With spring officially here and warm weather (hopefully) in its wake, Madisonians are already dreaming of sunny evenings spent relaxing on patios, sipping an ice cold beer and ordering a big, juicy burger. There are many patios to choose from, and lots of burgers to enjoy — but only one can be the best. We're back to determine who deserves that title!
CLICK TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE BURGER
For the third year, the Cap Times is proud to present Madison Burger Week. After adopting the annual citywide celebration to help declare Madison's best burger in 2022, we're firing up the grill to get the competition going again and see who can dethrone last year's winner: The Ready Set Burger.
This year, the mouthwatering week takes place May 17-24.
Participating restaurants, bars or taverns will either showcase a burger from their menu or concoct something new for you to try. Details about all the participating locations and burgers can be found below, as well as in the Madison Burger Week guide within the May 15 and 22 print editions of the Cap Times.
There's a lot at steak here, and no pressure, but—it's all up to you. Throughout the week of May 17-24, as you’re trying out scrumptious burgers, you can votedaily for whom you think makes Madison’s best. The winner, based on your votes, will be announced on June 5 in both the online and print editions of the Cap Times.
For some extra fun, we'll be randomly selecting voters each day to win a $25 gift card to a participating restaurant— so be sure to vote every day for your chance to win.
With 26 participating locations and 23 burgers competing for the title, we know it'll be an exciting week. Now, time to get munching and start voting!
Participating locations:
Bassett Street Brunch Club|The Brunch Burger: A half-pound ground chuck patty, American cheese, Jones Dairy Farm bacon, breakfast sausage, caramelized red onion, and a sunny-side-up egg, served on a toasted English muffin with a side of crispy breakfast potatoes and hollandaise. Address: 444 W Johnson St., Madison.
Bierock| The Meat Sweats Burger: A third-pound all-beef patty from Jenifer Street Market topped with smoked beef brisket, bacon jam barbecue sauce, sharp cheddar and crispy fried onions on a pretzel bun. Address: 2911 N Sherman Ave., Madison.
Bonfyre American Grille|The Wagyu Burger:A wagyu beef patty topped with peppercorn mayo, shallot jam, arugula, and Gruyèrecheese on a brioche bun. Address: 2601 W Beltline Highway, Madison.
Cento | The 100 Burger: A six-ounce Ney’s premium ground beef patty topped with Hook’s Five Year Cheddar, smoked onion jam, heirloom tomato, arugula, and Dijon aioli on a ciabatta bun. Address: 122 W Mifflin Street, Madison.
Craftsman Table & Tap | The Smash and Grab: Two patties of freshly ground steak and bacon mixed together, topped with Brie cheese, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, caramelized onions, fresh arugula, and garlic aioli on a pretzel bun. Address: 6712 Frank Lloyd Wright Ave., Middleton.
Dlux| The French Onion Burger: Double beef smash patties piled high with caramelized onions, crispy onion straws and melted Swiss cheese, and drizzled with aioli, on a Stella’s Bakery onion bun. Address: 117 Martin Luther King Blvd, Madison.
Grumpy Troll Brew Pub |Yingyang: A seven-ouncecertified Angus beef patty cooked to your desired temperature on a brioche bun with spring mix, topped with shredded carrots, diced green onions, a piece of smoked then fried pork belly and our yingyang sauce. Address: 105 S 2nd Street, Mount Horeb.
Hank's Burgers & Fish Fry | Hank Burger: 1/4-pound beef patty with American cheese, caramelized onion, pickles, and Hank's sauce. Address: 4102 Monona Drive, Madison.
Jordan's Big 10 Pub | The Old Fashioned Burger: A hand-pattied Jenifer Street Market burger topped with house cured brandy and orange bacon, brie cheese, and a brandied cherry compote. Address: 1330 Regent Street, Madison.
Licari's Bar & Grill| The Pull Tab Popper: A third-pound Jenifer Street Market burger smothered with homemade chipotle aioli, American and pepper jack cheese, bacon and TWO jalapeño poppers all on a Stella’s Bakery Spicy Cheese Bun. Also available as a salad. What could be better?! Oh, that’s right, it comes with a pull tab! Address: 1405 Emil Street, Madison.
