After “seafood” in this area, the most-asked question I get is: “What are your top burgers?”
Most times I’m asked for two or three. Sometimes I’m asked for five. One time I was asked to name my top five, and then a second five when the original five didn’t include this person’s go-to.
Try naming 10 great burgers in this area on the fly. If you enjoy them, you could probably do it, but it is not easy.
All that to tell you how popular the burger – and burger culture in this country – can be. If you like trying a variety, then you already know that. Now, we are giving you an opportunity to do just that at the of the month.
The Eat It and Like It Burger Bash is a first-time event for us. It will run August 18-28 and will feature roughly two dozen burgers across the region, from Savannah to Beaufort, including, of course, Hilton Head Island and Bluffton.
The idea was something we’ve been tossing around for a couple of years and finally thought it was the right time to go for it. We’ve been met with great enthusiasm by most of the restaurants we’ve approached. They couldn’t sign up fast enough.
Jesse Blanco enjoys a delicious cheese burger from Tin and Tallow.
So, what exactly is this event?
The Burger Bash is a 10-day experience in which participating restaurants will either feature a burger (or burgers) that they’ve never offered before, or offer you a current burger on their menu for a special price. For some, it’s an opportunity to have some fun outside of their menu. For other participants, it’s a way to introduce an already popular burger to a larger audience. Either way, there will be a price cap of $20.
For example, how many of you have been asked about a great burger in Bluffton and you’ve responded by suggesting this person cross the bridge and try Tin and Tallow? You know you have. I know I have. Heck, I’ve told several people in Savannah that they should take a Saturday afternoon drive over to T&T to try the burger. A big selling point is the fact that it is – almost literally – right over the bridge once you get onto the island.
Similarly, I’ve told a great many people on the island that they should invest a Saturday drive up to St. Helena Island to try the burgers at Beedos. Yes, they are worth THAT drive.
Over in Savannah, there are a ton, including the 2 a.m. burger being featured at Ardsley Station. It’s an 8-ounce patty, topped with bacon jam, an egg, and fried hash browns. The goal is to cure any hangover. I think it might.
Fans of Rocky’s of Savannah NY Deli should also know that Bill is planning to offer The Pastrami Bomb double smash patties topped with a quarter pound of his house-made pastrami.
Pete at Slider Bar in Old Town Bluffton is offering a couple of options including a fried chicken breast on a creme bruleed doughnut. Yeah … that’s not a typo.
There are many, many more, but you get the picture.
Other island participants include Char Bar and the aforementioned Tin and Tallow. By the time we kick this thing off, the goal is to have somewhere between 25 and 30 participating restaurants.
You can see the full list as it evolves anytime at eatitburgerbash.com
A couple of notes to share here if you are considering taking part at one or a few venues: There are no special tickets required. Reservations vary from place to place. My guess is none of our participants (especially in the Lowcountry) will require a reservation, but it’s always smart to check … especially on a weekend.
Beyond that, we are letting everyone know that sharing will be strongly discouraged, but it will be handled on a restaurant-by-restaurant basis. Of course, the polite thing is to ask first.
I don’t know about you, but as I write this, I am making my lists and checking them twice, even though it is mid-July. I’m planning to get to all of them over two weeks. If you get to 20 of them, I want to hear from you. Shoot me a line at tips@eatitandlikeit.com.
Good luck and happy eating!