New York burger lovers have narrowed the search for this year’s Best Burger down to four. After sifting through many nominations, voters have chosen this year’s final contestants in the Best NY Burger contest. 

The restaurants making the Final Four list (in alphabetical order) are: 

 ·         Ale n’ Angus Pub, Syracuse, “Holy Smokers Burger” 

 ·         Ben’s Fresh, Port Jervis, “Benny Burger” 

 ·         Brewer Union Cafe, Brewerton, “Bam Bam Burger” 

 ·         Illusive Restaurant and Bar, Rensselaer, “The Empire Smash Burger” 

 The four finalists will all travel to Onondaga Community College in Syracuse on May 9th for the final face-off. A panel of judges will taste and score each entry to determine the winner. The champion will be announced via Facebook Live during the event.   

 New York Beef Council launched its Annual Best NY Burger Contest on April 1st as a way to celebrate the iconic and most popular “sandwich” on a restaurant menu – the burger! The contests kick off with nominations from consumers, restaurants are encouraged to advocate for votes from their patrons to gain access to the Top 10 status.  After the top ten restaurants and their burgers have been nominated, NYBC calls out for votes to determine the Final Four who will then cook-off to determine the year’s Best NY Burger.   

 To qualify, the burger must be a 100% beef patty or patties, although other ingredients may be added such as spices, and served on a bun, or bread product.  Burgers may include any combination of condiments, sauces, cheese, or toppings.