Burger Bash Kicks Off SOBEWFF: BurgerFi and Motek Café take home Top Prizes

BurgerFi BBQ Rodeo Burger: Photo credit World Redeye

The winner of the 22nd Annual Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival® Burger Bash presented by Schweid & Sons is South Florida burger chain, BurgerFi. Now with 120 locations around the country, the team from BurgerFi won over the team of celebrity judges with its BBQ Rodeo Burger, which the company launched in-store earlier this month and will be available for a limited time through April 17th.

The winning burger was created using Schweid & Sons all-natural Angus beef, topped with charred jalapeños, pepper jack cheese, crispy haystack onions and sweet Memphis BBQ sauce.

BurgerFi was chosen from a competitive slate of 30 restaurants, taking home the coveted Judges prize, which included Schweid & Sons’ trophy for “The Very Best Burger Award” and a check for $2500 presented by President and CEO, Jamie Schweid.

This year’s Burger Bash featured the return of celebrity host Emeril Lagasse who was joined by a star-studded judging panel including Robert Irvine of Food Network fame, Phil Rosenthal of Netflix hit Somebody Feed Phil, Nicole Gates of Lil Greenhouse Grill in Miami, Jawan Strader of NBC 6 South Florida, Iron Chef Ming Tsai of MingsBings and BaBa at Yellowstone Club, and Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports.

Israeli café with locations downtown and in Aventura (and coming soon to Coral Gables), Motek Cafe won the People’s Choice Award and a $5,000 prize for its Arayes Burger, which is served on pita. This is the second People’s Choice award in a row for Motek, which also won last year.

The SOBEWFF events may be over, but you can still continue supporting the festival and FIU by shopping the online auction until March 8th HERE.