Record-setting Downtown Burger Battle winner announced
Feb. 5, 2026
There’s a new Downtown Burger Battle champion for 2026.
Swamp Daddy’s Cajun Kitchen captured the top honor in the 13th annual event, with a winning score of 9.2 for its Bayou Stack Burger.
It’s a bananas Foster-inspired creation topped with smoky bacon and a slow-simmered onion and pepper chutney. The patty is a blend of beef, short rib and brisket, layered with two cheeses and finished with signature Cajun burger sauce on a jalapeno cheddar sweet potato bun.
“We thank the community for coming out, showing up, standing in line, being patient with us and waiting and enjoying something we were able to create,” owner Inkka Beaudion said.
“We could not have had this without our team. … It takes a team.”
CH Patisserie finished in second with a score of 9.17. The remaining top five were:
- Chef Lance’s on Phillips: 9.11
- Crawford’s Bar & Grill: 9.04
- Sanaa’s Gourmet Mediterranean: 8.95
Monks Ale House was honored for selling the most burgers, totaling 9,095. It’s the second consecutive year the restaurant sold the most burgers. This year’s entry, The Bob’s Popper Burger, has earned a permanent spot on the menu.
The winner of the storefront competition was Zandbroz Variety.
This year’s competition drew a record 50 participating restaurants selling 95,758 burgers.
There were nearly 51,000 votes counted and more than $1.7 million spent on burgers. The estimated economic impact was more than $3.6 million.
“Everything we do is about creating reasons for people to show up, to create community, to stick around,” said Brandon Hanson, president and CEO of Downtown Sioux Falls Inc. “Burger Battle is one of our favorite ways to do that. … Because of a burger, a simple burger, connections were made, community was built.”
The competition is sponsored by POET.
“Events like the Burger Battle are a great reminder of what makes Sioux Falls and this community so special,” said Erin Branick, media manager for POET.
“Burgers and biofuels might sound like different worlds, but they all start in the same place — with hard work and homegrown innovation.”
Winner Swamp Daddy’s captures the trophy with an uncertain future. The owners announced this week they will be leaving their space at the Jones421 Building at 421 N. Phillips Ave. at the end of the month. They’re looking for a new location and already have explored some options, Beaudion said. The burger will be staying on the menu for the rest of February, she said.
