NE Iowa Restaurant Wins Iowa's 2026 Best Burger Competition

We have a winner! Iowa's annual Best Burger Contest has come to an end, and the 2026 winner is...

Dixie's Biergarten in Decorah!

The Competition

Back in mid-March, the Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association announced the ten finalists for this year's Best Burger Contest, which were determined by nominations sent in by Iowans earlier this year. Since then, a panel of judges has been hard at work traveling to all ten restaurants and determining which one has the best burger, based on the following criteria:

Taste of Burger Patty - 50%
Appearance & Presentation - 30%
Proper Cooking Temperature/Degree of Doneness (medium doneness, internal temperature reaching 160° F) - 10%
Overall - 10%

The Finalists

In case you missed the original announcement, here are the top ten burgers in Iowa for 2026:

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The Winner

On the very first day of National Beef Month, the Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association have revealed that Dixie's Biergarten in Decorah is this year's champion! The official website says:

"This year’s Best Burger is hand-crafted with high-quality, fresh, never-frozen ingredients. The feature, of course, is the beef. The foundation of the burger is two four-ounce smash patties made of a proprietary, custom-blend that includes brisket and chuck, ground to a precise fat percentage. The burger is served in a quality brioche bun and topped with fresh tomato, leaf lettuce, and pickles. The beef patties are finished with grilled onions, and let’s not forget the special SMASH sauce."

Congratulation to owners Nick and Jordyn Harless on their impressive win! You can read more about Dixie's Biergarten HERE.

You can check out all of Iowa's Best Burger-winning restaurants (that are still open) below:

All of Iowa's Best Burger Winners Since 2010

Every year, the Iowa Beef Industry Council puts on a contest to figure out which restaurant has the most delicious burger in the state. Here are all all the honorees that are still in business as of February 2026:

Gallery Credit: Courtlin

New Bars & Restaurants That Have Opened in Eastern Iowa in 2026 (UPDATED 4/13)

We're only a few months in to 2026, but there are already quite a few new bars & restaurants that have opened in Eastern Iowa! Check out a list of the new businesses that have recently opened:

Gallery Credit: Courtlin