Eat & Swig [1]

Last week, we told you about five Louisville donuts you needed to sink your teeth into right now. [4] This week, we bring you…cheeseburgers you should eat in Louisville ASAP.

 

 

 

Yes, the cheeseburger item on our list is this monstrous burger challenge. The Statue of Liberty burger is a whole-hog doozy: for $50, you get a massive 3.5 lb burger (a blend of Fox Hollow Farm’s ground beef, brisket and skirt steak) with 16 slices of bacon, eight slices of American cheese, lettuce, tomato, spicy Russian dressing and 1 lb of crinkle-cut fries or tater tots.        

 

If you succeed in downing the whole thing in less than 30 minutes, “The American Victor” will get a t-shirt, a picture of themselves on the Wall of Victors, and their meal for free. If you fail – you pay for the burger, and you end up on the wall of shame. Half of the proceeds from each Statue of Liberty Burger Challenge will go to Active Heroes. Pictured is the first person to attempt and complete the Statue of Liberty Burger Challenge, but not the last.  For the (slightly) fainter of heart, try the Tampa Melt burger, it’s served between two grilled cheese sandwiches as buns.

 

 

​Mussel & Burger Bar 2  [7]
113 S. 7th St. 749-6454
 

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Images: Mussel & Burger Bar [8]

 

Downtown diners rejoice: Mussel & Burger Bar now lives where St. Charles Exchange was once in business. MBB2 is open for lunch, and their Cubano Burger (a totally new addition to the Mussel & Burger Bar brand) is made with their 100% Certified Angus Black Beef, ground in-house daily, topped with Swiss, pickles and Woodlands Pork lardo. The lardo is what makes this burger so special: it’s basically bacon-flavored butter that melts beautifully into the patty. This burger also comes with sweet potato fries and smoked pineapple dipping sauce.

 

Image: [10]EatLoveLouisville [11]

 

Fontleroy’s has recently opened on a nice wave of positive buzz - their short rib is even our bite of the week [12]! Fontleroy's steak and egg burger comes with Benton’s bacon, Tilamook cheddar, fried eggs, caramelized onions and Fontleroy’s sauce. Here's your perfect date night: the steak and egg burger, plus Fontleroy's duck and waffle with foie gras butter and bourbon maple syrup. Split both entrees so the protein of the burger quells your immediate hunger, then progress to the foie gras butter waffles. 

 

   

Image: Stout Burgers   [13]                                                          Image: LouisvilleNoms [14]

 

Don’t let the fact that Stout Burgers & Beers has locations in California stop you from visiting this well-done Highlands burger-and-beer joint. All their burgers can also be ordered on salad rather than on bread; a nice touch for diners trying to cut back on carbs. Stout’s Goombah is topped with smoked mozz, parm flakes, crispy prosciutto and a lemon basil aioli. Stout recommends beers to pair with each of their burgers to make ordering easy; finish off with an out-of-this-world  bread pudding.

 

   

Image: Big Four Burgers [16]                                                          Image: [11]EatLoveLouisville [11]

 

Come on. Louisville is supposed to be the birthplace of the iconic Hot Brown AND the cheeseburger, so this combination seem obvious. Big Four’s Hot Brown is a turkey burger, served with house-made mornay sauce, swiss cheese, bacon, and fresh tomato on grilled sourdough bread. Order with a side of the house-made pork rinds and finish it all off with a strawberry milkshake. 

 

 

   

Image: LouisvilleNoms      [18]                                                                                              Image: Twig & Leaf [17]

 

YEARS ago, The Twig & Leaf was actually known for having a GREAT diner cheeseburger. The Twig has been through a lot over the past few years [19], and is now open under new management. Let’s visit and hope the glory that once was the Twig & Leaf burger lives again!

 

Cover image courtesy of Shutterstock/MackenzieRamos [20]