Eat burgers. Vote for your favorite. Repeat.
In honor of Burger Wars, Opelika's annual burger grilling contest coming up on June 5, we've expanded the burger competition! You can put your taste buds to the test and enjoy these competing burgers at their respective restaurants starting May 1 leading up to the big event. Burger Battles is on!
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS:
- Dine-in at one of the following participating restaurants in Auburn-Opelika and order their featured burger.
- Really savor it! Is it the BEST burger you've ever tried? Probably.
- Throughout the month of May, @AuburnOpelika will be posting about the competing burgers.
- You can vote by commenting on any of our Burger Battles social media posts with your favorite burger.
- Want to earn more points for your favorite burger? Snap a selfie eating it, and tag us @AuburnOpelika!
Introducing the Best Burgers in Auburn-Opelika:
White Cheddar Cheese Burger
Zazu Gastropub
Zazu's White Cheddar Burger is an 8 oz. custom steak blend with black garlic aioli, topped with their famous chow chow and, of course, white cheddar cheese. At Zazu, you can expect a "fine dining" meal in a relaxed atmosphere, where everything is made from scratch.
Open Tuesday-Thursday from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., Friday-Saturday from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The Loser Burger
La Cantina
La Cantina surprisingly offers a few burgers on their menu! The best one, the Loser Burger, features a blend of local ground beef from Collins Farms with spicy chorizo sausage, topped with a three-cheese blend, shredded romaine lettuce, fresh fried onions, avocado slices, and chipotle mayo. "Named as such because it didn’t win the 2019 Burger Wars - but it should have!"
Open Tuesday-Thursday from 3 p.m. - 9 p.m., and Friday-Saturday from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Black & Bleu Burger
Auburn Plaza Bar & Lounge
This local favorite is sending their classic Black & Bleu Burger into Burger Battles! Auburn Plaza's burger features a blackened patty, pecan-smoked bacon, jalapeños, crispy onions, and creamy bleu cheese sauce.
Open Tuesday-Sunday at 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
Juicy Lucy Burger
Lucy's
The Juicy Lucy is an award-winning burger, and you will taste why. Named accurately, the burger is a juicy beef patty served with sharp white cheddar cheese, bacon, and a fancy onion marmalade poblano aioli. Lucy's uses locally sourced food and is "made from the heart, served from the heart."
Open Tuesday-Thursday from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. & 5 - 10 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. & 5-10 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Texas Cowboy Burger
Acre
You can't have a food competition without talking about Chef David Bancroft's Acre, and lucky for you, they've got burgers. Check out the Texas Cowboy Burger this month and you'll taste what all the hype is about. This cowboy delicacy features a jalepeño aioli with crispy onion ring strings, crispy Acre bacon, and pepper jack cheese on a brioche bun.
Open Monday - Tuesday from 5-9 p.m., Wednesday-Thursday from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. & 5-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. & 5 -10 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The Diner Burger
Bow & Arrow
Speaking of Acre, Bancroft's second restaurant is also going head-to-head in Burger Battles! Bow & Arrow's Diner Burger includes melty cheese, a special sauce, "shredduce," tomato, onions, and pickles all topped with a sesame bun. Which Bancroft burger is better? You let us know.
Open Monday-Saturday from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The Southern
Niffer's Place
Niffer's is a staple in the Auburn-Opelika area. The Southern Burger is a fresh hand-pattied ground beef topped with lettuce, fried green tomatoes, and homemade Mexicali sauce on BBQ bread.
Open Sunday from 11 a.m. - 8 p.m., Monday-Wednesday from 11 a.m.- 8:30 p.m., Thursday from 11 a.m.-9 p.m., and Friday-Saturday from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
The 123 Burger
Cafe 123
Opelika's fine-dining restaurant, Cafe 123, is coming in hot with its 123 Burger! It's made with fresh in-house ground beef, Monterrey jack cheese, applewood smoked bacon, brussels sprout and Vidalia onion slaw, whole grain mustard, and all topped on a toasted brioche bun. Brussel sprouts means it's super healthy, so don't worry.
Open for lunch Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m.-2 p.m., and for dinner Tuesday-Saturday from 6 p.m. until.
Brisket Smash Burger
Rob's Ribs
New to the burger scene is Rob's Ribs! This hungry man's heaven features two house-ground brisket patties, house-made spicy pickles, barbecue onions, Duke's mayonnaise, and mustard on a buttered bun. We see you, Rob's Ribs.
Open daily from 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Smoked Venison Burger
The Hound
Last but not least, the Hound has entered their Smoked Venison Burger into Burger Battles! We expect great things from a place like this. The burger features a blended venison and smoked bacon burger, pepper jack cheese, chipotle aioli, green tomato chow chow, and artisan lettuce on a toasted kaiser roll.
Open Tuesday-Friday from 5-9 p.m., Saturday brunch from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. & dinner from 5-9 p.m., and Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Thank you for playing Burger Battles! We look forward to hearing which burger is your favorite. Don't forget to follow @AuburnOpelika on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter so you can cast your vote. We will announce the winner of Burger Battles after June 5. May the best burger win!
Burger Battles and Burger Wars are separate events. You can learn more about Burger Wars and register for it here.