, thin shaved caramelized yellow onions and chopped pepperoncini peppers in between a toasted King's Hawaiian Burger Bun and served with a house-made au jus for dipping."
When asked why the Macon Beer Company burgers are so successful in the competition, Operating Partner Michael Dean explains that it is all in the balance.
“We try to be as creative as we can without going too far outside of the lines so that it doesn't alienate, you know, a certain crowd of people that wouldn't normally go that far out.”
In addition to creating a fun event for the Macon community, Macon Burger Week also helps local restaurants promote business.
“It brings a lot of people out to different restaurants that maybe they would not try or haven't tried before,” Dean said. “I think it’s extremely beneficial for all the participants to bring in clientele that they typically would not see. And then, hopefully, that turns into repeats.”
Many places, such as Glory Days Grill, located at 3933 Arkwright Road in Macon, take the classic burger and add a unique twist. Their entry burger, the MacnCheese Burger, is described as a “7 oz Seasoned All Beef Patty grilled with lettuce, tomato, onion topped with cheddar cheese, a crispy mac n cheese bite and our homemade Queso served on a buttered Brioche Bun,” according to maconburgerweek.com.
Other places, such as Just Tap’d on 488 First St. have completely reimagined the classic burger.
Instead of making a patty on two buns, the restaurant took the elements of a burger and created a “Big Mac Pizza Burger,” which is described as “Crumbled Beef, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, pickles, cheddar cheese, and signature burger sauce on a sesame seed crust."
Felicia's Cake Factory and Oh Honey Baking Company had a creative take on burger week: a dessert burger.
Felicia's Cake Factory created a cake burger with buttercream condiments and sugar cookie fries. The burger features vanilla cake as the buns and a chocolate cake burger patty.
Oh Honey Baking Company crafted a macaron burger which is described as “A chocolate macaron shell with toasted sesame seeds, ganache with strawberry compote and swiss buttercream ‘cheese.'"
Felicia’s Cake Factory is located at 365 Third St. and Oh Honey Baking Company is located at 2391 Ingleside Drive.
Go to maconburgerweek.com and click “Vote Now” to help your favorite burger win the prize. The winners of the Macon Burger Week competition will be decided on Nov. 15 and released on Nov. 16.
Maura Rutledge ‘25 is a Journalism student at Mercer University. She has previously worked for The Cluster as an Arts and Culture and News reporter, and currently works as the Managing Editor. She enjoys thrifting, fashion, reading and writing in her spare time.