Nitty Gritty: Downtown Madison, Middleton, Sun Prairie|TheWalking Taco Burger: A six-ounce ground chuck burger topped with homemade taco dip, guacamole, pico de gallo, and crispy tortilla strips on a brioche bun. Find location addresseshere.
Paddy Mac's Neighborhood Pub & Grill| Paddy Mac's Smash Burger: Two grilled patties topped with sautéed, caramelizedonions, chopped thick bacon, and melted American cheese with house-made Jameson aioli on a grilled, buttered bun, served with tavern parmesan chips. Address: 608 W Verona Ave., Verona.
PinSeekers | Cheeseburger In Paradise (for those with a carnivorous habit): An Angus beef patty on a toasted asiago bun topped with a big onion slice, iceberg lettuce, tomato and Heinz 57 aioli, served with a pickle spear. Address: 6909 River Road, DeForest.
Salvatore's Tomato Pies: Downtown| El Mystico: A Wells Farms beef patty and a corn tortilla topped with house cheese sauce and fresh chili relish, all on a Stalzy's butter bun. Address:10 N Livingston Street, Madison.
Salvatore's Tomato Pies: Sun Prairie| Utter Mayhem Burger: A half-pound Wells Farms beef patty topped with Farmer John’s Muscoda Mayhem cheese, house-made spicy pickles, crispy fries with 12 spiced house rub, butter lettuce and 'nduja aioli on a toasted Kaiser roll. Address:121 E Main St., Sun Prairie.
SCONNIEBAR | The Piggy Back Burger: A hand-pattied burger from Jenifer Street Market topped with slow roasted pulled pork, cheddar cheese, fried onion and our Ben's house-made SCONNIE burger sauce. Address: 1421 Regent Street, Madison.
The Audrey Kitchen + Bar|Bacon Bourbon Blueberry Burger: A seven-ouncebeef patty topped with Carr Valley Irish Valley Cheddar, thick-cut blueberry-glazed bacon, and fried shoestring onions, all nestled between a toasted brioche bun. Address: 9 E Wilson St., Madison.
The Borough Beer Co. & Kitchen | Cryin' Hawaiian Burger: A beef patty topped with ham, Swiss cheese, pineapple pico de gallo, chipotle mayo and mixed lettuce on a brioche bun. Address: 444 S Park St., Madison.
The Coopers Tavern | Currywurst Burger: A ground beef and pork patty seasoned like a bratwurst, topped with butterkäse cheese and sauerkraut and slathered with curry ketchup and stone ground mustard, on a pretzel bun. Address: 20 W Mifflin St., Madison.
The Flying Hound Alehouse | The Signature Flying Hound Burger: A Jenifer Street Market beef patty, Cherrywood bacon, Muenster cheese, arugula, red onion and tomato. Topped with house hot pepper mayo and a soft fried egg. Address: 6317 McKee Road, Fitchburg.
The Ready Set|The Ready Set Burger:Local gouda, fried onions, lettuce, pickles and Ready Set Sauce all on a 1/3-pound burger and a potato bun.Address:113 S Main St., Oregon.
The Waypoint Public House| PB&J Smash Burger: Two 1/4-pound Knoche’s beef patties, crispy prosciutto, brie, arugula and house-made peanut sauce and raspberry preserveson a brioche bun. Address: 320 W Broadway E, Monona.
Tipsy Cow: Downtown Madison and Sun Prairie| The Tipsy Cow Burger:Two 1/4-pound Knoche’s beef patties, 3-year Wisconsin cheddar cheese, Widmer’s brick cheese, Nueske’s smoked bacon, onion, Tipsy sauce, and Mike’s pickles. Addresses:102 King St., Madison;2816 Prairie Lakes Drive, Unit 107, Sun Prairie.
CLICK TO VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE BURGER
Thank you to our sponsor, theWisconsin Beef Council, for helping make this event possible.
If you are with a restaurant that would like to participate, email Scott Dahlhauser at sdahlhauser@madison.com. For information on how to sponsor this event, email Carrie Planert atcplanert@madison.com.
