Food

The Great Burger Battle: City Burger vs. Bourbon Steak Lounge

Plus—a new contender joins the food fight.

Bourbon Steak's prime burger (left) goes up against the patties at City Burger (right).

Welcome back to the Great Burger Battle! Yesterday we saw a clash between two multitudinous teams: Shake Shack and Elevation Burger, which both boast locations in Washington and worldwide. Even though Elevation claims a ten patty-high burger, the Shack Attack was able to smack them out of the game.

We have a quick announcement before today’s food fight begins. Sadly the Washington burger community lost one of its own this week, as Black & Orange permanently shuttered its last location on 14th Street. The games must go on, so true to name we have a plan b: Plan B Burger Bar, which will match up against Bobby’s Burger Palace in the final match of this first round on Tuesday.

Today’s round is no easy choice: Bethesda’s City Burger goes up against Bourbon Steak Lounge in Georgetown. While the former is far more casual than the Four Seasons steakhouse, both offer a meaty splurge. We head to Maryland for a Pit Stop craving—the beef decked out with cheddar, pepper relish, bacon, and barbecue sauce. Over in the District, one of our favorite indulgences is to post up in Bourbon Steak’s bar (where patties are always on the menu) for an expertly-made cocktail and oak-grilled prime steak burger cloaked in melty clothbound cheddar.

Who does it best? Decide in the polls.


Food Editor

Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.