UPDATE: This poll is now closed. The winner of the Burger Brackets has been announced! You can read who it is here.
Well, folks, when we started the Burger Brackets back at the beginning of March, we have to admit, we had a certain pre-conception about how things were going to go down in the burger wars. We knew we had selected 32 worthy burger spots, and that there would be some tough battles. But like most of you, we figured that it was obvious who'd make it down to the quarterfinals, semifinals, and who might even win. Ray's Hell Burger was a contender, for sure, as was Five Guys, and Palena Cafe's artful creation of a burger. Clearly, big-name burger joint that everybody expected to win, would, well, win. For all the fun this exercise in voting and brackets was, surely the outcome was a no-brainer.
But if there's one thing we've learned from the Burger Brackets (besides the fact that posting these every day for the past month may have contributed to us eating 79% more burgers for lunch than we normally would), it's that you should never underestimate the underdogs. Who knew that Elevation Burger had such devoted fans, for example, or Chadwick's? Who knew a steakhouse would make it to the top? Who'd have thunk that a little Arlington gastropub would make it all the way to the finals?
And yet, here we are. And with that, we bid adieu to the rest of the fine Burger Brackets contenders, say a prayer for our cholesterol levels, and give you the final burger face-off.
A quick note before we give you the finalists and the vote: This poll will stay open for a full week this time around. So burger fans can vote here until Friday, April 3. And another note regarding voting: If it appears that either side is employing, let's say, less-than-virtuous tactics to gain votes, then we reserve the right to disqualify that contender. Play fair, folks.
On to the Burger Brackets finalists!
BLT Steak: The juicy $16 lunchtime burger at BLT Steak is made from Black Angus beef and served on an old-school sesame bun.
EatBar: It's better known for its housemade hotdog, but the $10 burger at this Lyon Park gastropub is popular too. It's elevated by herbs and a good dose of butter, then topped with sweet pickles. There's even homemade ketchup to go with it.
Who makes the better burger? Vote in the poll below, spread the word to your friends, and leave your thoughts in the comments—and make sure to check back Friday, April 3 to see who made it to the Burger Brackets final!
Just a reminder: you can keep tabs on all the Burger Brackets and browse through past ones here.
>> Still have the voting bug? Cast a vote in our photo contest to help decide this month's winner.
