Makenzie HuberSioux Falls Argus Leader
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Papa Woody’s Wood Fired Pizza might focus on pizza, but that doesn’t mean the pizzeria can’t make a mean burger.
The fast-casual restaurant inside the Jones421 building in northern downtown Sioux Falls has won the 2021 Downtown Sioux Falls Burger Battle.
With thousands of votes cast in the Eighth Annual Burger Battle, the Uptowner burger stole the show, according to a Tuesday announcement from Downtown Sioux Falls.
This was the first year the restaurant participated in the battle. Owners Lisa and Steve Esser installed a flat top stove just in anticipation of the competition, said DTSF Community Coordinator Sadie Swier.
“We just wanted to say that we participated,” Lisa said. “I think, overall, we’re just so overwhelmed with the love and support downtown has seen in this.”
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The burger was concocted with a mix of ground chuck and brisket patty, smeared with a cream cheese mix of diced jalapenos, banana peppers and shredded cheddar. Melted cheddar and Munster cheese, charred pineapple bits and bacon drizzled with sweet chili sauce topped it off. The burger was served on a pretzel bun.
The couple said they will keep the Uptowner Burger on the menu permanently.
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Even the Argus Leader’s Secret Fork had a positive take on the burger.
“This thing was exactly one microgreen short of being entirely too much to handle,” they wrote. “The bacon was perfect. Between the glaze on the pineapple and the chili sauce, I felt this one was a bit on the sweet side. But, overall, a tasty, fun burger.”
The burger beat a record number of 23 other contestants and earned 1,809 votes. A total of 11,037 votes were cast this year, which is about 4,000 more than last year’s competition. There were 42 people who ate a burger at every single location.
“This is the biggest burger battle we’ve ever had,” Swier said during the announcement.
In second place was Chef Lance’s on Phillips with the MarketBeat Burger and Blarney Stone Pub with the Golden Porker Burger following in third place.Your stories live here.Fuel your hometown passion and plug into the stories that define it.Create Account
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The entries for this year’s Burger Battle:
- The Golden Porker, Blarney Stone
- Burger Wellington, Bread and Circus
- MarketBeat Burger, Chef Lance’s on Phillips
- Mac and Cheese Lobster Roll Burger, Crave
- Brie and Apple Burger, Crawfords
- BURGER No. 5 – ATTN: It’s messy, DaDa Gastropub
- The Broodburger, EightyOne Arcade Bar
- The Toon Burger, Falls Landing
- Big Beefy Boy Burger, Fernson Brewing Co.
- Bacon Cheeseburger “All the Way,” Five Guys
- Santa Fe Chimi Burger, Holiday Inn City Centre
- Smokey the Beer Cheese Burger, JL Beers
- Blue Leo, Leonardo’s Cafe at the Washington Pavilion
- THE Pizza Burger, MacKenzie River
- The Classic, Minervas
- Ode to Dill-icious Burger, Ode to Food and Drink
- The Uptowner, Papa Woody’s Wood Fire Pizza (winner of 2021 Burger Battle)
- Le French Burger, Parker’s Bistro
- Dr. Love, Pave
- Sriracha Chili Bacon Cheese Burger, Phillips Avenue Diner
- The Who Dat Burger, Swamp Daddy’s
- The Blue Wagyu, The Treasury
- The Loukah, TommyJack’s
- Farmer’s Breakfast Burger, Wiley’s
