Here Are the Official 2024 Owensboro Burger Week Winners

Owensboro Burger Week 2024 wrapped up this past weekend and WOW! What an exciting time! With a record-breaking number of 40 restaurants participating, it was a blast going around town trying all of the creative and delicious offerings.

A huge thank you to Visit Owensboro, The City of Owensboro, and sponsors Kentucky Beef Council, Green River Appliance, German American Bank, and Hill View Farms Meats for supporting and promoting this event. It's become a local holiday as far as I'm concerned. At only $7 a burger, folks came out in droves to try the culinary creations. I was only able to try 16 of them, but every single one knocked it out of the park.

Owensboro Restaurants Made Thousands of Burgers for Burger Week 2024

What I loved most was seeing old friends at some of my favorite spots and making new friends as I visited restaurants I'd never been to before. Some of them like Libertalia and Basil's Food Truck are brand new to the scene which is why supporting local business owners is so important and honestly what Burger Week is all about. Here's one of the highlight reels from Burger Week Day One.

@92.5_wbkr First Day of Owensboro Burger Week 2024!! They were all DELICIOUS!! What are you excited to try? #owensborokentucky #owensboro #owensboroburgerweek #visitowensboro #garysdrivein #nikosbakeryandcafe #windyhollowbiscuithouse #oldhickorybbq #libertalia #jordys #realhacienda #carnivalcafe #foodies #meatsweats #wbkr ♬ Beast Mode - ROKKA

Many of the restaurants even sold out of their Burger Week burgers! Multiple times! It was fun to follow them on social media to see what their daily burger counts were. I was amazed that some of them were able to sell hundreds each day from their little kitchens or outdoor set-ups made especially for the occasion. I know all 40 of the participating restaurants were busting their buns (literally and figuratively) to put out quality burgers for us all to enjoy.

Grippos, Funnel Cakes, and Pimento Cheese, Oh My!

The creativity this year was seriously impressive as well.  From Crab Rangoon, to Ghost Pepper cheese, to peanut butter, the ingredients were next level! Lots of salty and sweet flavor combinations meant there was something for every tastebud. This year, Owensboro Burger Week welcomed the first Afghan-style burger thanks to the folks at Pamir Afghan Cuisine.

Owensboro Burger Week 2024 People's Choice Winner

This was the first year the community got to join in the fun of selecting a winner. Proudly sponsored by German American Bank, this trophy goes to a restaurant that absolutely slayed their very first Burger Week. You may recognize them as they also won a competition for Best Breakfast in 2022.

Kim's Diner "Big Daddy's BBQ Burger"

Fresh ground beef patty with two pieces of cheese, bacon, BBQ pulled pork, grilled onions, and pickles on a bun featuring Joshua Taylor's incredible sauce.

Official Owensboro Burger Week 2024 Winners

For the first time in Burger Week history, we have a tie for the top spot! With 107 trillion possible scoring combinations from two separate panels of judges, the probability of this happening is pretty wild, but having tasted both burgers, I'm not at all surprised. Another fun fact is that they are both food trucks!

J's Good Grub "Dirty Diana"

Just Like the multi-platinum Michael Jackson banger that dropped in 1987, we bring you a multi-platinum burger. Specs include a 1/4 lb burger with melted cheddar over bacon, our signature Bourbon Sauce mixed with our famous Cajun Ranch Sauce topped with the famous Cajun Ranch Fries on a toasted Brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, and Bourbon Pickles.

If you are a frequent flyer of J's, you know it's always a party while you wait for your grub. They blast music from speakers, so of course, they had to add "Dirty Diana to the playlist! When we stopped by, everyone in line cheered when the song came on! It was a whole vibe.

Basil's Food Truck "The KY Dip Burger"

Newcomers led by Chef Cameron Anderson served up a burger featuring Hill View farms beef patty, shallot and bell peppers confit, comeback sauce, muenster cheese, crispy prosciutto, finished with an Ale-8 gastrique and Grippo’s dust, served with a Green River Bourbon au jus dipping sauce. Folks lined up all over town to experience this burger.

Collaboration Over Competition

Not only did these winners put out an astonishing amount of burgers, but they also championed collaboration with their burger ingredients and their social media love for other competitors. Congratulations to you all and to all of the 40 restaurants that participated.

Gotta also give a shout-out as well to the Top Five Judge's Choice Burgers.

2nd Place: Shiloh's Lounge

3rd Place: Ole South BBQ

4th Place: The Miller House

5th Place: Curbside Kitchenette

Owensboro is very lucky to have each and every one of you putting your heart and soul into spreading joy through your delicious food. Let's all be sure to continue supporting these restaurants year-round!

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The countdown to Owensboro Burger Week 2025 begins!

Here's a recap of all the wonderful 2024 Owensboro Burger Week burgers