Burgertime: Ankeny Field Work

Today is Ander’s birthday so I need to wish him a happy birthday.

Happy birthday Anders!

I hope your birthday is filled with all the robots and all the monsters and all the robot monsters you can handle!

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This Sunday’s food adventure involves the burger that won Best Burger in Iowa in 2024. This seems to be a distinction mostly dominated by central Iowa restaurants lately.

Here is a list of past winners:

2023 – Flight Bar + Grille – Huxley
2022 – The Flying Elbow – Marshalltown
2021 – Bambino’s – Ossian
2020 – Twisted Tail Steakhouse & Saloon – Beebeetown
2019 – Wood Iron Grille – Oskaloosa
2018 – Cafe Beaudelaire – Ames
2017 – Smokin’ Hereford – Storm Lake
2016 – The Chuckwagon Restaurant – Adair
2015 – The Cider House – Fairfield
2014 – Brick City Grill – Ames (Recently Closed)
2013 – 61 Chop House Grille – Mediapoolis
2012 – Coon Bowl III – Coon Rapids
2011 – Rusty Duck – Dexter
2010 – Sac County Cattle Company – Sac City

A good portion of these restaurants are within an hour of my front door.

These were the finalists in 2010:

+ Big Head Burger – Waterloo
+ Flight Bar + Grille – Huxley
+ JJ’s Tavern + Grill – Ankeny
+ The Flying Elbow – Marshalltown
+ Wilder @ Graduate – Iowa City
+ Chuckwagon Restaurant – Adair
+ Houston’s on Main – Milo
+ Lucille’s @ The Continental Hotel – Centerville
+ The Market at the Tap – Monticello
+ Williamson Tavern – Williamson

Of the 10 finalists in 2024, I’ve eaten at:

+ Flight Bar + Grille – Huxley
+ The Flying Elbow – Marshalltown
+ Chuckwagon Restaurant – Adair
+ Williamson Tavern – Williamson

They will be announcing the finalists in a couple of month. Here are the rules:

Official Rules

1. Entries will be accepted online between February 10, 2025 and March 10, 2025. Voting will end at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 10, 2025.
a. To enter online: Visit www.iabeef.org. Click on “Best Burger Contest”. Follow the on-screen directions to submit your nomination.
2. Burgers must be available on the nominated restaurant’s regular menu.
3. Restaurant must be open for business by the beginning of the nomination period – February 10, 2025 and must be open year-round.
4. A restaurant may only win Iowa’s Best Burger Contest one time.
5. The Sponsors (IBIC and ICA) retain the discretion to make all decisions regarding the interpretation of the Official Rules. All decisions of the Sponsors are final and discretionary.

What Constitutes a Burger?

1. To qualify as a hamburger, the burger must be 100% beef although other ingredients may be added to the patty (such as spices, vegetables, etc.)
2. All burgers must be composed of a formed ground beef patty/patties served on a bun or other bread product (such as biscuits, focaccia or tortillas). Burgers may include any combination of condiments (such as ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard), sauces (such as barbeque or hot sauce), cheeses and toppings (such as bacon, onions, tomatoes and lettuce). Every component of the burger must be placed between the bun or bread pieces, or served open-faced on a bread product.

If you have a burger place that you would like to nominate, wait a couple weeks, come back to this post and follow the rules on the flyer:

But before the 2025 contest gets into full swing, I figured that I better hit up the 2024 Winner since it is pretty dang close to my front steps. Located on what I’m calling the Burger Highway. Highway 69. Derrick’s band UnHingd once wrote a song about the Burger Highway. At least I assume it is was about all the tasty burgers you can find in towns located on Highway 69. What else would it be about? 3 past winners are located on the Burger Highway. Including the 2023 winner. Including the 2024 winner. In fact both are on 69. Less than 20 miles apart. That makes 4 winners on the Burger Highway! I’m predicting this year’s winner will be in Belmond.

I hit up the 2024 winner, JJ’s Tavern + Grill in Ankeny a few weeks back with Dre and RMK.

Here are some pictures from the meal:

I went with the Brock Curdy, obviously.

Health food. Mental health food.

Of course I popped for the onion rings.

Sorry, this is a terrible picture. But it shows what a tasty mess this burger is.

Same.

I should start with a moment of honesty. I’m not a huge fan of the smash burger. If you don’t know what a smash burger is, keep reading…

A smash burger is a burger patty that’s smashed onto a hot griddle or pan to create a thin, crispy patty with a caramelized crust.

But just because the smash burger is far from my favorite kind of burger, it doesn’t mean you can’t make a tasty burger out of them.

THE GOOD

+ The burger is inspired by Brock Purdy. Loyal sons forever true!
+ This is a tasty burger! Jules Winfield would approve.
+ The onion rings were on point. Not the best ever, but pretty dang good!
+ The service was fantastic. There was only one server on duty, but she was aces!
+ It’s not cheap, but it doesn’t break the bank. Portion sizes are fair for the price.
+ A restaurant in Ankeny that isn’t corporate!
+ First time I’ve seen Russell in person since before the pandemic and he dropped some knowledge bombs on us. It has been a minute since I saw Andree in the Cyclone State to boot. And he paid for the chicken wings!

THE BAD

+ The chicken wings were a bit mid.
+ It is in a strip mall. Gross.
+ It is in Ankeny. Gross.
+ It feels too well lit to have the name tavern. Too nice. Borderline bougie.

THE UGLY

+ They serve Coke products.

THE DAMAGE

+ For a Brock Curdy, upgraded onion rings, water, and with tip: $27.09.

THE VERDICT

+ I will definitely go back. I don’t know I would make a special trip to Ankeny for it, but if I was stuck in horrible Ankeny and needed a place to meet some chums, I would definitely suggest it.
+ It isn’t as good as previous Best Burger winners Flight (Huxley) or Flying Elbow (Marshalltown). But those are in the pantheon of burgers with Rusty Duck (Dexter).

HOW DO YOU EAT THERE

JJ’s Tavern + Grill
1975 N. Ankeny Boulevard
Ankeny, Iowa

Monday: Closed
Tuesday – Thursday: 11 AM – 8 PM
Friday & Saturday: 11 AM – 9 PM
Sunday: 11 AM – 8 PM

Next Sunday’s food adventure will involve a new bakery!