Burgers With Chuck: DIG Magazine’s Burger & Beer Week

by Chuck P

For most people, Christmas is the one day of the year they look forward to the most. For others it might be Halloween, Thanksgiving or their birthday, but for me it’s not just one day, it’s an entire week that eclipses any other holiday or event on the calendar. This glorious celebration is Burger & Beer Week taken directly from my dreams and brought to reality by the awesome people at DIG Magazine.

For the second year, the magazine has partnered with participating restaurants in Baton Rouge to create new and exciting burgers along with suggested beer pairings compliments of Crescent Crown Distribution. With a price point of $6 for the burgers and a variety of beer specials including The Boot from Abita Brewing and Samuel Adams Octoberfest it’s a win/win for burger and beer lovers.

DIG also donated $2 of every burger & beer photo posted to Instagram with the hashtag #eatBR to the Companion Animal Alliance.

As usual, our schedule here at Bite & Booze headquarters was just as hectic as any other week, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from getting my hands on some delicious burgers. After all, this is basically an event created for me right? Luckily, my choices this year were extremely better than last year so here’s a rundown of what made it into my belly:

City Pork Deli & Charcuterie: The Warehouse Burger

A really simple, no-frills burger that was absolutely delicious. A perfectly seasoned ground chuck patty, sweet caramelized onions, cheddar and their house-made bacon with mayo and ketchup with this burger, every bite was better than the last.

Mason’s Grill: The Fatty Melt

I texted Jay immediately when I saw the picture for this burger. A half pound patty with grilled onions between two buttery grilled cheese sandwiches. What’s not to love? If I were to add anything to this it would probably be a fried egg to add a bit of wetness to the burger. A cup of tomato soup would also be a sufficient sidekick.

Thai Kitchen: The Thai Herbal Burger

A burger from a Thai restaurant? That doesn’t serve burgers? Madness!

This was the burger I heard the most about during last year’s Burger & Beer Week. A lot of folks thought this was their favorite last year so I couldn’t live with myself if I missed it again. The herb/lemongrass seasoning used for the patty gave it a different flavor from a normal burger that I really liked. The Thai sauce was a nice touch but it could’ve used more on the burger. Overall a solid burger from one of my favorite Thai spots in town.

Your Mom’s Restaurant & Bar: Mac & Cheese Burger

How could I not try a burger with one of my favorite things in the world covering it? A juicy 8oz. patty topped with bacon and overflowing with the cheesiest of mac n’ cheeses and house-made ranch dressing is the burger I’d dream of in my youth. I can only hope they add this to their already impressive burger menu.

Burgersmith: The Hamburg

A mouth watering burger with a German twist, the already awesome Smith beef patty topped with sweet pickled cabbage, creole mustard, swiss and a fried egg between to soft pretzel buns put a twinkle in my eye. The cabbage and creole mustard combined for a unique, zingy taste with the already well seasoned patty and those pretzel buns were complete buttery goodness.

Once again, these restaurants crushed the burger game with some truly tasty and creative offerings. 

A big thanks to DIG Magazine for bringing back Burger & Beer Week to the masses. I’m already marking the days off on the calendar until the next one.